CONTENTS

1. I. 

INTRODUCTION

1. 1. Reason for choosing the study……………………………………………..1
2. Aims of the study…………………………………………………………..1
3. Scope of the study………………………………………………………….1
4. Methods of the study……………………………………………………….1
5. CONTENT…………………………………………………………………… 2

    1. The theoretical basis ………………………………………………………..2

  1.1. Speaking skill and its importance………………………………………..2

   1.2. Overview of language games……………………………………………..2

2. The reality of the study 3

2.1. The reality 3

2.2. The results in researching the reality……………………………………3

3. Methodology 5

3.1.Types of language games used in teaching speaking .…………………..5

3.1.1.Sorting, ordering or arranging games 5

3.1.2. Information gap game 5

3.1.3.Guessing games………………………………………………………..5

3.1.4. Matching games 5

3.1.5. Labeling games 5

3.1.6. Puzzle-solving games 5

3.1.7. Role- play games 5

      3.2. Sample games used in teaching speaking……………………………….5

      3.2.1. The textbook…………………………………………………………..5

      3.2.2. Sample games used in teaching speaking……………………………..6

4. Results 15

III. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 16

1. Conclusion 16
2. Recommendations 16
3. REFERENCES 17

• INTRODUCTION

1. Reasons for choosing the study

        In the globalization age today, English assumes as a more and more important part as a means of international communication than ever. Therefore, in some recent years, the focus of teaching has been promoting oral skills in order to respond to the students’ needs for effective communication.

         However, due to some objective and subjective reasons, teaching and learning English in general and teaching and learning speaking in particular does not come up to the study aims. Despite teachers’ efforts to provide students with opportunities to develop their communicative skills, how to teach and learn speaking effectively is still a challenging question to both teachers and students at many high schools in Vietnam. In English class, teachers are mainly concern with teaching the points in the exams that need cope with and find necessary to encourage students’ participation. Most of students are sitting quietly and listening rather than acting. As a consequence, they just develop their ability on grammar task rather than the communicative one. Moreover, in language learning, learners have to master four skills in which speaking is the most essential one for the aim at communication. Thus, a big problem is how to develop students’ ability so speaking is not an easy work. Therefore, it is a necessity to find out some problems of that 10th form students are facing with speaking classes and give some useful suggestions to help students more succeed in speaking English.

     All the above-mentioned reasons and factors have inspired me to conduct a research titled “The effectiveness of using language games in teaching speaking to the 10th form students at Thong Nhat high school”

2. Aims of the study

The study is aimed at:

• Investigating the situation of teaching and learning speaking to the 10th form students at Thong Nhat  high school
• Investigating the effectiveness of using games in teaching speaking to the 10th form students at Thong Nhat  high school
• Providing some suggestions and implications for the improvement of speaking teaching  at Thong Nhat  high school by using language games in addition to other techniques

3. Scope of the study

        The study focuses specifically on using language games in teaching speaking to the 10th form students at Thong Nhat high school. So the study limits itself to the teaching and learning speaking only, and the subjects of the study are 128 students from three classes studying “Tieng Anh 10” textbook at Thong Nhat high school.

4. Methods of the study

       In the process of carrying out this study, I have combined methods such as:

• Surveying and constructing the theoretical basis of speaking skill and language games.
•  Investigating and inquiring the reality, collecting data of teaching speaking to the 10th students at Thong Nhat high school.
• Statistical method and processing data from pre-task survey questionnaire and post- task survey questionnaire.

1. 1. CONTENT 

• The theoretical basis 

1.1. Speaking skill and its importance

1.1.1. The definition of speaking

Speaking is an interactive process of constructing meaning that involves producing and receiving, and processing information. Its form and meaning are dependent on the context in which it occurs, including the participants themselves, their collective experiences, the physical environment and the purpose for speaking.

1.1.2. The importance of speaking skill among four language skills

Speaking is one of the features that distinguished us from most if not all, animals because it is the common way to convey ideas from one person to another through language. 

Of all the four skills, the speaking seems intuitively the most important. Ur. P (1996: 56) stated people who know a language are referred to as “speaker of that language as if speaking included all other kinds of knowing and many if not most foreign language learners are primarily interested in learning to speak”.

 1.2. Overview of language games

1.2.1. The definition of language games

Language games mean games related to language. If games help to improve different aspects such as intellectual ability, patience, then language games help to develop language skills. 

1.2.2. Roles of games in language teaching and learning

Games have long been advocated for assisting language learning. Using games to develop students’ skill is more useful and popular in the schools because of the following reasons:

• Games add interest to what students might not find their. Sustaining interest can mean sustaining effort (Wright, Betteridge, & Bucky, 2005)
• The variety and intensity that games offer may lower anxiety (Richard-Amato, 1968) and encourage shy learners to take part in (Uberman, 1988) especially when games are played in small groups.

1.2.3. How to organize a game?

1.2.3.1. Timing

Teachers need to estimate the time of the game before running a game. Lewis and Bedson (1999) suggested that games should last from five to twenty minutes including preparation, presentation, game playing and post playing. 

1.2.3.2. Level of the games

Level of the games is another factor that teachers should take into consideration when using language games in speaking lessons. Therefore, teachers need to pay attention to the difficult level of the games. 

1.2.3.3. Classroom language

When starting a game, teachers should tell students the rules of the game. It is one of the key factors that lead to students’ success in playing game. When giving instructions, a few words in mother tongue are sometimes necessary as it would be the quickest way to make everything clear. 

1.2.3.4. Classroom management

Language games would be very enjoyable and rewarding if they are handled in the right way. Some games are played by individuals, in pairs or in groups, some in teams and some with the whole class playing against teacher.

In short, teachers must decide in advance how to organize the class as Carrier (1985) started: “the setting up of a game can be carried out as quickly and smoothly as possible”.

2. The reality of the study

2. 1. The reality 

There are totally 174 students at Thong Nhat high school in fourth classes from 10A1 to 10A4. The majority of high school students here enjoy education program in which English is a compulsory subject since they were at primary school. This means by the time they go to high school, they have at least 5 or more years experience in English. The level of English for the 10th grade students is targeted at pre-intermediate level through a few actually reaches the standard. As their primary years were spent with the old text books and the grammar translation method, most students are, to some extent, good at grammar, but bad at listening and speaking the target language. They can do written exercises on English grammar accurately but they can hardly communicate in English. Moreover, students at Thong Nhat high school would prefer to pay much attention to Mathematics, Physics, Chemist, Literature, History and Geography rather than English. As a result, they either keep silence all the time or less participates in the speaking activities. Furthermore, students at Thong Nhat high school have a worse learning ability than those from many other schools, which is justified by passing the entrance test with the low marks required for admission of the school.

2.2. The results in researching the reality

I set the objectives of 128 students for my research. Most of students are active in real-life, but they seem to be less active in their classes. Initially, I found that