TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART 1: REASONS FOR TOPIC CHOICE
PART 2: CONTENT
I. THEORETICAL BASIS
1. Students’ psychological characteristics in learning English
2. Importance in stimulating participation of students in
English lesson.
3. Speaking skill
II. THE REAL STATE OF AFFAIRS
1. Researching method.
2. Researching questions.
3. Results of the convey.
III. SOLUTIONS
1. Warm- up
1.1 Mapped dialogue
1.2 Sorting, arranging game
1.3 Cross- words
2. Pre- speaking stage
2.1 Brainstorm
2.2 Matching
2.3 Net works
2.4 Role play
2.5 Labeling games
3. While- speaking stage
3.1 Noughts and crosses
3.2 Chain story
3.3 Interviewing
3.4 Challenging games
4. Post- speaking stage
4.1 Rearrange

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INITIATIVE: “USING LANGUAGE GAMES TO IMPROVE

SPEAKING SKILLS FOR GRADE 10 STUDENTS AT NONG
CONG 3 UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOL”
PART 1: REASONS FOR TOPIC CHOICE
In the world of the integration and development with the multilateral
relations and information explosion, English remains an important role in
comprehensive development for each student. However, in fact, I realize my
students find it very difficult to express their ideas in English and they even do not
know how to keep the conversation going on. They are usually stressed and passive
when being asked to participate in speaking activities. More importantly,


Besides, they learn through their listening and repeating, through cooperation
and reciprocation in reliable atmosphere; and through interesting activities from
which they gain their aims.

3


One of the things that makes teaching a source of endless fascination is
the fact that no two classes are ever the same. There always exists the complex
interpersonal chemistry between teacher and students and between student and
student. In any given classroom, the factors such as position attitudes and
individuals’ personalities will be in constant interaction creating a dynamic,
unstable environment that can either facilitate the learning process or seriously
impair it. The role of expectations of both teachers and learners will be
conditioned by individual personality factors such as introversion, cognitive
style, prior learning and teaching experiences, and cultural factors.
Real-life observation also tells us that even if language learners can be
shown to be following a common developmental route, they differ greatly in
degree of ultimate success which they achieve. As a teacher, one should be
aware that learners differ in ways that careful thought when making decisions
about what to be taught and how to teach. Social psychologists have argued
consistently that differences in learning outcomes must be due to individual
differences between learners, and many proposals have been made concerning
the characteristics which supposedly cause these differences.
The degree to which any of the factors discussed will become significant
in a particular learning and teaching situation will depend partly on the reasons
why learners are learning English. Any individual may be influenced by a
variety of motivations which will affect such things as anxiety, attitudes or
willingness to try new learning strategies.
In short, there exist individual differences among learners and these

people can distinguish them. This includes making tonal distinctions.
2. Use stress and rhythmic patterns, and intonation patterns of the
language clearly enough so that people can understand what is said.
3. Use the correct forms of words. This may mean, for example, changes
in the tense, case, or gender.
4. Put words together in correct word order.
5. Use vocabulary appropriately.
6. Use the register or language variety that is appropriate to the situation
and the relatonship to the conversation partner.
7. Make clear to the listener the man sentence constituents, such as
subject, verb, object, by whatever means the language uses.
8. Make the main ideas stand out from supporting ieas or information.
9. Make the discourse hang together so that people can follow what you
are saying
(Extracted from the LiguaLinks Library, Version 3.5 published on
CDROM by SIL International, 1999)
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II. THE REAL STATE OF AFFAIRS
1. Researching method.
In order to realize the above aims of the study, qualitative and quantitative
methods are mainly used. The data collected for the study come from three
sources: The questionnaires bring me the overview of both English speaking
teaching and learning by teachers of English and students at Nong Cong 3 High
School; the classroom observation, we can see what the participants do in
comparison with theoretical base of the study and an interview of teachers are
going to be used to collect information and evidence for the study.
In addition, synthesis material of speaking and giving some suggestions for
students to improve English speaking skills through language games activities.


5%

25%

70%

6


10B5

0%

8%

27%

65%

Games are often used in language teaching. However, this thesis only focus
on the games to develop speaking skills. Especially to improve speaking skills
of the grade 10 students at Nong Cong 3 upper secondary School, the researcher
intends to investigate the current situation of teaching and learning speaking
skill, then apply some language games in teaching speaking skills in grade 10 at
Nong Cong 3 upper secondary School, finally to make some suggestion for
improving speaking skills for students through using language games activities.
III. Solutions
Some suggested games used in teaching
speaking 1. Warm – up

B.
A.
B.
A.
B.
A.

Hello, Hong
Hi, Lan, How are you?
I’m fine. Thanks. And you?
I’m fine. Let’s go somewhere for drink
Sorry. I’m busy. I must go out with my mother now.
Oh yes. Bye
Bye. See you later.

1.2 Sorting, arranging game
Unit 13: Films and cinema
Type of game: Sorting, arranging game
Classroom management: Pair
works
Teaching aids: film posters and handouts Time: 5-7 minutes
Procedure:
The teacher asks students to work in pairs. Teacher sticks the following
posters on the blackboard or alternatively print these posters and distribute them
to students
Teacher then gives the handout to the pairs and asks students to match the
film with the correct types
Film and posters: Handout
Type
Science fiction film

S

Clues:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

A
G
T

R
L
A

A
A
D

D
N
I

W
O
R
L
D


A
M
O

P

T

A

I

N

R

T

U

G

A

R

L

The person who wins in a competition?

3. Then she goes to school by bus at 7 o’clock
4. She plays football with her friends.
5. She gets home at 11 o’ clock.
...................................This is a typical day of Lan
Then asked students write the activities, the teacher asks each person stand
up to read about their activities.
2.2 Matching
Unit 2: School talk
Type of games: Matching
Classroom management: Group work
Teaching aid: 1 big sheet of paper and 10 pieces of expressions
Time: 5 minutes
Preparation: prepare a big sheet of paper with 10 movable pieces of
expression which are put in random, use magnets to hang on board
Starting a conversation
Closing a conversation
Good morning.\ Hi
Great. I’ll see you tomorrow
Sorry. I’ve got to go. Talk to you later. Hello. How are you?
Well, it’s been nice meeting you
Hello. What are you doing?
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How’s everything at school?
Catch you later?
Goodbye. See you later?
Hi. How is school?
Procedure:
- Three tables will be a group. So there will be 4 groups in total


e
background

Primary school

Method of study
School work

Educatio
n

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Secondary school
The students can talk about the topic such as:
Family: In my family, there are four people. They are father, mother,
brother and me.
My father is a doctor and my mother is a teacher.
………….
2.4 Role – play
Unit 14: World Cup (speaking task 1)
Type of games: Role- play
Classroom management: Group
work
Teaching aid: handout
Time: 7- 10 minutes
Procedure:
The teacher asks students to name four national football teams in the

team in World Cup 2006?

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team in World Cup 2006?
5.
Who was the head coach of the
English team in World Cup 2006?
Questions for the Italian team’s fans
1. How many World Cup tournaments
has Italy participated in up to 2006?
2. How many times has Italy won the
trophy up to 2006?
3.
Who was the captain of the Italian
team in World Cup 2006?
4.
Who was the top scorer in Italian
team in World Cup 2006?
5.
Who was the head coach of the
Italian team in World Cup 2006?

5.
Who was the head coach of the
German team in World Cup 2006?
Questions for the French team’s fans
1. How many World Cup tournaments
has France participated in up to 2006?

whales and sharks are still hunted for food, medicine and other products (picture
2); explosives are used to catch fish and other sea animals (picture 3); beaches
are filled with plastic bags, pieces of glass and cigarette butts (picture 4). The
teacher requires students to discuss the consequences that might occur and offer
some possible solutions to these problems.
3. While-speaking stage
This stage is the main part of a speaking lesson in which students use
language input provided in pre-speaking stage to express personal feelings,
ideas, or viewpoints, to converse and discuss or to describe one event, to tell a
story, etc…Time spent on this stage is nearly twenty to thirty minutes.
3.1 Noughts and crosses
Unit 10: Conservation
(Task 2)
Type of games: Noughts and crosses
Classroom management: Work
group
Teaching aid: handout
Time: 15 minutes
Procedure:
Teachers explain to students that this game is the same game “caro” but
only need 3 “O” or “X” on a horizontal, vertical, diagonal is the winner

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Teacher guys 9 cells on the board, each cell contains 9 vocabularies, one
the number of one the picture ….
For example:
Leopard
Boa


Nga’s friend
- Ask what Nga did last Saturday
- Ask about the means of transport
Nga’s class used to go to Huong
Pagoda
- Ask about food and drinks Nga’s
class brought
- Ask about the duration of the
excursion
- Ask what they did in Huong Pagoda
- End up the conversation

Nga
- Answer
- Answer and express regrets
- Answer and express regrets
- Answer and express regrets
- Tell what they did and express regrets

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Procedure:
- Ask to work in pairs first and give each pair 2 handouts: one for Nga and
the other for Nga’s friend
- Each pair has to make a conversation based on the information on the
handouts
- After 6 to 8 minutes, call on students to make a story about Nga’s
excursion. Each student talks only one sentence. The other takes turn and

Unit 16: Historical place
(Task 3)
Type of games: Challenging game
Classroom management: Work group
Time: 15 minutes
Procedure:
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The teacher split the class into two teams. The teachers gives topic has the
key words “citadel of the Ho dynasty”. Two teams huddle within 30 seconds to
give words related to this topic and turn to challenge your team. Which team is
more challenging than the number of words spoken before.
If say enough and the right amount of challenge is scored 1 point. If you
say one wrong word or saying one word that does not belong or not say enough
times, it will lose the challenge and points will belong to the other team. For
example:
Some words are relation with Ho citadel such as: Vinh Loc district, 1400- 1407,
2011 ect…
After asks students give words then asks writes report to the class what have
learnt about that place.
Then asks students read a low their report.
4. Post- speaking stage
It is the last step of a speaking lesson so it is time for students’ production.
The activities in this stage are for students to reflect upon their performance.
Post-speaking stage should last ten to twelve minutes
4.1 Rearrange
Unit 2: School talk (task 4)
Type of games: Rearrange
Classroom management: Group work

4.2 Picture drill
Unit 5: Technology and game
(Task 4)
Type of games: Picture drill
Classroom management: Group work
Teaching aid: Pictures and cards
Time: 10 minutes
Procedure:
The teacher divides the class into groups of four or five students
The teacher prepares from 6 to 8 pictures on the board.
From this picture, the student asks questions based on drawings were used
structure learning.
Pictures:
RICE COOKER
TELEVISION

It is used to ……………
WASCHING MACHINE

It is used to……………….
CELL PHONE

It is used to……………..
RADIO

It is used to……………
FRIDGE
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The teacher can start: Yesterday it was nice, so I decided to go for a walk
Student A: Unfortunately, it began to rain
Student B: Fortunately, I had an umbrella
Student C: Unfortunately, it was broken.
4.4 Searching games
Unit 15: Task 4 (Post- speaking)
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Type of games: searching games
Classroom management: Whole class
Teaching aids: copies of table
Preparation: make copies for the table below
Time: 10 minutes
SURVEY: WHICH CITY DOES YOU PREPER?
Name \ Opinion

Prefer New York

Prefer Lon Don

Why

Procedure:
- Get students to move around and interview many other students as
possible about which city they prefer and why in a limited time
- Remind them to take notes while interviewing
- The students who have more names in the survey will be the winners
- Call some to report their finding.
4.5 Guessing games


BERLIN

BANGKOK

MOSCOW

VIENNA

CAIRO

SINGAPORE

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IV. THE RESULTS OF THE RESEACH
I directly experimented the above method in using games to improve
speaking skills for grade 10 students at Nong Cong III high school in
different classes with the flexibility of communicative methods. Besides, I
have still been applying the traditional methods. As the result showed that
90% of students at class 10B5 acquired firmly the content of each lesson to
express the ideas naturally with clear rhythm and intonation so that they
gradually pay more attention to what the teacher expect them to do.
Therefore, they learned very well what teacher taught.
I have got the following detail result through these techniques:
After applying innovative techniques
(According to the figures at the end of the school- year 2019 – 2020)

Excellent

The important of speaking for grade 10 form students is undeniable. It
is obvious that both teachers and students often encounter difficulties
when dealing with English speaking. To better the situation, the study
has presented some useful techniques for improving teaching and
learning to speak English.
From the results of the study, it can be clearly shown that the teaching
and learning English speaking is still far from satisfactory. The students
are not
equipped with necessary speaking skills or strategies to become
successful English speakers.

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It is hope that the study will prove worthwhile to those who want to
improve students in speaking classes and who are concerned about the
problem.
II. Suggestion:
For all the above experiences, I hope that it can be useful in some way to my
colleagues and be applied by students and carried out effectively in teaching
English. From this desire that I propose to have phonetic textbook for both
teachers and students which should be used in high school curriculum. This is
the realistic requirement and the necessary need of teacher and student to
improve quality of learning foreign languages at higher level, to meet the
practical requirements and proposed curriculum.
Thus, in order to make the study more practical, some suggestions on
using language games as well as a variety of language games applied in
all stages of a speaking lesson have also been mentioned.

CONFIRM