speaking tasks in English 10 (The Old Version) for the minority students at Yenbai Ethnic Boarding High school Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Hà Trường Đại học Ngoại Ngữ Luận văn ThS. Chuyên ngành: English Linguistics; Mã số: 60 22 15 Người hướng dẫn: Dr. Dương Thị Nụ Năm bảo vệ: 2010 Keywords: Tiếng Anh; Kĩ năng nghe; Kĩ năng nói Content: PART I: INTRODUCTION I.1. Rationale: Vietnam is in the open-door period, moreover, from the November 2006, has become a member of WTO, and so, English is getting more and more essential to Vietnamese people. Being aware of this, Vietnamese students in general and students from Yen Bai Ethnic Boarding High School have tried hard to study English better and better. However, English teaching and learning have not been as effective as we expected. One of the reasons for those, according to many teachers and students of English, is that the textbook “English 10” (the old version), which is available for teaching and learning, is not always updated, realistic, and appropriate to the context of an open-door policy and a market economy, even not interesting enough to keep teachers and learners active during English lessons. Moreover, this textbook is proved to lack flexibility, adaptation and linkage and reveals many shortcomings As a teacher of English at Yen Bai Ethnic Boarding High School for 4 years, I find that my students, especially the 10 th grade ones, are quite bored with the tasks suggested in their textbook “English 10”. Without adapted tasks proposed by teachers, English lessons may become a burden for both teachers and students. Also, many of my colleagues have tried to adapt tasks in the textbook to teach speaking and found that any adapted tasks always drew more students’ attention and interest. Furthermore, improving speaking skill for students from 10 th grade proves essential because most different ethnic students mind speaking English, usually keep quiet in speaking lessons and their speaking ability is extremely poor. For all those reasons, I have decided to carry out a study under the title: “Adapting speaking tasks in English 10 (the old version) for the minority students at Yen Bai Ethnic Boarding High School” I.2. Aims of the study: The study aims to: - Investigate into the evaluation and attitudes of 10 th grade students and teachers in Yen Bai Ethnic Boarding High School(YEBHS) towards the speaking tasks based on “English 10” (the old version). - - find out techniques of adapting speaking tasks in order to make speaking teaching and learning more effective and communicative. I.3. Research questions: - What are the teachers and students’ evaluation and evaluation an attitudes towards the speaking tasks in “English 10” (the old version)? - What techniques should be used to adapt of adapting speaking tasks in English 10 for the 10 grade students in Yen Bai ethnic boarding high school? I.4. Research method In order to carry out this study, which is a survey research, a combination of different data collection instruments are use to ensure the reliability of the collected information as well as the accuracy and practicality of the study. To begin with, data was collected via from survey questionnaires completed done by students and teachers in Yen Bai Ethnic Boarding High School. The writer, then, worked with the data by combining different methods like analyzing, synthesizing, comparing, etc. in order to draw out important findings. In addition, five classes were chosen at random. Each class was asked to discuss five questions in 15-20 minutes before giving the answers. The monitors then collected the answers from the members in their classes and noted down the most common ones. These answers were then reported to the writer in the post-discussion interview. I.5. Scope of the study: The study is limited to the data obtained from the survey questionnaires on the students and teacher’s evaluation of the speaking tasks used for the 10 th grade students on “English 10” (the old version). Besides, they tended to find out their attitudes toward speaking task adaptation. The responses from the participants were put as basis for suggested techniques of adapting speaking tasks. Due to the limited time and the scope of a minor thesis, the questionnaires were designed to mainly focus on evaluation. The study does not refer to how to teach speaking or how to apply adapted tasks in teaching peaking. The aim of the study is to make speaking tasks more practical and useful by creating more chances for students to communicate through adapted tasks. By that way, students are more motivated to study and speaking topics are not separated from real life contexts. Conclusions and suggestions are mainly based on analysis data. However, with the limited number of informants, the writer will only present her remarks, comments and recommendations for appropriate techniques of adapting tasks for teaching speaking skill to the 10 th grade students in YEBHS. I.6. Organization of the study: Part I: Introduction: This part provides an overview of the study with specific reference to the rationale, the aims, scope, and the research method of the study. Part II: Development includes three chapters, namely Chapter I: The chapter explores relevant theoretical background for the thesis. Chapter II: This chapter deals with the subjects, instruments and procedures of research methods applied in the study. Chapter III: This chapter is devoted to detailed description of the data analysis and a brief discussion of the findings. From that, some recommendations on ways of adapting speaking tasks are suggested in the form of giving samples. Part III: Conclusion. References 1. Anh, P. T. M. (2007). A study on applying communicative approach to speaking teaching and learning at Tran Phu gifted high school. Unpublished M.A Thesis. Ha Noi National University 2. Anh, P. T. H. (2003). The application of communicative language teaching (CLT) in teaching speaking to non English-major students in ministry of police: difficulties and recommendations. Unpublished M.A Thesis. Ha Noi National University 3. Canh, L. V. (2004). Understanding Foreign Language Teaching Methodology: Ha Noi National University Press. 4. Hiep, P. H. (2007). 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A consideration of how the communicative approach may be used to teach speaking to the third year students at Military Technical Academy. Unpublished M.A Thesis. Ha Noi National University 12. Harmer,J. 1987. Teaching and Learning Grammar. Longman Group UK Limited. 13. Leech, G & Svartvick, J. 1975. A Communicative Grammar of English. London: Longman. 14. Larsen Freeman, D & Long. M. 1991. An Introduction To Second Language Acquisition. Longman. 15. Hoan, P. K. (2004). Tieng Anh 10. Hanoi: Education Publishing House. 16. Website: H:\CLT\Characteristics of CLT.htm http://coe.sdsu.edu/eet/Admin/Nay.htm H:\CLT\Communicative language teaching- Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia . under the title: “Adapting speaking tasks in English 10 (the old version) for the minority students at Yen Bai Ethnic Boarding High School I.2. Aims of the study: The study aims to: - Investigate. evaluation and evaluation an attitudes towards the speaking tasks in English 10 (the old version)? - What techniques should be used to adapt of adapting speaking tasks in English 10 for the 10. Investigate into the evaluation and attitudes of 10 th grade students and teachers in Yen Bai Ethnic Boarding High School( YEBHS) towards the speaking tasks based on English 10 (the old version).