HOW TO DEVELOP ELOQUENCE IN SPEAKING FOR GIFTED STUDENTS

TABLE OF CONTENT

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION

1.

Rationale of the study

2.

The aim of the study

3.

Scope of the study

CHAPTER II: DEVELOPMENT

1.

Literature Review

2.

Strategy Application

2.1.

Why speaking strategies are necessary

2.2.

What the strategies are

2.3.

How they can help students overcome their eloquence or speaking-related problems

2.4.

An activity using the strategies

3.

Lesson planning

3.1.

Question bank

3.2.

How the curriculum will be planned

4.

Teaching materials

4.1.

Speaking samples using the ‘six thinking hats' method

4.1.2. A checklist for constant feedback

CHAPTER THREE: CONCLUSION

1.

Summary

2.

Limitations

and

recommendations

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION

1.

Rationale of the study

Practicing different skills in English has always been a topic of discussion among teaching

enthusiasts the world over with eloquence, in particular, receiving a lot of attention and sparking

countless debates as to which methods are of great efficiency when teaching this skill to students.

When it comes to gifted students, however, an issue arises as such students are hard-working in nature

and passionate about the language they are learning, yet they may encounter fluency problems when

having to

deal with really challenging eloquence-related questions that demand high levels of

reasoning and an outstanding command of the language as they have to control different aspects

of English which are vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation as they develop their ideas in a

well-organized and logical way. This problem then goes on to prevent students from fully

expressing themselves, to the detriment of their entire performance. For the outlined rationales,

I strongly believe it is necessary to propose different techniques that can aid students in honing

their

eloquence

skills

and

eventually

giving

quality,

articulate,

well-structured

speeches

conducted entirely in English or even better, in advanced language.

2.

The aim of the study

This study aims at analyzing the foundation upon which the mentioned techniques are

built, casting light on how those techniques can be effectively applied by competent English

learners into tackling demanding questions and finally elaborating on the useful language that

can be used for students' future practice and exams.

3.

Scope of the study

The main focus of this paper is to provide students preparing for the National Excellent

Student Competition with sufficient knowledge and tips to answer questions which are made

abstract on purpose, boost their eloquence and give helpful materials used during the process of

teaching.

CHAPTER II: DEVELOPMENT

1.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Canale and Swain’s (1980) adaptation of Hymes’s theory of communicative competence

proposes that the ability to communicate in a language comprises four dimensions: grammatical

competence (including rules of phonology, orthography, vocabulary, word formation and

sentence formation), sociolinguistic competence (rules for the expression and understanding of

appropriate

social

meanings

and

grammatical

forms

in

different

contexts),

discourse

competence (rules of both cohesion - how sentence elements are tied together via reference,

repetition, synonym, etc. - and coherence - how texts are constructed), and finally, strategic

competence, (a repertoire of compensatory strategies that help with a variety of communication

difficulties). Acknowledging this, few ESL materials fail to claim that their approach reflects

the significance of communicative competence. However, the evolution of oral skills pedagogy

has shifted the focus from accuracy to a balance between accuracy and fluency. According to

Hedge (1993, pp. 275-276) the term fluency has two meanings. The first, which is ‘the ability to

link units of speech together with facility and without strain of inappropriate slowness or undue

hesitation,’ is what commonly understood as fluency in language teaching materials and in

language assessment procedures. But Hedges proposes a second, more holistic sense of fluency

that of ‘natural language use,’ which is likely to take place when speaking activities focus on

meaning and its negotiation, when speaking strategies are used. Training learners to use

strategies and encouraging strategy use is then a prominent feature of today’s oral skills

classroom. Books such as Language Learning Strategies: What Every Teacher Should Know

(Oxford 1990) discuss this topic in detail; while the utility of teaching ‘communication

strategies’ is a debated theoretical issue (Dornyei 1995), it is clear that language learners must

become

competent

at

using

strategies

during

their

speaking

practice

and

assessment.

2.

STRATEGY APPLICATION

2.1.

Why eloquence-related strategies are necessary

One may assume that gifted students of English are adept at using English to answer

different types of questions, logically meaning that they can do this with ease. Nevertheless,

through my many years of teaching advanced learners, I have witnessed students of this level

struggle to produce an answer with great fluency especially when faced with abstract questions.

Questions that are usually given in prestigious English competitions unfortunately are often of

this type. Therefore, it is sensible to believe that when taking part in large-scale contests

requiring a high level of competence, students have to find a way to keep their fluency and give

their answer in an articulate manner, helping them gain high scores in those competitions. An

example of this type of question can be ‘Beauty is only skin-deep. Do you agree or disagree?’.

When teaching students of our school’s English team, I couldn’t help but notice how long it

took them to come up with ‘good enough’ ideas for this question and how much they struggled

to express themselves in the process. When given ideas on how the statement in the question

may be faulty and different tips on dissecting difficult questions, they however found it easier to

structure their speech. With this kind of assistance, those students could give better and longer

answers, signifying an improvement in fluency and reflexes.

2.2.

What the strategies are

As a long-time language learner myself, I did not advocate the use of strategies when

speaking as they can be quite mechanical. To better illustrate, some strategies just directly

spoon-feed students with ready-made sentences and structures, which they later apply blindly

into answering even the easiest question that requires nearly no thinking. Students then derive

gratification from such a feat, thinking they have successfully used English in communication

and even in dealing with questions that are specifically designed to give them a hard time.

However, this approach and mindset are only justifiable to some extent as structures made by

another speaker may only be applicable in certain contexts and suitable for that speaker to use

and

the

feeling of

achievement

taken

from

using

someone’s

else

language

without

any

modification or awareness may be counterproductive, causing irreversible damage to one’s

linguistic

ability.

Gifted

students

in their preparation

for the

National

Excellent

Student

Competition, I vehemently believe, should not follow this direction and therefore it is not

beneficial to provide them with fully-structured sentences and call them strategies. Instead, it is

much better to help them in the process of idea formation, from which they can creatively

produce

their own language and be

able to

effectively

express

their opinions

on

really

complicated matters.

For this very reason, the strategy I am going to suggest is related to ‘Six Thinking Hats’,

a theory on improving cognitive thinking and problem-solving skills by Dr. Edward de Bono.

The premise of the method is that the human brain thinks in a number of distinct ways which

can be deliberately challenged, and hence planned for use in a structured way allowing one to

develop tactics for thinking about particular issues. De Bono identifies six distinct directions in

which the brain can be challenged. In each of these directions the brain will identify and bring

into conscious thought certain aspects of issues being considered (e.g. gut instinct, pessimistic

judgment, neutral facts). The directions of reasoning are then symbolized by 6 different colored

hats. The function of each hat is as follows:

COLOR

FUNCTION

WHITE HAT

When metaphorically put on, this hat helps students introduce a new topic,

report any statistical data they may be in possession of and thereby

consolidating their reasoning in a very logical and organized way. Simply

put, the hat asks students questions like ‘What do we know about this

topic? How do we get information for this topic?’

RED HAT

This hat has to do with students’ emotions and feelings toward the topic

being discussed. This hat can actually support students who are inclined to

talk about a topic with great emphasis on emotions and who usually like to

exploit the emotional aspect of a topic. The question that captures the

essence of this hat is ‘How do we feel about this topic?’

BLACK HAT

This hat’s function is to discuss the problems, weaknesses, drawbacks that

a statement can have, giving better insights into how it works. This hat can

be used to ask questions that are ‘What are the difficulties and weaknesses

of such a trend?’. Negative as it may sound, this hat proves its worth in

helping students create a counter-argument which they can later use to

further support their thesis statement.

YELLOW HAT

This colored hat is the polar opposite to the black hat. While the latter

focuses on problems or negative effects, the former asks students to think

of any benefits a suggestion or proposal has whether they are apparent or

hidden.

For

this

reason,

the

question

that

best

showcases

this

hat’s

function is ‘What are the strengths and opportunities?’

GREEN HAT

This hat is usually called the hat of ‘creativity’ basically meaning that

students that put on this hat when answering questions have to be as

creative as they can, shown in the way they come up with innovative ideas

to effectively address problems posed by the question. Although a little

demanding, this hat can be of tremendous help to students who are

creative in their ways of answering dry, overly complex questions given in

exams. Using this hat, students can find a better, more creative approach

to a common problem, helping them to have more ideas and vocabulary to

elaborate on the matter discussed. The questions for this hat would be

‘What new ideas there are? What can be improved?’

BLUE HAT

This hat is related to predictions, consequences and effects. This hat

prompts students to summarize what they have managed to discuss so far

and from that, think of what may happen next if a proposal ever comes

into effect. Even though it requires a lot of imagination, this hat still

assists students greatly in their answers. The question for this hat is, in

chronological order, ‘What have we learned? What is next?’

2.3.

How they can help students overcome their fluency-related problems

Complicated and lengthy as the aforementioned theory may sound, it can be successfully

applied in a classroom environment where students, especially those with high levels of

English, have to produce a lot of sentences that need to be linked in a logical manner.

Additionally,

their

answers

have

to

make

sense.

In

other

words,

some

students

having

competent speaking skills may think it is good to use a lot of advanced vocabulary at the

expense of their answers’ content, which I think is not advantageous as sometimes too complex

and lengthy words can obstruct listeners’ understanding, paradoxically making it even harder

for students to communicate in English effectively. It is then only sensible if a balance between

vocabulary and idea development is struck. For this purpose, the strategy of creating six hats of

different colors with each representing a different approach to answering a complicated

question is what teachers need. How specifically then they are applied and how good they are in

helping students become better at answering difficult questions?

To begin with, each hat has its own function and students acknowledging this can divert

their thinking process toward a single problem to solve at a time. This is conducive to better

fluency and can minimize hesitations for ideas. More specifically, students who find it hard to

generate ideas often focus too much on the question being asked and do not broaden their

perspectives, which is beneficial for coming up with new ideas, which they can use to

constantly keep their flow when speaking English. Also, a new idea usually translates to the use

of topic-specific

vocabulary

and

if students

can

look

at

a

problem/

idea

from

different

perspectives, arguably, they can think of a wide range of advanced, topic-related words to use

and fully express their thoughts and concerns. This highlights how effective ‘colored hats’ can

be used.

Now, I will delve into how each hat can be utilized in a classroom to teach speaking and

in this case to help gifted students tackle abstract questions. The question that I am going to find

the solutions for here is ‘Beauty is only skin-deep. Do you agree or disagree?’

At first glance, the word beauty shows how complicated this question can get, as beauty has

always been a controversial topic, sparking debates among the intellectual. Most students in

high school know about this and some might have even discussed it in detail with their

classmates in their mother tongue (Vietnamese). Therefore, it is only logical to assume that they

are well aware of how intricate the answer can get and having to speak entirely in another

language just adds to the difficulty level. This thought then plagues their mind, rendering it

mentally demanding for them to keep their answers long enough (5 minutes as required in the

competition the previous year). Here, the strategy that I suggest really comes in handy.

When brainstorming for the answer to such a hard question, students can be divided into

different pairs or even groups of four. This pair work or group work helps students bounce ideas

off their classmates who are in this case on the same level of proficiency as them, making it

really productive. But how do teachers delegate different roles for students in the same group or

pair? I reckon that most teachers will just let their students be themselves coming up with ideas

on the spot. However, it is not really effective as students having no direction or part to play

may neglect their duty and do not pay attention to any of the discussion, turning this activity

into a complete waste of time. Given different roles to play, nevertheless, students may feel the

need to engage in the discussion now that they have their own part.

Here is how the statement ‘Beauty is only skin-deep’ is discussed in a group of four, each

of whom has his own hat to put on. A student with a red hat can start off the conversation with

some emotions he has on the topic stating that ‘judging a book by its cover is simply wrong and

I feel that anyone who does that either has a very strong bias towards the person being discussed

or harbors a very faulty view toward life, either way, he should not be allowed to voice his

opinion publicly as it can cause a nationwide public outcry. I also think that people deserve

chances for their personalities to be assessed and maybe if they are inherently good people, they

should be praised and called beautiful’. The student wearing a red hat may speak in this manner

while using different gestures just to add emotions to his answers. This I think is very

interesting and can keep the conversation going. Not intimidated, the student wearing a black

hat may start giving his opinion. He may commence his talk by asking a rebuttal question

‘Then, how do we judge a person’s inner thoughts and intentions? What if a person puts on a

mask, hiding his true feelings or practices enough to behave in a righteous and virtuous manner,

yet deep down, that person is full of bad intentions? Do we still call that person beautiful?’. The

student with the black hat can then go on to elaborate on his reasoning about how challenging it

is to understand a person fully. He may talk about how time-consuming it is to do so as well,

further emphasizing the difficulties and challenges that one may encounter if he wants to go

against the view ‘beauty is only skin-deep’. This may be the good part of the discussion as

usually people will think of a person who is only gorgeous outside as shallow and consider it

not as true beauty but something that is of superficial aesthetics. By going against this

conventional view, the student with a black hat has actually provoked a lot of thinking and

discussion among the group, making the conversation multi-faceted. Even if it feels like the

discussion is going to a dead-end, there is always the student with a green hat. As I have

mentioned in the functions of hats, a green hat requires students to come up with novel ideas,

sometimes the idea may be strange and unorthodox but it is still valuable and worth debating

over. In this discussion, the student with a green hat may give a very odd suggestion saying

‘What if we eliminate the word beauty from our dictionary?’. He can add reasons for his answer

by stating ‘Focusing on the meaning of the word beauty only causes problems for us and going

through such a hassle may not accomplish anything but frustration and further segregation, so

why don’t we just get rid of it? and never mention the word, which makes it easier for people to

appreciate others regardless of their skin tone or how weirdly they behave or think’. Now, this

new idea is very creative and it can lead the conversation into another direction. This requires

the teacher of this class to step in and help everyone to make sense of this idea, but not to the

detriment of the whole discussion. The blue-hatted student may speak up at this point to

systematically summarize everything that has been given out so far and from that, he can

suggest further solutions. This may make the conversation more subjective as this student can

twist the ideas of other students to his own advantage and say that he does not agree with

anyone, leading the conversation to a bad end. Nonetheless, if he does his just right and makes a

good point about how beneficial and disadvantageous calling someone beautiful based on their

appearance may be, he can receive everyone’s approval and thereby closing the conversation in

a very satisfactory way. This discussion can have many conflicts and arguments, yet I believe it

is a good way to help students look at a problem in a different light and therefore help them deal

with questions that are equally abstract in the future. Also, the application of this strategy in the

classroom can set a good example of how a creative and productive discussion can be

constructed. Later, it can prove to be really advantageous as students of the same class can start

their discussion without any initial instructions or assistance, making the speaking practice

activity more straightforward and less time-consuming as well as more natural.

2.4.

An activity using the strategies

One very useful and engaging activity that teachers can apply when teaching speaking to

high-level students using the mentioned ‘six hats’ is by making the hats tangible and I am going

to analyze how it can work effectively.

Students are fun-loving in nature and they love anything that is colorful and intriguing.

By making several hats of different colors, teachers will be able to capture students’ attention

immediately after the hats are brought up. This initial interest may develop into productivity

and greater rapport between students and students as well as teachers and students, making the

speaking lesson a success.

At the start of the activity, teachers divide students into different pairs and ask them to

pick a hat they want to wear. Of course, there will be concept-checking questions on how the

hats work but that does not need to be discussed in detail here. After choosing their favorite hat

to wear, students go back to their seat and start discussing different approaches to a suggestion

given by their teachers. The questions given must be really complicated and require a lot of

logical thinking as only by giving questions that hard can teachers spark students’ interest in

answering them. Therefore, the question I am suggesting belongs to IELTS, and specifically

IELTS writing task 2, which requires a lot of logical thinking and a demonstration of effective

language use. The question is ‘In today's world of advanced science and technology, we still

greatly value our artists such as musicians, painters and writers. What can arts tell us about life

that science and technology cannot?’. This question is inherently challenging as it asks students

to come up with ideas that can comprehensively capture the aim of the question and give an

answer well-structured enough for the listener, the teacher in this case to fully understand what

they are trying to express.

Students, after being assigned into different roles indicated by their hats, can now start

the conversation within a limited amount of time. For first-time activities, I highly suggest the

allotted

time

of

10

minutes

as

students

are

new

to

the

activities

and

cannot

use

the

brainstorming strategies well enough to keep their conversation going for a long time. Activities

that are conducted in the subsequent lessons, however, should have a time limit of 10+ minutes

as teachers can go around the classroom and give feedback better.

After finishing 10+ minutes answering follow-up questions and discussing different

aspects of the topic, students are now equipped with adequate knowledge to construct their own

5-minute talk about similar topics. This is when the teacher can organize a little competition

called ‘GUESS THE HAT’ in which students will be randomly chosen to go the board in front

of the who class and answer the question given by the teacher using the approach of the hat they

choose (which will be kept hidden until everyone has made their guess after listening to the talk

of the presenter). The hat is then revealed and whoever makes the correct guess will receive

small rewards. This activity is really fun and can help shape the atmosphere of the entire class

as after discussing in pairs without much interaction with other classmates, students can now

put what they have learned into practice and get the attention of the whole class. Public

speaking is also of great help to students struggling to keep their fluency as it is a great way to

practice dealing with stress standing in front of a lot of people (although the actual exam does

not require any audience, and students are likely to make a monologue, I believe this kind of

practice can still do wonders for the students’ speaking ability).

All in all, the activity based on the ‘six hats’ that I am suggesting will have a procedure

as follows:

TIME

STUDENTS’ ACTIVITIES

TEACHER’S ACTIVITIES

1 min

-

Sts choose their partner (who will be

swapped in the next lessons should this

activity is reused)

-

Sts choose the hats they want to use

(usually according to their style of

reasoning, but T can interfere and advise

sts on which hats will be suitable for them)

-

T divides sts into different pairs (in

this case, 3 pairs as the national team

usually has 6 students)

-

T asks sts to choose the hats they like

(the hats are prepared beforehand,

there should be 18 hats of different

colors as sts can switch hats

mid-conversation)

2 min

- Sts have two minutes to think about what

they are going to say but it has to be

related to the color of the hat they are

wearing

- T goes around the classroom for

supervision and giving suggestions if

necessary

5 min

- Sts start discussing with the partner and

try to answer the question in a logical and

straightforward manner

- T gives feedback after each answer

given by the students

2 min

-

Sts participate in a little challenge called

‘GUESS THE HAT’, in which they have

to choose a hat of their favorite color and

then give a speech about the topic

adhering to the function of the hat

-

Other sts guess the color of the hat that

the presenter has just chosen based how

they answer the question. A little bet can

be placed to add to the fun.

-

T controls the activity

-

T hosts the challenge and hides the

hat’s color so that other sts cannot

take a peek and ruin the game

3.

LESSON PLANNING

3.1.

Question bank

To better construct a series of speaking lessons using the suggested strategy, we should

first look at the questions that were given in the exam over the past 3 years. The questions are in

chronological order and are outlined as follows:

NEC (05.03.22)

1/ Some people say that because teenagers haven’t seen much of the world, their world views

are almost unrealistic. Others think otherwise, claiming that nowadays young people have

greater access to the media, so their world views are quite realistic and practical. Discuss both

views and give your opinion. (technological development)

2/ Some people think that teenagers’ use of smartphones and other electronic devices is spoiling

their life. Others think otherwise, saying that students should be familiarized with these gadgets

to keep up with this modern world. Discuss both views and give your opinion. (technological

development)

3/ Some people think that students will learn better when they are grouped according to their

ability. Others think otherwise, claiming that students will learn better when they are taught in a

mixed-ability class. Discuss both views and give your opinion. (education)

4/ Some people claim that shopping online does them a lot of good. Others think otherwise,

claiming that it causes them a lot of trouble. Discuss both views and give your opinion. (leisure

activities)

5/ Some people think that the best way to minimize bullying in schools is of parents’

responsibility. Others think otherwise, claiming that the best way to minimize it is of the

school’s. Discuss both views and give your opinion. (education)

6/ Some people think that too much parental pressure over children’s academic performance has

negative impacts on their development. Others think otherwise, claiming that parental pressure

can

bring

children

more

success

at

school.

Discuss

both

views

and

give

your

opinion.

(education)

7/ Some people think that success in foreign language learning depends largely on the learner’s

language aptitude. Others think otherwise, saying that it depends mostly on the learner’s hard

work. Discuss both views and give your opinion. (languages)

8/ Some people think that online learning brings a lot of benefits to students. Others think

otherwise, saying that it brings more harm than good. Discuss both views and give your

opinion. (education)

9/ Some people think that robots are important for our future development. Others think

otherwise, claiming that robots bring more negative than positive effects. Discuss both views

and give your opinion. (technological development)

10/ Some people believe that serious environmental problems can be solved by technological

inventions

and

developments.

Others

think

otherwise,

claiming

that

these

environmental

problems can be solved by our consuming less and living a simpler lifestyle. Discuss both views

and give your opinion. (the environment)

NEC (25.02.23)

1/ Some people think that increased access to social media is of great benefit to people. Some

people think otherwise, claiming that it does more harm than good. Discuss both views and give

your opinion. (technological development)

2/ Some people think that students can learn better without taking tests/ exams. Some others

think otherwise, believing that learning without taking tests/ exams is not learning at all.

Discuss both views and give your opinion. (education)

3/ Some teachers think that students can study better when they do projects individually. Some

others think otherwise, suggesting that they can study better when they do projects in groups/

teams. Discuss both views and give your opinion. (education)

4/ Some people think that global warming is a natural phenomenon. Some people think

otherwise, claiming that it is caused by human activities. Discuss both views and give your

opinion. (the environment)

5/ Some young people think that video games cause violence. Some others think otherwise,

believing that video games bring more good than harm. Discuss both views and give your

opinion. (leisure activities)

6/ Some people think that a sense of competition should be encouraged in children. Some others

think otherwise, claiming that cooperation, rather than competition, should be encouraged.

Discuss both views and give your opinion. (personal development)

7/ Some people think that admission to university should be based solely on students’ school

academic records. Some others think otherwise, believing that scores of the entrance exams

should be the sole criterion. Discuss both views and give your opinion. (education)

8/ Some people think that technology has improved the way we communicate. Some others

think otherwise, claiming that it has decreased much quality of our face-to-face communication.

Discuss both views and give your opinion. (technological development)

9/ Some people think that protecting the environment should be prioritized. Some others think

otherwise, claiming that priority should be given to economic growth. Discuss both views and

give your opinion. (the government’s priorities)

10/ Some people think that because the goal of learning a foreign language is communication,

grammar learning is no longer important. Some others think otherwise, claiming that grammar

still has a place in foreign language learning. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

(languages)

From the above past questions, it is apparent that all of them require an argumentative

approach from students’ answer and since there are two sides proven by the question ‘discuss

both views and give your opinion’, it is beneficial for students to work in pairs so that their

ideas can be heard and they can receive peer feedback. Also, they can be receptive to new ideas

from their friends, which they can use later in answering the same question or questions that are

of the similar topic. Then, how are the questions categorized into different topics? Below is the

basis on which different past questions can be categorized into 6 topics that are:

1/ The government’s priorities

This topic contains questions that deal with matters on a national scale such as tourism,

crime rates, unemployment, overpopulation and so on. Questions that belong to this topic

usually contain the word ‘prioritize’, which requires students to showcase their ability in

emphasizing and classifying. Also, students need to think of ideas that can have far-reaching

effects on the people of a nation, answering the question at its core.

2/ Personal development

Questions given in the National English Competition are sometimes ‘metaphysical’ as

well, meaning that they are specifically designed to make students’ answers more abstract and

thereby, forcing them to use their language effectively. This topic usually has questions that ask

about intangible qualities such as success, failure, motivation, confidence, anger, hatred and so

on.

3/ Technological development

Given the fact that the world is advancing non-stop technologically, it is only logical that

test-makers give questions about technology-related issues. This topic is more relevant to

students’ everyday life as they are now digital natives, capable of using technology in a variety

of

ways

to

meet

their

daily

demands.

Questions

of

this

topic

can

range

from

today’s

technologies like smartphones, laptops, tablets, social media to more futuristic ones such as

robots, A.I and so on. To effectively tackle this topic, students need to be able to think of

different technological advancements they enjoy in their life and how positive or negative those

devices can be.

4/ Languages

Language

learning

has

been

gaining

popularity

among

people

of

all

ages

and

acknowledging this, test-makers want students who are gifted at learning languages to tackle

difficult questions related to different aspects of language learning. Hence, the questions can be

about the ways grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation are learned or even go on to ask about

the significance of language learning and how it can affect the world.

5/ Education

Because students are used to an educational environment, they should be asked about

different aspects of education. The questions for this topic should sometimes be related to

methodology, assessment. However, they can also be about pressing concerns at school such as

bullying or parental responsibilities.

6/ The environment

The world is suffering from climate change at the moment and there are now many

environmental issues that have arisen, making questions about the environment more relevant

than ever before. Students, therefore, are often asked to discuss those matters in great detail,

giving their opinion on how the planet can be saved and what people can do to make the world a

better place for the future generation. Questions of this topic are usually about worldly problems

such as global warming, greenhouse effect, the combustion of fossil fuel and so on.

Regarding the common topics that appear throughout the years, below is a table illustrating

different topics and how many times they actually appeared in the test.

TOPICS

HOW MANY TIMES THEY HAVE APPEARED

2020

2022

2023

The government’s

priorities

2

0

1

Personal development

2

0

1

Technological

development

2

3

2

Languages

1

1

1

Education

3

4

3

The environment

0

1

1

Looking at the table from an overall perspective, it can be seen that ‘Education’ has been

the most common topic over the past few years, followed by ‘Technological development’.

Finally, the one topic that remains in the test’s speaking questions is ‘Languages’. Although it

only appears once a year, this shows that questions related to languages are consistently given

to test students’ ability to discuss languages in detail. Nevertheless, I do not think we should

eliminate any of the six mentioned topics just because they are not as common and instead, we

should base our lesson planning on all of the six topics that have been outlined. This is to make

sure that students are well prepared for their upcoming test.

3.2.

How the curriculum will be planned

Taking the question bank into consideration, I am going to suggest a curriculum (for

speaking only) for students in our school’s team to maximize their speaking time and provide

them with enough exposure to different topics.

LESSON

No.

TOPIC

OBJECTIVE

1

The government’s

priorities

- After this lesson, students should be able to talk with

confidence about how the authority can effectively deal with

social issues and what the governing body should prioritize

in the process. Also, students should be able to explain how

the government coffers can be effectively used.

2

Personal development - By the end of this lesson, students will be able to express

themselves

in

an

articulate

way

when

talking

about

metaphysical matters that are really abstract and require a lot

of logical reasoning.

3

Technological

development

- Students, having learnt this lesson, can later discuss in

detail the positive and negative impacts of technological

advancements

around

the

world.

Additionally,

they

can

suggest some solutions to cope with problems arising from

overusing technology.

4

Languages

- After this lesson, students will be able to talk about different

methods for language learning. The pros and cons of each

method can also be discussed and above all, students will be

able to discuss the ever-growing influence of popular languages

on the world and more likely in this case, English.

5

Education

- Students can point out different criteria of a good educational

method and even go on to discuss ways to address the problems

they are facing at school. Furthermore, students can give an

insight on whether parents or schools should be responsible for

a child’s education.

6

The environment

- At the end of the lesson, students will find it easier to talk

about large-scale environmental issues that the world is now

facing and how they can be effectively solved.

The series of questions I have just suggested has more to do with fluency development

than

lexical

enrichment.

However,

this

should

not

be

taken

as

a

negligence

to

lexical

development as I do believe in the process of giving students ideas to talk about a specific topic,

teachers can give them useful vocabulary to use and through feedback, students can learn more

lexically.

4.

Teaching materials

4.1.

Speaking samples using the ‘six thinking hats' method

To assist students in their test preparation, I am going to suggest some sample answers

for the questions taken from the question bank above. The answers are given based on the ‘six

hats’ strategy, in which each hat represents a different approach and should be used to provide

students different insights on how a question can be analyzed and answered. This, I hope, can

better illustrate how the strategy is used in the classroom and during a speaking test to help

students keep their fluency and ideas straight. The sample answers are given according to their

questions’ topics, the order of which I have mentioned in the previous parts of this paper.

TOPIC 1: THE GOVERNMENT’S PRIORITIES

Brainstorming:

-

White hat: students think about the facts or articles that they have read about the devastating

effects the pandemic can have on different aspects of the world, including the economy.

-

Red hat: students talk about how they feel and how other people may feel when the economy

is prioritized over their well-being, further consolidating how one approach may be more

sensible than the other.

-

Black hat: students can discuss in detail the drawbacks of each side to give a more insightful

thought about the issue. In this case, students can talk about how having to deal with two major

problems at the same time can negatively affect the government’s ability to take care of its

citizens.

-

Yellow hat: students can analyze the benefits of each side of the argument, how giving

precedence to one particular mission can help the government mobilize its resources for

example

and

how

balancing

the

two

major

problems

can

be

beneficial

for

long-term

development.

-

Green house: students can come up with creative solutions to the problem of a stagnant

economy or the rampant pandemic. Maybe they can talk about how people of a country can help

the authority in doing so, thereby taking away part of the pressure the governing body has to

shoulder.

-

Blue hat: students can talk about the impact of such a proposal in the long run, outlining how

Question: Some people think that in the present context of Vietnam, it is possible to promote

economic development while still controlling the spread of the covid-19 pandemic. Others

think otherwise, claiming that we need to prioritize one mission over the other. Discuss both

views and give your opinion.

it can affect the future generation and from that give better reasons why one approach is

superior to the other.

Sample answer (in the appendix)

TOPIC 2: PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Brainstorming:

-

White hat: students can cite what they have read from newspapers about the effects of

individualism on our community and go on to state how such a way of thinking can be

important to some people.

-

Red hat: students can express how they feel about individualism in today’s world. They can

talk about their sense of admiration for people who are self-reliant and independent in their life

and by the same token, their hatred for some who use individualism as an excuse for their

selfishness and how indifferent the world has become towards others’ sufferings.

-

Black hat: students can discuss the negative side of following individualism in one’s life by

pointing out how it can make other people become self-centered and turn a blind eye to people’s

asking for help.

-

Yellow hat: students can discuss how beneficial this school of thought is for people’s life as

they can become a better version of themselves without the help of others and how they can

thrive individually without having to invariably take others’ benefits into account.

-

Green hat: students can think of new ways in which individualism can affect the society and

how people can utilize it to make their life much better.

-

Blue hat: students can talk about the future of the world in which people may follow

individualism in lieu of collectivism or the other way around to make the talk more engaging

and controversial.

TOPIC 3: TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT

Question: Some people think that individualism brings many benefits to the community.

Others think otherwise, claiming that it does more harm than good. Discuss both views and

give your opinion.

Brainstorming:

-

White hat: students can talk about how prevalent technological devices are in our today’s

world, how they are everywhere and people are using it a lot according to some research that

the students have read.

-

Red hat: students can express their feelings towards the matter saying that people have

become more indifferent to face-to-face interaction and how it makes them feel when they, for

example, go to the coffee shop with their friends and instead of conversing with them, their

friends just glue their eyes to the screen the entire time.

-

Black hat: students can discuss the negative effects electronic devices are having on people’s

lives both academically and personally. Students should also focus on the effects of devices on

impressionable teenagers who may follow whatever they think fashionable or trendy on social

media.

-

Yellow hat: students can point out the benefits to using technological devices in people’s

everyday life, how they can help people enjoy a more convenient life and later talk about how

using smartphones, for example, can help with the process of integration into a world full of

technologies. This can further develop into how students can keep abreast of the latest

information and catch up with their peers at school using devices.

-

Green hat: students can come up with a novel idea that devices themselves should not be

harmful, but it is decided by its user. Students can talk about how an ill-intentioned user can

always use their smartphones to cyberbully other people and how a good user, on the other

hand,

can

make

use

of

the

technology

to

make

their

life

better.

Question: Some people think that teenagers’ use of smartphones and other electronic devices

is spoiling their life. Others think otherwise, saying that students should be familiarized with

these gadgets to keep up with this modern world. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

-

Blue hat: students can think of the world in the future where people start using smartphones

and technological devices in nearly every single aspect of their life and this may cause

overreliance and maybe predict some alternatives that are more positive than smartphones and

other technological devices the world is using today.

TOPIC 4: LANGUAGES

Brainstorming:

-

White hat: students can start talking about the importance of languages in global integration,

which they have read from newspapers.

-

Red hat: students can express their feelings towards the difficulties of having to communicate

using a language they do not know and how that challenge goes on to affect the whole country

when it wants to integrate fully into the world.

-

Black hat: students can point out the obstacles that a country may face when it has low

foreign language proficiency.

-

Yellow hat: students can discuss the perks of having high levels of language proficiency for a

country which wants to catch up with the rest of the world. Those perks can be economy-related

and even culturally associated.

-

Green hat: students can talk about other ways, besides learning a foreign language, a country

can use to get on with the world. The alternative can be through diplomatic relations, providing

aid or actively engaging in environmental protection campaigns.

-

Blue hat: students can discuss the future of the world where language learning is assisted by

machines and maybe we can confidently communicate with one another without having to be

really proficient in another language.

TOPIC 5: EDUCATION

Question: Some people believe that low foreign language proficiency is still a big obstacle

for Vietnam to integrate fully into the world. Others think otherwise, claiming that the key to

global integration does not lie just in foreign language proficiency. Discuss both views and

give your opinion.

Brainstorming:

-

White Hat: Looking at the objective facts, the question presents two opposing views on the

suitability

of

traditional

examinations

as

a

form

of

assessment.

One

view

suggests

that

traditional examinations are no longer suitable and should be replaced by other forms of

assessment, while the other view argues that traditional examinations are still useful in

assessing students' academic performance.

-

Red

Hat:

Considering

emotions

and

personal

opinions,

individuals

who

believe

that

traditional examinations are no longer suitable may feel that these exams put excessive pressure

on

students and promote a narrow focus on rote memorization rather than critical thinking and

practical application of knowledge. On the other hand, those who support the use of traditional

examinations may believe that these exams provide a fair and standardized way to evaluate

students' understanding of the subject matter.

-

Black Hat: Examining the negative aspects, the argument against traditional examinations

highlights potential drawbacks such as increased stress and anxiety among students, limited

assessment of practical skills, and a focus on memorization rather than deep understanding. On

the other hand, replacing traditional examinations entirely may pose challenges in terms of

ensuring standardized assessments and measuring students' knowledge comprehensively.

-

Yellow Hat: Exploring the positive aspects, proponents of replacing traditional examinations

argue that alternative forms of assessment, such as project-based assessments, portfolios, or oral

presentations, can better evaluate students' critical thinking, problem-solving, and practical

skills. On the other hand, supporters of traditional examinations emphasize their ability to

provide a standardized and objective evaluation of students' academic performance across

different contexts.

Some people believe that traditional examinations are no longer suitable and should be

replaced by other forms of assessment. Others think otherwise, claiming that traditional

examinations are still useful in assessing students’ academic performance. Discuss both views

and give your opinion.

-

Green Hat: Considering creative alternatives, a blended approach to assessment can be

considered. Incorporating a variety of assessment methods, including traditional examinations

and alternative forms, allows for a more comprehensive evaluation of students' knowledge and

skills.

This

approach

can

combine

the

objectivity

and

standardized

nature

of

traditional

examinations with the ability to assess practical application and critical thinking through

alternative forms of assessment.

-

Blue Hat: Taking an overall perspective, a balanced approach to assessment emerges. While

traditional examinations have their limitations, they still serve a purpose in evaluating students'

academic performance. However, incorporating alternative forms of assessment can provide a

more holistic view of students' abilities and promote a deeper understanding of the subject

matter.

TOPIC 6: THE ENVIRONMENT

Brainstorming:

-

White Hat: Looking at the objective facts, the question presents two contrasting views on the

causes of global warming. One view suggests that global warming is a natural phenomenon,

while the other view argues that it is primarily caused by human activities.

-

Red Hat: Considering emotions and personal opinions, individuals who believe that global

warming is a natural phenomenon may feel that natural factors such as solar radiation and

volcanic activity play a significant role in the Earth's climate patterns. On the other hand, those

who attribute global warming to human activities may feel a sense of urgency to address the

issue and reduce human impact on the environment.

-

Black

Hat:

Examining

the

negative

aspects,

if

global

warming

is

seen

as

a

natural

phenomenon, there may be a tendency to downplay the need for immediate action to mitigate its

effects. Conversely, if human activities are seen as the primary cause, there may be concerns

Question 1: Some people think that global warming is a natural phenomenon. Some people

think otherwise, claiming that it is caused by human activities. Discuss both views and give

your opinion.

about the potential consequences of inaction, such as rising sea levels, extreme weather events,

and biodiversity loss.

-

Yellow Hat: Exploring the positive aspects, proponents of the natural phenomenon view argue

that understanding natural climate cycles is essential for predicting and adapting to changes.

They emphasize the need to consider long-term climate trends and historical data. On the other

hand, supporters of the human-caused view highlight the importance of recognizing human

influence to implement sustainable practices and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

-

Green

Hat:

Considering

creative

alternatives,

a

balanced

perspective

could

involve

acknowledging both natural and human factors in global warming. This perspective recognizes

that natural climate variations exist but also acknowledges the significant impact of human

activities on the accelerated rate of warming. It encourages a comprehensive approach that

addresses both natural climate cycles and the reduction of human-induced greenhouse gas

emissions.

-

Blue Hat: Taking an overall perspective, a balanced approach to the causes of global warming

emerges.

While

natural

climate

cycles

have

occurred

throughout

Earth's

history,

human

activities have significantly contributed to the current warming trend. Recognizing both factors

allows for a more comprehensive understanding of the issue and informs effective strategies to

mitigate the impacts of global warming.

4.2.

A checklist for constant feedback

To constantly give constructive feedback after a student has given his talk, I suggest using the

following checklist. This checklist was adapted from the marking criteria for the speaking test

of the National English Competition and IELTS.

CRITERION

TICK BOX

1.

speak with a few pauses

2.

have an introduction

3.

support main ideas

4.

have a conclusion

5.

develop related ideas fully

6.

convey ideas effectively

7.

have creative ideas

8.

pronounce words accurately

9.

have a clear accent

10.

use words in the right context

11.

use grammar correctly

12.

present the answer naturally and confidently

13.

know how to emphasize ideas

CHAPTER THREE: CONCLUSION

1.

Summary

Looking at the struggles students especially those who are considered adequate learners of English

have to face when dealing with abstract questions often given by the test-makers of the National

English Competition, I have reasons to believe that a tactic should be given to those students in the

hope that they can have a better understanding of the question and therefore develop their answers in a

logical and well-organized manner. After elaborating on the core strategies and how they can be put

into practice in lessons and in tests, my research has been completed. I hope that this research can bring

about great changes to students’ academic performance overall and their language proficiency in

particular.

2.

Limitations and recommendations

This research can have flaws and limitations and there is always room for improvement. Therefore, I

welcome

contributions

and

feedback

from

colleagues

and

teachers.

REFERENCES

de

Bono,

Edward

(1985).

Six

Thinking

Hats:

An

Essential

Approach

to

Business

Management.

Canale, M., and M. Swain. 1980. Theoretical bases of communicative approaches to second

language testing and teaching. Applied Linguistics 1(1): 1-47

Hedge. 1993. Key concepts in ELT: Fluency. ELT journal 47: 275-276.

Dornyei, Z. 1995. On the teachability of communication strategies. TESOL Quarterly 29: 55-

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