STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP I, Bui Thi Nga hereby certify that this thesis, entitled “A study on effects of storytelling on speaking performance among students of English at the University of Transport and communications – campus 2”, is my own work Except where reference is made in the text of the thesis, this thesis contain 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, 2016 BUI THI NGA i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my deep gratitude to all those concerned in my thesis The deepest gratitude I would like to send is to my supervisor, Le Hoang Dung, PhD, who gave me great care, thoughtful and insightful comments in the thesis He also provided me with invaluable support in the preparation and completion this thesis as well as a wholehearted supervisor Without his enthusiastic guidance and constructive critical questions, I could not have finished my study I specially thank my colleagues at the UTC2 for helping me with the assessment as well as sharing the happiness and difficulties with me during the study I am also grateful to my TESOL7 classmates, who helped and supported me with the willingness and encouragement Last but not least, my special thanks go to my family and my husband, Nguyen The Hung I could never overcome the difficulties facing my life without their endless love ii ABSTRACT Recently, English has been recognized as a bridge to enhance mutual understanding and relationships among countries Hence, there have been great efforts of schools as well as universities so as to enforce speaking English of students As mentioned, storytelling has been considered as a teaching method that has the capacity to contribute to the enhancement of English speaking performance Therefore, the 6-week quasi experimental study on storytelling was conducted to 38 students at the University of Transport and Communications – Campus in order to investigate the effects of storytelling in learning speaking English Subsequent to this, learners‟ attitudes toward learning English with storytelling was found out In this study, the majority of the students supported the use of storytelling as the best way of learning English performance as well as showed their positive attitude after the treatment, as detected by the tests, questionnaire and interview From the research findings, several further studies as well as suggestions for teachers were made in the hope of improving the teaching and learning English performance quality in Vietnam University iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Statement of authorship i Acknowledgements ii Abstract iii Table of contents iv List of tables and diagrams viii List of abbreviations x Chapter INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the study 1.2 Statement of problem 1.2.1 Aims of the study 1.2.2 Research questions 1.2.3 Research hypotheses .4 1.3 Significance of the study 1.4 Scope of the study 1.5 Organization of the thesis Chapter LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 The nature of speaking 2.1.1 Definition of speaking 2.1.2 Components of speaking .8 2.2 Effective ways of teaching speaking 2.2.1 Considerable factors in teaching speaking 2.2.1.1 Fluency .9 2.2.1.2 Knowledge of language 2.2.1.2.1 Grammar 2.2.1.2.2 Vocabulary 10 iv 2.2.1.3 Self-confidence 11 2.2.1.4 Motivation .11 2.2.2 Principles of teaching speaking 12 2.2.3 Criteria of assessment for speaking performance .14 2.3 Storytelling 17 2.3.1 Definition 17 2.3.2 Characteristics of storytelling in teaching speaking 17 2.3.3 Types of story .18 2.3.4 Related studies to using storytelling in learning speaking English 19 2.3.4.1 Benefits of using storytelling in learning speaking English 19 2.3.4.2 Drawbacks of using storytelling learning speaking English 22 2.3.5 Hypotheses of the study 25 2.4 Lesson plans design 27 2.5 Chapter summary 30 Chapter METHODOLOGY 31 3.1 Research setting 31 3.2 Research design 31 3.3 Research participants 32 3.3.1 Students .32 3.3.2 Teachers 34 3.4 Research tools 34 3.4.1 Stories 34 3.4.2 Lesson plan samples 35 3.4.3 Tests 37 3.4.3.1 Pre test 37 3.4.3.2 Post test 38 3.4.4 Questionnaire 41 3.4.5.1 Questionnaire structure for piloting .41 3.4.5.2 Actual questionnaire .42 v 3.4.6 Interview .47 3.5 Data collection procedure 48 3.6 Chapter summary 50 Chapter DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION 51 4.1 Non-parametric analysis of Experimental Group in Pre test and Post test 51 4.2 Questionnaire data analysis 56 4.2.1 Students‟ background information 56 4.2.2 Students‟ interest towards using storytelling in learning oral performance 57 4.2.3 Students‟ stimulation of imagination of storytelling 59 4.2.4 Students‟ encouragement of emotional development 60 4.2.5 Students‟ enrichment of linguistic knowledge 61 4.2.6 Students‟ motivation and confidence 63 4.2.7 Students‟ reflection upon stories‟ meanings .65 4.2.8 Students‟ improvement of memory 66 4.2.9 Balance between English and Vietnamese 67 4.3.0 Suitability of story .68 4.3.1 Students‟ suggestions of using storytelling in the class 68 4.3 Analysis of interview answers 70 4.4 Discussion of results 71 4.4.1 Students‟ speaking performance improvement 71 4.4.2 Students‟ attitudes towards learning speaking English with storytelling 72 4.5 Summary of findings 74 4.6 Conclusion 80 CHAPTER CONCLUSION 81 5.1 Main conclusions of the study 81 5.2 Suggestions for teachers 83 5.3 Limitations of the study 85 5.4 Recommendations for the study 85 vi 5.5 Conclusion 86 BIBLIOGRAPHY 87 APPENDICES 91 APPENDIX PRE-ORAL TEST 91 APPENDIX QUESTIONNAIRE (ENGLISH VERSION) 93 APPENDIX QUESTIONNAIRE (VIETNAMESE VERSION) 97 APPENDIX INTERVIEW QUESTIONS 101 APPENDIX A SAMPLE OF LESSON PLAN 103 APPENDIX A SAMPLE OF LESSON PLAN 105 APPENDIX A SAMPLE OF LESSON PLAN 106 APPENDIX A SAMPLE OF LESSON PLAN 108 APPENDIX GUIDE FOR LESSON PLANS TO A2 – LEVEL PARTICIPANTS 110 APPENDIX 10 MATERIALS FOR LESSON PLANS .112 APPENDIX 11 PRE TEST AND POST TEST RESULTS 115 APPENDIX 12 INTERVIEW REPORT 116 vii LIST OF TABLES AND DIAGRAMS Table The Criteria for the oral tests (1) 14 Table The Criteria for oral tests (2) .16 Table Benefits and drawbacks of storytelling 24 Table The distribution of the EG 33 Table Summary of adaptable lesson plans .36 Table The Criteria for the oral tests .40 (Adapted by Cambridge English Language Assessment (2011)) .40 Table Questionnaire items 44 Table The brief summary of study procedure 48 Table Descriptive statistics for Experimental Group in Pre test and Post test .51 Table 10 Descriptive statistics of aspects in Pre test and Post test 52 Table 11 Pre test and Post test of Normality .52 Table 12 Means of Paired Samples Statistics 52 Table 13 Paired Samples Correlations 53 Table 14 Paired Difference .53 Table 15 Pre test and Post test aspects of Normality 54 Table 16 Ranks of Pre test and Post test aspects .54 Table 17 Test Statisticsa 55 Table 18 Participants‟ gender 57 Table 19 Participants‟ age 57 Table 20 Participants‟ English learning time 57 Table 21 Students‟ interest towards using storytelling in learning oral performance 58 Table 22 Students‟ response to the stimulation of imagination of storytelling 59 Table 23 Students‟ response to the encouragement of emotional development .60 Table 24 Students‟ response to the enrichment of linguistic knowledge 61 Table 25 Students‟ response to the motivation and confidence 64 Table 26 Students‟ reflection upon stories‟ meanings 65 viii Table 27 Students‟ improvement of memory 66 Table 28 Balance between English and Vietnamese 67 Table 29 Suitability of story 68 Table 30 Students‟ response to their suggestions .69 Table 31 General and comprehensive view of findings 75 Table 32 Summary of agreement on questions H31 to J40 83 Diagram Overview of storytelling 25 Diagram The procedure of study 50 ix LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ASR: Absolute Sound Recorder CEFR: Common European Framework of Reference EFL: English as a Foreign Language EG: Experimental Group ESP: English for Specific Purpose ESL: English as a Second Language KET: Key English Test SD: Standard Deviation SPSS: Statistical Package for the Social Sciences UTC2: University of Transport and Communications – Campus x APPENDIX GUIDE FOR LESSON PLANS TO A2 – LEVEL PARTICIPANTS The guide is to help students: - Be aware of what storytelling is - Know why storytelling used in the class - Get how storytelling used I Definition of storytelling This is the first time storytelling has been applied in the class Hence, helping students with being aware of what storytelling is really important Several definitions of storytelling were given and explained in advance Later, storytelling activities were applied for learning English speaking Storytelling is as an ideal method of influencing a child to associate listening with pleasure of increasing a childattention span and retention capacity or broadening vocabulary and of introducing a child to the symbolic use of language (Cooper 1989) Nearly every advocate of storytelling in classrooms points out that it is just good plain fun Stories tell of our similarities and differences our strengths and weaknesses our hopes and dreams They have the power to teach us understanding and tolerance This is a powerful tool (1994 p 9) II Objectives of using storytelling - Decide if storytelling helps students improve their pronunciation /grammar and enhance more vocabulary and interaction - Investigate how students express their attitudes in terms of imagination, emotions, memory as well as meanings towards storytelling III Stages used in the lesson plans Preparing: - Make class ready for lesson - Warm up/ lead to the lesson - Give handout to students 110 - Elicit/ explain new words as necessary - Instruct students what to in each activity Conducting: - Take part in activities - Perform tasks by students Concluding: - Give feedbacks by teachers - Give suggestions for each activity by teacher and students if possible 111 APPENDIX 10 MATERIALS FOR LESSON PLANS I MATERIALS FOR LESSON PLAN 1 TURTLE’S FLUTE Once upon a time, on the banks of the river, turtle played her flute When turtle played, lions, elephants, butterflies, snakes and monkeys danced to turtle‟s music One day, a man heard Turtle‟s music “Ahh” he thought, “that must be Turtle making music, Turtle would taste very good right now.” So he called out “Turtle! Show me your beautiful flute.” Turtle slowly walked to the door and held out her flute But the moment, the man saw Turtle; he grabbed her by the neck and began to run Turtle tried to cry for help, but she couldn‟t make a sound She closed her eyes holding tightly to her flute When the man reached the hut, he put Turtle into a cage and shut it Then he turned to his children: “Don‟t let Turtle out the cage.” And off he went to the fields The children began to play outside The Turtle sat very still inside the cage, thinking about the father‟s words The children ran to the cage delightedly to see Turtle playing the flute “I can dance better than I can play I‟ll show you if you must open the cage” said Turtle So the little boy came and opened the cage and Turtle began to dance and play Turtle stopped and said “If I could just walk a bit to loosen my stiff legs” “Don‟t go too far” the girl cautioned The Turtle crawled off towards the jungle She raced on the way back to her house No one ever found Turtle again As he arrived at the restaurant where he had planned to give his girlfriend a wonderful surprise, Eric Culbertson checked in his pocket and realized that he had left €10,000 engagement ring he had just bought in a taxi He had saved up for a year to buy the ring (What happened next?) A Swiss man was amazed to see an extra €100,000 in his bank account one day He started spending the money, buying things he had never had before When the bank noticed its mistake – the money actually belonged to a much richer man with the same name – he had already spent €85,000 112 II MATERIAL FOR LESSON PLAN Dadu and Daddy Dadu was a seven year old boy He was naughty, funny and very mischievous One day, his mom was unwell and he was looked after by his daddy Dadu‟s daddy asked him to go to bed as it was close to 9.30 pm Dadu went to his room His daddy was watching television in the living room It was 9.38 and Dadu called, „Daddy, can you please bring me a glass of water to drink?‟ Daddy was annoyed, „No way Dadu! You get it on your own!‟ After five minutes, Dadu called his dad and said, „Daddy can you please give me a glass of water? I‟m very thirsty‟ Daddy replied, „No Dadu I already told you!‟ After five minutes, Dadu shouted, „Daddy can you please give me water?‟ Daddy said, „I told you twice, I won‟t! If you ask again, I will come in and spank you!‟ Dadu was silent for a while After 10 minutes, „Daddy, when you come to spank me, can you please give me a glass of water?‟ Daddy was speechless! 113 III MATERIAL FOR LESSON PLAN 114 APPENDIX 11 PRE TEST AND POST TEST RESULTS No Gender Pre test Post test GramVoc1 Pronun1 Interac1 GramVoc2 Pronun2 Interac2 F1 43 58 11 12 20 18 15 25 F2 21 38 10 10 13 15 F3 15 29 5 10 10 F4 15 21 5 10 F5 25 38 10 10 10 13 15 F6 50 48 10 15 25 10 13 25 F7 29 29 10 10 10 10 F8 47 47 10 12 25 10 12 25 F9 67 57 20 22 25 20 12 25 F10 43 43 10 13 20 10 13 20 F11 46 50 13 13 20 15 15 20 F12 21 35 10 10 10 15 F13 21 25 10 10 F14 59 52 17 17 25 10 17 25 F15 30 37 10 10 10 10 12 15 F16 52 55 15 12 25 15 15 25 F17 35 36 10 20 10 20 F18 42 29 13 20 10 10 F19 39 40 10 20 10 10 20 F20 45 50 10 10 25 10 15 25 F21 34 41 10 15 10 11 20 F22 33 50 10 13 10 10 15 25 F23 40 34 11 20 13 15 F24 29 29 10 10 10 10 F25 19 21 5 10 F26 25 42 10 10 12 10 20 F27 20 42 10 5 10 12 20 F28 40 41 10 10 20 13 13 15 F29 25 29 10 10 10 10 F30 52 55 15 12 25 15 15 25 F31 36 40 10 11 15 13 12 15 F32 48 48 13 10 25 13 10 25 F33 43 45 13 10 20 13 12 20 F34 40 40 10 10 20 10 10 20 F35 39 40 10 20 10 10 20 F36 40 40 10 10 20 10 10 20 F37 39 39 10 20 10 20 F38 42 38 10 12 20 9 20 115 APPENDIX 12 INTERVIEW REPORT I GROUP * Something you like about storytelling Did you like the four lessons applied storytelling in learning English speaking performance? Yes, we did We love it What lesson did you like most? Why did you like? - We liked the lesson talking about Dadu‟s story because we realized that we used to be like Dadu, we remembered my childhood and something our parents told us when we was at home - We like the first lesson because we watched a video, read the story and told the story we loved animals Were you interested in storytelling activities taught in the class? Yes, we were Among such storytelling activities applied, what was your most favorite one? Why? Among such activities, we all loved an activity in lesson because we could share our personal information with our friends We told our childhood each other What could you learn most about the lessons with storytelling? - I knew more new words I used simple past more correctly - I also got more words and how to tell a story in class * Something you dislike about storytelling Did you think that such storytelling activities used were not equivalent to your level? If yes, why was it not equivalent? - No, we didn‟t But the first lesson talking about the Turtle may not equivalent because it was rather long and had new words appeared Sometimes, I misunderstood Did storytelling waste your time because of its long designed activity? Why? No, It did A 50 minute speaking period was not long because I want to speak English 116 Did the teacher give you several handouts relating to different stories? Was it educational? Yes, of course It was educational We learnt how to reduce stress, what to when being sad We felt unhappy when we used not to obey our parents Did your teacher instruct you clearly enough so that you could know what to do? Yes, very clearly Even my teacher sometimes used Vietnamese to instruct if we got confused * Suggestion for storytelling So far, have you learn speaking English with pictures/ movies/ games? If yes, when compared with storytelling, what technique you like most? Why? Yes we have With storytelling, we can use pictures or videos to show a story It is a combination helping students raise their interest in learning English Do you have any suggestions to make lessons with storytelling be better in terms of kind of story, storytelling activities, and lesson instructions? Dear teacher, We have no ideas II GROUP * Something you like about storytelling Did you like the four lessons applied storytelling in learning English speaking performance? Yes, we did What lesson did you like most? Why did you like? We loved the first lesson most because we felt relaxed because of the beautiful video We loved animals, we loved the Turtle We felt unhappy when the Turtle was in a cage Were you interested in storytelling activities taught in the class? Yes, we were Among such storytelling activities applied, what was your most favorite one? Why? 117 We liked the story expanding in the lesson most because we could talk to our friends and share with them our family‟s story We could understand and miss my family We could know how to express feelings and make sentences What could you learn most about the lessons with storytelling? We improved vocabulary and grammar Besides, we thought of our childhood memories We felt happy to know how to express our emotions * Something you dislike about storytelling Did you think that such storytelling activities used were not equivalent to your level? If yes, why was it not equivalent? No, we don‟t think so Did storytelling waste your time because of its long designed activity? Why? We think it didn‟t waste us time whereas we were interested in learning with storytelling Did the teacher give you several handouts relating to different stories? Was it educational? Of course, yes It taught us a lot and reminded us of our memories Did your teacher instruct you clearly enough so that you could know what to do? Almost clearly, but sometimes she spoke a little fast, so we got confused and misunderstood * Suggestion for storytelling So far, have you learn speaking English with pictures/ movies/ games? If yes, when compared with storytelling, what technique you like most? Why? We also love storytelling because there are pictures/ videos in storytelling We love storytelling most and the next is movies because it is really fun and makes a comfortable atmosphere in learning English Do you have any suggestions to make lessons with storytelling be better in terms of kind of story, storytelling activities, and lesson instructions? Teachers should control students because some students just watch a video and nothing 118 III GROUP * Something you like about storytelling Did you like the four lessons applied storytelling in learning English speaking performance? Yes, of course It was very interesting What lesson did you like most? Why did you like? We loved the lesson because we could see a picture and tell a story based on the picture And, we also saw ourselves in the story and thought of how to reduce stress or sadness Were you interested in storytelling activities taught in the class? Yes, we were Among such storytelling activities applied, what was your most favorite one? Why? We liked the activity “storytelling expand” in the lesson most because we could think about different situations which might happen to him We know we shouldn‟t like him in this situation What could you learn most about the lessons with storytelling? - We remember grammar relating to preposition most when learning with storytelling the lesson - We could widen my new words and simple past tense - We learnt how to tell a story * Something you dislike about storytelling Did you think that such storytelling activities used were not equivalent to your level? If yes, why was it not equivalent? No we didn‟t Did storytelling waste your time because of its long designed activity? Why? No, it didn‟t because storytelling was exciting and we learnt something about storytelling Did the teacher give you several handouts relating to different stories? Was it educational? 119 Yes, sure We were educated by the meanings of the story Did your teacher instruct you clearly enough so that you could know what to do? Most of the time, but sometimes we got confused because the teacher spoke English much * Suggestion for storytelling So far, have you learn speaking English with pictures/ movies/ games? If yes, when compared with storytelling, what technique you like most? Why? So far, we have enjoyed the lesson with pictures, games but we also loved storytelling because we could play games as well as pictures/ video in storytelling Do you have any suggestions to make lessons with storytelling be better in terms of kind of story, storytelling activities, and lesson instructions? If the lesson had new words, you should stop and explain it in Vietnamese We can use a story to have a storytelling contest in English IV GROUP * Something you like about storytelling Did you like the four lessons applied storytelling in learning English speaking performance? Yes, we did so much What lesson did you like most? Why did you like? We loved the lesson most because we liked Dadu We learnt how to tell the story about Dadu and we realized that we used to be like Dadu Were you interested in storytelling activities taught in the class? Yes, we were Among such storytelling activities applied, what was your most favorite one? Why? WE love the activity “storytelling expand” in the lesson most because it was really connected to our life It was a meaningful lesson for us What could you learn most about the lessons with storytelling? - We learnt to express our feelings - We knew much about grammar and vocabulary 120 - There were meaningful lessons and beautiful video to enjoy * Something you dislike about storytelling Did you think that such storytelling activities used were not equivalent to your level? If yes, why was it not equivalent? No we didn‟t Did storytelling waste your time because of its long designed activity? Why? No, it didn‟t Did the teacher give you several handouts relating to different stories? Was it educational? Yes, she did The stories are educational Did your teacher instruct you clearly enough so that you could know what to do? Yes, she was helpful and explained the lessons carefully We could follow the lessons well * Suggestion for storytelling So far, have you learn speaking English with pictures/ movies/ games? If yes, when compared with storytelling, what technique you like most? Why? Of course but not too much We also love storytelling because we can enjoy stories, listen to teachers tell a story, there are some pictures used in the technique Do you have any suggestions to make lessons with storytelling be better in terms of kind of story, storytelling activities, and lesson instructions? - Sometimes, teachers should use Vietnamese - Teachers ask students to prepare a story and a show in English V GROUP * Something you like about storytelling Did you like the four lessons applied storytelling in learning English speaking performance? Yes, we did What lesson did you like most? Why did you like? We all loved the lesson because we could talk about our family 121 Were you interested in storytelling activities taught in the class? Yes, we were Among such storytelling activities applied, what was your most favorite one? Why? We were interested in the activities of the lesson because we could share stories together Some of my friends were very sad because they missed their mom They said that they did not have a happy childhood What could you learn most about the lessons with storytelling? - We can learn grammar (tenses/ preposition) and new words - We know to think of different situations about stories * Something you dislike about storytelling Did you think that such storytelling activities used were not equivalent to your level? If yes, why was it not equivalent? No we didn‟t Did storytelling waste your time because of its long designed activity? Why? No, it didn‟t Did the teacher give you several handouts relating to different stories? Was it educational? Yes, she did It is educational Did your teacher instruct you clearly enough so that you could know what to do? Yes, we could understand the lesson, but sometimes the teacher spoke fast and we could not follow * Suggestion for storytelling So far, have you learn speaking English with pictures/ movies/ games? If yes, when compared with storytelling, what technique you like most? Why? We leant speaking English with pictures and movies at high school a lot We also love storytelling because we can learn to speak English and use grammar correctly Do you have any suggestions to make lessons with storytelling be better in terms of kind of story, storytelling activities, and lesson instructions? - Give us more time to prepare for telling a story 122 - At the beginning of the lesson, explain some phrases and new words VI GROUP * Something you like about storytelling Did you like the four lessons applied storytelling in learning English speaking performance? Yes, we did so much What lesson did you like most? Why did you like? We liked the first lesson because when we were very young, we loved to read a legend It made me remember what we did in the past It was unforgettable Were you interested in storytelling activities taught in the class? Yes, we were Among such storytelling activities applied, what was your most favorite one? Why? We likes the activities “Storytelling” in the lesson and the one “story expand” in the lesson because the video was very beautiful and moving The picture was very nice and we learnt how to deal with the problem if we were in the case What could you learn most about the lessons with storytelling? - How to solve a problem - More vocabularies - Some grammatical points - The way to tell a story * Something you dislike about storytelling Did you think that such storytelling activities used were not equivalent to your level? If yes, why was it not equivalent? No we didn‟t Did storytelling waste your time because of its long designed activity? Why? No, it didn‟t Did the teacher give you several handouts relating to different stories? Was it educational? Yes, she did It is educational 123 Did your teacher instruct you clearly enough so that you could know what to do? Not really clearly, sometimes we didn‟t understand * Suggestion for storytelling So far, have you learn speaking English with pictures/ movies/ games? If yes, when compared with storytelling, what technique you like most? Why? Many times we have learnt with pictures/ movies/ games but storytelling is the best because we are moved and work in pairs or group with our friends to share our stories Do you have any suggestions to make lessons with storytelling be better in terms of kind of story, storytelling activities, and lesson instructions? - Let students prepare for taking notes the story - Not use the whole English in class 124 ... assessors As a result, the author will select the second as a suitable one in the assessment of tests 2. 3 Storytelling 2. 3.1 Definition To be aware of the power of using a story in teaching and. .. design and the detail of each lesson plan can be summarized in the table below Table Summary of adaptable lesson plans Lessons Preparing Activity Stages Lesson Lesson - Introduction of the lesson... teachers of English at the University of Transport and Communications – Campus in detail Therefore, the study is conducted to: - Find out the effects of storytelling on speaking performance among students