System of exercises to contribute to the development of the oral expression ability

Abstract
Introduction
Theoretical foundations
Analysis of the instruments and proposal foundation
Conclusions
Recomendations
Bibliography

Abstract

The actual society is characterized as a society of knowledge. For that requirement, the learning and the teaching of a foreign language for its creative use and that at the same time involve thinking and performance in a creatively way is a challenge for every teacher. The objective is: to propose a system of exercises to develop oral expression of seventh grade students in the English lessons in Enrique Hart Junior High school. It is based on the cultural-historical approach and the actualized pedagogical test in favour of the teaching learning process of the oral expression in the English lesson.The methods and investigative techniques used were: the analysis and synthesis, historical logical, the observation, the pedagogical test, the interview. The descriptive statistic was used. From the integral application of the mentioned methods the author proposes a system of exercises to develop oral expression in English. The following oral activities can give the students the possibility to learn a little more through the activities that the teacher has previously prepared. In this research there are some key words: ability oral expression systems of exercises

Introduction

Nowadays, English language has appeared all over the world as an instrument of communication. For this reason, English is becoming an important instrument of unity and international cooperation. The incorporation of a foreign language teaching for improvement of the National Education System facilitates the formation of the students to widen up the culture and knowledge.

There is, however concern general that despite the importance that currently has the mastery of the one or more of a second community language, students of compulsory education do not end his studies with a level of competition oral satisfactory.

In our society, learning one or more foreign languages ??should be considered as a fact that has become increasingly important. We live in a multicultural society and increasingly globalized where learning a foreign language is becoming more inevitable, forcing the individual members to be able to communicate and interact with each other using the language, in many cases foreign as a vehicle of communication.

Teaching a foreign language is a very interesting and complicated task. Communication constitutes the process that influences the teaching and learning of a foreign language the most. Communication is the process of sharing ideas, information, and messages with others in a particular time and place.

Communication includes writing and talking, as well as nonverbal communication (such as facial expressions, body language, or gestures), visual communication (the use of images or pictures, such as painting, photography, video, or film), and electronic communication (telephone calls, electronic mail, cable television, or satellite broadcasts). Communication is a vital part of personal life and is also important in education and any other situation where people encounter each other.

The school as an educational component must be part of this reality and should equip their students with the necessary tools to enable it to cope in a foreign language. Hence the need arises to acquire communicative competence.

English may not be the most spoken language in the world, but it is the official language in a large number of countries. It is estimated that the number of people in the world that use in English to communicate on a regular basis is two billion. English is the dominant business language and it has become almost a necessity for people to speak English.

English has a rich vocabulary and its vocabulary is a complicated mixture of Germanic and Romance words, and is really complicated. In order to be fluent in English, we need to have a command of the language. This we can attain by achieving communicative competence in English.

In Cuba, education is considered one of the great achievements of the country. They have made improvements in educational plans. Our country located in the Caribbean and many of its neighbors communicate using the English language and it is also a priority of our education system to prepare students to acquire good communicative competence in the foreign language, in order to form future professionals with a good general culture; for that the country has provided the necessary tools to carry out this process, but despite these benefits students have pronunciation problems in this language.

A correct speaking is an indispensable premise to learn the expression in its different forms. An appropriate pronunciation of the word facilitates the reading and listening understanding of some of them.

During the practice carried out by the author in Enrique Hart High School in San José municipality, it was verified that students have problems in the oral expression abilities they do not have study habits and lack of interest for the English language; for this reason, the students present a wrong pronunciation and fluency when speaking, lack of vocabulary and grammatical mistakes.

The author considers necessary to carry out a work with the students to solve these problems. That"s why this investigation intends the following scientific problem: how to contribute to the development of the oral expression ability in seventh grade students at "Enrique Hart

The object of investigation the development of English language ability and the field of action is the English oral expression ability in seventh graders.

The objective of this investigation is: to propose a system of exercises to contribute to the development of the English oral expression ability in fourth

grade students at Enrique Hart High School in San José de las Lajas municipality.

The variable used in this investigation is: The development of the English oral expression ability. Rodolfo Acosta Padrón, PhD. refers that oral expression is communication in itself, the language system, be product and the process of communication, formed by well-defined stages wherein verbal capacity develops within communicative situations. The structural organization of oral expression embodies three stages: orientation and planning, realization and control. (Acosta R., 1997:41)

For the development of this investigation the author used methods such as:

Theoretical methods: analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction and historical and logical.
Empirical methods: observation, pedagogical test and survey.
Statistical mathematical methods: descriptive statistics, procedure of percent analysis and The instruments applied were:
Observation guide
Survey Questionnaire
Pedagogical test

In the investigation the population consists of 120 students of fourth grade in Enrique Hart High School and the sample is 20 students of group A which represents 16.6 % of the total of students.

The author considers that this investigation is very important because it contributes to the development of the English oral expression ability in fourth grade students at Enrique Hart High School through a system of exercises. When learners are able to perform the communicative functions that they need, they achieve communicative competence in the English language.

This system of exercises is directed to the different needs of the students taking into account their future professional training.

Development

Chapter 1:

Theoretical foundations

Developing an ability

In the modern world, the role of communication has risen to heights that never attained before. Such development brings forth new changes not only for the science of communication-language. The nature and structure of language has become essential requirement for scientists and technicians who are working in the fields that range from communication theory and machine translation to the diagnosis and treatment of speech defects

In the English language there are four abilities which are related to each other: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The ability is the assimilation by the person of the ways of carrying out the exercise which are based on a certain group of knowledge, habits and values. At this point, it is essential to define both speaking and what ability is to fully understand its teaching-learning process.

The content and exercises of this subject in High Schools are organized in terms of reading and comprehension, oral and written production of texts, which in our daily work and relationships become integrated logically. Nevertheless, achieving this purpose is not an easy task because the students show limitations in producing and comprehending the foreign language.

The development stage of the ability is identified as the acquisition of knowledge in the ways of acting, when under the teacher direction; students receive the appropriate orientation on the proceeding form.

From the pedagogic point of view the ability is formed and developed by the man to use the knowledge creatively, so much during the process of the theoretical activity as practice. The ability is the knowledge to make, it is the domain on the part of the fellow, of the operations that are manifested from knowledge to make elementary that is not distinguished for a high level of quality in the execution, until a high grade of dexterity and perfection in the realization of these operations.

The abilities constitute one in the ways of assimilation of the man's exercise. This exercise is the practical transformation of the objective world that carries out the man like social entity. The necessities, reasons and the objectives are component fundamental of the exercise specifically human.

In spite of the existence of the normative documents that lead the teaching learning process of English language, the author of this investigation has carried out an exploratory study throughout some exercises, and verified that there is an insufficient development of the abilities to express orally in English language in the seventh graders at Enrique Hart" High School in San José de las Lajas municipality.

It is important in the formation of the students that they know, at least, a foreign language in order to improve their knowledge concerning a universal culture. The subject contributes with the scientific formation of the world of the students, because it takes the language as a social phenomenon.

These components transform and they energize in correspondence with the changes and transformations that are happened in the society, which reflect the man's social exercise.The development of the abilities depends on the actions, of the knowledge and habits forming all this system that contains the ability.

The students have some difficulties as the following: to express with a correct coherence, fluency, pronunciation and the necessary and sufficient vocabulary to speak correctly.

Many authors define ability with different meanings such as: Brito Fernández (1989), Álvarez de Zayas (1997) and López López (1990).

Formation psychological particular executive constituted by the system of operations that guarantee its execution lowers conscious control." (Brito Fernández: 1989:45).

The abilities are psychological structures of the thought that allow to assimilate, to conserve, to use and to expose the knowledge. They are formed and they are developing through the exercise of the mental actions and they become performance ways that give solution to theoretical and practical tasks. (Álvarez de Zayas., R. M. 1997: 67).

Ability constitutes a complex system of necessary operations for the regulation of the exercise. (López M., 1990:2)

Petrovsky maintain in his works that ability "is the control of a complex system of psychic and practical exercises, which are necessary to the convenient regulation of the exercise, the knowledge and habits that the person have" (Petrovsky, 2002:58)

The author of this investigation agrees with the definition of ability given by Álvarez de Zayas PhD., because it is the most complete, she expresses that ability is developed through exercises and the author proposes a system of exercises in order to develop oral expression ability.

In this investigation it is considered that given the characteristics of this program and the insufficiencies in the development of these abilities for the students become necessary enough drill of the content in oral and written way to achieve the proposed objectives, but in oral aspect that is precisely the topic of this investigation.

Is essential to get ready exercises and exercises where interaction exists, since the communication becomes efficient when professor-student and student-student perform.

Oral expression ability

Oral expression is one of the main abilities that the learner should acquire in the process of mastering a language. In the modern world, the role of communication has risen to heights that never attained before. Such development brings forth new changes not only for the science of communication-language.

Nevertheless, achieving this purpose is not an easy task because the students show limitations in producing and comprehending the foreign language. Oral communication is very important to the students because English is the universal language and this knowledge is very important to their professional future training.

Oral communication is a two-way process between speaker and listener (or listeners) and involves the productive ability of speaking and the receptive ability of understanding (or listening with understanding).

Speaking relates intimately to the other language abilities, but it is most closely connected with listening. This connection between listening and speaking reveals itself in their character as parts of oral communication in which both of them -the receptive ability of listening and the productive ability of speaking- take part.

In this process, both listener and speaker play different roles and, thus, while one is working on the encoding of the message, the other is decoding the meanings embodied in the language forms produced by the speaker 'and aided by non-verbal means such as facial expressions and gestures. In some situations, one person may do all the speaking and so keep up the flow of speech (transactional function of language) as, for example, in a lecture; and in other situations, such as in conversations, speakers constantly change roles (interactional function of language ).

The oral expression is to denominate language spoken, to hear and to speak, and they are two functions that are closely related.

To argue with intelligent opinion and with determination, emit a critical judgment or self-criticism exposing their logical and precise foundations; exposing their ideas to convince and to decide to those that listen to him/her.

To explain or to expose to collaborate in the cultural or ideological separation of the other ones and we must make it clear and correct. The essential qualities that we should not miss in the elocution or the style characteristic of each one speaking are: the clarity, with which to communicate our thoughts to the other ones in all their integrity.

The property that is implicit in the previous quality and consists on the use of voices that express what is meant, exactly the naturalness, this is, to tell everything without affectation neither artifice.

To educate the pronunciation consists on improving the technique of the word: to articulate it well and to have an emission of life and pleasant of each word and for the whole group.

The oral expression has been that means of communication among men of certain linguistic community. By means of the system of language it is not previously perceived well.

Oral expression is a person"s ability to express ideas when speaking, so that others will understand the message.

The oral language is the natural instrument that the teacher is able to enrich regarding to experience that the adolescent has already known. The teacher´s task is to awaken students" interest in new matters, to enlarge their ideas and to make then express feeling and moving states.

The essential qualities that we should not miss in the elocution or the style characteristic of each one speaking are: the clarity, with which communicate our thoughts to the other ones in all their integrity, the property that is implicit in the previous quality and consists on the use of voices that express what is meant, exactly the naturalness, this is ,to tell everything without affectation neither artifice; and the utterance that prints to the words and sentences the force and appropriate intonation to the content of what is said in each moment.

Oral expression is one of the most important abilities to be developed in The National System of Education in Cuba in terms of English language, including Junior High School. It is one of the language abilities to be developed in most: school courses in English at all levels.

Oral expression is a highly challenging yet essential ability for most learners to acquire. Learners need to speak with confidence to carry out the most basic social transactions, like asking directions or ordering food.

They also need to develop their oral expression to fulfil more sophisticated needs like making friends, impressing people and arguing their case.

The ability is either developed independently as a primary goal to be attained at the very end of learning and/or as a means for other abilities such as reading. Consequently, as a general rule, speaking is a teaching point and this is reflected in the objectives of such courses.

With the development of this investigation were consulted some definitions of oral expression given by many authors such as Acosta Padrón (1997), Antich de León (1986) and Fernández (2000).

Rodolfo Acosta Padrón, PhD. refers that oral expression is communication in itself, the language system, be product and the process of communication, formed by well defined stages wherein verbal capacity develops within communicative situations. The structural organization of oral expression embodies three stages: orientation and planning, realization and control. (Acosta R., 1997:41)

Antich, PhD. says that "oral expression is the capacity to construct and use conversations correctly and Mary Finochiaro says that it is a very complex ability."(Antich de León R., 1986).

Ana María Fernández, PhD. says that it implies clarity in the language, oral fluency, originality in the use of the language, a wide use of vocabulary in different real life situations. (Fernández A. M., 2000:145).

After analyzing these definitions, the author of this investigation agrees with the definition by Fernandez Ana Maria because the author of this investigation takes like guide some aspects to know the real state of the students such as fluency, vocabulary because they are components really important of the oral expression ability.

The development and systematization of the communicative abilities in a foreign language are closely related with the oral production. You can see this as the coincidence point where the linking of the theoretical aspects is manifested with the practice in the measure in which the students are able a language that responds to the position of situations determined in function of the learning to take place vocally.

The oral, spoken language is not only a sign of the individuals" mental level and of their cultural degree, but it is also an expression form of development of the whole people. Speaking is a result and the means of the relationship of mutual collaboration, the school must prepare for the collective life.

The English teaching in Secondary school in seventh grade students has a main objective to develop habits and communicative abilities in children to guarantee their futures studies and to develop the learner"s wholesome personality so that they can participate actively in the construction of the society.

1.3The system of exercises

Many authors have defined the terms system:

"A system is an entirety, a configuration of elements that are integrated reciprocally along the time and the space to achieve a common purpose, a goal, a result. The system like an everything has superior properties to each one on their behalves for separate" (Álvarez de Zayas C., 1997: 3)

"The group of interrelated components and logically structured that allow the realization of a certain work professional on the base of completing certain functions and with the purpose of achieving the objectives layouts".(ICCP. Dr. Alberto Lima Fences. 2001)

The author agrees with the definition given by Alberto Lima because he states that the system is the group of interrelated components logically structure, and those aspects were took into account to elaborate the proposal, because the proposal is a system of exercises and those exercises have an order and an structure.

Characteristics of the systems:

The parts by themselves, don't express the qualities characteristic of the entirety and consequently their results differ of those of her.

All system possesses a structure, a form of internal organization, that it provides it the indispensable unit and ability in correspondence with the laws of their movement and development.

The educational system is a system open with multiple subsystems that exchange influences and, therefore, they are nurtured mutually.

With the development of this investigation some definitions of exercise were consulted:

An exercises is: "the action of exercise or to be in charge of a thing; action and effect of exercising; intellectual work that serves from application or practice to the lessons work; each one of the tests that an opponent undergoes" (Ocean Encyclopedic Dictionary., 1998:325)

Characteristics of the exercises:

To be effective, the exercise should be done on ideological material. They should provide for the development of the cognitive processes of the learner, his memory and imagination.

There should be a correlation between final results (aims) and the ways to reach them.

Exercises should demand active procedures such as role-playing and pair work.

A system of exercises is a set of well-organized exercises for the students to develop different habits and abilities in the process of learning a foreign language. It always reflects a definite methodological system as such with its aim, principles, and methods. So the pedagogical process of teacher-student exercises is programmed by means of exercises

In order to elaborate the system of exercises the author of this investigation consulted some definitions.

"They are the interrelated teaching-learning activities and logically structured that in a conscious and systematic way they are organized and they direct when keeping in mind an objective of the content of the education". (Deler Ferrera, G., 2007: 33-35)

A system of exercises is a set of well-organized activities for the students to develop different habits and skills in the process of learning a foreign language. It always reflects a definite methodological system as such with its aim, principles, and methods. So the pedagogical process of teacher-student activities is programmed by means of exercises. (Ocean Encyclopedic Dictionary., 1998:325)

The author agrees with the definition given by Deler Ferrera because he states the aspects took into account to elaborate the proposal, because the system of exercise proposed by the author are logically structure and they were made keeping the main objective: to develop oral expression ability.

Characteristics of the system of exercises:

They should leave of the diagnosis of the process that is investigated as an essential element of the educational work.

To be stimulated by the diversity of the educational and curricular context, and the variety of situations and diversified exercises.

The system of exercises was applied in order to improve the oral expression ability of the students and checked mistakes observed in the application of the initial instruments.

Chapter 2

Analysis of the instruments and proposal foundation

2.1- Analysis of the results in the initial stage of the investigation

The diagnosis phase began during 2015-2016 courses at Enrique Hart Dávalos Junior High School in San José de las Lajas municipality. In the diagnosis of the investigation about the development of oral expression ability during English lessons different instruments were applied that provided to detect some problems that the students have in the development of this ability, that is why 8 lessons were visited.

The following instruments were applied: observation guide, survey questionnaire and the pedagogical test. The main difficulties were related to the good development of students" oral abilities specifically oral expressions.

2.2- Fundamentation, characterization and exemplification of the system of exercises.

The proposal of a system of exercises is scientifically based on the philosophical, sociological, psychological and pedagogical sciences. Its categories, laws and principles constitute the theory army to the structural and functional organization of a proposal that answers to the current conditions and needs of the student"s preparation to develop English oral expression ability.

Philosophical foundation: it is supported in the dialectical materialism with the humanist philosophy. It consists into broadcast to men humanist characteristics of the socialist society. The center is the students and the proposal arises of the real experience (diagnosis of the students) to the abstract thought (production of the proposal) and them to the practice (application of the proposal).

Psychological foundation: this proposal is supported in the approach historical –cultural developed by Vigotsky, who apply the dialectical materialism and historical to the interpretation of the development of the personality.

Pedagogical foundation: Pedagogy at High School Education can be recognized in a range of expressions through the proposal. The proposal is related with personal and social grows of the family and community, the increase of the integrated general culture and the development of communicative abilities in English lessons, recognizing the interrelation among society, education and culture.

Sociological foundation: the system of exercises is based in the ideas of the Cuban sociologist Antonio Blanco Perez, in which it is established a set of reciprocal influences between the individual and the group, with the purpose to obtain the insertion in him; it is present the socialization of the student through a interactive communication.

The approach to the system of exercises is characterized for being interdisciplinary, qualitative and quantitative, organized, creative, theoretical, empirical, pragmatic and dialectical.

The system is characterized for having a purpose or a general objective to achieve, it presents an internal code that expresses its structure and organization and is identified by the elements that determine its complexity.

The designed proposal consists in the elaboration of a system of exercises are directed to contribute to the development of English oral expression ability in seventh grade students at Enrique Hart High School. In each exercise the main objective is the oral expression ability. The system of exercise is composed by 6 exercises:

The exercises have the following structure:

Number and name of the unit
Objective
Task
Procedure
Evaluation

This system possesses a structure, a form of internal organization, that it provides it the indispensable unit and ability in correspondence with the laws of their movement and development. It was designed taking into account the real state of the students in oral expression ability in order to improve this aspect.

All of the exercises is going to be guide by the teacher, that is why is necessary the good preparation of them. In some of the exercises are present the work in pair in order to achieve a friendly set in the English lesson facilitating the learning process in the students. The grammar uses in these exercises were Verb be in present tense, personal pronouns, adjectives and verbs. The type of evaluation is going to be oral in order to improve oral expression ability in the students.

That is to say that the exercises should motivate the students towards the oral expression, thing that it is a crucial element for an appropriate development of this process. The students should be exposed to different and various educative exercises that will be relevant, significant and authentic to stimulate them and to challenge them to use English in real contexts.

Model exercise

Unit 8:What´s the weather like?

Objective: to talk about seasons of the year through a picture.

Procedure: The teacher shows a picture about the seasons of the year and the students have to answer some questions.

Task: observe the picture carefully and answer the following questions:

Do you like the seasons of the year?

What season of the year is present in the picture?

What is the weather like in this season?

What is your favourite season? Why?

Make your own picture with your favorite season and make a weather report about it

edu.red

Conclusions

Expression is a medium of communication, the power to get Information from written language; it is an active, thought- getting, and problem-solving process.
The current conception of oral expression does not propitiate an adequate development of the skills comprising it in seventh grade students at Enrique Hart High School in San José de las Lajas municipality
The system of exercises designed with the purpose to overcome the difficulties present has been elaborated from the establishment of methodological guidelines involving interesting and productive exercises to achieve a successful task so that students can become active expressing.
The proposal is feasible as it was confirmed by the different research methods used.

Recomendations

The author proposes that the teachers work more to create exercises directed to develop oral expression ability in the English lessons taking into account the characteristics of their students and it is really important to continue searching about this topic for the professional future training of the students.

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Author:

Ailin Baluja Viera

Enviado por:

Advisor:

M.Sc. Yanelis Ayala Héctor

Agrarian University of Havana

?Fructuoso Rodríguez Pérez"

Faculty of Pedagogical Sciences

Foreign Languages Studies

?ayabeque, 2016-2017

"Year 59 of the Revolution"