THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION

VU THI THUY

DEVELOP COMMUNICATION SKILLS FOR PRESCHOOL
CHILDREN AGED 5-6 THROUGH ORGANIZING THEMEBASED ROLE PLAYING GAMES IN THE NORTHERN
MOUNTAINOUS REGION

Specialty: Theory and History of Education
Code: 9140102

DISSERTATION SUMMARY

THAI NGUYEN - 2019


The dissertation was finished at:
THAINGUYEN UNIVERSITY – UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION

Supervisors: 1. Assoc. Prof. Dr Nguyen Thi Tinh
2. Dr. Tran Thi Minh Hue

Reviewer 1: ......................................................
Reviewer 2: ......................................................
Reviewer 3: ......................................................

The dissertation will be defended in university committee:
THAINGUYEN UNIVERSITY – UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION
At…….o’clock……………………, 2019


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1
INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale for the study
Nursery schools in Vietnam northern mountainous region have paid
much attention to teaching communication skills for pre-school children of 5
to 6 years old to ensure educational goals at preschool level. However, the
teaching process of communication skills for pre-school children aged 5 to 6
still has certain limitations; particularly, teachers have not yet exploited the
strengths of fun activities in general and the theme-based role play in
particular. In addition, in previous research, there has not been a systematic
study on teaching communication skills for pre-school children aged 5 to 6
through the organization of theme-based role play in the northern
mountainous region of Vietnam to address the issues: What role does themebased role play play in the development of communication skills for preschool children aged 5 to 6? What can be done to ensure the effectiveness of
educating communication skills for pre-school children aged 5 to 6 through
theme-based role play in the nursery schools in Vietnam northern
mountainous region?
From the above reasons, with the desire to study and evaluate the
current status of teaching communication skills for children of 5-6
years old through organizing fun activities, developing effective
education measures to improve the quality of teaching communication
skills for children of 5-6 years old in the northern mountainous region,
we chose the thesis "Teaching communication skills to pre-school
children aged 5 to 6 through the organization of theme-based role play
in the northern mountainous area".
2. Aims of the study
On the basis of theoretical and practical research of teaching
communication skills for pre-school children of 5-6 years old through

skills through organizing theme-based role play for children of 5-6 year
old can be set up appropriately, they will contribute to improving the
quality of teaching communication skills for children of 5-6 years old in
the current northern mountainous region.
5. Tasks of the study
5.1. Developing a theoretical basis of teaching communication skills for preschool children of 5-6 years old through the organization of theme-based
role play at nursery schools.
5.2. Surveying and assessing the actual situation of teaching communication
skills for pre-schoolers of 5-6 years old through theme-based role play at
nursery schools in Vietnam northern mountainous area.
5.3. Proposing a procedure and measures of teaching communication skills
for pre-school children of 5-6 years old through theme-based role play in
Vietnam northern mountainous area.
5.4. Conducting an experiment to verify the procedure and measures of
teaching communication skills for pre-school children of 5-6 years old
through theme-based role-play.
6. Methodology, methods and scope of the study
6.1. Methodology of the study
- Structural system view
- Practical view

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3
- Operational and personality views
- The view of approaching the standards of five-year-old children
development.
- The view of teaching life skills for children of 5-6 years old.
6.2. Methods of the study

teaching communication skills for children of 5-6 years old in the
northern mountainous region.

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- Establishing a procedure and measures for the organization of themebased role play to teach communication skills for children of 5-6 years old
in the northern mountainous nursery schools in Vietnam today.
- The thesis is a reference in research and teaching of preschool
education and teaching communication skills for children of 5-6 years
old through organizing fun activities in nursery schools.
CHAPTER 1
THEORETICAL BACKGROUND OF TEACHING
COMMUNICATION SKILLS FOR PRE-SCHOOL CHILDREN AGED
FIVE TO SIX THROUGH THE ORGANIZATION OF THEME-BASED
ROLE PLAY IN NURSERY SCHOOLS
1.1. Literature review
1.1.1. In the world
First research direction: Research on communication
Many authors have been interested in researching this issue, typically German
philosopher Ludwig Andreas Feuerbach; Russian researcher Ivan Petrovich
Pavlov; Karl Max; V.I.Lenin; J.Mensen; J.P. Sartre and Manie. The above
works deeply studied communication, the role of communication in society and
the development of individual personality, and clarified the origin of
communication and importance of communication skills, the need for teaching
communication skills for pre-schoolers and school students.
Second research direction: Communication skills and the education of
communication skills
In this research direction, there were authors such as: A. Toffler; K.D.Usinxki; .

communication skills
In recent years, the issue of communication skills and teaching
communication skills has been addressed by many authors: Nguyen Van
Le; Ngo Cong Hoan; Hoang Anh; Hoang Thi Anh; Chu Van Duc; Nguyen
Huu Do; Ngo Giang Nam; Ngo Cong Hoan; Le Xuan Hong; Vu Thi Ngan;
Hoang Thi Phuong; Nguyen Van Luy; Tran Thi Tuyet Hoa; Cao Thị Xuân;
Nguyen Thanh Binh; Nguyen Thi Tinh; Nguyen Thi Thanh. Their projects
studied the role of communication skills in education and career
development; the need for teaching communication skills to students;
necessary communication skills for elementary students. Research works
on teaching communication skills for preschool children have been
conducted, however, they were just conducted with special children;
children of 3-4 years old; for children 5-6 years of age, however, research
was in the form of cultural behavior.
Third research direction: Research on teaching communication skills for preschool children through the organization of theme-based role play.
In this research direction, there were the following authors: Nguyen Anh
Tuyet; Nguyen Van Luy; Tran Thi Tuyet Hoa; Le Xuan Hong; Nguyen Xuan
Thuc; Nguyen Thi Thu Ha and Pham Thi Thu Thuy; Nguyen Thi Phan.
Their works studied the role of theme-based role play games for the
comprehensive development of children’s personality including
communication skills. However, there has not been any research in depth on
teaching communication skills for pre-school children of 5-6 years old
through organizing theme-based role play.

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Through the review of previous research, there have been many studies
on communication and teaching communication skills for pedagogical

1.2.4. Theme-based role-play
Theme-based role-play is a typical game of pre-school children in
general and pre-schoolers of 5-6 years old in particular. When
participating in the game, children themselves figure out the theme of
play, find partners, cast roles, find alternative toys to play the game.
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1.2.5. Teaching communication skills for pre-school children aged 56 through the organization of theme-based role play
Teaching communication skills for pre-school children aged 5-6
through theme-based role play is a purposeful and planned process, in
which under the leading role of teachers children of 5-6 years old form
and develop well-trained actions in using verbal and non-verbal means
to play a certain character, perform adult social functions and simulate
human lives in the society.
1.3. Key issues of teaching communication skills for children aged
5-6 years in nursery schools.
1.3.1. Communication characteristics of pre-schoolers aged 5-6
1.3.2. Objectives, meanings, principles, contents, methods, forms of
teaching communication skills for children of 5-6 years old.
1.3.3. Procedure of organizing communication skill teaching
activities for children of 5-6 years old.
1.4. Teaching communication skills for pre-school children of 5-6 years
old through organization of theme-based role play in nursery schools.
1.4.1. Advantages of theme-based role play in
teaching communication skills for children of 5-6
years old.
Theme-based role-play is a type of game in which children simulate
a certain part of adult life in society by playing a character in life to

achieve these standards, children of 5-6 years need to have the following
specific communication skills: (1) listening comprehension in theme-based
role play, (2) verbal expression in theme-based role play, (3) communication
rule implementation in theme-based role play.
1.4.4. Methods of teaching communication skills for pre-school
children through organization of theme-based role play.
The methods are: using verbal expressions; creating educational
situations; encouragement.
1.4.5 Evaluation of communication skills of pre-school children of 56 years old through organization of theme-based role play.
1.4.5.1. Objectives of the evaluation of aged 5-6 pre-school children’s
communication skills through theme-based role play.
1.4.5.2. Contents of the evaluation of aged 5-6 pre-school children’s
communication skills through theme-based role play.
Achievement levels of each following communication skill of preschoolers aged 5-6 when participating in theme-based role play are
evaluated:
(1) listening comprehension in theme-based role play,
(2) verbal expression in theme-based role play,
(3) communication rule implementation in theme-based role play.
1.4.5.3. Types of evaluation
1.4.5.4. Criteria and rating scale
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Table 1.1. Criteria and rating scale of aged 5-6 pre-school
children’s communication skills in theme-based role play
No
1

2

n
in
themebased role
play

Levels
3 (Above passed)

2 (Passed)

1 (not passed)

Recognize
some
expressive nuances of
partners’
words
when they are happy,
sad, angry, scared,
worried,
...
in
theme-based role
play
Follow
some
instructions regarding
the role and play
actions in themebased role play.


happy, sad, angry,
scared, worried, ... in
theme-based role
play.
Follow
all the
instructions
regarding the role
and play actions in
theme-based role
play.
Understand
the
meaning of all
words related to the
role and specialized
words according to
each theme of the
play..

Understand
the
meaning of some
words related to the
role and specialized
words according to
each theme of the
play..

Not understand the

appropriate to the
theme, actions and
situations
that
occur in the game.
Use
simple
sentences
and
complex sentences
to exchange, cast
the role, persuade
partners to choose a
theme,
instruct
partners
in
necessary

Use all the words
that
designate
specific items and
tools, appropriate to
the theme, actions
and situations that
occur in the game.
Flexibly use simple
sentences
and

Use some simple
sentences
and
complex sentences to
exchange, cast the
role,
persuade
partners to choose a
theme,
instruct
partners in necessary
situations.

Not Listen, and
understand situations
that occur during the
game
Not
say
full
sentences clearly,
appropriate to the
role..
Not Use words that
designate
specific
items and tools,
appropriate to the
theme, actions and
situations that occur

tation in
themebased role
play

Specific
manifestations
situations.
Establish
relationships and
create
communication
situations in themebased role play.
Adjust the voice in
accordance with the
communication
situations in themebased role play
Listen to partners
during the game.
Not disturb, not
interrupt partners
during
the
communication
process.
Perform gestures,
facial expressions,
expressive nuances,
when
they
communicate in

game.
Never disturb, not
interrupt
partners
during
the
communication
process. .
Perform all appropriate
gestures,
facial
expressions, expressive
nuances, when they
communicate
in
theme-basedrole play..

Establish
some
relationships
and
create
some
communication
situations in themebased role play..
Adjust the voice in
accordance with some
of the communication
situations in themebased role play.
Rarely listen to

create
communication
situations in themebased role play..
Not adjust the voice
in accordance with
the communication
situations in themebased role play.
Not listen to partners
during the game.

Greetings
appropriate to the
role and situations in
the game..
Never say rude
words, no swearing
during the game.

Usually disturb, not
interrupt
partners
during
the
communication
process. .
Not
perform
appropriate gestures,
facial
expressions,

great significance, so it has been studied by many scientists in foreign countries and
in Vietnam. However, research on teaching communication skills for pre-school
children of 5-6 years old through the organization of theme-based role play remains
a relatively new issue in our country and particularly there have been no research
projects on teaching communication skills for pre-school children of 5-6 years old
through theme-based role play in the northern mountainous region. Therefore, a
study on teaching communication skills for pre-school children of 5-6 years old
through theme-based role play in the northern mountainous region in the current
period is a necessary and practically and theoretically meaningful task.
The study identified some basic theoretical issues as a basis for studying the
situation such as communication skills, teaching communication skills,
communication skills of pre-schoolers aged 5-6 and teaching communication
skills to pre-schoolers aged 5-6 through organizing theme-based role play. In
essence, teaching communication skills to pre-schoolers aged 5-6 through
organizing theme-based role play is a purposeful and planned impact process
under the leading role of teachers in which pre-schoolers aged 5-6 develop welltrained manipulations and actions in using verbal and non-verbal means to play
a certain character to perform the social functions of adults and simulate the life
of people in the society.
The contents of teaching communication skills for children of 5-6 years old
through theme-based role play include: Listening comprehension in themebased role play, verbal expression in theme-based role play anhd
communication rule implementation in theme-based role play.
The process of teaching communication skills for pre-school children of 5-6
years through theme-based role play depends on the contents, methods, forms
of organization and on evaluation results of teaching communication skills for
children, especially on teachers’ educational capacity, the ability to organize
games, children’s playing environment .
The above is the theoretical basis for surveying the status of
communication skills and the status of teaching communication skills to
children through the organization of theme-based role play at schools in
the northern mountainous area and studying and proposing a procedure

northern rural mountainous areas still faces many difficulties. The subjects
of communication of ethnic minority children are mainly family members,
friends in the village, teachers and friends in the class, but rarely expanded
communication relationships.
From the above features, within the scope of this study, we chose
nursery schools located in the northern rural mountainous areas as the
subjects.
2.1.2. Organization of survey
2.1.2.1 Survey objectives
To assess the status of awareness, and teaching communication
skills to children of 5-6 years old through organizing theme-based role
play in northern mountainous nursery schools in Vietnam and define
the cause of the situation.

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2.1.2.2. Survey contents
+ The status of the awareness of teaching communication skills to children of
5-6 years old through the organization of theme-based role play at nursery
schools.
+ The situation of communication skills of pre-schoolers of 5-6 years old
when observing children participating in role play the following themes: sales,
doctors, family, construction, nature, cooking, arts, learning.
+ The status of teaching communication skills to children of 5-6 years old
through organizing theme-based role play in northern mountainous nursery
schools
2.1.2.3. Survey objects
314 teachers and managers, 45 teachers of pre-schooler aged 5-6

through theme-based role-play.
2.3.1. Situation of communication skills of pre-schoolers aged 5-6
through theme-based role-play.
Recognize the expressive
nuances of partners’ words
when they are happy, sad, angry,
scared, worried, ... in themebased role play.
Follow instructions regarding the
role and play actions in themebased role play.
Understand the meaning of
words related to the role and
specialized words according to
each theme of the play.
Listen, and understand situations
that occur during the game

Method of investigation

Observation results

Figure 2.1. Listening comprehension skills in themebased role play
Say full sentences
appropriate to the role.

clearly,

Use words that designate specific
items and tools, appropriate to the
theme, actions and situations that
occur in the game.

communicate in theme-based role
play.
Greetings appropriate to the role
and situations in the game.
No rude words,no swearing
during the game.

Method of investigation

Observation results

Figure 2.3. Verbal language using skills in theme-based roleplay
Figure 2.1; 2.2; 2.3 show the results of the comparison between the
evaluation of communication skills of children aged 5-6 years old through
organizing theme-based role play in the Northern mountainous region of the
teachers and the author's observation. We found that the results of the
evaluation of the teachers and author are similar; The obtained results were
mostly at level 2 (passed) and some level 3 (Above passed). The above
comparison results show that the process of evaluating communication skills
of children aged 5-6 through organizing theme-based role play in the
Northern mountainous region was objective and accurate.
2.4. Situation of teaching communication skills to pre-school children aged
5-6 through organizing theme-based role play
2.4.1. Situation of implementing the contents of teaching communication
skills to children aged 5-6 through organizing theme-based role play.
Table 2.8. Current status of implementing contents of
teaching communication skills to children aged 5-6
through organizing theme-based role play.
Content of teaching communication
skills to children aged 5-6 through

X
Level

2.16

2.14

2.15

2.13

2.14

2.14

1

1.91

1.87

1.88

1.89

1.88

1.89

3


Methods to the teaching of
communication skills to children Hòa Bắc
aged 5-6 through organizing
Bình Kạn
X
X
theme-based role play
Verbal language
1.52 1.67

1.62

1.45

1.65

1.76

1.61

2

Educational situations

1.44

1.48

1.46


X

X

X

X

X

2.4.3. Situation of the procedure of teaching communication skills to
children aged 5-6 through organizing theme-based role play
In order to find out the status of the procedure of teaching
communication skills to children aged 5-6 through organizing theme-based
role play in the northern mountainous area, we conducted an in-depth
interview with 45 teachers of children aged 5-6 and the results are as
follows:
45/45 teachers claimed that in nursery schools there is a procedure to teach
communication skills for children of 5-6 years old and there is an
implementation of teaching communication skills for children aged 5-6 through
organizing theme-based role play. 39/45 Teachers said that at present, there has
been no procedure guided by district department of education and provincial
department of education on teaching communication skills to children in themebased role play, so teaching communication skills to children in this activity still
has many difficulties. The teaching of communication skills to children through
theme-based role play is currently based mainly on the ability and flexibility of
teachers, so the results are uneven, leading to the incomprehensive effectiveness
of teaching communication skills to children aged 5-6. 45/45 Teachers claimed
that there should be a specific procedure of guiding teaching communication
skills to children of 5-6 years old through theme-based role play because this is

factor stood at the first position (2.86). Second was the child's participation
in the game (2.61). Third was the psychosocial environment and facilities of
the school (2.51); Fourth was the system of theme-based role play games
(2.35) and finally the capacity of teaching communication skills to children
through the organization of theme-based role play (2.23). When interviewed
about the influence of cultural and custom factors, most teachers (44/45)
emphasized the great influence of these factors on the process of educating
communication skills to children.
Thus, we can see the above factors greatly affected the effectiveness
of teaching communication skills to pre-school children of 5-6 years
old through the organization of theme-based role play. The study of
solutions to overcome the shortcomings and limitations of these factors
in the process of teaching communication skills to children of 5-6 years
old through the organization of theme-based role-play in the northern
mountainous region is significant and practically meaningful.
2.5. Conclusion of Chapter 2

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The awareness of teachers and managers at nursery schools in the
northern mountainous area on the education of communication skills
for children of 5-6 years of age through organization of theme-based
role play was relatively accurate but incomplete, many teachers were
aware of the superiority of teaching communication skills to children of
5-6 years of age through organization of theme-based role play. This is
an favorable condition for teachers to teach communication skills to
children of 5-6 years of age through organization of theme-based role
play in the northern mountainous area.


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CHAPTER 3
PROCEDURE AND MEASURES OF TEACHING
COMMUNICATION SKILLS TO PRE-SCHOOL CHILDREN OF
5-6 YEARS OLD THROUGH THE ORGANIZATION OF THEMEBASED ROLE PLAY AT NURSERY SCHOOLS IN NORTHERN
MOUNTAINOUS REGION
3.1. Principles of proposing procedure and measures
3.2. Develop the procedure of teaching communication skills to
children of 5-6 years old through theme-based role play
3.2.1. Objective of proposing a procedure
3.2.2. The contents of the procedure
Stage 1: Designing communication skill education activities for
children of 5-6 years through the organization theme-based role play.
Step 1: Discovering children’s existing knowledge and communication
skills in theme-based role play.
Step 2: Establishing a list of skills to be trained
Step 3: Selecting dominant theme-based role play games in child’s
communication skill education
Step 4: Designing the scenario of organizing communication skill
education activities for children of 5-6 years through the organization
theme-based role play.
Phase 2: Organizing communication skill education activities for
children of 5-6 years through the organization of theme-based role play.
Step 1: Mobilizing life experiences within children about themselves
and social relationships
Step 2: Organizing communication skill education activities for
children of 5-6 years through the organization theme-based role play.
Step 3: Evaluating communication skills of children of 5-6 years
through the organization theme-based role play

3.4.1. Overview of the experimental process
3.4.1.1. Experimental objectives
3.4.1.2. Subject and scale of experiment
Children in 2 nursery classes of 5-6-year-olds in Na Pheo Kindergarten,
Phu Thuong Commune, Vo Nhai District. 5-6-year-old nursery class A has 27
children, in which there are 1 Kinh; 2 Muong ; 20 Tay, 4 Nung; 5-6-year-old
nursery class B has 27 children, in which there are 3 Tay, 24 Nung.
3.4.1.3. Experimental content
Experiment took place in the first semester of the 2018-2019 school
year (from September 10, 2018 to October 30, 2018) this is the time for
implementing the theme of Preschool and the theme of children
themselves. During the process of the experiment, we applied the
procedure and measures to develop fun activities in an open way to
enhance teaching communication skills to children of 5-6 years old.
3.4.2. Analysis of experimental results
3.4.2.1.
Analyzing
the
level
of
performance
of
communication skills of pre-school children aged 5-6 in
theme-based role play before experiment
The results show that communication skills of pre-school children aged
5-6 in the control and experimental groups were similar, the groups were at the
passed level. The level of implementing communication skills of the control
and experimental groups correctly reflects the situation of communication
skills of pre-school children aged 5-6 through the organization of theme-based
role play analyzed in chapter 2. This proves that the children selected for the

situations that occur

during the game

Figure 3.10. Listening comprehension skills in theme-based role play
Say full sentences clearly,
appropriate to the role.

Use words that designate
specific items and tools,
appropriate to the theme, actions
and situations that occur in the
game.
Use simple sentences and
complex sentences to exchange,
cast the role, persuade partners
to choose a theme, instruct
partners in necessary situations.

input

1st experiment

2nd experiment

3rt experiment

Establish relationships and create
communication situations in
theme-based role play.

2nd experiment

3rt experiment

Figure 3.12. Rule practicing skills in communication in
theme-based role-play
As can be seen from the table of statistical results of communication
skills obtained from pre-test, experimental results for the first, second and
third time of the experimental group show that there were significant
differences in results of communication skills from the control group after
each experiment. This shows that the application of procedure and
measures in teaching communication skills to children of 5-6 years
through the organization theme-based role play in the northern
mountainous area have practical values.
3.6. Conclusion of chapter 3
The dissertation has conducted experiments on the procedure and
measures to develop fun activities in an open way to enhance communication
skills to children of 5-6 years through the organization theme-based role
play. The results confirm that the proposed procedure and measures are
feasible and effective in teaching communication skills to children of 5-6
years through the organization theme-based role play. Experimental
results show that the proposed process and measures can be applied in the
practice of general child education in the Northern mountainous nursery
schools and in teaching communication skills to children in particular.
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Conclusion
(1) Teaching communication skills to pre-school children of 5-6 years old
through theme-based role play is a purposeful and planned process of teachers to
realize the goals and contents of teaching communication skills to children of 5-6
years old through theme-based role play. That is the process of formation and