Developing students’Confidence and Developing students’Confidence and Competence in speaking EnglishCompetence in speaking English
Background of students
• CMI school
• Many students are passive, shy and weak
• Good teacher-student relationship
• Not motivated to speak English
Teacher’s concernTeacher’s concern
How can I make my students speak more English?
How can I make my students speak more English?
Using co-operative learning to teach fables
Using co-operative learning to teach fables
ObjectivesObjectives
• To motivate students to learn English more actively through interacting with one another in their cooperative learning groups
• To develop students’ interest in reading and writing fables
• To develop students’ collaborative skills
• To boost students’ confidence in using English
Using Cooperative Learning strategy to teach fables
Using Cooperative Learning strategy to teach fables
LessonsLessons Lesson objectivesLesson objectives CL strategiesCL strategies
1-2
Students learned the elements of a fable and filled out a story map. ( Setting, characters, events & moral )
Numbered Heads
Think-pair-square
3-4
Students learned how to describe characters using simple adjectives and gave evidence to support their answers.
Roundrobin
Assigning roles
5-6
Students learned how to create dialogues when they provided answers for the interview questions.
Roundrobin
Numbered Heads
Using Cooperative Learning strategy to teach fables
Using Cooperative Learning strategy to teach fables
LessonsLessons Lesson objectivesLesson objectives CL strategiesCL strategies
7-8
• Students read two new fables and did a moral matching exercise.
• They watched a model performance and learned how to write a play script.
Think-pair-square
Numbered Heads
9-10Students chose a fable and created a new ending in the form of a play script.
Assigning roles
Using Cooperative Learning strategy to teach fables
Using Cooperative Learning strategy to teach fables
LessonsLessons Lesson objectivesLesson objectives CL strategiesCL strategies
11-12Students rehearsed for the performance on the following day.
13-14Students performed the new version of their chosen fable in front of adjudicators and guest teachers.
Characteristics of the design
• Using CL strategies
• Lots of discussion
• Language input e.g. adjectives, direct and indirect speech, proverbs, phrases for discussion etc.
• Tasks are broken down into smaller steps to prepare students for the final performance
Grouping method
• Appoint a leader who speaks better English
• Mix boys with girls
• Team building activities before setting students to group work e.g. choosing group names, games
Group Processing & Social Skills
• Teach social skills – e.g. turn-taking, listen to others carefully,
respect others’ opinions, help classmates, encourage classmates etc.
• Group Processing Form
• Individual Processing Form
1. Students perceived that they spoke more English in lessons.
1. Students perceived that they spoke more English in lessons.
FindingsFindings
I spoke more English in these lessons, especially when I discussed how to write a new play script with my group members.
We spoke English most in the performance
because we had to act as the characters and read the dialogues aloud in
English.
A. Equal ParticipationA. Equal Participation
(Q6) Everyone has a chance to speak in discussion.
I like group work like this because everyone had a chance to speak. We had to cooperate to finish a task, so everyone could contribute.
Everyone had a chance to speak English and express their own opinion.
Findings Findings
(Q16) We learn to work together to complete a task in groups.
2. Social Skills2. Social SkillsFindingsFindings
Frequency Percent
Agree 33 84.6
Disagree 6 15.4
I was very happy to participate in these
activities, because we could express our
opinion to one another. My group members understood me and
listened to me.
It is more interesting to have group activities in the lessons. I can learn more knowledge and
learn how to communicate and get
along well with others.
2. Social Skills2. Social Skills
FindingsFindings
ProcessingProcessingFormForm
ProcessingProcessingFormForm
2. Social Skills
Everyone shared responsibilities to complete a task.
2. Social Skills
Everyone shared responsibilities to complete a task.
FindingsFindings
(Q9) I have more confidence in speaking English in the lesson.
3. Students had more confidence in speaking English.3. Students had more confidence in speaking English.
FindingsFindings
1.Supportive learning 1.Supportive learning environmentenvironment2.Lots of chances 2.Lots of chances to speakto speak
3. Students had more confidence in speaking English.3. Students had more confidence in speaking English.
FindingsFindings
I learn to work together to complete a task in
groups and I have more I have more confidence in speaking confidence in speaking English in the lessonEnglish in the lesson..
It is fun to learn English in groups and I treasure the chance of
speaking and performing in front of
my classmates.
4. Competence in speaking English
A. Students were ready and willing to report in class.
4. Competence in speaking English
A. Students were ready and willing to report in class.
FindingsFindings
Numbered Heads- rehearse before reporting
4. Competence in speaking English
B.Students improved accuracy and
fluency in speech in the
performance.
4. Competence in speaking English
B.Students improved accuracy and
fluency in speech in the
performance.
FindingsFindings
-
A supportive environment
There was little spontaneous
student-student interaction in
group discussion conducted
in English.
There was little spontaneous
student-student interaction in
group discussion conducted
in English.
DifficultyDifficulty
Why? Why? DifficultyDifficulty
1. Task design – little room for discussion & creative ideas
2. Insufficient time to think and plan before discussion
3. Inability to transfer what they have learnt in real discussion tasks
Some Tips for you
• Create a non-threatening environment for speaking
• Provide opportunities for students to practice
• Choose a familiar topic• Provide sufficient language input• Encourage use of English instead
of mother-tongue
Think-pair-square Think-pair-squareCL StrategiesCL Strategies
CL Diagrams from: Cooperative Learning : A Sourcebook of Lesson Plans for Teacher Education
Numbered Heads TogetherNumbered Heads TogetherCL StrategiesCL Strategies
CL Diagrams from: Cooperative Learning : A Sourcebook of Lesson Plans for Teacher Education
3.Roundrobin3.RoundrobinCL StrategiesCL Strategies
CL Diagrams from: Cooperative Learning : A Sourcebook of Lesson Plans for Teacher Education
Assigning roles
• English monitor
• Time-keeper
• Secretary
• Reporter
• Script writer
Assigning roles
• English monitor
• Time-keeper
• Secretary
• Reporter
• Script writer
CL StrategiesCL Strategies
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