44DEVELOPING TEACHING SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE TO YOUNG LEARNERS THROUGH INTERACTIVE METHODS
Sohiba Tohir kizi Ruzmetova
Master student, Uzbekistan State World Languages University sohibatohirovna@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
Teaching speaking is one of the most important processes in learning a foreign language, and teaching young learners is always a challenge that demands the development of new and preferred approaches and solutions. The research aims to show that using interactive methods for developing speaking skills is more effective than conducting traditional speaking lessons. To achieve the aim twenty young students aged 9 are experimented by dividing them into two groups and one group is taught with interactive methods, another group is taught in traditional way. The study shows the findings of an experimental investigation as well as the efficiency of interactive methods versus traditional ways.
Keywords: young learners, interactive methods, developing speaking skills, experimental study, traditional method.
INTRODUCTION
Speaking skills is one of the most important skills that learners learn, as it is the means of communication with others and expressing feelings and thoughts. As a result, it is critical to emphasize that the "joy of teaching" and "joy of learning" are the main elements in fostering a pleasant educational atmosphere.
As a result, a child-centered and learner-friendly educational environment is becoming a top priority as "interactive methods make learning interesting and exciting for kids and improve their retention, involvement, and performance," [4, p. 23]. Thus, child-centered and learner-friendly educational environment is becoming a great priority as "interactive methodologies make learning enjoyable and exciting to students and improve their retention, participation and performance" [4, p. 23]. Interactive methods help teachers to encourage "greater attentiveness, interest and responsiveness" in children while improving their language skills [4, p. 23]. The effectiveness of teaching young learners deals with the ability of teacher to resort to various strategies that among all of them interactive cognitive strategies dominate because they ensure
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proper acquisition of speaking skills. It should be noted that teaching process is deals with the interest and courage of learners that experts emphasize "meaningful practice" which suggests "an activity where language control is still provided but where students are required to make meaningful choices when carrying out pr actice" [1, p.16]. Buhrow and Garcia (2006) identify that meaningful practice results in meaningful communication, because for kids, "learning is all about exploring their passions and interests" [2, p.8].
By considering all ideas, interactive methods are the most effective tool in developing young learners' speaking skills since it helps to create comfortable environment of teaching process and it leads to stimulating young learners' activities. Besides in interactive methods teacher encourages learners to search for information independently, to interact with readiness and enthusiasm in communicative situations.
Interactive methods are divided into two: discussion-based and game-based. Discussion- based activities cover group-work, pair-work and brainstorming. Game-based activities are role-plays and didactic games and they consist of rhymes, songs and poems, language- focused games, crosswords and puzzles. According to Carmen Becker and Jana Roos (2016) "creative speaking activities in the young learners' classroom act can provide a springboard for speaking in the early language classroom" [3, p.21].
Foreign language teachers should be accurate in designing learner-friendly, "supportive and nurturing" educational environment and help pupils "become confident and enthusiastic communicators" [5, p.42].
The aim of the research study is to show the effectiveness of interactive methods than traditional method in developing young learners' speaking skills and interest towards learning foreign language.
1. Do interactive methods develop young learners' speaking skill more effectively than conducting speaking lessons in traditional way?
2. Do using interactive methods in teaching speaking increase learners' interest towards learning L2?
MATERIALS AND METHODS
To achieve the aim of the research experimental study and empirical observation methods were used. The research took place
Research questions
at school number 101 in Tashkent included two teachers and
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twenty students aged 9 and they divided into two groups: treatment group and comparison group. In the framework of the experimental study, we worked out an interactive activity-oriented pattern of a lesson focused on speaking practice. The experimental study lasted for a month with forty five minute lessons two times in a week. During the lessons visual, verbal, audio-visual, auditory means of teaching were used. Each lessons consisted of four basic stages and they were introduction, warming up, main body of the lesson and reflexive stage. Moreover, lessons were conducted with multimedia technologies as a smart board, computers, etc. Participants were examined by speaking about topics that they learnt before the research had begun. After finishing the research both groups examined again and marked for getting the result of the research. All marks were written to the Excel and compared in the app JASP.
Two groups were taught for a month and two units were covered with them treatment group was taught with interactive methods and comparison group was taught with traditional methods. During this period students learnt comparative and superlative adjectives, imperative sentences in negative form. Comparison group was taught from the book and they learnt new words by heart and told during lessons and memorized texts from book. As it mentioned above treatment group's lessons conducted in four stages and in introduction part teacher greeted with students and asked questions such "how are you" from several students. In warming up stage teacher introduced new topic and new words. In the main body of the lesson interactive activities predominated and teacher used interactive activities' materials. For instance, teacher distributed different animals' pictures to all students and asked from one student to show it to the class and asked from participants "What animal is it?, Who likes it?" one of the students answered like "It is a cat and I like it" then teacher asked another questions such as "Is it big?, Is it small?" it continued like this. After answering questions students should divided into pairs and made little texts by describing their partners' lovely animal like "this is a cat and Soliha likes it, it is small, it is not big and it is smaller than a horse. It is smallest animal among pictures" by working in pairs they developed speaking skills in describing things. They were young and had difficulties in making long sentences as this text was enough for them. Then the role play was conducted in the topic "In the zoo park" and one student was an instructor in the zoo and others were visitors and asked questions like "What animal is it? Is it small or big?, What animal is the biggest in the zoo? What animal is the smallest one?
Besides, the student who was an instructor warned visitors like
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"Don't touch them, don't feed them" by telling them they learnt imperative sentences in negative form. After all of them teacher distributed little poems about animals and they learnt them by heart. During these processes teacher did not disturbed learners but when they asked words which they did not know she told them. The reflexive stage plays no less crucial role in developing speaking skills. At the end of the lesson teacher gave feedback to learners where they did mistakes and corrected them. It is important that asking students about the activities, their impression, interests and comments about the lesson but it does not mean that teacher should change the structure of the lesson but she should add other activities which arouse learners' interest. After a month participants were examined again with the topics which they learnt in a month.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The research was conducted in several phases. In phase 1 learners examined and marked.
Figure 1 (comparison group)
Figure 2 (treatment group)
Figures 1, 2 Scores of participants before the research The segments of pie chart show percentage and three levels of learners' marks. Majority of students had serious problems in speaking skills. In phase 2 lessons were conducted with above-mentioned lesson plan with interactive methods which were appropriate for the group.
In phase 3 all technologies were tested for finding the most effective ones for the learners. In phase 4 all participants examined again and marked.
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0/100 scores 0/100 scores
Figure 3(comparison group) Figure 4(treatment group)
Figures 3, 4 Scores of participants after the research The outcome of the result was quite positive. Interactive methods were efficient tool in developing speaking skills and students' interest in learning foreign language. Students' activeness also developed and they did not afraid asking questions and making mistakes during lessons because their teacher helped them to correct mistakes. Moreover, students felt confidence in expressing their ideas and when they spoke to members of comparison group they were more active and spoke freely.
CONCLUSION
To achieve success in teaching young learners in developing their speaking skills special lesson plan was created and used. The interactive methods based lessons were effective in developing speaking skills and it arouses learners' interest to learn foreign language. The research achieved its aim by answering to research questions effectively. During lessons teachers should consider students' interest, conducting effective teaching process, creating friendly educational environment to young learners, correcting young learners' mistakes in friendly way and encourage them in speaking effectively. The research study has shown that interactive methods are one of the most effective tool in developing young learners' speaking skills and interest.
REFERENCES
1. Richards, J. C. (2006). Communicative Language Teaching Today. NY: Cambridge University Press.
2. Buhrow, B., & Garcia, A. U. (2006). Ladybugs, Tornadoes, and Swirling Galaxies: English Language Learners Discover Their World Through Inquiry. Portsmouth, NH: Stenhouse Publishers.
3. Becker, C., & Roos, J. (2016). An approach to creative speaking activities in the young learners' classroom. Education Inquiry, 7(1), 27613.
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4. UNICEF (2006). Child Friendly Schools Manual. Retrieved from
https://www. unicef.org/publications/files/Child_Friendly_Schools_Manual_EN_0408 09.pdf
5. Five Components of Effective Oral Language Instruction: A Guide to the Teaching and Learning of Oral Language (2014). PDST Dublin. Retrieved from
https://pdst.ie/sites/default/files/Manual%20Oral%20Language.pdf
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