1

USING TOULMIN’S MODEL OF ARGUMENTS TO DEVELOP ELOQUENCE IN

SPEAKING ENGLISH FOR GIFTED STUDENTS

PART A: INTRODUCTION

1. Statement of the problem

English has long been one of the most important international languages. It has been used as

a first, second, or foreign language around the world. Its powerfulness has made English the official

language, the international trade one, and the main means of communication for international

meetings, conferences and negotiations. In our context, we have made great effort to promote the

practice of teaching and learning English for a long time and it has become more and more

necessary in the 21

st

century as the process of globalization has mounted to its peak. This requires

that learners of English should have higher and higher ability for communication in all aspects of

a human life.

It cannot be denied that the main function of any language is for communication including

productive skills (speaking and writing) and receptive skills (listening and reading). Of the four

skills, speaking one is the most direct skill that affects the content, the message and the attitude of

participants in all interpersonal communications. The participants use their spoken ability to

express their intention, their idea, and many other things they want to convey in their talk in daily

social interaction. In education context, teachers with good speaking ability can make themselves

understood easily with full meanings. Students use their speaking ability to participate in the

learning

process

such

as

answering

the

questions,

discussing

the

lessons

with

classmates,

expressing their level of understanding the lesson, etc.

The process of learning English, the most important foreign language in Vietnam, is much

more difficult for Vietnamese learners, especially speaking. Many researchers have identified the

obstacles that learners face when speaking English are the lack of background knowledge, the

efficient grammatical structures and vocabulary storage, the motivation, and the emotional

reluctance. To overcome these challenges, learners should equip themselves with good knowledge

of the English language as well as build their confidence in speaking English inside and outside the

classroom environment. Although both teachers and students have done a lot of things during the

process of practicing speaking English in class time, many students report that they still have

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difficulty brainstorming key ideas, organizing them coherently, and using appropriate vocabulary

and functional structures for their talk so that they can make their talk convincing with sound

evidence, especially when they take part in Public Speaking Contest or English Eloquence Contest.

That is the reason why the researcher intended to use Toulmin’s model to develop eloquence in

speaking English.

2. Purpose of the study

The main purpose of the paper is to introduce Toulmin’s model and show how it works with

real demonstrations so that teachers can apply the model in their teaching practice, especially when

helping students get used to the model, applying it in teaching and giving feedback or commenting

on students’ performance, which helps gifted students improve their eloquence in English speaking

ability in all circumstances.

3. Expected outcome of the study

The study firstly will help teachers have better understanding of the difficulties that students

really face when speaking and know how effective their contribution to their students’ performance

is. They then will know what to do more with Toulmin’s model to develop their students’ eloquence

in their teaching in the near future. Secondly, students will know more clearly about the obstacles

in speaking and spend time finding practicing using Toulmin’s model to develop their eloquence

in their speech.

PART B: MAIN CONTENT

Chapter one: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

1. Speaking

a. Defining speaking

Speaking is one of the four language skills and we speak before learning to read and write. It

can be formal and informal. Tarigan (2008) states that speaking a language is the ability to utter

sounds of the words to tell listeners what the speakers are thinking of and how they feel at the

moment. By this he wants to state that the major tool people use to communicate is speaking and

people can use it to share or express the meaning and the purpose to other people. Torky (2006)

builds another definition of speaking which is an interrelated process for people to communicate

their ideas, information, and feelings. Brown (2003) shows his agreement with the idea that

speaking is a productive skill that we can recognize through direct and empirical observation.

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Seidlhofer (2011) says that all speakers have to acknowledge the cultural and social aspects of the

discourse which help them apprehend the types of spoken contexts they involve in. Besides, they

should know the pragmatic and intercultural usage of speech clearly and appropriately. Only in that

way can they react in appropriate manners and engage themselves in effective communication with

speakers from different cultural backgrounds. From the definitions of speaking mentioned above,

there is a conclusion that speaking is an essential skill that serves as a tool to express thoughts,

opinions, emotions, and also information to other people.

b. Types of Speaking

Brown (2004) mentions five different types of speaking activities that are often found in the

classroom. The five types are as follows: 1) The “imitative” level is the first one where students

are told what to do by their instructors. At this level, they simply try to repeat what was said to

them in an understandable way with clear. 2) The second one is “intensive” which is frequently

used for assessment purposes. Learners are asked to produce short utterances of language orally to

demonstrate their competence in the learned knowledge such as grammar points, vocabulary, or

phonology. 3) “Responsive” is the third one in the list. It is slightly more complicated than the

second type. At this level, learners have to be in a dialog with others and there are some simple

follow-up questions. 4) The fourth is “Interactive” speaking which focuses mainly on interpersonal

relationships. This type of speaking is for maintaining relationships between people. 5) “Extensive”

speaking is the last one in which learners have to make a short monologue such as a speech or a

presentation.

2. Concepts of speaking

a. Accuracy

Most of EFL learners experience in learning speaking English is accuracy. Mazouzi (2013)

recommends that learners ought to concentrate on applying the language form correctly and

completely when dealing with grammatical structures, vocabulary, and pronunciation. Moreover,

according to Thornbury (2005), leaner’s correct use of grammatical structures requires the length

and complexity of utterances and the well-structured clauses. They also need use content words,

phrases and fixed expressions correctly in the right contexts. To speak English accurately, learners

should both have control over phonological rules and be aware of the various sounds and their

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pronunciations. All of these are controlled practice, mechanical drills, and usage of grammar rules

as well as activities that assist students in clarifying their own problems.

Richards (2008) lists some linguistics factors that influence someone’s performance in

speaking such as grammar rules, vocabulary and pronunciation. Grammar rules are concerned with

sentence structures, tenses, and mood. When learners are not sure of the rules, they are unlikely to

be fully understood in English. Kamil and Hiebert (2005) state that vocabulary competence is the

knowledge of meanings of words. The words can be found in oral and print forms. When people

use sets of words for communication through their mouth, they are using the vocabularies orally.

Print forms arise when we write or read something silently. Learners face the problems of

vocabularies when they are insufficient for vocabularies for their talk and cannot put necessary

elements into a good sentence. Pronunciation is a really important aspect of foreign language

learning because pronouncing the words correctly can build up learners’ self-confidence in

developing speaking skill.

b. Fluency

In speaking skill, fluency is largely considered as a function of any variables related to time

such as the speed of speaking and the number of syllables, words or phrases uttered between pauses

(Wood, 2008). Oral fluency is seen as a norm to measure how well and how easily speakers can

express their ideas clearly and accurately in spoken language. Hughes (2002) describes oral fluency

as learners’ ability to make listeners understand their message so as to avoid breaking down

communication as a result of losing their interest. He also expresses that oral fluency is the ability

to respond in a coherent way by linking stretches of words and phrases correctly, pronouncing the

sounds comprehensively, and using stress and intonation smoothly.

In an academic journal titled “A study on student’s English-speaking problem in speaking

performance” by Fitriani, Apriliaswati, & Wardah, (2015) they state that a fluent speaker are

required to master knowledge related to the language learning itself and its application in the actual

communication situations. Speaking difficulties are things that affect the speaking performance

when speakers involve in a conversation or a talk. Khan (2005) states in his paper that some of his

participants have psychological problems when practicing speaking. This proves that psychological

factors also reduce the quality of students’ speaking performance.

3. Factors affecting speaking performance

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There are some studies to measure the levels of anxiety and self-efficacy on the students’

monologues (Juhana, J., 2012 & Karatas, H.; Alci, B.; Bademcioglu, M.; Ergin, A.,2016). Worry

over speaking a specific language can influence the quality of students’ oral language performance

(Juhana, J., 2012). Zahiri, A.; Berlin, S.; Sumarsih (2017) have identified that anxiety accounts for

40.9% and self-efficacy 22.3%. The feeling of being anxious can have a close relationship with

speakers’

self-confidence.

Learners

with

low

confidence

in

themselves

and

their

English

competence will actually reveal anxiety in their talk (Juhana, J., 2012). This statement is in line

with the findings in two studies conducted by R. Roysmanto (2018) and I. Gürler (2015). They

discover a significant interrelationship of self-confidence and speaking skill.

4. Defining eloquence

Cambridge dictionary has put it “the quality of delivering a clear, strong message”. This

means that the message produced should be clearly explained with strong evidence. The definition

from Wikipedia is that “Eloquence is fluent, elegant, persuasive, and forceful speech, persuading

an audience. Eloquence is both a natural talent and improved by knowledge of language, study of

a specific subject to be addressed, philosophy, rationale and ability to form a persuasive set of

tenets within a presentation”

5. Toulmin’s Model

a. Use of Toulmin’s model

It is shown in the literature that Toulmin’s model can be used in all branches of sciences. The

following are two examples of using the model in natural science. Krummheuer (1995) conducted

a study to apply the Toulmin’s model in mathematics education. Doan Thanh Phuc and Le Viet

Minh

Triet

(2024)

used

the

model

to

develop

critical

thinking

in

teaching

perpendicular

relationships in space.

The main focus of this paper is on developing eloquence in speaking English meaning that

the Toulmin’s model of arguments is used in social science. One example was the research

conducted by H. Muhammadiyeva, D. Mahkamova, Sh. Valiyeva, I. Tojiboyev (2020). They

discovered the link between critical thinking and speaking skills and found the crucial role of

critical thinking in raising learners’ awareness of academic development. Another study was done

by İrem Namli Altintaş & Meltem Çengel Schoville (2021) who identified the relationship between

the model of argumentation and critical thinking and the criteria for evaluating the argumentation

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in social science. It is clear that Toulmin’s model of arguments can be applied to promote eloquence

in speaking English for gifted students.

b. Parts of Toulmin’s model

Toulmin’s model of arguments (Toulmin, 2003)

Explanation of terms:

Grounds/Data: the foundation or supporting evidence on which the arguments are based on.

Claim: the position or claim being argued for.

Qualifier: the elements that indicate the relationship between grounds and claim.

Warrant: the general rule of inference that authorizes the step from the grounds to the claim,

not normally explicit.

Backing: the structures that strengthen the connection between key components of the

arguments and turn it into a convincing form.

Rebuttal: the statements showing that claim of those, who disagree, do not contain validity.

Chapter two: REALITIES

In this part of the, the writer is going to mention the activities that the ELT group of the

school has been doing to engage students into the process of developing their speaking skills and

promoting eloquence in speaking English.

GROUNDS/DATA

QUALIFIER

CLAIM

WARRANT

BACKING

REBUTTAL

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1. Eloquent contests at school

Over the last ten years, the eloquent contest has been held annually in the school context. It

takes place in the second semester ranging from February to April. The ELT group is the party that

organizes the competition with the supervision of the principal members. The contest has attracted

more and more attention from all the stakeholders, especially students of English major and other

majors in the school. The competition offers opportunities to all students who have good English-

speaking ability and want to improve and showcase their eloquence in speaking English. There are

about more than 150 students to take part in the competition every year. The contestants can choose

to present their topic individually or in groups of three once they have fully understood the rules

and regulations of the contest.

The eloquent contest is divided into three rounds namely elimination, semi-final, and final

round. In the elimination round, the participants are asked to choose a topic, video their speech/talk

and send the final product to the organizer for evaluating. After the deadline, the assigned teachers

work together to watch all the video clips before deciding the best products that are qualified for

the second round. It is the valuable time between the rounds that the teachers in charge of a

particular class spend some time assisting their students by commenting on any issues related to

the presentation so that they can do their work better in the next round. Teachers can also provide

their students with useful language, structures, and vocabulary for specific topic, which can be

really necessary for them during their presentation.

In semi-final round, the contestants have to choose a topic from the organizer and have five

minutes to prepare for their presentation on the stage. Their performance lasts for 4 minutes in front

of the judges and students. All the performances are graded based on the marking scheme which

will be discussed later. The judges give marks to each talk and then discuss to come to final decision

that which presentations are qualified for the final round. At the end of this event, all the contestants

receive prizes from the organizers.

The last ground is a bit different from the previous ones as the participants can select a topic

about five days ahead of the real event from the organizers. They have time to prepare for the

speech using PPP which they then send to the organizers. For the final round, the contestant(s)

present their topic on the stage with the presence of school principals, teachers, and many students

from classes. There is a question related to the topic from the judges for the presenters to answer

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after each performance. The final result is announced when all things considered by the judges,

after which the winning celebration is held to award the prizes to the winners of the competition.

Criteria for marking are clearly described as followed:

Time: the maximum time for each presentation is 4 minutes. Overtime can be deducted

Speech construction: the main parts (introduction, body, closing)

Content of speech: the quality and quantity

Presentation and delivery: the behavior and the speed

Pronunciation and intonation: correctness and attractive/touching

Language: variety of structures, tenses and rich vocabulary

2. Useful language/structures

Functions

Useful Language/ structures

Introductory phrases

-

… has its own advantages and disadvantages

-

To begin with, …

Sequential phrases

-

Firstly,…

-

Secondly, …

-

Thirdly, …

-

Next, …

-

Then, …

-

After that, ….

-

Last but not least, ….

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Agreeing

-

It is true that…

-

It is a common belief that …

-

It is obvious that ….

-

I firmly believe that …

-

I support the idea that …

-

I am of the opinion that …

-

I agree that …

Disagreeing

-

I object to …

-

I am against …

-

To some extent …, but …

Advantages/

Disadvantages

-

It seems advantageous that …

-

The main advantage is that …

-

The main disadvantage is that …

Preferences

-

I prefer to … rather than …

-

It is preferable for … to …

Comparison

-

Similarly, …

-

Compared to …

-

… is similar to …

-

… the same as …

Contradictions

-

On the one hand, …

-

On the other hand, …

-

While …

-

Whereas, …

-

In contrast, …

-

On the contrary, …

-

However, …

Causes and effects

-

For these reasons, …

-

The main cause of … is that …

-

Due to …

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-

As a result, …

-

Consequently, …

-

As a consequence, …

Examples

Quotations

Explanations

-

For example/instance, …

-

Take the example of …

-

In another case, …

-

According to…

-

… has/have shown that …

-

It has been proven that …

-

Statistics have shown that…

-

On top of that, …

-

We can see that…

-

One of the ways to … is …

-

That is why…

-

To be specific, …

-

In other words, …

-

Moreover, …

-

In addition, …

-

In this way, …

-

To some extent, …

-

On the whole, …

Conditions

Assumptions

-

Regardless of …

-

Without …

-

Once …

-

It is doubtful whether …

-

It seems as if …

-

If it were up to me, I would …

-

Suppose…

-

Presumably, …

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Concession

-

In all likelihood, …

-

Nevertheless, …

-

Even so, …

-

In spite of …

Conclusion/summary

-

To sum up, …

-

Overall, …

-

All things considered, …

-

In short, …

-

In conclusion, …

3. Suggested useful vocabulary for specific topics

Topics

Words/ phrases

Meanings

Education

-

Well-rounded education

-

Extracurricular activities

-

Hands-on activity

-

Group assignment

-

Personality development

-

Peer pressure

-

Heavy competition

-

Well-cultivated

-

To build a strong character

-

To learn valuable skills

-

To build teamwork

-

To develop a positive self-

image

-

To maintain a positive

outlook

-

Giáo dục toàn diện

-

Hoạt động ngoại khóa

-

Hoạt động thực hành

-

Bài tập nhóm

-

Phát triển nhân cách

-

Áp lực từ bạn bè đồng trang lứa

-

Cạnh tranh khốc liệt

-

Được giáo dục tốt

-

Trau dồi phẩm chất

-

Học các kỹ năng quí báu

-

Xây

dựng

kỹ

năng

làm

việc

nhóm

-

Xây dựng hình ảnh tích cực về

bản thân.

-

Duy trì quan điểm tích cực

Family

-

Extended family

-

Single-parent family

-

Gia đình nhiều thế hệ

-

Gia đình cha/mẹ đơn thân

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-

Nuclear family

-

Working parents

-

Step- mother/father

-

Family gathering

-

Emotional attachment

-

To push one’s children

-

To bring up

-

To reach one’s teen

-

Gia đình hạt nhân

-

Cha mẹ đi làm

-

Cha/mẹ kế

-

Họp mặt gia đình

-

Sự gắn bó tình cảm

-

Khuyến khích trẻ

-

Nôi dưỡng

-

Bước sang tuổi

Health

-

Life expectancy

-

Health care

-

Medical care

-

Annual check-up

-

Deadly disease

-

Chronic disease

-

Cutting-edge medicine

-

Secondhand smoking

-

To stay in shape

-

To break a bad habit

-

Lack necessary nutrients

-

-

Tuổi thọ

-

Chăm sóc sức khỏe

-

Chăm sóc y tế

-

Kiểm tra sức khỏe hàng năm

-

Bệnh nguy hiểm chết người

-

Bệnh mãn tính

-

Dược phẩm tiên tiến

-

Sự hút thuốc thụ động/gián tiếp

-

Giữ dáng

-

Bỏ thói quen xấu

-

Thiếu chất dinh dưỡng cần thiết

Social issues

-

Drug addiction

-

Social customs

-

Popular sentiment

-

A deep-rooted prejudice

-

A sense of belonging

-

A free market system

-

Market demand

-

To go through a hard time

-

Nghiện ma túy

-

Tập quán xã hội

-

Quan điểm phổ biến

-

Định kiến sâu xa

-

Cảm giác thuộc về một nhóm/ tập

thể

-

Hệ thống thị trường tự do

-

Nhu cầu thị trường

-

Trải qua thời kì khó khan

13

Laws

and

policy

-

To skirt laws

-

To impose strict laws

-

To implement a policy

-

To violate the rights

-

To file a suit against…

-

Crime rate

-

Personal safety

-

Tax revenues

-

Social security system

-

The country’s infrastructure

-

A government subsidy

-

Lách luật

-

Áp đặt các luật lệ nghiêm ngặc

-

Thi hành một chính sách

-

Vi phạm các quyền

-

Khởi kiện

-

Tỷ lệ tội phạm

-

An toàn cá nhân

-

Khoản thu từ thuế

-

Hệ thống an sinh xã hội

-

Cơ sở hạ tầng quốc gia

-

Tiền trợ cấp của chính phủ

-

Employment -

Entry-level position

-

Temporary worker

-

Managerial position

-

Commitment to a job

-

To reap the benefits

-

To get a promotion

-

Generate more income

-

Vị trí tập sự

-

Nhân viên thời vụ

-

Vị trí quản lí

-

Tính cam kết với công việc

-

Gặt hái lợi ích

-

Thăng chức

-

Tạo ra nguồn thu nhập lớn hơn

Resources

and

environment

-

Environmental destruction

-

Sustainable development

-

Environmentally-friendly

policy

-

Residential waste

-

Resource depletion

-

Sự phá hủy mội trường

-

Sự phát triển bền vững

-

Chính sách thân thiện với môi

trường

-

Rác thải sinh hoạt

-

Cạn kiệt tài nguyên

-

Science

and

technology

-

Self-driving

automobile

system

-

State-of –the-art technology

-

Hệ thống xe tự động không người

lái

-

Kỹ thuật tiên tiến nhất

14

-

A significant breakthrough

-

Property disagreement

-

On an international basis

-

Một bước phát triển quan trọng

-

Sự tranh chấp về quyền sở hữu

-

Trên nền tảng quốc tế

Chapter three: APPLICATION OF TOULMIN’S MODEL OF ARGUMENTS

This part of the paper mainly focuses on the explanation and demonstration of the application

of Toulmin’s model of arguments in practice. Before going into greater detailed of the model, the

readers should take a look at the following demonstration.

1. Using Toulmin’s model in classroom teaching practice

a. Basic components for low and average level learners

GROUNDS/DATA:

Nam is learning a

foreign language.

QUALIFIER:

It is always

English

CLAIM:

English is one of the

foreign languages in

Vietnam

WARRANT:

English is mainly used

beside Vietnamese.

BACKING:

With good English, everyone

can easily study abroad, find a

good job, etc.

REBUTTAL:

Except for those who

want to learn another

language for personal

purpose

GROUNDS/DATA

QUALIFIER

CLAIM

WARRANT

15

Toulmin’s model of arguments (Toulmin, 2003)

The basic parts of the model include Data (D), Qualifier (Q), Claim (C), and warrant (W).

Although the order of the elements is put in the diagram, the speakers can organize their arguments

in their own ways as soon as they can make their talk easily understood with sound evidence and

strong connection. Teachers can use the diagram explicitly to help students identify the components

of their answers by filling the diagram provided by the teachers. The diagram can be bilingual or

monolingual depending on the students’ English ability. By doing this activity over and over again,

students can gradually become familiar with the model, evaluate the structure of their talk and make

improvement to it little by little. In any speaking activity, teachers should raise a question/issue

for discussion and then get feedbacks from the learners. The experienced teachers get answers from

weak to strong learners each time for class discussion and evaluation. The following example will

demonstrate the application of the Toulmin’s model of arguments in detail.

Example 1:

Unit 1: Reading, Task 4, page 12:

Work in pairs. Discuss the question.

What benefits do you think you can get from sharing housework?

The main purpose of the task is to get students share their personal ideas about the benefits of

sharing housework after they have read the passage with the same topic. Different students can

have different experience related to the question. The answers can be as followed:

Student A: I think sharing housework can help develop important life skills.

Three elements in the answer are D, Q, and W because it is a rather simple one although it

can be acceptable and understandable.

GROUNDS/DATA:

The benefits of

sharing housework

QUALIFIER:

I think

CLAIM:

ᴓ

WARRANT:

can help develop

important life skills

16

Student B: In my opinion, sharing housework is really important because it can help young

people learn to take responsibility.

This answer is much better as the student can add more element to his/her arguments, which

makes a fuller meaning with evidence.

b. Full components for good learners

Student C: From my point of view, doing chore is necessary for all children. It can actually

help develop children’s gratitude to their parents. When doing housework, they learn to appreciate

all the hard work their parents do around the house for them.

GROUNDS/DATA:

The benefits of

sharing housework

QUALIFIER:

In my opinion,

really

CLAIM:

is really important

WARRANT:

can help young people

learn to take

responsibility

GROUNDS/DATA:

The benefits of sharing

housework

QUALIFIER:

From my point

of view, actually

CLAIM:

is necessary for

all children

WARRANT:

It can actually help develop

children’s gratitude to their parents

BACKING:

When doing housework, they learn to

appreciate all the hard work their

parents do around the house for them

17

It can be seen that student C has added B in his answer. This shows that he/she has higher

level of thinking compared to previous students. The answer is much clearer and more convincing

to the audience.

Student D: I feel that it is essential to split chores among family members. This certainly helps

strengthen family bonds and create special moment between children and parents. Take my family

as an example, sharing housework makes us feel we are members of a team. However, this task

should not be assigned to old grandparents, young kids, and students being busy with their coming

exams.

This is the best answer among the four students responding to the same question. The answer

can help the readers see the full picture of the phenomenon.

2. Using Toulmin’s model in training gifted students for National English Competition (NEC)

Gifted students preparing for NEC are the best ones of a school. They have very good

competence of English in all skills as they have been chosen from the best students from schools

in the province and the school for the gifted of that province. Teachers can apply Toulmin’s model

to assist students to develop their productive skills such as writing and speaking although it can be

useful in reading and listening skills. In this paper, the writer pays much attention to the application

GROUNDS/DATA:

The benefits of sharing

housework

QUALIFIER:

I feel

,

certainly

CLAIM:

it is essential to split

chores among family

members

WARRANT:

This certainly helps strengthen family

bonds and create special moment between

children and parents

BACKING:

Take my family as an example, sharing

housework makes us feel we are

members of a team

REUTTAL:

However, this task

should not be assigned

to old grandparents,

young kids, and

students being busy

with their coming

exams.

18

of Toulmin’s model in develop eloquence in speaking English. Therefore, this part will guide how

to use the model to make students’ monologue better in the NEC every year.

The monologue can be divided into many subparts depending on the way that students have

chosen with the organization in their mind. The task usually requires test-takers to express their

agreement, disagreement, or both views on the issue selected. During the five minutes for

preparation, students can have enough time to outline their talk. The outline can only consist of

main points of the talk which can be divided in smaller main parts. It can be better if they have

been trained how to do it in an effective way of their interest. It is the Toulmin’ model of arguments

that should be taken into consideration. The outline can be:

THE OUTLINE

1. INTRODUCTION

D: …………………………………………………………………………………………

2. BODY

a. Part 1:

Q: …………………………………………………………………………………………

C1: …………………………………………………………………………………………

W: …………………………………………………………………………………………

B: …………………………………………………………………………………………

R: …………………………………………………………………………………………

b. Part 2:

Q: …………………………………………………………………………………………

C2: …………………………………………………………………………………………

W: …………………………………………………………………………………………

B: …………………………………………………………………………………………

R: …………………………………………………………………………………………

c. Part 3:

Q: …………………………………………………………………………………………

C3: …………………………………………………………………………………………

W: …………………………………………………………………………………………

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B: …………………………………………………………………………………………

R: …………………………………………………………………………………………

…

3. CONCLUSION: Paraphrase D, C, and W.

In the outline, students should state their ground(s) clearly before identifying the main claims

in each part in the body of their speech. In each part of the body, they should note down main

content of all the components in the Toulmin’s model. With this outline in their hands, test-takers

can feel safe and confident during the performance because it can lead them step by step without

skipping or missing important information.

To be able to save time during the five minutes in the real NEC, students should be trained

how to use the model and spend a great deal of time practicing it before the exam. Teachers are the

active parties to adopt the Toulmin’s model and assist students to be familiar with it. In real

teaching, teachers should take the following phases to introduce the Toulmin’s to students.

Phase 1: This phase helps students get familiar with the outline and Toulmin’s model. By

following the steps, students can recognize the importance and the usefulness of the model

explicitly.

Step 1: Teachers assign the task to students and give them time to prepare the talk.

Step 2: Students present and record their talks.

Step 3: Teachers ask students to listen to their talks and complete the outline (in Vietnamese).

Step 4: Teachers ask students to work in pairs to check their friend’s outline.

Step 5: Teachers give students some time to complete their work before handing in.

Step 6: Teachers ask every student to present their outline to the whole group for checking

and evaluating. Teachers give feedback.

Step 7: Teachers elicit the students’ ideas on the task and the outline.

Step 8: Teachers introduce the Toulmin’s model of arguments.

Phase 2: This phase requires students to apply the model in a different direction in which

students will work with the outline before presenting the speech to the whole group.

Step 1: Teachers assign the task to students and give them time to prepare the talk.

20

Step 2: Teachers provide students with the outline and ask them to complete it.

Step 3: Teachers ask students to work in pairs to check their friend’s outline.

Step 4: Teachers give students some time to complete their work before presenting it.

Step 5: Students present and record their talks.

Step 6: Teachers elicit the students’ ideas on the task and the outline.

In short, the two phases can help students get exposed to general functions of Toulmin’s

model. They can take full use of it by practicing using it in their speaking tasks regularly and

intentionally with the assistance of their instructors.

3. Using Toulmin’s model in eloquence contests

Eloquence contest is a valuable opportunity for students to rehearse their English-speaking

competence in front of the audience. This is, of course, a chance to build their confidence and

develop their eloquence in speaking. Therefore, Toulmin’s model of arguments cannot be used for

training directly, but contest organizers can use it for building the marking criteria and make it

known to all the participants. By doing so, the participants will try to manage their performances

by covering all the marking criteria. This is an implicit way to introduce Toulmin’s model to all

students and gradually develop their eloquence in speaking. The model can be added to the present

marking scheme as followed:

PART C: CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION

1. Conclusion

The paper has mentioned and explained nearly all the aspects related to the topic. It consists

of theoretical background which summaries the concepts of speaking and speaking competence,

21

the eloquence, and the Toulmin’s model. The next part to be mentioned is activity that the school

has used to promote speaking English environment among students in the school as well as develop

eloquence for Gifted students taking part in NEC in specific. The third part is the most important

one of the paper because it is fully devoted to introducing the application of Toulmin’s model in

great detail. It provides the model with an increasing in the level of complication as well as how it

can be used in a particular situation. The paper was completed with the hope to develop students’

speaking skills together with their eloquence in speaking English.

3. Suggestion for further study

The present paper was conducted in order to help develop learners’ eloquence in speaking, so

it only focused on speaking skills by applying Toulmin’s model of arguments. Further studies can

cover more aspects of learning a language with the guidance of the model so that the application

can be more reliable and useful for teachers and students.

22

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