How to improve speaking skills for first year english majored students

How to improve speaking skills for first- year- English-majored students HANOI, 2015... How to improve speaking skills for first- year- English-majored students DECLARATION I certify th

HANOI OPEN UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF ENGLISH

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GRADUATION THESIS B.A DEGREE IN ENGLISH STUDIES

HOW TO IMPROVE SPEAKING SKILLS FOR

Supervisor : LÊ PHƯƠNG THẢO, M.A Student : VŨ THU TRANG

Date of birth: 25/08/1993

Course : K18A2 (2011-2015)

CODE: 05

How to improve speaking skills for first- year- English-majored students

HANOI, 2015

How to improve speaking skills for first- year- English-majored students

DECLARATION

I certify that no part of the above report has been copied or reproduced by me from any other’s work without acknowledgement and that the report is originally written by me under strict guidance of my supervisor

How to improve speaking skills for first- year- English-majored students

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

At this stage of research accomplishment, I would like here by to extend

my profound gratitude to my supervisor Mrs Lê Phương Thảo M.A from whom I have received enormous kindness and guidance

Also, I am very grateful to all the teachers at the English Faculty of Hanoi Open University for their interesting and useful lectures which have built in me a firm foundation with immense ideas for the fulfillment of this paper

In particular, my special thanks go to my parents who have, as it always goes, encouraged and supported me so much in all respects

Last but not least, I should also express many thanks to my dear friends who have shared with me a lot during my studies and my research work as well

Hanoi, 4th May, 2015

Vũ Thu Trang

How to improve speaking skills for first- year- English-majored students

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART A: INTRODUCTION 1

1 Rationale 1

2 Aims of the study 2

3 Scope of the study 2

4 Research questions 3

5 Methods of the study 3

6 Design of the study 3

PART B: DEVELOPMENT 5

CHAPTER I: LITERATURE REVIEW 5

1.1 Definitions of Speaking 5

1.2 Aspects of speaking 6

1.2.1 Speaking is face to face 6

1.2.2 Speaking is interactive 6

1.2.3 Speaking happens in real time 7

1.3 Speaking English as a skill 7

1.4 Spoken versus written discourse 8

1.5 Purpose of Speaking 10

1.6 Speaking genres 12

1.7 Importance of speaking 13

1.7.1 The role of speaking inside and outside the class 14

1.7.2 The relationship between speaking and other skills 14

1.8 Types of speaking skills 15

1.8.1 Interactive 15

How to improve speaking skills for first- year- English-majored students

1.8.2 Partially interactive 16

1.8.3 Non- interactive 16

1.9 Factors affecting speaking skills 16

1.9.1 Grammar accuracy 16

1.9.2 Fluency 17

1.9.3 Pronunciation 17

1.9.4 Vocabulary 18

1.9.5 Background knowledge 19

1.10 Summary 20

CHAPTER II: PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED BY THE FIRST-YEAR- ENGLISH-MAJORED STUDENTS IN SPEAKING SKILLS 21

2.1 Data collection 21

2.1.1 A survey questionnaire 21

2.1.2 Class observation 21

2.1.3 Subject and setting 22

2.2 Data analysis 23

2.3 Stress 26

2.4 Intonation 26

2.5 The problems of the first-year- English-majored students in speaking skills 27

2.5.1 The lack of vocabulary 27

2.5.2 The confusion of the pronouncing and using grammar 28

2.5.3 The lack of self-confidence 29

2.5.4 The lack of background knowledge and culture 29 2.5.5 The change of the environment from high schools to universities 30

How to improve speaking skills for first- year- English-majored students

2.5.6 Effects of the mother tongue in practicing English speaking skills 31

2.6 Summary 33

CHAPTER III: SUGGESTIONS TO IMPROVE SPEAKING SKILLS 34 3.1 Improving background knowledge 34

3.2 Developing English style 35

3.2.1 Good eye contact 35

3.2.2 Good personal appearance 37

3.3 Improving self-confidence 37

3.3.1 Well preparation for the topics 38

3.3.2 Joining the English- speaking clubs 38

3.3.3 Speaking to native people 39

3.4 Warm-up activities in Speaking 39

3.4.1 Playing games 39

3.4.2 Word games 40

3.4.3 Telling stories 41

3.5 Group work 42

3.5.1 Working in pairs 42

3.5.2 Working in groups 44

3.6 Individual work 46

3.6.1 Improving grammar 46

3.6.2 Improving pronunciation 47

3.6.3 Vocabulary enrichment 48

3.6.3.1 Improving speaking vocabulary through reading skills 48

3.6.3.2 Improving speaking vocabulary through listening skills 48

How to improve speaking skills for first- year- English-majored students

3.6.3.3 Improving speaking vocabulary by the Internet 49

3.7 Self-consciousness of improving speaking skills 51

3.8 Summary 51

PART C: CONCLUSION 52

REFERENCES 54

APPENDIX SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE 58

of English in Vietnam in general and ones at Faculty of English, Hanoi Open University in particular do badly in this field, they find it difficult to get good marks in English speaking comprehension, especially in understanding the implied meaning of conversation and the questions of the teachers

Communication is likely the most important skill that people need Effective communication skills will definitely link to work effectiveness and life satisfaction Also, communication is the process of transmitting idea and information orally in a variety of situations In all of the people, students will become familiar with speechmaking as an ongoing process, the ethics of speaking, which they have everyday Mastering types of speaking skillfully will surely support students' works and their personal lives by making them become stronger communicators

Speaking is one of the four important skills of communication It is also a keystone of western civilization and can be traced back to the ancient Greeks who practiced speaking as rhetoric Rhetoric is a part of our greatest philosophical discussions and appears in all ways in which human beings communicate in a public forum Speaking is a type of rhetoric and also the focus of this essay We also want to study why speaking is so vital to our ways of life and want to learn how to become competent speakers in practicing in real life

This essay is designed to create observable skills development demonstrative

of competent communication in public, group, classroom, and in interpersonal contexts We also want to present your success as a speaker and effective communicator by having many in-class opportunities to improve your speaking level as you apply to the content of this essay

2 Aims of the study

The purpose of this study is to improve speaking skills for first-year majored students, especially first- year students at Faculty of English, Hanoi Open University The main aims of this thesis are:

-English Giving a brief overview of the materials relating to speaking skills

- Presenting some problems that the first-year students have when practicing speaking skills

- Proposing some methods to develop speaking skills

3 Scope of the study

Because of the time limit and the length of this paper, I want to focus on speaking skills, the common problems and some suggestions to solve those

problems on speaking skills This is the reason why I have chosen "How to

improve speaking skills for first-year-English-majored students" at Hanoi Open University as the subject for the graduation paper

4 Research questions

These objectives could be summarized into some research questions as

follows:

- What are speaking skills?

- What are the problems that the first-year students have when practicing speaking skills?

- What have the first-year students done to improve speaking skills?

5 Methods of the study

As the study involves in finding out the problems faced by first-year students

of English and helping them develop speaking skills, the data collection mainly focuses on:

- Questionnaire

- Classroom observation

And then the data will be synthesized and analyzed to help find out students' problems and the methods for improving their weaknesses

6 Design of the study

The graduation paper is divided into three parts and three chapters

PART A: Introduction

This part includes rationale, aims, scope, research questions, methods and design of the study

PART B: Development

This part contains three main parts:

Chapter I: Literature review

Chapter II: Problems encountered by the first-year-English-majored students in speaking skills

Chapter III: Suggestions to improve speaking skills

PART C: Conclusion

This final part is to summarize main points of the graduation paper

REFERENCES

APPENDIX

PART B: DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER I: LITERATURE REVIEW

Speaking plays a very important role in daily life and in communication

People speak to each other "to exchange ideas and to make others see what

they mean" In learning English, speaking is not only one of four important skills but also the skill used most regularly inside and outside class in order to learn, chat, convey and exchange ideas to others Hence, Speaking is worth

learning and practicing in a routine But what is SPEAKING? We will

provide various definitions about speaking in the part below

1.1 Definitions of Speaking

The most common features of Speaking have been shown in this simple definition: The articulating sounds conveying thoughts, opinions All of these are used by speakers in every communication, which creates understanding between speakers and listeners

According to Merrian, the author of the book "Webster online

dictionary" (2002):

"Speaking is uttering words or articulating sounds with the ordinary voice Speaking is the way to convey thoughts, opinions, and emotion orally

or to express oneself"

In other words, speaking is an important skill by which the speaker

and listener can exchange ideas, express their feelings We genuinely hope to achieve a particular end through communicating speaking People talk and interact to express their ideas, wishes, or desires By communication, they may negotiate to solve a particular problem; or establish and maintain social

relationships, friendships so on

1.2 Aspects of speaking

Eventually, aspects of the speaking skill need to be closely scrutinized and put into consideration These aspects pose some challenges and identify some guidelines for understanding this skill and hence design instructional activities to prepare learners to communicate effectively in real life situations

1.2.1 Speaking is face to face

Most conversations take place face to face which allows speakers to

get immediate feedback, for example, "Do listeners understand? Are they in

agreement?"(Cornbleet &Carter, 2001, p.16) Thus communication through speaking has many assets, such as facial expressions, gestures and even body movements Speaking also occurs, most of the time, in situations where participants or interlocutors are present Such factors facilitate communication (El Menoufy, 1997, p.10, Widdowson, 1998 & Burns, 1998)

1.2.2 Speaking is interactive

Whether we are speaking face-to-face or over the telephone, to one person or a small group, the wheels of conversation usually turn smoothly, with participants offering contributions at appropriate moments, with no undue gaps or everyone talking over each other (Bygate, 1998 p.30 and Cornbleet & Carter, 2001, p.27)

Turn taking, a main feature in interaction, is an unconscious part of normal conversation Turn takings are handled and signaled differently across different cultures, thus causing possible communication difficulties in conversation between people of different cultures and languages (Mc Donough & Mackey, 2000, p.84)

1.2.3 Speaking happens in real time

During conversations, responses are unplanned and spontaneous and the speakers think on their feet, producing language which reflects this (Foster, 2000, p.368)

These time constraints affect the speaker's ability to plan, to organize the message, and to control the language being used Speakers often start to say something and change their mind midway; which is termed a false start The speaker's sentences also cannot be as long or as complex as in writing Similarly, speakers occasionally forget things they intended to say; or they may even forget what they have already said, and so they repeat themselves (Miller, 2001, p.27)

This implies that the production of speech in real time imposes pressures, but also allows freedoms in terms of compensating for these difficulties The use of formulaic expressions, hesitation devices, self-correction, rephrasing and repetition can help speakers become more fluent and cope with real time demands (Bygate, 1987, p.21; Foster, 2000 and Hughes, 2002,p.76)

Actually, exposing students to these spoken discourse features facilitates their oral production and helps them compensate for the problems they encounter It also helps them sound normal in their use of the foreign language

1.3 Speaking English as a skill

In the book, Bygate assumed that:

"Speaking is in many ways as undervalued skill Perhaps this is because we can almost all speak, and so take the skill for too much granted However speaking is a skill that deserves attention every bit as much as

Some people think that speaking is a very simple skill He or she may know grammar rules well, have a wide range of vocabulary, and then he can speak English fluently and smoothly without practicing much This is a completely wrong idea

Looking on the surface, speaking seems to be simple However, as being seriously considered, it becomes an extremely complex skill that requires many factors: How to use grammar and vocabulary properly while speaking, how to begin a conversation and get people's interests while we are talking with them and so on

Therefore, when a person has oral communication with a stranger, Speaking is the only skill that helps him to show the stranger his language competence rather than using other skills Because of those reasons, practicing speaking everyday should be done so that the first-year students can be effective speakers

1.4 Spoken versus written discourse

Understanding the subtle differences between written and spoken discourse helps in planning instruction in the light of these distinctions It helps also to overcome the problems with traditional approaches to teaching speaking overlooking such differences

Basically, spoken discourse is different form written discourse in three main parameters: planning, contextualization and formality Speech is more commonly unplanned, contextualized and informal than writing In addition, speech is more reciprocal than is writing (Yule, 1989, p.165; Nunan, 1989, p 26; Eggings, 1990 and Carter & McCarthy, 1997)

Specifically, speaking can be distinguished from writing in many areas These include:

- Discourse structure: the spoken discourse is characterized by:

reciprocal openings and closings, interactive negotiation of meaning and conversation structures Besides, it is characterized by the use of simple

linking devices (discourse devices) such as 'and', ' but', 'anyway', 'right' rather

than complicated ones used in written discourse (Nunan, 1999, p 22; Dinapoli, 2000,p.1 and Miller, 2001) )

- Typical features of the speech stream (like segmental and

suprasegmental features, pauses, hesitations, interruptions, and false starts) (Bygate, 1998, p 21) )

- Features related to the cultural nature of speaking The spoken

discourse contains numerous social and contextual factors as well as pragmatic presuppositions (Carter & McCarthy, 1997, p.13)

- Grammatical and lexical features: As for grammar, the spoken

language is characterized by:

Contractions and elliptical constructions lacking subjects or rejoinders; ex: (sure, me too, or not now, thanks) (Widdowson, 1998)

Incomplete sentences called "utterances" (Yule, 1989, p.170) Fronting which refers to the movement of an element from its position and its relocation as the first element in a construction to allow a focus to fall on it (Nunan, 1989, p 26 and Foster, 2000)

As for lexis, spoken English has a lower lexical density than written English, using more grammar words and more verb phrases than noun phrases Furthermore, spoken language is characterized by what is called

"vague language" which refers to objects and events in general terms especially when speakers are uncertain or do not want to sound too particular (Widdowson, 1998)

Spoken language is characterized also by fixed expressions that play an important part in enhancing fluency during speaking Examples of fixed

expressions include expressions such as "a matter of fact, once and for

all…"(Carter & McCarthy, 1997, p 18 and Segaowitz, 2000)

1.5 Purpose of Speaking

It was argued that the purpose of speaking can be either transactional

or interactional Apparently, there are some differences between the spoken language used in both transactional and interactional discourse

In transactional discourse, language is used primarily for communicating

information Language serving this purpose is "message" oriented rather than

"listener" oriented (Nunan, 1989, p.27) Clearly, in this type of interaction, accurate and coherent communication of the message is important, as well as confirmation that the message has been understood Examples of language being used primarily for a transactional purpose are: news broadcasts, descriptions, narrations and instructions (Richards, 1990, p.54) Speaking turns serving this purpose tend to be long and involve some prior organization of content and use

of linguistic devices to signal either the organization or type of information that will be given (Basturkmen, 2002, p 26)

On the other hand, some conversations are interactional with the purpose of establishing or maintaining a relationship This latter kind is sometimes called the interpersonal use of language It plays an important social role in 38 oiling the wheels of social intercourse (Yule, 1989, p.169) Examples of interactional uses of language are greetings, small talks, and compliments Apparently, the language used in the interactional mode is

listener oriented Speakers' talk in this type tends to be limited to quite short turns (Dornyei & Thurrell, 1994, p 43 and Richards, 1990, p 54)

However, in spite of the distinctions between the two types, in most circumstances, interactional language is combined with transactional language This helps to ease the transactional tasks to be done by keeping good social relations with others In other words, we can say that speakers do one thing by doing another (Brazil, 1995, p 29) So both purposes can be viewed as two dimensions of spoken interaction

Analyzing speaking purposes more precisely, (Kingen, 2000, p 218) combines both the transactional and interpersonal purposes of speaking into

an extensive list of twelve categories as follows:

Personal - expressing personal feelings, opinions, beliefs and ideas Descriptive- describing someone or something, real or imagined Narrative-creating and telling stories or chronologically

sequenced events

Instructive-giving instructions or providing directions designed

to produce an outcome

Questioning-asking questions to obtain information

Comparative-comparing two or more objects, people, ideas, or

opinions to make judgments about them

Imaginative-expressing mental images of people, places, events,

and objects

Predictive-predicting possible future events

Interpretative-exploring meanings, creating hypothetical

deductions, and considering inferences

Persuasive-changing others’ opinions, attitudes, or points of

view, or influencing the behavior of others in some way

Explanatory-explaining, clarifying, and supporting ideas and

opinions

Informative-sharing information with others

This list corresponds closely to the language functions explained by Halliday (1975)

1.6 Speaking genres

The genre theory assumes that different speech events result in different types of texts, which are distinct in terms of their overall structure and kinds of grammatical items typically associated with them (Hughes, 2002,

p 83) Carter and McCarthy (1997) classify speaking extracts in terms of genres as follows:

Narrative: A series of everyday anecdotes told with active listener participation

Identifying: Extracts in which people talk about themselves, their biography, where they live, their jobs, their likes and dislikes

Language-in-action: Data recorded while people are doing things such as cooking, packing, moving furniture…

Comment-elaboration: People giving casual opinions and commenting on things, other people, events and so on

Debate and argument: Data, in which people take up positions, pursue arguments and expound on their opinions

Decision-making and negotiating outcomes: Data illustrating ways in which people work towards decisions/consensus or negotiate their way through problems towards solutions

It is recognized that no speech genre can be entirely discrete; for example, narratives can be embedded within other main generic categories

Furthermore, speaking genres overlap with language functions explained before

1.7 Importance of speaking

Why is speaking important in communication?

To answer that question, the bottom line is: If you are a good

communicator, you will have better chances of success. You are able

to persuade people, influence others, negotiate effectively and provide valuable feedback You can inspire, motivate and encourage your staff and employees You can convey your ideas better to your boss, you can make interesting conversation and network easier and you can speak to groups of people with great self-confidence and credibility

Communication is truly achieved when the sender and the receiver share an understanding of the communicated message However, this is easier said than done

Nevertheless, the better your communication skills are, the greater success you can achieve The importance of communication skills cannot be understated

1.7.1 The role of speaking inside and outside the class

As the students of English foreign language, we have opportunities to approach English as a main subject Students communicate or discuss about a certain topic to get information, knowledge or simply to get good marks in examinations by practicing in class But the most important role of speaking class is to give students chances to talk, practice and develop their critical thinking, then progress their language skills Finally, they can confidently communicate in public and get effective speaking outside the class

On the other hand, speaking outside class, such as practicing speaking

at home or talking to foreigners, also helps communicate inside class more easily These two activities have its roles to supplement to each other Thus, students should pay attention to combine them all the time

1.7.2 The relationship between speaking and other skills

In learning English, speaking and other skills are inseparable and tightly interconnected together to create successful communication When speaking regularly, speaker can consolidate his grammar, vocabulary, structures more clearly, or enlarge his vocabulary by brainstorming to get ideas

As Raymond Zeuschner say:

"There is a direct relationship between speaking and writing You first listened, then thought, then spoke and then wrote" (1997,p.86)

When one regularly does writing, it will give him interesting ideas to support his speaking If simple sentences as well as complex ones in writing are used regularly in speaking, this will much help speakers arrange ideas and

express their opinions Like many people say: "Being skilled at one can help

you to be skilled at the other"

Unlike the productive skills like reading and writing, speaking is a receptive skill In the learning of speaking, one can enrich his vocabulary and improve the fluency as well as accuracy in spelling, intonation for speaking When reading aloud, the response to English words and the skill of guessing new words are bettered Then students can apply new words in their speaking

Similarly, when listening, we hear sounds, pay attention to them, remember them, and imitate them In fact, we cannot speak well if we cannot listen well and vice versa, we cannot hear clearly if others pronounce badly Thus, speaking and listening must be practiced together in some ways, may be

by repeating what you have just listened or try to express the main ideas of the recording in your own words and thoughts

In conclusion, speaking and three other English skills are closely attached to one another Therefore, to master one skill, for instance speaking skills, learners should combine it with the other skills to be able to approach the high level of language

1.8 Types of speaking skills

Speaking is the productive skill in the oral mode It, like the other skills, is more complicated than it seems at first and involves more than just pronouncing words

There are three kinds of speaking situations in which we find

ourselves

1.8.1 Interactive

Interactive speaking situations include face to face conversations and telephone calls, in which we are alternately listening and speaking, and in which we have a chance to ask for clarification, repetition, or slower speech from our conversation partners

1.8.2 Partially interactive

Some speaking situations are partially interactive, such as when giving

a speech to a live audience, where the contention is that the audience does not interrupt the speech The speaker, nevertheless, can see the audience and judge from the expressions on their faces and body language whether or not

he or she is being understood

1.8.3 Non- interactive

Some few speaking situations may be totally non-interactive, such as when recording a speech for a radio broadcast

1.9 Factors affecting speaking skills

There are many factors that play important roles in speaking as they show the speakers' competence in English, their ability and profession of speaking It also contributes to the appreciation of listeners to the speakers' level For those reasons, we would like to carefully consider the factors of grammar accuracy, fluency, pronunciation, and vocabulary and background knowledge as the main requirements for speaking effectively

1.9.1 Grammar accuracy

Speaking with grammar accuracy means that speaking without errors of grammar, and using the suitable words for specific situations Some students can get good marks in grammar tests but when speaking, they make very

simple mistakes like: "She don't go to school yesterday" instead of "She didn't

go to school yesterday" or say "Sorry, can I help you?" to help others but not

"Excuse me, can I help you?"

When speaking is grammatically accurate, speakers can show their levels in English to others and make the listeners satisfied Speaking with grammar accuracy is also an important criterion for teachers to assess his or her students' level in English Therefore, students need to practice speaking a lot for giving their speech with the exact grammar

Fluency is the ability to combine units of speech together with facility without inappropriate slowness or undue hesitation This is stated as a phenomenon of communicative competence and distinguished from strategic competence The author pointed out that time factor affects much to the communicative process of speakers Hence, speaker should try to overcome the time factor by the fillers or to practice the skills as much as possible so that he can speak fluently to express his ideas

1.9.3 Pronunciation

When speaking, students usually forget the pronunciation, stress, and intonation, which make their utterance not professional and limit them from developing the speaking skills

"Stress and intonation within spoken sentences are also crucial for academic students to practice, because pronunciation is often a weak point for EFL/ESL (English as First/ Second language) learners"

(Blackwell & Naber, 2006)

Pronunciation is very fundamental to the progress of speaking skills If students wish to speak English fluently and effectively, they need to practice the right pronunciation for each word before they can speak the sentences

1.9.4 Vocabulary

Vocabulary is commonly defined as "all the words known and used by

a particular person" Knowing a word, however, is not as simple as simply

being able to recognize or use it There are several aspects of word knowledge

which are used to measure word knowledge A person's vocabulary is the set

of words within a language that are familiar to that person A vocabulary usually develops with age, and serves as a useful and fundamental tool for communication and acquiring knowledge Acquiring an extensive vocabulary

is one of the largest challenges in learning a second language

On the other hand, there are four types of vocabulary They are:

• Reading vocabulary

A literate person's reading vocabulary is all the words he or she can recognize when reading This is generally the largest type of vocabulary simply because it includes the other three, though in some cases, notably Chinese characters, as in Chinese and Japanese, where the pronunciation is not transparent, some words may be part of the oral vocabulary but not the written For example, a Chinese speaker may not recognize that (giraffe) is

pronounced qi lin, a Japanese speaker may not recognize that (giraffe) is pronounced kirin

A person's speaking vocabulary is all the words he or she can use

in speech Due to the spontaneous nature of the speaking vocabulary, words are often misused This misuse – though slight and unintentional – may be compensated by facial expressions, tone of voice, or hand gestures

• Writing Vocabulary

Words used in various forms of writing from formal essays to Twitter feeds Many written words do not appear in speech Writers generally utilize a limited set of words when communicating

1.9.5 Background knowledge

In the context of schools, background knowledge can be defined as the knowledge students have, learned both formally in the classroom as well as informally through life experiences In an academic sense, background knowledge also includes content knowledge, academic language and vocabulary necessary for comprehending content information

When it comes to English learners and students from diverse cultural and educational backgrounds, the type and amount of background knowledge related to a particular topic can vary Students may have a high degree of academic schooling in their native language when they arrive in your classroom, but not have the words to express what they know in English This poses a particular challenge and demonstrates the importance of assessing students' knowledge and skills as related to the content you will be studying Therefore, students should enrich their background knowledge in order to apply in speaking, particularly in answering questions relating to many fields

in society such as: environment, economy, culture, and so on

1.10 Summary

In this chapter, a brief overview that includes the definitions of speaking; aspects of speaking; the confirmation of its importance; purpose of speaking; speaking genres; speaking and its relationship to three other skills; and some factors affecting the development of speaking skills of the previous materials about speaking has been presented

At the same time, I also express my own opinion about speaking as a consideration In the next chapter, I will provide my analysis of data collected from survey questionnaires and class observation After that, limit and causes

of first-year students at Faculty of English, Hanoi Open University in speaking will be pointed out

CHAPTER II: PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED BY THE FIRST-YEAR- ENGLISH-MAJORED STUDENTS IN SPEAKING SKILLS

In learning English in general and speaking skills in particular, the first-year students always have obstacles during the course Therefore, some problems

of speaking skills that students may encounter will be presented in this chapter below

- Students' attitude to speaking

- Their difficulties in practicing speaking skills

- Their methods of learning speaking skills

2.1.2 Class observation

In order to design the paper, I have attended many first-year classes to observe the works of students and teachers When the teacher gave a topic to discuss and ask students to do pair works, a certain pair will have to present their ideas for the topic given before The teacher observation results revealed that teachers typically focused on the content of the task or assignment, responded to students' signals, communicated the task's procedures, and checked students' work Teachers spent little time interacting with students

regarding personal issues, encouraging students to succeed, showing personal regard for students, and showing interest in students' work On the contrary, from my observation, I found out that some students were very excited to involve in the pair work Nonetheless, many students did not want to talk and not involve in the work, they are too shy to speak out their opinions and afraid

of the teacher They were generally very passive in the classroom, often just watching or listening to the teacher This is one of the problems that many first-year students confront

2.1.3 Subject and setting

My survey questionnaire is handed out to 60 students coming from various provinces and cities of Vietnam with various background knowledge and different English levels They are the ones who have just passed the entrance examination of Hanoi Open University, Faculty of English 5 months ago and have been studying at the faculty for 4 months

While studying at school, English is one of important subjects However, in their curriculum, speaking skills are not focused because the university's entrance examination requires proficiency in English grammar and the use of language Therefore, the speaking ability of each person has various features

At university, it requires practicing of all four English skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing As a result, the first -year students often get shocked when approaching the productive skills like speaking Therefore, I decide to do my study of developing speaking skills for the first-year students

2.2 Data analysis

Questionnaire is divided into 3 groups:

• Group 1: From question number 1-3 These questions are designed to check the understanding about definition of speaking

• Group 2: From question number 4-7 These questions are designed to check the problems of the first- year -English- majored students in speaking skills

• Group 3: From question number 8-10 These questions are designed

to check what the first-year students have done to improve speaking skills

The collected figures from group 1: Questions from 1-3

The collected figures from Group 2: Questions from 4-7

of knowledge in culture, 63.3% answer that they have all these difficulties And the percentage of students lacking vocabulary and self-confidence takes

up 16.7% of each answer However, in question 6, the number of the students think that the mistakes making in pronunciation is 10%, 11.7% of the student say about grammar accuracy, only over 6.7% make mistakes in fluency After that, the dominant figure shows that the first-year students have a serious attitude to the speaking skills, especially vocabulary by approximately 71.7%

At the end of the period, in question 7, no students think that their pronunciation is excellent, opposite, over 78.3% of the students think that their pronunciation is normal To conclude, all 60 students have their own difficulties in speaking However, most of them like talking to people in English although their pronunciation is quite normal

The collected figures from Group 3: Questions from 8-10

The table presents the information about the number of the students at Faculty

of English in how to improve their English skills In question 8, 36.7% of the students asked in the survey say that they improve their vocabulary by watching films, 26.7% and 25% improve speaking through reading books and listening to music respectively On the other hands, in question 9, only a small quantity of 20% think they usually learn non-verbal language via books or some resources of information and the students say they sometimes by over 53.3%, and the rest of the students say they rarely or never learn language via books In question 10, 38.3% and 30% of the students respectively answer that they improve their self-confidence by joining an English speaking club and taking part in outside activities Nonetheless, the percentage improving speaking skills and self-confidence through taking part-time job takes up 10% To sum up, various methods can be used to boost English skills like reading books, listening to music, taking part in English clubs…

2.3 Stress

What is stress?

Stress is a feeling that's created when we read to particular events It's the body's way of rising to a challenge and preparing to meet a tough situation with focus, strength, stamina, and heightened alertness

The human body responds to stressors by activating the nervous system and specific hormone The hypothalamus signals the adrenal glands to produce more of the hormones adrenaline and cortical and release them into the bloodstream These hormones speed up heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, and metabolism Blood vessels open wider to let more blood flow to large muscle groups, putting our muscles on alert Pupils dilate to improve vision The liver releases some of its stored glucose to increase the body's energy And sweat is produced to cool the body All of these physical changes prepare a person to react quickly and effectively to handle the pressure of the moment

This natural reaction is known as the stress response Working properly, the body's stress response enhances a person's ability to perform well under pressure But the stress response can also cause problems when it overreacts

or fails to turn off and reset itself properly

2.4 Intonation

In linguistics, intonation is variation of pitch while speaking which is not used to distinguish words It contrasts, with tone, in which pitch variation does distinguish words Intonation, rhythm, and stress are the three main elements of linguistic prosody Intonation patterns in some languages, such as Swedish and Swiss German, can lead to conspicuous fluctuations in pitch, giving speech a sing - song quality Fluctuations in pitch either involve a rising pitch or a falling pitch Intonation is found in every language and even