SKKN Methods and techniques to create an English learning environment for EFL high school students

PART I: INTRODUCTION

1.1.  Reason for choosing the topic.

In the current globalization context, the use of English – the international language – in communication is essential, especially for students, and the future owners of the country. In fact, learning and communicating in English for Vietnamese students in general, and students in remote and mountainous areas, in particular, is a difficult task. There are many reasons for this situation, but the core one is that students are still lazy and not self-disciplined in learning foreign languages. They are not aware of the importance of English and are not motivated enough to learn. Besides, another fact is that students do not have a communication environment as well as the opportunity to practice the language regularly, so it isn’t easy to reach the level of proficiency. In light of the reality during my teaching process, I am always looking for new, creative, and attractive teaching methods suitable for students to inspire them to learn English. The most important thing is to create an English environment for students to practice their language and apply it in real-life situations. With the desire to help students have the opportunity to practice the language as much as possible, I have created an English space outside the regular class hours where students “bathe” in the language so that English will become a part of their daily lives.

The building of a positive learning environment outside of the regular classroom hours for students to use English in real-life situations is really attracting the attention of educational administrators, teachers, students, and the whole community.

As regards myself, during the teaching process, I find that participating in these project-based learning activities not only helps students develop language competence but also develops the common competencies that the general education curriculum requires. These are self-control, self-study, communication and cooperation capability, problem-solving ability, and creativity in the process of teamwork.

As a result of this, I chose the topic “Methods and techniques  to create an English learning environment for EFL high school students” for my innovation experience.

1.2. New points on the topic

People say that English is taught in the wrong way in Vietnam. Students may study English for 12 years but can not produce a sentence when necessary. If learning English  takes place only during the official classroom hours, students only learn the knowledge in textbooks, there is not much time to practice the language, so the foreign communication space is limited, and students do not have the chance to apply the knowledge they have learned in real life, then they find learning a foreign language extremely boring and ineffective, especially the communication ability, will be very poor.

The establishment of many activities to inspire interest in English in schools has existed for a long time, so students can join and promote their talents and passions. But how to make students work effectively and attract a large number of members to participate in these activities, which are really an environment for students to develop their abilities and skills, is really a problem. It is necessary to have new, creative solutions to develop and improve the activities in high school.

The solutions to create an English learning environment at Thai Hoa High School have focused on important factors that determine the effectiveness of the activities that promote students’ speaking abilities: management, organization, content development, and regularity of activities. This method includes:

• Various organized learning activities do not cause boredom.
• These activities are alternately and regularly conducted to maintain students’ interest in learning English.
• Students have the opportunity to discuss the topics they work on both offline and online.
• Students are extremely excited when they are not confined or limited in their own products because they have the opportunity to explore and be creative.
• Their products are exhibited in the classroom and on the fan page created by the teacher.
• Students have the opportunity to maximize their strengths.
• The children not only develop their language ability, especially the ability to communicate in English, but they also have the opportunity to comprehensively develop other qualities and competencies.
• Student performance results can be used to assess regular grades or to add incentive points to students’ grades in midterm or final exams.

With the above advantages of the solution, students’ English learning in the classes I have taken has made great progress in their English communication ability, resulting in markedly improved quality. They become extremely confident and are no longer afraid to use English.

1.3. Scope of the research

1.3.1 Scope of the research

Regarding research content: research on learning activities, appropriate content, and knowledge range to create a realistic English communication environment will help students increase time to contact and exchange knowledge with each other to develop competence and quality, according to the objectives set out by the new general program for English.

Regarding space: The subject is covered at the high school where I teach.

About time: The topic has been studied from September 2022 to April, 2023.

1.3.2. Objects and subjects of the research

Subjects of research:

Activities to create an English learning environment in the classroom space will increase the opportunity to interact and use English in real-life situations, creating interest in learning English among students.

How to conduct activities and how to evaluate students’ performance in activities

Objects of research: high school students

1.4. Research purposes

With the purpose of helping students interact and experience more with English, create a foreign language practice environment built on criteria to ensure that learning and using English can take place at any time, anywhere, and suitable for Vietnamese culture, customs, and habits, making it easier for teachers and students to implement to develop communicative competence. With simple activities and the simplest space – the classroom- students have the opportunity to experience, use foreign languages in real situations, and actively support the regular class time. With different areas of knowledge, 12th graders can apply to solve the National High School exam very effectively.

In particular, according to the theory of multiple intelligences (Theory of Multiple Intelligences), each student has a different type of intelligence, with different strengths such as linguistic intelligence, mathematical logic intelligence, intelligence spatial image, musical intelligence, physical intelligence, personal interaction intelligence, inner intelligence, natural intelligence… So when the children participate in other activities Each other, working on different projects, students have the opportunity to show their strengths, helping teachers assess students’ abilities more accurately and fairly.

In addition, I personally want to share this teaching experience with my colleagues so that I can make appropriate adjustments in the teaching process to bring the highest efficiency.

1.5. Research mission

In order to achieve the purpose of the study, the following tasks need to be performed:

• Research the requirements in the new high school program for English subjects.
• Learn and research the focus of knowledge and teaching topics in high school English.
• Research and design activities outside of regular school hours in an attractive and interesting way for students to have an environment to use English.
• Read documents related to the method of creating English space in the classroom, discuss with colleagues.

– Check and evaluate the results of students’ acquisition of knowledge so that there can be reasonable additional adjustments.