INTRODUCTION 1. Rationale In the context of Vietnam’s economic reform and global participation, English plays an extremely important role in helping its human resources to communicate with the rest of the world. Therefore, there has been a great demand for teaching and learning English all over the country for various purposes. However, how to teach and learn English in general and English speaking skill in particular effectively is a matter of controversy. Speaking skill should be kept in mind to be the most popular and affective way of communication. Being an English teacher at Doluong 1 Upper Secondary School (DL1SS) I realize that there are many students who are good at writing and reading find it difficult to speak English. For these reasons, in this study , I would like to investigate the recent reality of teaching and learning English speaking skill in DoLuong 1 Upper-Secondary School (DL1SS), a school in the countryside of Nghe An, a province in the Center Vietnam. The aim of the study is to identify the reasons for students’ poor oral competence so that appropriate solutions could be proposed to the question under investigation. 2. Aims of the study This study is aimed at: -investigating the recent reality of teaching and learning English speaking skill at Doluong 1 Upper-Secondary School (DL1USS). -identifying the opportunities for and constraints on developing students’ oral skills as perceived by the teachers and students at DL1USS . -proposing some solutions with the hope of helping English teachers improve their teaching speaking skill and students’ learning ability. 3. Method of study In order to achieve the aims of the study, questionnaires, class observations and interviews were used to collect data and information from the teachers and students at Doluong 1 Upper-Secondary School (DL1USS). 4. Scope of the study With the above aims, this study is limited to the exploration of opportunities and constraints as perceived by the teachers and students of Doluong1 Upper-Secondary School in Nghe An with regard to the teaching and learning of English speaking skills and some recommendations. The study only focuses on 26 of 43 classes, where there are teachers and students who are implementing the two new English syllabuses for grades 10 and 11, published by the Ministry of Education. 5. Design of the study The study consists of three parts: Part One: Introduction presents the rationale, the aim, the method, the scope and the design of study. Part Two: Development consists of following chapters: Chapter 1: Literature Review aims at the basic theoretical background which consists of: Definition of Speaking skill, Positions of speaking in language teaching programs, Difficulties in and constraints on learning to speak a foreign language, and Factors affecting students’ participation in speaking activities. Chapter 2: Methodology focuses on the recent situation of English teaching and learning at Doluong 1 Upper-Secondary School and the Research methodology. The methodology includes the participants and instruments of the study. Chapter 3: Data analysis and discussion of the results of the questionnaires, class observations and the interviews will be conveyed in this chapter. Chapter 4: This chapter proposes the findings concluded from the results of the previous chapter and some recommendations for teachers and students at DL1USS in the hope of helping to develop students’ oral skill. Part Three: Conclusion summarizing all the issues in the research contains Limitation of the study, Recommendation for further study and Conclusion.
