MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY THE EFFECTS OF MEANING-FOCUSED ACTIVITIES ON YOUNG LEARNERS’ SPEAKING ACTIVITIES AND ATTITUDES AT HO VAN HUE PRIMARY SCHOOL A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN TESOL SUBMITTED BY: NGUYEN HUYNH DOAN THY SUPERVISOR: ASSOC PROF DR NGUYEN THANH TUNG HO CHI MINH CITY, NOVEMBER 2016 STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP I certify that this thesis entitled “The effects of meaning-focused activities on young learners’ speaking skill at Ho Van Hue Primary School” is my own work Except where reference is made in the text of the thesis, this thesis contains no material published elsewhere or extracted in whole or in part from a thesis by which I have qualified for or been awarded another degree or diploma No other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the main text of the thesis This thesis has not been submitted for the award of any degree or diploma in any other tertiary institution Ho Chi Minh City, September 15th, 2016 Signature Nguyen Huynh Doan Thy i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First of all, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Assoc Prof Dr Nguyen Thanh Tung, my supervisor, for his encouragement and kind support for my thesis I highly appreciate his valuable insights in his feedback to me and I am so grateful for all his guidance and confidence in my ability to accomplish the thesis I would also like to express my sincere thanks to all students at Ho Van Hue Primary School who have been active participants in both Control Group (CG) and Experimental Group (EG) I am especially grateful to all lecturers as well as my classmates at Ho Chi Minh City Open University Also, I am so happy and proud of my beloved family including my mother, Mrs Huynh Thi My Le, and my husband, Mr Nguyen Quang Khanh, for their kind support given to me during the time I did the thesis ii ABSTRACT This thesis investigates the effects of meaning-focused activities on young learners’ speaking performance in English teaching and learning at Ho Van Hue Primary School Adopting Flavel’s (1963) theory of Piaget’s cognitive development as a basic theoretical framework, young learners aged 7-11 belong to the third stage of development in which they can operate concrete objects Due to limited knowledge and experience, children only have enough ability to focus on meaning when they learn English speaking while adolescents in the fourth stage seem to be fully developed for formal operations Data on speaking lessons from a set of eight units in Fun for Movers (Robinson & Saxby, 2015) were selected carefully by the researcher to form the basis for a teaching program in which meaning-focused activities were employed to teach English speaking to the 4th graders of age 10 An experimental study was carried out with three main instruments of tests, questionnaires and interviews As for the analytical framework, independent samples t-tests for the pretest and posttest were run on SPSS of version 22.0 and descriptive statictics were employed for questionnaires and interviews The outcomes of the research show that meaning-focused activities have positive effects on young learners’ speaking performance Additionally, from participating in the propgram, the students express their enthusiasm, engagement and motivation when they learn speaking English with this intervention iii TABLE OF CONTENTS STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP I ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS II ABSTRACT III LIST OF TABLES VI LIST OF FIGURES VIII LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS IX CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM AIM AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND TO THE MEANING-FOCUSED APPROACH A DESCRIPTION OF MEANING-FOCUSED AND FORM-FOCUSED APPROACH TEACHING THEORY OF ZONE OF PROXIMAL DEVELOPMENT 11 POSITIONING MEANING-FOCUSED ACTIVITIES IN META-COGNITION 15 PREVIOUS STUDIES ON THE EFFECTS OF MEANING-FOCUSED ACTIVITIES ON YOUNG LEARNERS’ SPEAKING PERFORMANCES 22 2.6 CHAPTER SUMMARY 29 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 30 3.1 RESEARCH SITE 30 3.2 PARTICIPANTS 31 3.2.1 Population 31 3.2.2 Sample 32 3.2.3 Experimental group 33 3.2.4 Control group 35 3.3 METHODOLOGY OF DATA COLLECTION 38 3.3.1 Overall approach 38 3.3.2 Data collection process 47 3.4 ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK 49 3.4.1 Tests 49 3.4.2 Questionnaires 51 3.4.3 Interviews 51 3.5 RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY OF THE INSTRUMENTS 52 3.5.1 Reliability and validity of tests 52 3.5.2 Reliability and validity of questionnaires 53 3.5.3 Reliability and validity of interviews 54 3.6 CHAPTER SUMMARY 56 CHAPTER 4: DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF THE FINDINGS 57 4.1 DATA ANALYSIS 57 iv 4.1.1 Reliability and validity of tests 57 4.1.2 Data analysis of tests 60 4.1.3 Data analysis of the questionnaires and interviews 64 4.2 DISCUSSION OF THE FINDINGS 77 4.2.1 Discussion of the findings of the first research question “To what extend meaning-focused activities affect young learners’ speaking ability?” 77 4.2.2 Discussion of the findings of the second research question “What are young learners’ attitudes towards meaning-focused activities in learning speaking?” 79 4.3 CHAPTER SUMMARY 81 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION 82 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 CONCLUSION 82 STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF METHODOLOGY 83 RECOMMENDATIONS 84 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH 85 REFERENCES 86 APPENDICES 94 APPENDIX 94 APPENDIX 96 APPENDIX 98 APPENDIX 100 APPENDIX 102 APPENDIX 104 APPENDIX 107 APPENDIX 111 APPENDIX 112 APPENDIX 10 113 APPENDIX 11 117 APPENDIX 12 120 APPENDIX 13 121 APPENDIX 14 124 APPENDIX 15 128 APPENDIX 16 130 v LIST OF TABLES Table 1.1: Summary of the schedule of real observations from the textbook of Fun for Movers Table 2.4: Previous studies on meaning-focused activities on young learners’ speaking ability Table 3.3.1a: Components of a Cambridge Test for Young Learners (YLs) Table 3.3.1b: Three-point Likert scale of the questionnaire Table 3.3.1c: Schedule of the focus group interview in week on April 15th, 2016 Table 3.3.2: The process of collecting questionnaire, interview and tests Table 4.1.1.1a: Reliability of pretest for the CG and EG Table 4.1.1.1b: Reliability of posttest for CG and EG Table 4.1.1.2a: Inter-reliability of pretest for CG and EG Table 4.1.1.2b: Mean and SD of pretest for CG and EG Table 4.1.1.2c.: Inter-reliability of the posttest for the CG and EG Table 4.1.1.2d.: Mean and SD of the posttest for CG and EG Table 4.1.2.1a Comparison of mean and Std Deviation of the CG and EG in the pretest Table 4.1.2.1b Independent-Samples Test of levels between the CG and EG in the pretest Table 4.1.2.2a: Comparison of mean and std deviation of the CG and EG in the posttest Table 4.1.2.2b Independent Samples Test of levels between the CG and EG in the posttest Table 4.1.2.2c Report on the difference of levels between the CG and EG in the posttest Table 4.1.3.1a Frequency and percentage of students’ general attitudes towards learning English speaking Table 4.1.3.1b: Students’ perceptions on the benefits of meaning-focused activities vi Table 4.1.3.2b: Students’ feelings towards meaning-focused activities in learning English speaking Table 4.1.3.1c: Desire to learn speaking with meaning-focused activities Table 4.1.3.2: Three-point Likert scale of the questionnaire vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2.2: A model of the Zone of Proximal Development viii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS CG Control group EG Experimental group ELLiE Early Language Learning in Europe HVH PS Ho Van Hue Primary School MOET Ministry of Education and Training PSs Primary Students YLs Young Learners ZPD Zone of Proximal Development ix Con thường nói gia đình bạn bè, ngày nghỉ, sở thích, thú ni, nhà cửa (I often discuss family and friends, holidays, hobbies, pets, the home.) Con thường nói chủ đề nghề nghiêp, thức ăn thức uống, quê quán, du lịch (I often talk about carreers, food and drinks, hometown and travelling Người vấn (Interviewer): Con có cảm thấy vui học nói Tiếng Anh với phương pháp không? Tại sao? (Do you feel happy or delighted when learning English speaking with meaning-focused activities?) Học sinh (Interviewees): Con cảm thấy vui sung sướng (I feel very delighted.) Con vui phương pháp giúp tự tin giao tiếp kết thêm nhiều bạn học chung (I am extremely happy because this instruction helps me to feel more confident in communicating with other people and making lots of friends.) Phương pháp giúp học nói Tiếng Anh tốt cô khen ba mẹ thưởng (This instruction helps me to speak English better and to receive compliments from parents and teachers.) Con vui giao tiếp với bạn nước khác internet (I am happy because I can make acquaintances with foreign friends on the internet.) Phương pháp làm cho không cảm thấy lo sợ nhút nhát giao tiếp với người xung quanh (This method helps me to reduce language anxiety when connecting with other people in daily lives.) Người vấn (Interviewer): Buổi vấn đến kết thúc Cảm ơn Chào (The interview is over Thanks for your kind support! Goodbye my students!) Học sinh (Interviewees): Chào cô (Goodbye Ms…) 116 APPENDIX 11 Data exported from SPSS version 22.0 Data analysis of the tests Table 4.1.1.1a: Reliability of the pretest for the CG and EG Reliability Statistics Cronbach's Alpha Cronbach's Alpha Based on Standardized Items N of Items 728 708 10 Table 4.1.1.1b: Reliability of the posttest for the CG and EG Reliability Statistics Cronbach's Alpha Cronbach's Alpha Based on Standardized Items N of Items 809 791 10 Table 4.1.1.2a.: Inter-reliability of the pretest for CG and EG Correlations Rater Rater Rater 688** Pearson Correlation Sig (2-tailed) 000 N Rater Pearson Correlation Sig (2-tailed) 40 40 688** 000 Table 4.1.1.2b.: Mean and SD of the pretest for CG and EG Descriptive Statistics Mean Std Deviation N Pre1 6.86 1.003 40 Pre2 6.76 1.034 40 117 Table 4.1.1.2c.: Inter-reliability of the posttest for the CG and EG Correlations Rater Rater Rater Pearson Correlation 716** Sig (2-tailed) 000 N Rater Pearson Correlation 40 40 716** Sig (2-tailed) 000 N 40 40 ** Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed) Table 4.1.1.2d.: Mean and SD of the posttest for CG and EG Descriptive Statistics Mean Std Deviation N Post1 7.55 1.190 40 Post2 7.29 1.150 40 Table 4.1.2.1a Comparison of mean and Std Deviation of the CG and EG in the pretest Group statistics Class Pre N Mean Std Deviation Control 40 7.10 16 Experiment 40 6.98 14 Table 4.1.2.1b An independent-samples t-test of levels between the CG and EG in the pretest Independent Samples Test t-test Equality of Means t Pre df Sig Mean (2-tailed) Difference Equal variances assumed 580 78 564 125000 Equal variances not assumed 580 76.363 564 12500 118 Table 4.1.2.2a Comparison of mean and std deviation of the CG and EG in the posttest Group statistics Class Post Control Experiment N Mean Std Deviation 40 7.30 1.02 40 7.83 1.24 Table 4.1.2.2b: Independent Samples Test of levels between the CG and EG in the posttest Independent Samples Test t-test Equality of Means t Post Equal variances assumed Equal variances not assumed -2.072 df Sig Mean (2-tailed) Difference 042 -.52500 042 -.525000 78 -2.072 75.187 Table 4.1.2.2c Report on the difference of levels between the CG and EG in the posttest Posttest Levels Count Groups Mean CG EG CG EG Level 1: – 10 points Excellent students 9.00 9.63 Level 2: – points Good students 26 23 7.58 7.91 Level 3: – points Fair students 10 5.90 6.00 119 APPENDIX 12 Data exported from SPSS version 22.0 Descriptive Statistics of mean and SD of students’ attitudes towards meaning-focused activities No Item Content of items N Mean SD Theme A General attitudes towards learning English speaking A1 Like speaking English at school 40 4.80 0.41 A2 Learn English speaking to pass the exams 40 4.60 0.50 A3 Learn English speaking well for future job 40 3.70 1.36 40 4.60 0.81 Theme B Students’ perceptions and feelings towards meaning-focused activities B1 Understand the content of speaking lessons through visual aids B2 Speak English more fluently 40 4.40 0.50 B3 Improve communicative competence 40 4.83 0.45 B4 Experience a wide range of real life conversations 40 4.60 0.50 B5 Support the process of learning speaking 40 4.53 0.56 B6 Help learners feel more confident 40 4.56 0.55 10 B7 Brainstorm various topics in speaking English 40 4.43 1.06 11 B8 Feel entertained in learning English speaking 40 4.13 1.07 12 B9 Stimulate the use of real life situations 40 4.38 0.81 13 B10 Engage more in speaking lessons 40 4.40 1.30 Theme C Desire to learn English speaking with meaning-focused activities 14 C1 Employ more widely at primary schools 40 4.65 0.62 15 C2 Continue learning in the next semesters 40 4.55 0.68 120 APPENDIX 13 A TYPICAL LESSON PLAN FOR THE CONTROL GROUP Textbook: Fun for Movers – Student’s Book Unit 41: SAYING YES OR NO – Speaking Part Unit 34: WHAT’S IN MARY’S KITCHEN? – Speaking Part Unit 33: ON YOUR FEET AND ON YOUR HEAD – Speaking Part Unit 9: MY FAMILY – Speaking Part Class: Date: Duration: 70 ……………………………… ……………………………… I minutes Objectives of the lesson: Knowledge: At the end of the lesson, students will be able to: - identify four differences between pictures - describe each picture in turn - identify odd one out and give reason - answer personal questions Skill: Speaking skill II Teaching method: Grammar Translation Method III Teaching aids: Textbook, board, markers, computer, smart board, handouts, etc IV Stage Teaching procedures: Teacher’s activities Content Students’ activities Task Circle - Introducing the name of - Listen attentively to the Pre- the pictures the speaking (7 minutes) differences” (15 task “Find the teacher’s introduction - Asking students to work - Circling what they can see minutes) individually to pick up in the pictures what they can see in the two pictures including people, animals and things Task WH- in the form of circling the questions pictures (8 minutes) - Some classroom suggested students if necessary Walking around see 121 the - Reading help answers aloud their questions for - Asking students to read - Responding WH-questions students’ aloud their answers by in the form of words or short group calling about students discussion: - Using the system of WH- + How many questions people to phrases motivate - Freely expressing ideas in are students to talk as much as front of the class there in the possible picture? - Encouraging students to + Who are in express as many ideas as the picture? possible and share ideas in + What are front of the class they doing? + Where are they? + How they feel in the picture? Whilespeaking (40 Task - Writing some sample - Writing sample structures Sample structures on the board and on their notebooks structures asking students to copy (15 minutes) them minutes) down on their notebooks Examples: This coat is red, but this one’s yellow Here there’s a bird, but there’s a coat Here’s the boy’s eating a burger, but there he’s eating chips It’s cloudy in this picture, but it’s sunny in this one - Asking students to listen Task Repetition and repeat after the teacher these sample structures at - Listening and repeating 122 (10 minutes) least more than times after the teacher - Calling 5-8 students to stand up and say again sample structures Reading aloud sample structures - Asking students to learn by heart sample structures in the classroom - Encouraging students to - Learning by heart sample apply sample structures to structures talk about the differences Task between the two pictures Practice - Interrupting students to - Describing the differences (15 minutes) correct students’ grammar between the two pictures by mistakes while they are replacing words in sample presenting in front of the structures class - Correcting grammar mistakes - Asking students to pay - Speaking the final version Post- much attention to grammar speaking mistakes and correct them (15 before speaking the final minutes) version - Giving general mark, - Recieving feedback from pointing out good points the teacher and sharing and common mistakes for comments with each other as the whole class guidelines speaking 123 for the next APPENDIX 14 A TYPICAL LESSON PLAN FOR THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP Textbook: Fun for Movers – Student’s Book Unit 41: SAYING YES OR NO – Speaking Part Unit 34: WHAT’S IN MARY’S KITCHEN? – Speaking Part Unit 33: ON YOUR FEET AND ON YOUR HEAD – Speaking Part Unit 9: MY FAMILY – Speaking Part Class: Date: Duration: 70 minutes ……………………………… ……………………………… V Objectives of the lesson: Knowledge: At the end of the lesson, students will be able to: - identify four differences between pictures - describe each picture in turn - identify odd one out and give reason - answer personal questions Skill: Speaking skill VI Teaching method: Meaning-focused activities VII Teaching aids: Textbook, board, markers, computer, smart board, handouts, etc VIII Teaching procedures: Stage Teacher’s activities Content Students’ activities - Diving the class into ten groups of - Working in Group Pre- brainstorming four and asking them to work in groups of four speaking for Speaking small groups to talk about what and discussing they can see in the two pictures (Planning) Part 1: what students the - Giving some suggested questions can see in the (15 Find minutes) differences to (10 minutes) discussion Some - Encouraging students to express suggested as many ideas as possible and share - Spewing out enhance students’ group two pictures with others questions for ideas with other members in the ideas about the students’ same group group - Walking around the class to immediately 124 topic discussion: observe and support any groups without the + How many when necessary while students are fear of giving people are speaking right or wrong there in the - Motivating students to talk as answers in picture? of much as possible by giving some terms + Who are in cues the picture? based on the suggested grammar questions - Asking for + What are Rememeber there is no right or help they doing? from wrong answer in the stage of group teacher in case + Where are brainstorming of not thinking they? of + How some difficult ideas, they feel in words the picture? phrases in the Rapid two pictures free speaking or - Taking turns for to Speaking Part answer 1: Find the - Giving students limited time of 3- suggested differences minutes to freely and quickly questions in (5 minutes) circle the points of the two pictures the of form such as people, animals, things and single words or WH-questions their activities simple and - Encouraging students to use the short phrases system of WH-questions to identify the differences between the two pictures WH- Picture Picture Circling different questions Examples Examples people, Who mom dad animals, things How happy sad and activities How long days 10 days How cows cats - many Where park school Identifying the differences between 125 the While- Drafting (10 minutes) When morning afternoon two pictures Why headache toothache based on - After generating WH-questions, generating the the teacher guides students to say as system of WH- speaking (40 much minutes) as possible differences between about the the questions two pictures - Asking students to form words or phrases in groups of differences based on what they have got from the planning stage Revising - Encouraging students to focus on (10 minutes) the fluency of speaking and not to worry about making grammatical - Listening to mistakes - Asking students to work in groups the teacher’s and discuss the differences between explanation the pictures in the form of simple and practice and short sentences saying one Diving students in groups: word or short Editing + Each group has four students phrases (10 minutes) + In each group, there is at least one good student as a team leader who has good ability in speaking Speaking the - Assigning a team leader of each - Speaking final version group to give support or corrective draft (10 minutes) feedback if necessary to ensure the fluency of a speaking task - Assigning scores and evaluation - Focus on criteria for a speaking to help speaking students to evaluate their own fluently speaking as well as their friends’ - Taking turns speeches - Asking students to complete to describe the indentifying 126 four differences differences between two pictures between two pictures by using short utterances - Working in groups as requested - Team leader’s help in necessary cases - Taking notes and trying to evaluate speeches - Speaking the final version Postspeaking (15 minutes) - Calling three groups presenting - Other groups four differences between the two pay much pictures attention to the - Encouraging students to speak speech aloud in terms of pronunciation, words, puctuation, etc for the - Students say teacher and other students to hear aloud clearly - Giving general mark, pointing out - Recieving good points and common mistakes feedback from for the whole class the teacher and sharing comments with each other as guidelines for the speaking 127 next APPENDIX 15 SUMMARY OF EIGHT LESSON PLANS FOR MEANING-FOCUSED ACTIVITIES Types of meaning-focused activities UNITS - LISTENING Group Talk Find Rapid Describe Tell Odd Give Ans SECTIONS brain- about the free each the one reas wer storming picture differ- speaking picture story out ons pers s ences in turn onal que stio ns Unit 41:            Saying yes or no (Speaking Part 1) Unit What’s 34:   in Mary’s kitchen? (Speaking Part 2) Unit 33: On   your feet and on your head (Speaking Part 3) Unit 9: My   family (Speaking Part 4) Unit 13:     Different 128  homes (Speaking Part 1) Unit 32:           Why is Sally crying? (Speaking Part 2) Unit 25: Which one is different? (Speaking Part 3) Unit 11:   Things we eat and drink (Speaking Part 4) 129  APPENDIX 16 130 ... speaking part four about personal information Instead of adopting a learner-centred approach and taking their role as coordinators or facilitators, a majority of the teachers at this primary school. .. describes speaking as “an interactive process of constructing meaning that involves producing and receiving and processing information” (p.81) Its meaning depends on a variation of factors such as contexts,... quantitative and qualitative data showed that the new methodology had a strong influence on the learners? ?? speaking performance and they expressed their positive feelings and attitudes towards meaning- focused