HANOI OPEN UNIVERSITY CODE: 22 FACULTY OF ENGLISH ======o0o====== GRADUATION THESIS B.A DEGREE IN ENGLISH STUDIES HOW TO SPEAK ENGLISH NATURALLY FOR NON-ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS AT HANOI OPEN UNIVERSITY Supervisor : Lê Thị Vy, M.A Student : Ma Lan Diệu Hương Date of birth : 14/12/1993 Course : K18A1 (2011 – 2015) Ha Noi – 2015 How to speak English naturally for non-English major students at Hanoi Open University DECLARATION TITLE: HOW TO SPEAK ENGLISH NATURALLY FOR NON -ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS AT HANOI OPEN UNIVERSITY (Graduation Thesis submitted in Partial Fulfillment for B.A Degree in English) I certify that no part of the above report has been copied or reproduced by me from any other person’s work without acknowledgement and the report is originally written by me under strict guidance of my supervisor Hanoi, 4th May 2015 Student Ma Lan Dieu Huong Ma Lan Diệu Hương- K18A1 Supervisor Le Thi Vy, M.A How to speak English naturally for non-English major students at Hanoi Open University ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Ms Le Thi Vy, M.A who directly instructs and gives me lots of advice to accomplish my graduation thesis Thanks to her valuable inspiration and helpful guidance for the preparation as well as the correction, I can finish this assignment on time I also give my sincere thanks to all my teachers in Hanoi Open University for giving me a great deal of knowledge during the time I have studied at the English faculty of Hanoi Open University so that I could build a firm foundation for the implementation of this paper In particular, I would like to deliver my gratitude from the bottom of my heart to my parents who always encourage, support and take care of me so much in my whole time Last but not least, my special thanks send to all my dear friends who are always willing to provide me with useful material as well as information during my research process Hanoi, 4th May 2015 Ma Lan Dieu Huong Ma Lan Diệu Hương- K18A1 How to speak English naturally for non-English major students at Hanoi Open University TABLE OF CONTENT PART A: INTRODUCTION 1 Rationale…………………………………… Aims of the study……………………… Scope of the study ………………… Research questions………………… Methods of the study ……………… Design of the study…………………… PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE 1.1 Speaking skills in the process of language learning 1.1.1 Definitions of speaking skills 1.1.2 Nature of speaking skills 1.1.3 Factors affecting speaking skills 1.1.4 Types of speaking skills 10 1.2 Overview of English speaking skills 12 1.2.1 English conversation 12 1.2.1.1 Definitions of conversation 12 1.2.1.2 Functions of conversation 14 1.2.1.3 Native speakers’ conversation 15 1.2.2 Effective English speaking skills 16 1.3 Summary ………………………………… 20 CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 20 2.1 Method of the study 20 2.1.1 Participants 21 2.1.2 Research instrument 22 2.1.3 Design of the survey questionnaire 22 Ma Lan Diệu Hương- K18A1 How to speak English naturally for non-English major students at Hanoi Open University 2.2 Data analysis 23 2.2.1 Students’ interest in speaking English 23 2.2.2 Students’ attitude towards speaking skills 24 2.2.3 Students’ English self-study skills 26 2.2.4 Students’ difficulties encounter when speaking English 29 2.2.5 Students’ expectation in speaking skills 29 2.3 The findings …………………………… 31 2.3.1 The lack of self-confidence 31 2.3.2 The limitation of vocabulary 32 2.3.3 The mispronunciation and misunderstanding in using grammar 34 2.3.4 The lack of general knowledge 36 2.3.5.Unfamiliar partner …………………… 37 2.3.6 The lack of motivation and flexibility in speaking English 37 2.4 Summary…………………………………… 38 CHAPTER III: SOME SOLUTIONS TO HELP NON-ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS SPEAK ENGLISH NATURALLY 38 3.1 Improve English speaking skills 39 3.1.1 Improve pronunciation 39 3.1.2 Improve vocabulary 40 3.1.3 Improve speaking skills through reflective listening 41 3.1.4 Improve speaking skills through reading 42 3.2 Enrich general knowledge 43 3.3 Build self-confidence 45 3.3.1 Overcome fear of making mistakes 45 3.3.2 Develop English speaking style 47 3.3.3 Pay attention to physical appearance 49 3.3.4 Prepare the topic carefully 49 Ma Lan Diệu Hương- K18A1 How to speak English naturally for non-English major students at Hanoi Open University 3.4 Improve group speaking 49 3.4.1 Working in pairs 50 3.4.2 Working in small groups 50 3.5 Join activities outside class 52 3.5.1 Join the English speaking clubs 52 3.5.2 Communicate with native speakers …… 53 3.6 Improve English self-study skills 54 3.7 Summary ……………………………………… 55 PART C: CONCLUSION 55 REFERENCES 57 APPENDIX : SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE 60 APPENDIX 2: SOME USEFUL WEBSITES 62 Ma Lan Diệu Hương- K18A1 PART A: INTRODUCTION Rationale One human characteristic is to communicate In the modern world, communication not only becomes the basis of social interaction, but also improves greatly that no one of modern society can survive without communication A famous anthropologist, Ashley Montague (1976) says: “The most important agency through which the child learns to be human is communication, verbal also nonverbal” It is essential that human being need an instrument called “language” Over the past few decades, English has become the global language Because of global competition and industrial transformation, students must integrate their language skills and their specialized knowledge in order to obtain the edge in job market and stay in synchronous with the world as well The importance of English cannot be denied and ignored since English becomes the most common language spoken everywhere The number of people around the world speaking the language is increasingly growing Speaking English properly opens up many opportunities Today, language students are considered successful if they can communicate effectively in their second or foreign language; the accuracy of the language produced would most likely be the major criterion contributing to the judgment of a student’s success or lack success Speaking English can help learners enhance interaction in the target language for communicating with people around the world Along with right methods, students can take advantage of every opportunity both within and outside the classroom to enhance their language skills and change their career prospects means like gaining technical knowledge, learning computer science, etc Therefore, it is highly essential to know that the language plays a vital Ma Lan Diệu Hương- K18A1 role in our life Mastering English seem to be one of the best and shortest ways to have a great deal of opportunities to reach the success of life The topic of this study resulted from a fact that non-English major students at Hanoi Open University often have difficulties in interacting naturally with others in conversations They get troubles in speaking English even at the beginning of the conversation Within the minor thesis, the author attempts to clarify the difficulties in speaking English of non-English major students at Hanoi Open University and suggest some solutions that can help them overcome their inhibition and develop their skills in a better way Aims of the study The research attempts to identify the difficulties of non-English major students at Hanoi Open University when they speak English and recommends techniques to help them speak English naturally Following this trend, the study will serve these purposes: Giving a brief overview of the previous materials relating to speaking skills To discuss problems of non-English major students when they speak English To provide solutions to help Non-English major students to speak English naturally To encourage and inspire non-English major students to use English conversations effectively Scope of the study This study focuses on speaking skills, factors that influence the conversational skills and finds out some difficulties of non-English major Ma Lan Diệu Hương- K18A1 students at Hanoi Open Universities in speaking English All the data will be analyzed in order to find out the most effective solutions for the students Research questions Concisely, the research would seek the answers to the following questions: What is the speaking? Why the non-English major students have difficulty in speaking English? How to help non – English major students to speak English naturally? What techniques should be used to develop English conversational skills for non-English major students? Methods of the study To fulfill the above aims, this study has chosen both qualitative and quantitative methods for the study All the considerations, remarks, comments, suggestions and conclusions given in the study are based largely on the analysis of statistics data The data collection mainly focuses on: Survey questionnaires: This method is used to find out the difficulties in speaking English of non-English major students at Hanoi Open University The questionnaires are useful for getting data of the attitudes and behaviors of learners when facing these challenges Interviews and observations: The methods are significant in getting more qualitative data by getting closer to the objects of the study Design of the study The graduation thesis will be divided into three parts Part A is the introduction stating the rationale, aims, research questions, method and design of the study Ma Lan Diệu Hương- K18A1 Part B is the development including three chapters Chapter is the literature review Chapter is the research methodology Chapter is some solutions to help non-English major students speak English naturally Part C is the conclusion of the research to summarize the main points of the graduation paper Ma Lan Diệu Hương- K18A1 • Eye contact: The eyes are the window of our soul so maintaining a good eye contact is very necessary run smoothly a conversation By manipulating the eyeball and areas of the faces around especially the upper and the eyebrows, you are able to conveying an intricate array of nonverbal messages So revealing are messages that you think of the eyes to gauge the truthfulness, intelligence, attitude, and feeling of conversationalists Direct eye contact shows attentiveness and listening If people lose eye contact, it means they ignore the speaker and want to change the topic or stop conversation Nevertheless, staring at someone is seen negative as it makes him/her embarrassed, confused or annoyed Whereas, staring at something may express surprise and curiosity These examples demonstrate eye contact shows attention and influence During your conversation, you try your best to keep calm, be confident, in spite of “butterflies in your stomach” (an English idiom-means that you feel so nervous) You also should keep a good eye contact to others because it is the most effective way you can to improve your image with others • Posture: During speaking, learners should concern to the way you stand or sit to give information about how you are feeling When people stand up or sit up straight, it can be understood that they feel confident or comfortable Moreover, the posture is shown through hands and arms Outward and upward hands movements reveal an open and positive message Open arms can indicate a good way to show that the person is approachable and friendly Ma Lan Diệu Hương- K18A1 48 3.3.3 Pay attention to physical appearance Good-looking appearance creates self-confidence for speakers so it is very important to keep a good appearance every time Good appearance shows how self-confident and careful you are because when you try to make a good appearance means that you show your respect to other ones You can make a good impression by paying attention to grooming, clothing, accessories, and style that form the appearance 3.3.4 Prepare the topic carefully Take advantage of the powerful method of “narrow-reading”, which means that you will read and study all about the subject you have to speak is one of the best ways to speak English naturally Once learners can prepare a careful informative speech that presents accurate, thorough information about the topic and provides the listeners with the kind of information they want and need, it will be a good start to gain success in speaking Good preparation, therefore, gives the non-English major students a foundation to present their ideas and interest to others 3.4 Improve group speaking Pair work and group work give the students more chances to speak English in the classroom Students participate in the lesson much more actively because they are involved in talking to their friends When speaking group in class, students can discuss freely and practice communicating simultaneously with classmates Also, the skill can help them know how to cooperate with others to achieve the best result in speaking group John K.Brilhart (P67, 1996) said that a group is two or more persons united for some purposes and interacting in such a way that they influence each other Ma Lan Diệu Hương- K18A1 49 Working in pairs and groups is less stressful for students, especially the introverts who needn't perform in front of the whole class They will feel more confident working with their friends who are more likely to accept his/her correction or criticism These methods prevent them from not being laughed at by the whole class if they say something wrong 3.4.1 Working in pairs In this kind of work, students will be divided into pairs who work simultaneously together Two students are in duty of discussing a small topic or sharing the answer to an exercise in which they in turn express their ideas Pair work brings non-English major students chances to talk to their partners comfortably and confidently since he or she only speaks to one person, the unfamiliarity and timidity will disappear and be placed by free communication and mutual understanding The work is also the base for students ‘effective speaking in a bigger group as they are no longer timid after working in pair for a time Working in pairs gives individual students lots of speaking time If working together, students will often have more confidence than when completing exercises individually If they are competing with their partners, they will be more motivated 3.4.2 Working in small groups Group work is just a natural part of language classroom In fact, students should receivers many benefits from working in groups as they study English and pursue language fluency This activity give students opportunity to create more complex dialogues, explore relationships between characters, pool knowledge together, and have a more social learning environment Additionally there is a better chance for self correction or peer correction and for a discussion on a wider range of thoughts and opinions Ma Lan Diệu Hương- K18A1 50 Groups that work well together can achieve much more than individuals working on your own A broader range of skills can be applied through sharing, discussing ideas, all of which can play a pivotal role in deepening your understanding of a particular subject area When being a part of a team, learners can develop their interpersonal skills such as speaking and listening as well as team working skills regarding leadership, supporter or planner Actually, some of these skills will be useful throughout their academic career and highly appreciated by others Besides, group work brings some benefits below: Students help each other: When they work in groups, they will learn each other to answer language specific questions or clarify confusing points of English When they help each other, it benefits both of the students involved The student with the question will have it answer, and others with the answer will remember it better because they have taught it to another Students challenge each other: It is said that speakers modify their speech to be more like the people to whom they are talking It means that less accomplished students will become better speakers just by talking to others more advanced than them without help and pressure Students encourage each other: encouragement between language learners can happen in many ways One way comes is when lower level students see the accomplishments of higher level students They share their experiences; one student’s story becomes a blueprint for success for the other Students become closer to each other: By working together, students will also develop relationships with each other They will share personal opinions and life goals They will talk about what they want most out of life all in the name of learning language Ma Lan Diệu Hương- K18A1 51 Students use language creatively: in a group, there are students with different personality and this variety will bring diversity of ideas Communicative classroom focus on getting students to use the language they know to get their meaning across Creative use of language makes communication possible even when speakers may not good at grammar for what they are trying to say Identify your own strengths and weaknesses: Students may be a better leader than listener, or they might be good at coming up with amazing ideas but not good at putting them into action It provides a structured learning experience that can prepare students for the realities and diversity of the workplace, working with people with different skills, cultures, approaches and from different places 3.5 Join activities outside class 3.5.1 Join the English speaking clubs Taking part in English speaking clubs is also an effective way to practice speaking Currently, speaking English is become increasingly significant skill and more and more English speaking clubs are opened to meet the demand of learners who are interested in English and desire to well perform in the language When joining these clubs, they have opportunities to make new friends, to free talk about various topics which are given by masters of English in the clubs In speaking clubs, the leader of the club will suggest having the latest news about the art, sports, economics, or even politics prepared by all members in advance to share others This activity is very useful for English learners to widen horizon and become more dynamic and in seeking information There are also lots of interesting games, pictures and tasks establishing to help members to train their quickness, complexity as well as to combine Ma Lan Diệu Hương- K18A1 52 their speaking skills through activities Clearly, speaking activities based on games are a useful way of giving learners a valuable practice which involves practice of oral strategies such as describing, predicting, simplifying, asking for feedback or guessing unknown information Besides, learners can also learn how to tell a story so that they could explore their unique expressiveness and develop their competence to express thoughts and feelings in an articulate and lucid manner By telling story, the non-English major students can experience the moment that they concentrate their mind, thinking to tell a story with an impressive and attractive way while others pay attention to listening and having witty comments 3.5.2 Communicate with native speakers It is undeniable that speaking to the natives is one of the fastest ways to improve students’ intonation, stress, pronunciation, vocabulary, and also their confidence In fact, not everyone can travel to the country where the target language is spoken Thus, grasp all the chances to communicate with foreigners when you meet them by chance in the street or in shopping centre, etc Be polite and talent to make friends with people who only speak English You are forced to speak with them in English instead of relying on your mother tongue All they need is to meet new people and understand better about your local area, they will not judge you and your English skills in any way In addition, learners should be more active to take part in professional networking organization, or team that host international events Many of these will have a mixture of native speakers You can offer language exchange sessions You can teach them your mother tongue and they will happy to help you practice English Interestingly, thanks to technological advancements, learners nowadays can join online conversation clubs There are hundreds of Ma Lan Diệu Hương- K18A1 53 language conversation club online These websites are a great option for you to converse with native speakers right in the comfort of your own home 3.6 Improve English self-study skills A very useful tip for students to speak English naturally is that they have to create a reasonable timetable and make every effort to reach the success Set goals, put them into practice and make a commitment To speak English naturally requires a lot of motivation Make sure you are ready to begin studying, start off slowly, but regularly After you have carried out for a week, adjust your schedule accordingly For instance, learners can try to speak only English or not to use their mother tongue in the speaking class as well as avoid interrupting when the partner is speaking or laughing at the partner’s mistakes Keep talking to yourself when you are doing daily things This will help you to think in English For example, you can say “I am going into the kitchen Now I am making a cup of tea” Nowadays the internet has been seen as a helpful learning environment for English self-study; it is very easy and convenient for learners to access the internet anytime Make full use of internet and modern facilities to serve for your study For example, if you are interested in sport or music, look up some websites or sign in social network that cover these topics Start making your own vocabulary lists around these topics, and learn the words and phrases Use social network to find groups of native speakers interested in online conversation to experience much more information There would be a balanced exchange in the learning process In addition, there are lots of available websites providing instructions on how to speak English naturally with native teachers or consultants in many aspects of English learning from building grammar structures, vocabulary and Ma Lan Diệu Hương- K18A1 54 pronunciation to raise motivation and inspire positive attitudes towards speaking the language (Appendix 2) Speaking English does not take a lot of time, but it requires regular periods Practice every day is the key to speak English well “Practice makes perfect Never pass up an opportunity to speak English” (Corcoran, 2002, p.170) The goal is not to count how many hours you spend learning English The goal is to make practicing speaking English become a part of your daily routine as natural as a life-long habit 3.7 Summary Basing on the current situation and the result from the data analysis of the survey, I suggest some solutions to help non-English major students speak English naturally However, to achieve the purpose in their process of speaking, each student should make lots of effort in the process of speaking In addition, they should be wise to combine these methods effectively so that they could choose the most suitable way for their own to bring it into the play PART C: CONCLUSION This concluding chapter will summarize and evaluate the findings of the whole paper by summing up the results This research paper aims at investigating the present situation of nonEnglish major students at Hanoi Open University in practicing speaking Ma Lan Diệu Hương- K18A1 55 English as well as some main factor affecting their speaking skill in the process of learning language and suggests some solutions to help them speak English naturally The thesis presents a quick look on speaking skills in the process of language learning and an overview of English speaking skills Then, this paper focuses on finding all the main difficulties influencing students’ skills through survey questionnaires A series of pie charts and data analysis have provided statistics which made the study more practical and persuasive The paper suggests some useful techniques to help learners enrich knowledge as well as enhance their speaking skills as much as possible Due to the limitation of time and comprehensive knowledge, the shortcomings are unavoidable in the study Therefore, suggestions would be highly appreciated to a better research paper for further study Ma Lan Diệu Hương- K18A1 56 REFERENCES Ashley Montague (1976) Practical English language teaching Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Brown, G & Yule, G (1983) Teaching the Spoken Language Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Bredan (1980) Testing Communication Oxford: Oxford University Press Brandom Harris (2000) Effective techniques for English conversation groups Boston: Newbury House Publishers Eanest G Bormann (1997) The Communication Value of Intonation in English Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Bygate, M (1987) Speaking Oxford: Oxford University Press Chaney (1998) Accent America Essentials California: The Linguistic Publisher Corcoran (2002) Principle of speaking California: Wad North Publishing Company Cook (1996) The interactional function of conversation Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 10 Davis and Pearse (2000) How to teach English London: Addison Wesley longman 11 Dennis (2011) Real English conversation practices Boston: Language teaching publications 12 Florez, M.A.C (1991) Communicative language teaching: the state of art California: Brown Company Publisher 13 Francesca (2003) The language of conversation Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 14 Gardner (1991) Conversationally speaking: approaches to the teaching of conversation Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 15 Geoffrey (2001) Developing Communication Skills Canada: York University Press Ma Lan Diệu Hương- K18A1 57 16 Gog and Burns (2012) Communicative Needs in Foreign Language Learning Boston: Performing Arts Global publishing 17 Harwood (2010) How Languages are Learned Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 18 Harmer (1996) Understanding Foreign Language Teaching Methodology Cambridge: Cambridge Language Education 19 John K.Brilhart (1996) Fluency and Accuracy: Toward Balance in Language Teaching and Learning Oxford: Oxford University Press 20 J.L.Kayfetz (1992) Speaking Effectively Boston: Heinle Publisher 21 Krashen(1982) Teaching English as second or foreign language New York: Waveland Publishing Company 22 Lai (1993) Communicative competence: theory and classroom practice New York: Addison- Wesley Publishing Company 23 Martin, H (2002) Pronunciation Plus Student’s book: Practice through interaction Cambridge: Cambridge University press 24 M.Bailey (2005) Practical English language teaching Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 25 Mudd, Charles S & Malcom O Sillars (1991) Speech: Content and communication Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 26 Nolasco, R and Arthur, L.( 2007) Conversation Oxford: Oxford University Press 27 Nunan, D (2003) Task for language teachers Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 28 Philip M Brudden (1995) Effective speaking 2nd Ed New York: Bob’s Merril Company 29 Robert Sanborn Brown and Paul Nation (1997) Language teacher Boston: Mcgraw-Hill ( 3rd.ed.) OCLC 64230435 30 Roach (1998) Testing communicative performance New York: Falmer Publishing Company Ma Lan Diệu Hương- K18A1 58 31 Sofsian (2006) Self-study and Diverity Rotterdam: Sense Publishers 32 Svennevig (1999) Getting acquainted in conversation: a study of initial interarions Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company 33 Sweeney & Farmer (1994) Teaching and researching autonomy: Harlow: Pearson Education Limited 34 Taguchi (2007) English and language teaching materials Cambridge: Cambridge Language Education 35 Tomaz P.Synalshi (1995) Learning to learn English Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 36 Tudor (1996) Preparing and delivering scientific presentation Berlin: Springer Publishing Company 37 Ur, Penny (1996) A course in language teaching- Practice and theory Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 38 Vaid (2008) How to speak and write better English New Delhi: Orient Paperbacks Ma Lan Diệu Hương- K18A1 59 APPENDIX 1: SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE Hello, my name is Ma Lan Dieu Huong, a senior student at the English faculty of Hanoi Open University I am doing research on “How to speak English naturally for non-English major students at Hanoi Open University I am very thankful if you help me complete these questionnaires All the private information as well as their answer will only be served for researching purposes If you have any questions, free contact me via email: Malandieuhuong@gmai.com.vn Thank you very much for your help! Please choose the best appropriate answer for you! Do you like speaking English? A Yes, very much B Yes, pretty much C Yes, a little bit D No Do you think English speaking skills are important to you? A Yes, very important B Yes, pretty important C Yes, little important D No Are you confident to speak English in class? A Yes, very much B Yes, pretty much C Yes, a little bit D No How long you practice speaking English each day? A More than 30 minutes B 20 minutes C C none Ma Lan Diệu Hương- K18A1 60 Do you communicate with English native speakers? A Often B Sometimes C Rarely D Never What kind of materials you use for self-study speaking skills? A Printed materials ( Books, newspapers, magazines) B Online sources ( English learning websites, English learning groups) C Media sources ( English TV programs, English movies, records) Which difficulties you meet when speaking English at class? A I am shy B I not understand what people say to me C My friends not cooperate with me D Others( lack of grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation knowledge) Which criteria you expect to improve in speaking skills? A Accuracy B Fluency C Pronunciation Ma Lan Diệu Hương- K18A1 61 APPENDIX SOME USEFUL WEBSITES To improve speaking skill: http://www.talkenglish.com/ http://www.splendidspeaking.com/learn/improve_english_fluency.html http://engfluent.com/how-to-improve-english-speaking/ http://www.elementalenglish.com/ten-steps-improve-englishpronunciation-language-skills/ To improve pronunciation: http://www.englishteachermelanie.com/study-tip-how-to-improve-yourenglish-pronunciation/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/ http://www.learnerstv.com/Free-Language-Video-lectures-ltv200Page1.htm https://blog.udemy.com/how-to-improve-english-pronunciation/ http://www.speakmethod.com/500wordsintroduction.html To improve vocabulary: https://www.google.com.vn/#q=improve+vocabulary+in+english http://www.enhancemyvocabulary.com/improve-expand-vocabulary.html http://www.vocabulary.co.il/read-about-how-to-improve-vocabulary-inenglish/ http://www.english-at-home.com/vocabulary/improving-your-vocabulary/ To improve grammar: http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/grammar.php https://www.ego4u.com/ http://englishgrammar101.com/ Ma Lan Diệu Hương- K18A1 62 [...]... indicates the types of materials that students use to practice English speaking skill It can be seen from the table that a great number of students tend to use online materials to serve for their English speaking study (44%) 32% of students are keen on watching English programs or listening records on radio and just 24% of them choose to learn this skill through printed materials Furthermore, a majority... the situations and problems of non -English major students to help them develop English speaking skills in the process of language learning Students were asked to tick the most suitable answers in accordance with their opinion The questionnaire concentrates on finding: • Students interest in speaking English • Students attitude towards speaking skills • Students English self-study skills • Students ... with the participation of the non -English major students at Hanoi Open University Randomly chosen students from different faculties such as economics, tourism, Chinese language and so on at Hanoi Open University were surveyed to get accurate results Each student gives its own ideas about the matters shown in the questionnaire Ma Lan Diệu Hương- K18A1 21 2.1.2 Research instrument The data for the study... this to happen, those engaging in conversation must find a topic on which they both can relate to in some sense Those engaging in conversation naturally tend to relate the speakers’s statement to themselves They may insert aspects of their lives into their replies, to relate to the other person’s opinions or points of conversation The speaker should know each and everything on the subject chosen to talk... quantitative method called survey questionnaires and two qualitative methods namely interview and group observation 2.1.3 Design of the survey questionnaire The survey questionnaire consists of 10 questions for the non -English major students at Hanoi Open University The survey questionnaires are designed to make out the attitude of students towards English speaking skills and get more information about... METHODOLOGY To speak English naturally requires much effort during practicing process Therefore, a productive skill like speaking is sometimes difficult for non -English major students In this chapter, the methodologies of the research are presented and the difficulties in speaking English of students are pointed out basing on the data analysis from survey questionnaires and classroom observation in order to. .. the reason for the subjects’ limited progress in speaking • Anxiety and its effect on speaking Speaking in front of peers and teachers is seen as the most anxietyprovoking situation of all Anxiety has been considered a very negative factor in learning English, especially in learning to speak the language Speaking is problematic because there is no preparation time for students to correct what he or she... published in 1997, in speaking classes, students must be exposed to three key items • Form-focused speaking Form-focused speaking considers details of pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and so on When learners first begin to speak another language, their speaking will need to be based on some form-focused learning It is an effective way to learn to speak a language It will enable the learners to improve the... of the non -English major students do not understand exactly “what speaking is” They only regard speaking as a simple, easy process by speaking out words, ideas According to Harmer (1996, p.14), speaking is a form of communication, so it is important that what you say is conveyed in the most effective way How you say something can be as important as what you say in getting your meaning across Speaking... of nonEnglish major students who are pretty keen on speaking English is highest (52%) The latter figure accounts for 22 percent in the number of learners who are very interested in this skill 16% is the percentage of students saying that they prefer a little bit and just 10% of them admit that they are do not like speak English at all When being asked: “Why don’t you like speaking English? ” many students