Luận án Thạc sỹ Tiếng Anh " Role play...."

Son La Department of Education and Training Thuan Chau Junior High School
Thesis for the Degree of Master

The Effects of Role-Play on Students’ English Speaking Ability and Attitudes/Motivation -A Case of Thuan Chau Junior High School


Tran Trung Dung

Thuan Chau 25, January 2009





































































ABSTRACT
Role-play has been widely used as a teaching method in the ESL/EFL classroom. This research study aimed to investigate Thuan Chau Junior High School EFL students’ attitudes/motivation towards the role -play course. This study was designed to explore how role-play could increase Thuan Chau Junior High School EFL students’ interests in learning English, improve their English speaking proficiency, and overcome their shyness when speaking English on stage.
During the one -month experiment, thirty-two (32) eighth graders in Thuan Chau Junior High School in Thuan Chau District were divided into groups according to their role-play dialogues used each week. First, the participants received the role-play instruction and then were required to perform role-play in front of their classmates. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were conducted in this research. Oral tests were given to participants to compare their English speaking proficiency improvement prior to and following the experiment. The pre-course and post-course questionnaires were also given for the purpose of assessing students’ attitudes/motivation toward role-play, and their shyness overcoming. Additionally, in order to deeply understand how role -play affected these participants, observations and interviews were also used as data collection methods.
The result of the study showed that overall the participants had positive attitudes/motivation toward the role-play course. After the students attended the role -play course, there was an obvious interest in learning English. Inversely, the participants not only improved their English speaking proficiency significantly but also overcame their shyness when speaking English on stage.
Based on the findings, this study produced several valuable contributions to many different aspects of English education. Therefore, this research provided not only a framework for understanding how role -play affected Thuan Chau Junior High School EFL students in learning English, but also provided useful suggestions for junior high school English teachers, junior high school ESL students, the Ministry of Education and Training, and researchers in the field of TESOL.

Key words: role -play; speaking ability; learning attitudes/motivation; overcome shyness





























ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
It is a pleasure to thank the people who have helped me make this research project a success: Professor Phan Thanh Duong, Professor Vu Sy Tuan, Professor Pham Hong Chuong, Professor Le Thi Phuong, and my family.
Professor Phan Thanh Duong, as the Chairperson of the Department of Applied Foreign Languages, provided me with useful academic guidance and genial support. Furthermore, Professor Duong encouraged me to put an effort toward developing my research skills.I sincerely appreciate the Chairperson’s helping hand.
I give my appreciation to my advisor, Professor Vu Sy Tuan for guiding me and encouraging me with great energy in my abilities. When I encountered difficulties, Professor Tuan always gave me immediate support and advisement. Professor Tuan was also an enthusiastic mentor for my conference publication. I would not have been able to finish this thesis without Professor Tuan’s help.
The members of my thesis committee, Professor Le Van An and Professor Phan Manh Hung, who gave me useful suggestions and considerable encouragements, were much appreciated.
Last but not least, I would like to thank my family, who supported me during the thesis training and have been with me through all the ups and downs of my life. Without their love and thoughtful understanding, I would not have completed this achievement.





























TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT... .iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ... .vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS ... ... vii

LIST OF TABLES ... ..x

LIST OF FIGURES ... ... xii

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ... ...1

Background of the study ... .1

Statement of the problem ... ...4

Purpose of the study ... ..5

Research questions ... .7

Significance of the study... .8

Definitions of terms ... ...9

CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEWS ... ..11

The disadvantages of the BCT ... ...11

The role of role-play in language learning ... ..13

The influence of the