Using Mimes and Mini Acts to Improve Chinese Speaking Skills of Grade 7 Thai Students
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
With a one-group Pre/Posttest design, the study aimed to explore whether mimes and mini acts could improve Chinese speaking skills of Thai students and whether students were satisfied with a one-month-long course. The mixed-methods approach was adopted to collect data from the three instruments: quantitative data from 1) the Pre/Posttest, 2) the Semantic Differential Scale, and qualitative data from 3) the Observation Checklist. The sample group consisted of 40 students selected by opportunity sampling.
The Pre-test and the Post-test results showed that the mean scores of students rose 9.70 from 19.00 to 28.70. Scores of other skills (i.e. expression and body language, teamwork, creativity, topic,) accompanying speaking skills (i.e. fluency, pronunciation, and vocabulary) resulting from mimes and mini acts were higher in the Post-test than in the Pre-test. The qualitative data from the Observation Checklist analysis revealed five aspects--teaching, the teacher’s personality, the learning environment, the teaching materials, and facilities that showed high students’ satisfaction. The Semantic Differential Scale (scale 1-7) indicated most of the students in this class showed a statistically significant high level (`x=5.95 to`x=6.60) of satisfaction. It can be concluded from the findings that mimes and mini acts improved students’ Chinese speaking and satisfied students.
Article Details
Copyright: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
References
Abrar, M., Mukminin, A., Habibi, A., Asyrafi, F., & Marzulina, L. (2018). “If our English isn’t a language, what is it?” Indonesian EFL student teachers’ challenges speaking English. The Qualitative Report, 23(1), 129-145.
Akçayır, G., & Akçayır, M. (2018). The flipped classroom: A review of its advantages and challenges. Computers & Education, 126, 334-345.
Alvarado, J. S. (2017). The use of theater and drama techniques to foster speaking skills in the English class. Revista de Lenguas Modernas, 26, 305-317.
Arnold, J., & Brown, H. D. (1999). Affect in language learning. Great Britain: Cambridge University Press.
Azeez, R. A., & Azeez, P. Z. (2018). Incorporating body language into EFL teaching. Koya University Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 1(1), 36-45.
Bakerman, R., & Quera, V. (2011). Sequential analysis and observational methods for the behavioral sciences. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Bautista, A. L. L., & Ruiz, E. D. E. (2017). The development of the body language in the speaking skill. Retrieved from http://repositorio.ug.edu.ca/handle/redug/28640.
Burns, A. C., & Bush, R. F. (2000). Marketing research. Globalization, 1(7), 76-93.
Cambridge Technicals. (2021). OCR level 3 performing arts. Retrieved from https://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/ 141374-the-performance-of-mime.pdf
Chaney, A. L., & Burk, T. L. (1998). Teaching oral communication in grades K-8. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Chayakul, C. (2017). Analysis of the main international tourist arrivals to Thailand and their impacts on Thailand’s tourism industry. Ksem Bundit Journal, 1(1), 18-30.
Chayanuvat, A. (1996). Constructing your course materials for effective English teaching. Bangkok, Thailand: Chulalongkorn University Press.
Chen, Y. T., Liou, S., & Chen, L. F. (2019). The relationships among gender, cognitive styles, learning strategies, and learning performance in the flipped classroom. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 35(4-5), 395-403.
Crandall, J. A. (1999). Cooperative language learning and affective factors (pp. 226-245). In Arnold, J. (Ed.). Affective factors in language learning. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
Davis, D. L., & Davis, D. F. (1990). The effect of training techniques and personal characteristics on training end users of information systems. Journal of Management Information Systems, 7(2), 93-110.
Defeu, B. (1994). Teaching myself. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Defrioka, A. (2017). The use of information gap activities in teaching speaking (Classroom action research at smk). Lingua Didaktika: Jurnal Bahasa dan Pembelajaran Bahasa, 10(2), 116-126.
Ehrman, M. (1999). Ego boundaries and tolerance of ambiguity in second language learning (pp. 68-86). In Arnold, J. (Ed.). Affect in language learning. Cambridge, New York.
Elson, N. (1989). The teacher as a participating citizen. TESL Talk, 19(1), 47-55.
EveryCRSReport, (2019). China’s economic rise: History, trends, challenges, and implications for the United States. Retrieved from https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/RL33534.html
Goldin-Meadow, S., & Singer, M. A. (2003). From children’s hands to adults’ ears: Gesture’s role in the learning process. Developmental Psychology, 39(3), 509.
Guo, S., Shin, H., & Shen, Q. (2020). The commodification of Chinese in Thailand’s linguistic market: A case study of how language education promotes social sustainability. Sustainability, 12(18), 7344.
Halliday, M. A. K. (2004). Appendix: The functional basis of language. Class, Codes, and Control, 2, 343-366.
Harris, M. S., & Umeda, N. (1974). Effect of speaking mode on temporal factors in speech: vowel duration. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 56(3), 1016-1018.
Hartanto, B. (2017). The teacher’s strategy teaching speaking: A classroom observation research at the eleventh grade of Puworejo in the academic year of 2016/2017. SCRIPTA-English Department Journal, 1(12), 1-10.
Helen, K. (2017). The importance of speaking in second language acquisition. Retrieved from http://eslarticle.com/pub/english-as-a-second-language-esl/139477-The-Importance-of-Speaking-in-Second-Language-Acquisition.html
Hertia, A. P., & Tiarina, Y. (2014). Teaching imperative sentence through “Act out (A guessing game with mime) activity” in produce text at junior high school. Journal of English Language Teaching, 2(2), 8-15.
Hsu, L. (2017). Explorations in flipped classroom and college student’s English learning anxiety. Journal of University of Science and Technology of China,, 4(1), 127-143.
Hyun, J., Ediger, R., & Lee, D. (2017). Students’ satisfaction on their learning process in active learning and traditional classrooms. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 29(1), 108-118.
Jin, L., (2019). The “Transnational Identity” of contemporary Chinese culture has a significant distortion and effect on the future development of the “Belt and Road”, Yunnan Democratic League. Retrieved from http://www.ynmm.gov.cn/xxyd/69358406 41461165728
Ju, Z. (2019). Elementary mandarin immersion students learning alphabetic pinyin and using pinyin to learn chinese characters (Order No. 22621578). ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global (2307785110). Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/elementary-mandarin-immersionstudent s-learning/docview/2307785110/se-2?accountd=34292
Kawinkoonlasate, P. (2019). Integration in flipped classroom technology approach to develop English language skills of Thai EFL learners. English Language Teaching, 12(11), 23-34.
Koran, S. (2015). The role of teachers in developing learners’ speaking skill (pp. 400-416). In Proceedings of the 6th the International Visible Conference on Educational Studies and Applied Linguistics. Italy: European Center of Sustainable Development.
Krashen, S. D. (1992). Fundamentals of language education. Torrance, CA: Laredo Publishing Company.
Larsen-Freeman, D. (2000). Techniques and principles in language teaching. London: Oxford University.
Leabhart, T. (1989). Modern and post-modern mime. England: Macmillan International Higher Education.
Lesson Plan & Activities. (1998). Miming in class. Retrieved from https://www.icaltefl.com/miming-in-class
Lichtman, M. (2013). Qualitative research for the social sciences. California: SAGE publications.
Mahmoud, V. M. (2020). The choice and use of authentic documents to improve the linguistic level in a French as a foreign language class. Al-Adab Journal, 133(2020), 15-30.
Morrison, J. (1989). Contemporary fiction. England: Routledge.
Nanyan, S. (2018). Lexical challenges in English speaking skills among Armenian students. Retrieved from https://dspace.aua.am/xmlui/handle/123456789/78
Novianda, R. (2017). Teaching speaking by using picture strip stories. English Education Journal, 8(3), 386-403.
Nunan, D. (1999). Second language teaching and learning. USA: Heinle and Heinele Publishers.
Nurmiati, N., & Hasan, P. A. (2020). Environmental-based student centered learning at the first middle school level. International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Business Development, 3(4), 370-375.
Ploder, A., & Eder, A. (2015). Semantic differential. Science Direct. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9800809970868032311
Rafsanjani, A. A., Suwandi, S., & Bharati, D. A. L. (2020). The effectiveness of role-play and information-gap in E-Teaching speaking skill for high-low self-confident students. English Education Journal, 10(4), 493-503.
Ricardo, E. S., (2019). Stephen Krashen’s theory of second language acquisition. Retrieved from https://www.sk.com.br/sk-krash-english.html#:~:text=Acquisition%20requires%20meaningful%20interaction%20in,they%20are%20conveying%20and%20understanding
Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (1986). Communicative language teaching. Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching. New York: Cambridge UP.
Rosenberg, B., & Navarro, M. A. (2017). Semantic differential scaling. ResearchGate. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320808961_SEMANTIC_DIFFERENTIAL_SCALING
Rovinelli, R. J., & Hambleton, R. K. (1977). The use of content specialists in the assessment of criterion-referenced test item validity. Tijdschrift voor Onderwijsresearch, 2(2), 49-60.
Srichampa, S., Burarungrot, M., & Samoh, U. (2018). Language planning through policy in Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore for unskilled migrant workers. Language and Linguistics, 36(2), 89-121.
Supriyani, S. (2018). The effects of teaching techniques on students’ speaking skill at junior high school in Cirebon, West Java. Wiralodra English Journal, 2(1), 107-116.
Talan, T., & Gulsecen, S. (2019). The effect of a flipped classroom on students’ achievements, academic engagement and satisfaction levels. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 20(4), 31-60.
Trinity College London. (2017). Guidance on mime. Retrieved from https://learn.trinitycollege.co.uk/hubfs/Drama/DRAMA_2020_ACTING/PDFS/Guidance%20on%20mime.pdf?__hstc=153457959.6109c7c9a79a931599d3cbcd0cffb797.1570183988124.1571926214008.1572015675669.14&__hssc=153457959.3.1572015675669&__hsfp4226290834&hsCtaTrackingb6dfc4fc-2200-412c-b9e4-517b34c4a0967C7258975f-4707-44c6-b81f-66f63e1f7b64
Zekeri, A. A. (2004). College curriculum competencies and skills former students found essential to their careers. College Student Journal, 38(3), 412-423.
Zhao, X., (2017). Chinese accelerates to become an “international language”. People’s Daily Overseas Edition. Retrieved from http://world.people.com.cn/n1/2017/0923/c1002-29553960.html