The Application of Schema Theory in the Teaching of Spoken English in Grade 11 of Dinh Tien Hoang Highschool Ba Ria Vung Tau

Abstract

While speaking, along with listening, reading, and writing, is recognized as a fundamental skills in language learning, it has received significantly less attention than the other skills in ESL/EFL teaching at most high schools. This is primarily because speaking is not included in the National High School Graduation Exam, leading students who have studied English for several years often lack confidence when required to express themselves in English. Many students struggle to communicate effectively with native speakers, often failing to respond accurately even to simple utterances. This issue arises from an overemphasis on teaching individual words and sentences in spoken language, while neglecting oral discourse production and communicative competence. Schema theory is significantly influences both receptive skills (reading and listening) and productive skills (speaking and writing). However, prior research has predominantly focused on its application to reading and listening comprehension, largely overlooking its potential impact on speaking and writing development. The goal is to enhance students’ oral output by helping them construct linguistic, formal, and content schemata, in addition to memorizing grammatically correct sentences. To validate the role of schema theory in teaching spoken English and explore effective methods for improving students’ spoken English, the researcher conducted a quasi-experiemenal survey. Forty students from two Grade 11 classes at Dinh Tien Hoang High School participated in the study. The research process involved the following steps: Initially, a questionnaire gathered preliminary information on students’ attitudes toward speaking and factors affecting its development. Then, a pretest in spoken English was administered to categorize students into two groups: an experimental group and a control group. Subsequently, the experimental group underwent an experiment applying schema theory to spoken English teaching, while the control group received traditional teaching methods. After the experiment, a post test evaluated both groups’ speaking performance. Finally, an interview was conducted to assess students’ attitudes toward speaking and the experimental teaching method Data analysis from the pre-test and post-test revealed that the experimental group progressed more rapidly than the control group. This indicates that schema theory can effectively enhance students’ speaking abilities, as constructing and activating linguistic, formal, and content schemata has a positive impact on their performance. Additionally, factors such as inadequate pre-speaking preparation and weak motivation were found to affect students’ performance in English speaking. Based on these results, several pedagogical implications emerge for spoken English instruction. Teachers should prioritize fostering students' schema creation, modification, and activation across all categories. Effective strategies include emphasizing pre-speaking preparations, designing meaningful communicative activities, expanding vocabulary systematically, and encouraging extensive reading and listening. This study offers valuable insights for improving spoken English teaching in Vietnamese high schools and demonstrates the practical applicability of schema theory to productive language skills development.