VIETNAM ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
GRADUATE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

Trần Thị Linh Sơn

USING ROLE PLAY TO IMPROVE 10TH GRADERS’
SPEAKING SKILL AT A MOUNTAINOUS UPPER
SECONDARY SCHOOL IN BINH THUAN PROVINCE

MA THESIS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE

HO CHI MINH CITY, 2020


VIETNAM ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
GRADUATE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

Trần Thị Linh Sơn

USING ROLE PLAY TO IMPROVE 10TH GRADERS’
SPEAKING SKILL AT A MOUNTAINOUS UPPER
SECONDARY SCHOOL IN BINH THUAN PROVINCE

Field: English Language
Code: 8220201
Supervisor: Lê Hương Hoa, Ph.D.

HO CHI MINH CITY, 2020


DECLARATION BY THE AUTHOR

friends, my colleagues and my students who have given me constant support
during the completion of the study.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION BY THE AUTHOR .............................................................. i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................. ii
ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................... vi
LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................................... vii
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................................ viii
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................... 1
1.1. Rationale..................................................................................................... 1
1.2. Aim(s) of the Study .................................................................................... 2
1.3. Research Questions .................................................................................... 2
1.4. Scope of the Study ..................................................................................... 2
1.5. Significance of the Study ........................................................................... 2
1.6. Research Methods ...................................................................................... 3
1.7. Structure of the Study................................................................................. 3
CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW .......................................................... 5
2. 1. Communicative Language Teaching (CLT): ........................................... 5
2. 1.1. Concepts of CLT .................................................................................... 5
2. 1.2. Main characteristics of CLT .................................................................. 5
2. 1.3. Conditions of Applying CLT ................................................................. 6
2.1.4. Using CLT in Teaching Speaking Skill .................................................. 7
2. 2. An overview of role play........................................................................... 8
2. 2.1. What is role play?................................................................................... 8
2.2.2. Types of role-play ................................................................................... 9
2.2.3. Techniques to Control Role-Play .......................................................... 12

4.1.2. Findings of the First Cycle .................................................................... 36
4.1.3. Findings of the Second Cycle ............................................................... 39
4.2. Findings after Implementing the Classroom Action Research ................ 44

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4.2.1. The Result of Posttest............................................................................ 44
4.2.2. The result of Questionnaire ................................................................... 51
4.3. Summary ................................................................................................ 545
CHAPTER 5. CONCLUSION ........................................................................ 56
5.1. Recapitulation: ......................................................................................... 56
5.2. Conclusion Remarks ................................................................................ 57
5.3. Implications .............................................................................................. 57
5.4. Limitation and Suggestions for Further Studies ....................................... 59
5.4.1. Limitation .............................................................................................. 59
5.4.2. Suggestions for Further Studies ............................................................ 59
REFERENCES ................................................................................................ 61
APPENDICES .................................................................................................... I
Appendix 1 ......................................................................................................... I
Appendix 2 ....................................................................................................... II
Appendix 3 ...................................................................................................... III
Appendix 4 ...................................................................................................... IV
Appendix 5 ....................................................................................................... V

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ABSTRACT
There are various ways to improve students ' speaking skills and this


Communicative Language Teaching = CLT
Classroom action research = CAR
Students = Sts

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CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Rationale
Theoretically, there have been many researchers in Vietnam and in the
world who have worked and given a lot of solutions to improve students’
speaking skill. The majority of them focus on using new method, such as
task-based, pair works, group works, etc. These activities are so useful for
active students and the students who have a good foundation. Very few
writers have noticed to lower evaluated learners, especially students in remote
and mountainous area.
Under the pressure from the society about the high demand of English
level, the English staff in the writer’s school decided to choose the
Communicative Language Teaching Approach (here after CLT) to teach
English Speaking at all levels with the hope they can help their students both
improve their English knowledge and use it effectively and fluently in
communication by using this teaching method. This idea is also suggested by
many linguists and methodologists such as Nunan (1991) and Das, B.K
(1985).
Practically, as an English teacher at a high school in a mountainous
district of Bình Thuận province, I have found that students in our school as
well as in our district face big problems in speaking skill. They almost speak
very little or nothing in this lesson. One more thing is that most of the tasks
designed in text book are so difficult for them to master. Hence, I would like

remote district of Bình Thuận. The result of the study may encourage students
to overcome their shyness and to be more confident in speaking lesson at
school.

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1.6. Research Methods
In order to achieve the aims mentioned above, the researcher decides to
use Classroom Action Research to collect information from the students at a
mountainous area in Bình Thuận. Firstly, the teacher will deliver
questionnaires to the students so that more information on the reality and
problems they face and solutions implemented can be collected. Secondly, the
students will be tested by the pretest. This activity aims at checking the
knowledge of the student before implementing the technique. After that, the
author also has the test to compare the results between pre test and post test. If
the result of the post test does not satisfy, the teacher will investigate the
reasons and choose the more effective way. The information from
questionnaires and the post test can help to draw a general picture about the
reality of teaching and learning speaking skills at this school and suggest
some solutions for this situation.
1.7. Structure of the Study
The thesis consists of five chapters:
Chapter one is the INTRODUCTION which presents the rationales, the
objectives, the method and the design of the study. It expresses the reason
why the author decided to choose this study and the methods for the
fulfillment of the study.
Chapter two is the LITERATURE REVIEW which includes seven
parts. Part one deals with a historical overview of literature. It starts with the
theoretical issues on Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), which

2. 1.1. Concepts of CLT
Definitions about CLT are varied. Nunan (1989, p.194) gives an
overview of the approaches adapted below, several elements that are specific
to many CLT concepts.
The CLT considers language as a meaning-expression system.
Activities involve oral communication, meaningful tasks and language use,
which is meaningful to the learners. The aims reflect the learners ' needs.
Nunan also asserts that in communication process, learners are negotiators
and integrators whereas teachers are facilitators.
As with any definition of the language teaching process, the above
description reflects a particular vision of language acquisition comprehension
and clarification. It is constructed in a social way and must be seen as a
product of social, cultural, economic and political forces.
Canale and Swain (1980) expanded both for teaching and for testing
on the theoretical basis of CLT. In their reaction against an over emphasis
on function and a lack of emphasis on grammatical complexity, they
pointed out that externally oriental communication is not necessarily more
essential than other proposes of language such as “self-expression, verbal
thinking, problem solving, and creative writing”.
2. 1.2. Main characteristics of CLT
Language is not simply a regulatory system. Now it is generally viewed
as "a dynamic resource for creating meaning" (Nunan, 1989). That point of
view is really CLT support.

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CLT aims at (a) making communication skills the goal of language
teaching and (b) developing procedures for teaching the four language skills
that recognize language and communication interdependence

debate.
2. 1.3.2. Teachers
The role of teacher is also one of the most important components for
the application of CLT. In CLT class, teachers are not only facilitators of the
learning of the students but also advisors of the wondering of the students. We
may sometimes serve as a co-communicator to communicate with the students
in the communicative activities. Teachers are initiators of activities in the
classroom but they do not always interact with the students. By having them
share their ideas and opinions, they give the students the chance to express
their individuality. As for Littlewood (1981), this helps learners to integrate
their own personality into the target language and feel more emotionally
secure with it.
2.1.4. Using CLT in Teaching Speaking Skill
It is important to make students feel comfortable and confident when
using communicative practices, feel free to take risks and have chances to
talk. There are two kinds of classrooms available to second language learners
according to Pica, Young and Doughty (1987): As a traditional "teacherfronted" classroom, input has been modified or simplified; and authentic
student-to-student interaction is emphasized. It provides more opportunities
for the learners to speak since the learners try to reach mutual understanding
and change their language according to the situation's demand.
The basic curriculum in which the instructor will work is often given
the goals for speaking. In some cases, the syllabus will consist of a list of
grammar structures to be taught. In making the best use of what is available
for teaching purposes, the teacher must be flexible. In other words, the teacher

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must have some freedom to decide which goals to achieve, which content to
cover and what activities to use. In this case, the teacher can go beyond the

activities without making use of words. For example, if somebody mimes an
action, the others attempt to guess what it is.
From what are mentioned above, the role play is described as a strategy
which includes imagination to be another person or to be ourselves in a
specific situation for a while, improvising dialog and making a genuine world
in situation. Role play activities can encourage students’ thinking and creative
activities, help students develop and practice new dialect and behavioral skills
in a relatively non-threatening setting, and can make the motivation and
involvement important for learning to happen. Role play is an effective and
powerful teaching technique for children and adult and can be adjusted to
convey any taking in targets from easy to complex ideas.
As indicated by Don Byrn, role play can be assembled into two
structures. The first is scripted role play, which includes either deciphering
the text book dialog or reading text as a speech. After all, the main function of
the content is to memorably convey the meaning of the linguistic items. The
second is unwritten role-playing. Unlike scripted role play, unscripted role
play situations don't depend on textbook. It's called a free role play. While
joining in this structure, students themselves need to choose what language to
utilize and how the discussion ought to develop. So as to do this action, good
preparation from teacher and students is extremely vital.
2.2.2. Types of role-play
Role play is a speaking activity in which learners participate in a
specific situation, either themselves or like someone else. According to Nestel
and Tierney (2007), activities involving role play typically fall within one of
three categories. One category of role playing is the role playing which is
fully scripted. Participants communicate through a given script during the

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teacher becomes looser, and the scope of creativity for the learner increases.
Such practices emphasize the application of the communication process,
rather than the assessment of its output. The learner's attention is focused on
the forms he/she needs to learn in pre-communicative language practice.
These activities allow the teacher to control and ensure the interaction.
Role play controlled through situation and is the third type. In this type, the
learners with the high level are required. Through that situation, students have
to achieve through communication. Initially the learners are only aware of the
overall situation and their own goals within it. They themselves have to
discuss the connection.
The final type of role play is in the form of a discussion or debate. The
situation is, in detail, a debate or discussion of a real or simulated issue. The
preconditions for the activity are that learners should have adequate
knowledge of the issue, and different views to defend. At first, the learners
have to digest the relevant information for the issue, and then discuss it in a
small group. They can either come to a concrete decision or simply put the
matter to a vote at the end. The interaction results from a conflict of views
(Littlewood, 1994, p. 57).
Overall, there are many different types of role-playing activities.
However, considering language competence, the author finds that the
students’ level is not very high. Thus, the first type of role play could be
boring for these students: the dialogs here are simple and not very creative.
They are unable to engage in discussions or debates because their repertoire
of vocabulary and grammar is not appropriate. On the other hand, the second
and the third type (cues and information, situation and goals) enable them to
develop their creativity. The students are fond of making up various situations
in which they can express their imagination. In this study, both role-play

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more active and

creative to use their own sentences.
2.2.4. Procedures of role-play
When using role play, the teacher will take some stages. As Ladousse
(1989), the activities ought to be arranged from controlled to innovative ones.
The first stage is pre-open semantic structures. The fundamental criterion for
success is whether the student produces adequate language. At that point,
there is a communicative stage. The production of semantic structures
becomes subordinate. The criterion for success is whether the meaning of
linguistic form is passed viable. It implies that students are introduced some

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new things, they are drilled with these things, and afterward, they are relied
upon to have the capacity to utilize them.
2.2.4.1. Presenting and practicing the forms and vocabulary
At this stage educators present the language which is probably going to
rise. They pre-teach vocabulary and structures. A few models can be
composed on the board or given to students on worksheets. An example
dialog can be presented. The structures and vocabulary ought to be drilled
appropriately so as the students might utilize them creatively in the following
stage. There are numerous reasonable activities which can be applied: drilling,
learning the example dialogues by heart, coordinating parts of the sentences,
filling in exercises, putting the dialogues in the right order, word games, and
so forth. It depends on the educator what he/she will utilize. It takes some
time before students." memorize the forms, get the pronunciation right and
consolidate the meaning of the item.” (Gower & Walters, 1983, p. 83). Before

Many language learners consider the measure of knowing a language to
be the ability to speak. As for them, fluency is the ability to converse much
more with others than the ability to read, write or understand the oral
language. They see speaking as the most important skill they can acquire, and
they assess their progress on spoken communication in terms of their
achievements. Thus, if learners do not learn how to speak or do not get
opportunities to speak in the language classroom, they may soon lose interest
in learning and become de-motivated. On the contrary, speaking in class can
be a lot of fun if the right activities are taught in the right way, raising general
learner motivation and making the English language classroom a fun and
dynamic place to be.
2.3.1. Definition of speaking skill
Talking is an important part of human communication. Different
linguists have different speech ideas but they all agree with this theory.

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