Using Literature Circle Technique to Organize Group-Work Activities in English Speaking Lessons for Students at Grade 10, Thai Nguyen High School

Author: Pham Thi Kieu Oanh (Thai Nguyen University of Education, Vietnam)
Dinh Thi Lien (Vinschool, Vietnam)
Speaker: Pham Thi Kieu Oanh
Topic: Applied Sociolinguistics
The SOAS GLOCAL CALA 2023 Poster Session

Abstract

Nowadays, the significance of cooperative learning inside the classroom for students who study language is undeniable. This study is conducted to examine the effect of literature circle technique in cooperative activities inside the classroom of English speaking lessons for students at Class 10A4, Thai Nguyen High School, Thai Nguyen City, Vietnam. Particularly, the researchers aim to explore a) the current state of cooperative learning at grade 10, Thai Nguyen High School, b) the struggles that English teachers at Thai Nguyen High School experienced when holding cooperative activities inside the classroom, d) attitudes of the students and teachers when using literature circle technique in speaking lessons. The participants of this study were 47 students from class 10A4, 10 English teachers and 1 practical teacher at Thai Nguyen High School. Questionnaires, interviews and observation checklists were used to collect data. The findings proved that although students were offered various chances to take part in cooperative learning activities, these kinds of task were not really effective to motivate and improve their learning. There were two main reasons for this. First, the learners did not have truly and necessarily internal motivations (positive interdependence among group members) to take part in cooperative tasks. Second, the individuals’ contributions to cooperative tasks were not assessed in appropriate ways to help them be more engaged in accomplishing the tasks. Additionally, the study also explored that the English teachers at Thai Nguyen High School encountered a variety of difficulties in organizing cooperative learning activities inside the classroom. Based on these facts, this study provided recommendations for high school English teachers by implementing literature circle techniques to organize cooperative learning in speaking lessons.

Keywords: Literature Circles, Techniques, Cooperative Learning, High School English Teaching, Oral Skills.