English Remedial Programme

English Remedial Programme

Introduction

“Due to the over-riding concern of examination in Primary School Assessment Test (UPSR), oracy

skills that include listening and speaking skills had practically been neglected in schools. It is because

both of those skills are not tested in the examination. As a result, students’ level of proficiency in both

skills is decreasing each year, which makes them prefer to use English in writing mode only.”

(Mohd Sofi, 2003, p. 5)

From the statement above, it is showed that most of the Malaysian primary school students are facing

problems in improving their oracy skills that are listening and speaking skills. This problem needs to

be solved by the school authorities namely teachers, and administrative parties, as it will negatively

affect students’ English language development. Cross and Angelo (1992, p. 24) highlight one of the

negative effects by stating that ‘the imbalance of English language proficiency levels between four

main core skills that are listening, speaking, reading, and writing will limit students’ capabilities in

using English effectively in the any occasions’. This situation will certainly de-motivate them to use

English language in their daily life. As a result, they will never improve on their oracy skills and

become a handicapped English language user, who only knows on how to read and write in the

language. Based on the concern, I would like to design an English remedial programme that focusing

on the implementation of oracy skills, which are listening and speaking skills. In this paper, the

programme will be described in details in section A. Additionally, in section B, the principles and

approaches of the programme will also be rationalised in depth so that the understanding of the

usefulness of this programme in improving the students’ level of proficiency in oracy skills can be

obtained.

Part A: The programme

The background of the programme

The idea of designing this programme arises after I had conducted a need analysis towards a group of

year 4 students in a school in my hometown, Alor Setar, Kedah. I had this opportunity since I was

helping my auntie, who is an English language teacher of the school conducting an English language

camp. In doing the need analysis, I had conducted two simple tests, which are for listening and

speaking skills to the students. In testing listening skills, I had conducted a simple listening test by

using a story entitled ‘Red Socks and Yellow Socks’ by Joy Cowley (See appendix A). First, I

instructed them to listen to the story first. Later, they had to complete a task sheet (See appendix B),

which tests their understanding to the content of the story. Based on the listening test, I had discovered

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that some of the students are encountered problems in obtaining information from the text listened, as

they are not able to answer at least 3 out of 5 answers correctly.

Additionally, for the speaking test, I had conducted two simple tests. Firstly, I had tested the students

by doing minimal pairs activity. In the activity, students are required to say aloud each of the minimal

pairs words (See appendix C). After I had administered the first test, I had found that most of the

students are not able to pronounce the words correctly. This shows that they are not able to speak

clearly by pronouncing words accurately. Most of the students are not able to pronounce initial blends

and final blends sounds accurately. Secondly, I also had tested the students by applying a conversation

activity that requires them to fill the blanks of a script card of a conversation between two friends (See

appendix D) with questions to ask and the answers that respond to the question as well. In doing the

activity, I gave the students ample time for them to think of what questions to put in the blanks and

practice the conversation in pairs. However, I still discovered that some students are not managed to

fill the blanks with the appropriate questions and answers for the questions, which makes the

conversation sounds weird and incomplete. In the activity, I learned that the students are not able to

ask questions to seek for information and give the relevant information politely in response to

enquiries made as well. Therefore, based on three tests that I had conducted, I am informed that the

students are not able to achieve four main learning objectives in the curriculum specification for

listening and speaking skills of year 4. The learning objectives are:

Listening

1.5 Obtain information from the text listened to in relation to main ideas, specific details, and

sequences.

Speaking

2.1 Speak clearly by pronouncing words accurately.

2.2 Ask questions politely to obtain information and clarification.

2.3 Give relevant information politely in response to enquiries made.

Hence, my English remedial programme for year 4 will be aimed to help the students to achieve those

learning objectives.

Target of the programme

The programme is designed for year 4 students, who are not able to achieve four main learning

objectives for listening and speaking skills mentioned above. The targeted students are going to be

determined based on their results of the three tests that I had administered to them. The students, who

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get only 40% and below will be asked to follow this remedial programme in improving their listening

and speaking skills.

Goals and objectives of the programme

The programme is also guided by some goals and objectives, which ensure the effectiveness of it in

assisting the students to improve and develop their oracy skills. The goals are:

1. The programme is going to help students to achieve the four learning objectives of year 4

syllabus for listening and speaking skills, which are 1.5, 2.1, 2.2,2.3, and 2.5.

2. The programme is going to enable students to confidently grasp some elements of the two

skills, which are listening and speaking skills well.

3. The programme is going to provide the students with the positive learning environment that is

full of fun and enjoyment.

4. The programme is going to provide the students with an adequate amount of preparation and

practice in assisting them to obtain the learning objective easier.

The objectives of this programme are:

1. At the end of the programme, students should be able to answer at least 50 % of the

comprehension questions of a listening text.

2. At the end of the programme, students should be able to pronounce at least 5 words of initial

blend and final blend sounds accurately.

3. At the end of the programme, students should be able to ask at least 4 appropriate questions in

obtaining some information and clarification.

4. At the end of the programme, students should be able to give response to at least 50% of the

enquiries made by giving relevant information politely.

The principles of the program

In this section, I will just mention the core principles that guide the process of the remedial

programme, as the rationale of these principles will be discussed later in part B of this essay. Based on

that, I had outlined several principles for both listening and speaking skills that guide me in

maximising the students’ learning experiences. The principles are divided into the principles of

conducting listening lessons and the principles of conducting speaking lesson.

The principles of conducting listening lesson in the programme are:

1. Listening activities should be in a top-down process

2. Listening should be an active process.

The principles of conducting speaking skills are:

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1. Teaching speaking should be free from anxiety.

2. Speaking activities should be supported with appropriate stimulus.

3. Teacher should provide the students with adequate preparation in the practice stage before the

students enter the production stage.

Approaches of conducting the programme

In conducting the remedial programme, I had planned to apply various learning approaches that are

suitable for the students and meeting the students’ needs. All of the approaches are hoped to help the

students to achieve the learning objectives easily. Igneri (2006, p.5) claims ‘it is importance to apply

the most suitable approaches in learning, as it is a medium for the students to obtain the targeted skills

and learning outcomes. Therefore, in administering this programme, I had selected three learning

approaches that are suitable for the learners, which are audio lingual method, total physical response,

and communicative approach. All these three approaches will be implemented interchangeably

throughout the programme in helping the students to obtain the learning outcomes of the programme.

The exercises used in the programme

All of the exercises in this programme are in line with all of the learning approaches that are planned

to be implemented in the programme. This is because all of the exercises apply the concept of audio

lingual, or total physical response, or communicative learning approach. The correlation of exercises

and learning approaches are very important, as the elements of those learning approaches are going to

help the students to accelerate their language ability. Chamot (1995) agrees if the students’ learning

processes are guided by useful and practical learning approaches, it would be easier to develop their

knowledge and skills in the targeted language. Based on this, I had planned to do exercises that are

based on all learning approaches that are going to be implemented in this programme. The list of

exercises is shown in the table below:

*in order to gain clearer insight of the exercise table please refer to programme scheme of work in

appendix F)

Lesso

n

Skills Main Exercises Learning approaches

1 Listening skills:

1.5.1 Listen to

simple

announcement and

understand the

message

While:

- Completing a task sheet

based on the announcement

listened.

- In group discussion.

Post:

Audio lingual Method

Communicative Learning

Approach

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- Peer correcting. Communicative Learning

Approach

2 Listening skills:

1.5.2 Listen to

simple text and

recall details by

answering simple

‘Wh’ questions.

Pre:

- In group, completing a task

sheet that requires them to

decide the demand of the

questions; main point or

details

While:

- Answering 5 questions that

based on details of the story

listened.


Approach

Audio-lingual method

3 Speaking:

2.1 Speak clearly by

pronouncing words

accurately.

While:

- Pronouncing the words

individually.

- Making decision whether

their friends pronunciation

are correct or not by standing

up.

Post:

- Showing understanding via

TPR: moving to the station.

Audio-lingual method

Total Physical Response

Total Physical Response

4 Speaking:

2.2 Ask questions

politely to obtain

information and

clarification.

1 segment: Asking questions

While:

- Students construct ‘Wh’

questions in pair conversation

with guidance.


Approach

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2.3 Give relevant

information politely

in response to

enquiries made.

- Practice the conversation in

achieving fluency.

Post:

- Perform the conversation

with confidence.

2 segment: Give relevant information

While:

- Constructing questions to

seek information.

- Constructing answers in

giving relevant information.

Post:

- Practice the conversation.

- Presenting the conversation.


Approach


Approach


Approach


Approach


Approach


Approach

Students’ Assessment

In determining the students’ achievement in this programme, I had planned to implement 3 tests,

which are one for listening and another two for speaking. All of these tests will be conducted in two

different days (refer to the scheme of programme). For listening, I had decided to implement a

listening test that requires the students to firstly listen to a conversation between two friends (see the

transcription text of the conversation in appendix G) and then answering a task sheet (see appendix H)

while they are listening to the conversation for the third time. The task sheet needs the students to tick

the correct answer for each comprehension question. There are 6 comprehension questions in the task

sheet and the questions will check whether students are able to understand the main and supporting

points of the text listened. By implementing this test, it helps me to discover students’ levels of

attainment of the learning outcome:

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1.5 Obtain information from the text listened to in relation to main ideas, specific details, and

sequences.

Moreover, in testing the speaking skills, I had planned to apply two speaking tests. The first test is a

pronunciation test. The test needs the students to pronounce the minimal pairs of initial and final

blends words individually to the teacher. In administering the test, I will give the students a minimal

pairs’ card (see appendix I), which resembles the real minimal pairs that will be tested on them first.

The card will be given to the student approximately five minutes before their names will be called. It

is because it will enable the students to practice on their pronunciation before the test. This helps the

students to gain confidence later that will lead them to be able to pronounce the minimal pair words

correctly.

The second speaking test is a conversation test, which requires the students to complete a card of script

(see appendix J) with appropriate questions and answers. In the test, the students will be assessed by

following two main criteria, which are the accuracy of questions and answers form and the fluency of

the conversation delivery. In checking the accuracy of ‘Wh’ questions form, I will look at three major

things. Firstly, I will check whether the students are able to put the ‘Wh’ words into the questions

appropriately. Secondly, I will look whether the students manage to put the auxiliary verb (helping

verb) after the ‘Wh’ word. Finally, I will observe the coherence of the students’ questions. On the

other hand, in assessing the students’ answers to the questions, I will check the appropriateness of the

answers in relation to the questions asked. Additionally, in determining the students’ fluency in

delivery the conversation, I had planned to assess the students on their confidence level and clarity

while they are delivering the conversation. In doing this test, students will be divided into pairs. One

student will be students A and another will be student B. Student A will start the round one by asking

student B questions, whereas in round two student B will ask student A questions.

By applying these two tests, it will help me to discover the students’ achievement of the learning

outcomes:

2.1 Speak clearly by pronouncing words accurately.

2.2 Ask questions politely to obtain information and clarification.

2.3 Give relevant information politely in response to enquiries made.

Programme Evaluation

In evaluating this programme, I had constructed an observation checklist (see appendix K) that will be

given to another teacher. The observation checklist is aimed to help me to analyse the elements of my

teaching and learning process namely teacher questioning technique, pupil response, teacher and pupil

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interaction, and pupil participation in teaching and learning activities. The analysis of these elements

will enable me to discover the effectiveness of my programme in improving the students’ oracy skills.

Apart from that, I will also administer a questionnaire to the students (see appendix L). The objective

of administering the questionnaire is to see whether students enjoy and gain benefit from the

programme or not. The questionnaire will be presented in a simple form, in which smiley faces will be

used. The students just need to tick in the column of the faces to indicate their opinions towards the

implementation of the programme. By applying this, it would be easier for me to gage students’ level

of interest and benefit that they gained throughout the programme.

Part B: rationales of principles and approaches

Rationales on principles

In this part of essay, I will rationalise every principle that I choose to guide the implementation of my

remedial English programme. In listening part of the programme, I had planned to implement two

main principles in the listening activities of this programme. The first principle is listening activities

should be in a top-down process. In applying the top-down process of listening, students will be

exposed to a listening text that requires them to recall on their previous knowledge. Nesamalar,

Saratha, and Teh (2005) claim the process will enable the students to use their previously learned

knowledge to predict the kind of information that they are going to listen. The rationale of selecting

this process is due to the factor that it is very helpful in enabling the students to understand the

listening text easily. Morley (2001) explains it is beneficial for the students to involve in this process,

as it will help them to relate on what they are about to listen with what they are already know. This

relation is definitely helping the students to understand the listening text better, as there is a support,

which is the previous knowledge that will allow them to construct the meaning of the listening text. As

a result, they will not only manage to comprehend the text well, but also capable to obtain the main

ideas and supporting details of the text.

The second principle that I want to apply in the listening activities of the programme is listening

should be an active process. By applying this principle, students will be involved in an active process

of listening that contains the activities of constructing meaning of the listening text actively namely

identifying main points and supporting details, distinguishing facts from the opinions, and guessing

the meaning of the unfamiliar words. The reason beneath of the implementation of this principle is

active listening is an effective way to build a solid understanding of a text listened. A research

conducted by Department of Psychology of Wichita University of Kansas (2002) proved that an active

listening approach is very efficient in helping learners to comprehend the text listened, as the process

of it exposes and teaches them with the essential skills to unpack a listening text effectively. This

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definitely helps the learners to be able to highlight the main and supporting points, which will assist

them to build a solid understanding of the text.

On the other hand, in enhancing speaking skills, I also had planned to apply three basic principles.

Firstly, I want to incorporate the principle of reducing anxiety from the students towards speaking

activities by structuring the activities from the easy to more difficult. It is because according to Kayi

(2006) students are often anxious and nervous when they are instructed to speak in a foreign language,

as the language is not familiar to them. If the teachers are not able to take appropriate action in

overcoming the situation, students’ interest towards speaking activities will be negatively affected.

This will certainly make the students’ motivation of learning the speaking skills decreasing, which

may slowing the students’ English language development. Apart from that, the principle is also helpful

in making the programme more fun and enjoyable. It happens when the students feel more secure and

less anxious to get involved in the activities. Grugeon, Hubbard, Smith, and Dawes (2006) explain

when the students are free from any kinds of stress and depression in a language learning, it would be

easier for them to enjoy the activities. This will lead students to enjoy the programme and improve on

their speaking skills at the same time.

Secondly, I also want to integrate the principle of providing appropriate stimuli to elicit speech among

students. The stimuli that I want to use in the programme are mainly pictures, and notes. The rationale

of me choosing this principle is because I realised that students especially children are indeed needed

stimuli as supports for them to trigger their ability to speak. Smiljanic and Bradlow (2009) supported

that with the existence of stimuli especially pictures students will be able to talk more in an accurate

way, as it is very helpful in generating and guiding their ideas towards the topic of speech. It is

because picture stimulus is a tool, which can illustrate the content of the speech effectively (Wright,

1989). Therefore, if the students follow the guide of pictures when they are talking, they will be able

to talk more with full of ideas in an appropriate way. Besides, the stimulus is also beneficial for

teacher, as it can be an indicator to check whether the students are really knowing their speech or not.

The example of this is if the picture portrays two boys running, the students should talk about two

boys running. If they are talking about other things namely three boys running or two girls running,

they are on a wrong track. When this happens, teacher will be able to provide assistance and help to

facilitate them to talk on a right track again. It is very useful in not only helping the students to learn,

but also assisting teacher to provide an adequate support and guidance to the students.

Finally, I want to implement the principle of providing an adequate preparation for the students before

the production stage. In doing this, I already came out with a checklist (See Appendix L) for the

students that will remind them on things that they need to do in the preparation or practice phase. By

doing this, it will permit students to do a sufficient amount of practice that will help them to complete

the speaking task successfully. Apart from preparing the students for the production phase, this

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principle is planned to be implemented due to the facts that oral lesson often involve complicated

procedures. Nesamalar, Saratha, and Teh (2005) support this by noting that different purposes of

speaking namely transmitting information, asking for information, and exchanging greeting require

different approaches, procedures, and formats. Thus, students cannot generalise approaches,

procedures, and formats of other speaking tasks to another speaking task. As a result, they are indeed

required a reminder guideline and ample time to prepare themselves to obtain a good product of

speech in the production stage. By applying this principle, I believed that the students will be able to

come out with a very good speech that enables them to achieve the learning outcomes and improve

their speaking skills for the betterment of the language development.

Rationale for approaches

In this part of section B, I will also rationalise each approach that I choose to be applied in the

activities of this remedial programme. Firstly, I am going to implement the audio lingual method. I am

going to apply this approach in two ways. Firstly, I will apply it in my teaching instruction, where the

instruction will be given to the students in the target language. The rationale behind this is, if the

instructions are only given in target language, the amount of exposure of the language to the students

will be increased. As according to Yukari (2006) an adequate amount of exposure to the target

language in the classroom will assist students to acquire the language better, as they are already

familiar to the language. As a result, it opens the students’ mind to accept the language, which helps

them to maintain a good perception to the language. Garcia (2008) supports this by claiming that

students will be able to open up their minds, whenever they feel familiar and get used to a certain

language, especially a foreign or second language. This situation will assist to lead the students’ to

learn the language better and effectively.

Secondly, I had planned to employ this approach in some of the learning activities. In doing this, I will

conduct the learning activities by using audio visual aids in order to instil a new form of a language

habit, which in this context the accurate way of listening and speaking of English. The audio visual

aids that I am going to use in the programme are mostly video, recorded conversation, still pictures,

and pictures cards. The reason why do I want to implement these audio visual aids is because audio

visual aids are very effective in grabbing the students’ interest towards the subject and topic learned. It

is because children are easily get attracted with the colourful moving objects. Sword (2000) explains

children like pictures and moving objects, since it satisfy their needs of imagination and play. A

research done by American Psychological Association (2006) proved that children are always

involved in many imagination mental activities that lead their ability to play in everyday life.

Therefore, via the implementation of pictures, children will be able to imagine and play, while they are

learning. By doing this, it would be easier to get the students’ attention and interest towards the topic

learned, that will later facilitate their learning to be useful and beneficial for them.

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Another learning approach that I want to apply in this programme is Total physical response (TPR). I

am intended to incorporate this approach in some of the learning activities, in which students are going

to get engaged in activities that require them to show their level of understanding by moving some of

their body parts or acting it out. For instance, in activity of ‘which is the correct pronunciation’ that

will be conducted on Wednesday of week 2, students need to go to either correct or incorrect station to

indicate their level of understanding towards the pronunciation. There are two rationales of why do I

want to incorporate TPR in this programme. Firstly, TPR is a suitable learning approach for primary

school students, as it fulfils their needs of moving around while they are learning. Shalaway and Beech

(1999, p. 17) supported this by claiming that ‘it is very beneficial to allow students to move around

while they are learning, as they will learn best in that way’. In addition, a research done by European

Education and Training Division (2008) proved that students at the young age need extensive mobility

while learning, as they learn significantly more if they are allowed to move from one place to another.

Hence, it is important to engage the students with movement in the learning process in order to enable

them to learn the language better. Secondly, I want to apply TPR due to the fact that it is also useful in

enabling me to check on students’ level of understanding towards my teaching. It is obvious that if

they are not fully understand the contents of my teaching, they will conduct a different movement or

acting that contradict to what I am expected of them. This will certainly give me an opportunity to

provide assistance to the students in achieving the learning objectives by correcting their mistakes and

amending their misconception towards the contents of the lesson. By implementing this, my

programme will be more useful to the students in helping them to improve on their listening and

speaking skills.

The final important learning approach that I want to integrate in my programme is communicative

approach. In doing this, I will involve the students with real communication activity, which based on

the real life situation. For instance, in practising asking questions to seek for information and

clarification, students will be involved to do a project that requires them to find information of their

friend personal information like hobby, ambition, and favourite stuff. Consequently, I will use the

authentic materials in guiding the students to complete the activity successfully such as the real

conversation between two people, and the interview session of a Malaysian public figure or super star

that can be found in ‘Youtube’ website. The reason of implementing this approach is due to the factor

that the communicative approach is efficient in encouraging students to practice their language more

often in a real life setting. This will definitely enable the students to do many interactive activities with

their peers. Belchamber (2007, p. 2) highlights one of the advantages of peer to peer interaction in

learning by stating that ‘students will be able to improve on their oracy skills of English, if they are

often engaged with the educational interaction with their peers’. It is because via the peer interaction,

students will be not only able to practice their oracy skills, but also helping each other collaboratively

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in improving their level of attainment in the skills. Thus, it will make the students’ development of

oracy skills grow positively from time to time.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this remedial programme is designed to help the students to improve the levels of their

listening and speaking skills in English. The completion of this programme is hoped to enable the

students to achieve five learning objectives of year four English language syllabus that are 1.5, 2.1,

2.2,2.3, and 2.5 with the integration of five learning principles and three learning approaches. All of

the students’ achievement throughout the programme will be determined by three sets of test, which

are one for listening and two for speaking that will be administered on two final days of the

programme. Additionally, this programme is also expected to grow the students’ interest in using

English in both means of communication, which is not only writing, but also listening and speaking.

Therefore, in the future the students are supposed to listen to English and speak in English more often

in any occasions of their lives.

(4010 words)

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References

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Belchamber, R. (2007). The advantages of communicative language teaching. Melbourne, Australia: La Trobe University Language Centre Press.

Chamot, A. U. (1995). Implementing the cognitive academic language learning approach. The Bilingual Research Journal, 19 (3), 379-394.

Cross, K. P., & Angelo, T. A. (1992). Teaching goals inventory. The National Teaching and Learning Forum, 1 (6), 2-3.

Department of Psychology of Wichita University of Kansas. (2002). The art of active listening. Kansas: Witchita University of Kansas Press.

European Education and Training Division. (2008). Mobility creates learning opportunities. Austria: European Education and Training Division Inc.

Garcia, J. (2008). Audio-lingual Method. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

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Mohd Sofi, A. (2003). English language teaching in primary school: policy and implementation concerns. Retrieved January 21, 2010, from http://kajianberasaskansekolah.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/article70.pdf

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Morley, J. (2001), Aural comprehension instruction: principles and practices, in Marianne Celce-Murcia (ed.), Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language, 3rd (Ed.), Boston: Heinle & Heinle.

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Smiljanic, R, & Bradlow, A. (2009). Teaching and Learning Guide for: Speaking and Hearing Clearly: Talker and Listener Factors in Speaking Style Changes. Language and Linguistic Compass, 3(1),96-103.

Sword, L. K. (2000). I think in pictures, you teach in words. Retrieved March 21, 2010, from http://giftedservices.com.au/handouts/I%20Think%20in%20Pictures%20-%20The%20Visual%20Spatial%20Learner.doc.

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Appendices

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