Sáng kiến kinh nghiệm The importance of organizing and maintaining the activities of English club in secondary schools

I/ REASONS FOR CHOOSING TOPICS:
THE IMPORTANCE OF ORGANIZING AND MAINTAINING THE ACTIVITIES OF ENGLISH CLUB IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS.
As we know, in order to promote listening and speaking skills and stimulate the learning spirit of foreign language learners, besides studying and practicing in class with the teachers and friends, to create a practicing environment such as English clubs for students is necessary and will bring practical results.
It is very clear that languages learners can only be more confident while demonstrating language that they are learning with their friends at their own clubs. Here they will have more opportunities to learn, to share experiences, to communicate, and to take part in joyful and useful activities together.
Basing on the practical activities of the English club at my school for many years, I myself have got some experiences, and also thought of trying to find more practical and effective solutions in order to maintain and promote the efficiency of the English club, to improve listening and speaking skills for students, to create good conditions for teaching and learning English in my school.
Since it is a topic, I am pleased to share some the experiences and ideas about how to organize and maintain the club’s activities to my colleagues. Thus I am expectedly looking forward to hearing and recieving good comments and ideas from the leaders as well as the colleagues.
II. THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL BASES:
THEORETICAL BASES:
The history gave us evidences that mankind has known how to organize community activities in groups or clans for ages. That has brought efficiency up to now. On the mass media or through the local reality, there are many types of club everywhere such as farmer club, gardeners’ club, the youth club, women club,... etc. It means that the club activities have existed for a very long time and affected possitively to the lives and development of human beings.
There have been clubs in some schools such as math lovers club, literature club, English club, chess club ... .These clubs have encouraged students’ studying movements.
When attending in music and art classea, it is very easy for me to see that students are passionate, excited. Looking at the children practice singing or drawing passionately, I ask myself "Why are the students passionate like thaóa? Why are students fed up with English? Why do we not encourage students’ passion and refresh them in their learning?”
And the idea of playing to learn, learn in play at the club was formed.
SUBJECTS AND LEVELS:
Students from grade 6 to grade 9
English, Music, Art and Physical Education teachers
Attend in the school club.
THE FACT OF THE SCHOOL:
In the school year of 2013-2014, the School Leaders allowed us to hold the first English club. First we divided the school into four teams each team had from five to six representatives. Then each English teacher would have to train them to practice listening, speaking about the predetermined theme, singing some songs in English so as to perform in the first night of the club.
With the enthusiastic help of the school leaders, the ceremony was occured and the first activities were very succesful. Since then, we have maintained it more actively and effectively. (However, we only achieved small activities known as the nature movement due to the emulations of the school.)
III. LESSONS LEARNED.
THE ORGANIZATIONAL WORK:
- In order to form an English club in the school, it is necessary to have the direction and the support of the leaders of the school together with the determination of all English teachers.
- The head of the team has to develop programs, then the school leader has to check, give some additional things and sign.
- In English teachers group, we have to agree on the assignments and the programs.
a) The organizational structure includes:
+. Chairman of the club: the English group leaders.
+. Vice manager in charge of expertise.
+. Vice manager in charge of the entertainment.
+. 4 student team leaders. 
b) Duties:
+. Chairman of the club together with two vice managers: directs and manages generally, and builds the programs, suggests ideas, and asks for the leader’s guidance.
 +. Vice manager in charge of expertise: monitor the situation or the actual needs of students of English regularly, in order to build specific program, with close topics to study effectively, to encourage students to study harder and harder. Work with the other members to build the programs for the club, devolve and help the team leaders.
+. Vice manager in charge of the entertainment: A teacher of Art or Music can be assigned to take responsibility.
+. The leaders of the student teams: Manage, track, assign, and help the team members when they are working. The leaders of the student teams represent the members proposing, reflecting the needs ... .. to the teachers who have responsibility for the club.
+. Members: Members of the club have to execute the assignment and direction of the group leaders and teachers. Ensure the schedule of club activities and work effectively.
OPERATIONAL PROGRAMS:
• The Operational Programs must fit the students’ knowledge and abilities in each grade, all of the topics and themes must close to the real life, be realistic and stick to the learning programs.
• at the beginning the year the organizers have to develop the program and consulte the leaders.
• The club's activities have rhythmic combination between knowledge training and entertainment activities, other supporting games. The program should really attract students.
• Program is changed, improved or renewed frequently to improve the effectiveness of the club.
IV. INITIATIVE PART:
SOLUTIONS TO IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE OF CLUB
To make students more exciting when they take part in the club, to help them realize that English club is the most ideal place to improve their knowledge, to share experiences of foreign language learning, to practice listening and speaking skills, and to participate in other useful cultural and sport activities, the ganizers of the club have to strengthen and maintain the structure (as described above), and necessarily improve in the content and form of the club's activities. I myself had many concerns, thoughts and then formed following ideas.
* Combine 3 subjects (English, Music, Art), concretize into the activities, integrate into the programs of the club. English teachers and music teachers teach students some songs in English or other entertainment shows. English teachers and art teachers decorate the stage, organize drawing competitions. Physical Education teachers teach them some exercise lessons like aerobics... etc. 
* The content and form of the activities must be changed or renewed continuously. Here are some suggestions:
- Present the point of views, answer the critical questions by picking flowers questions of democracy.
(These activities has been organized regularly, however it is hard to promote creativity and engage the listeners)
- Present learning experiences, answer the questions in order to share experiences with other members.
- Present theory with illustrated evidences on subject knowledges (such as tenses, part of speech of words, structures, sentence forms ....)
- Give the situations, organize competitions between groups. These activities are abundant, close to the school subjects, and very practical for the students, however, the words must match with the students of each grade. The organizers should not place great importance on language skills, but they should focus on their brave when they use the words which can take notice and flexibility of their creativity.
These situations may be suggested that:
-Introducing and making new friends.
-Asking about the place to live.
-introducing and meeting people in the family.
-Asking about the schools, teachers, friends, time, schedules, and school subjects.
Asking about the passions, habits and everyday life.
Asking about the transport and traffic safety.
Asking about the health, food and hygiene.
Asking about the weather and seasons.
Asking and answering about the environment and environmental protection.
Asking about the mass media.
Making appointments through the telephone; exchanging forums on the internet.
Debating about how to learn, where to learn and learning conditions.
-Talking about the dreams, future and job.
Debating about the costumes, customs and traditions.
Asking about historical figures and events.
- Asking about natural disasters, events.
Asking about the outstanding events of the year.
Asking about sports, music.
.............
Organizing the drawing, introducing, presenting, commenting, questionizing competitions in English (in groups or in grades).
Then ask students to take part in some contests such as drawing; writing postcards, invitations, posters, notices. 
Write passages about evryday life. (about 150 words) with the topic "The small is not small," they write about the good jobs that their friends did such as collecting the garbage, keeping the public environment clean, protecting trees and wildlife, helping grandparents and the disabled people ............. etc. 
The organizers mainly design knowledge contests then give them award when they win the contest in order to attract students.
* In addition, the organizers should desing some games such as bingo, lucky number ... etc.
* When building programs, the organizers should have a reasonable mainstreaming among presentations, debates, competitions, games, entertainment and activities to make the club lively and attractive.
* Finally, the organizers should check the responsibilities and get the lessons of experience.
V. SURVEY RESULTS AND PERFORMANCE:
1. SURVEY ON STUDENTS’ FAVORITE PARTICIPATING IN THE CLUB:
Surveyed students
Like
Don’t like
Grade
Total
SS like
Percent
SS don’t like
Percent
6
90
55
61%
35
39%
7
90
60
67%
30
33%
8
75
45
60%
30
40%
9
50
33
66%
17
34%
Total
305
193
63.3%
112
36.7%
2, TEST RESULTS OF LISTENING AND SPEAKING SKILLS OF THE CLUB MEMBERS.
Tested students
Listening skill
Speaking skill
Grade
Total
Fair
Good
Excelent
Fair
Good
Excelent
sl
%
sl
%
sl
%
Sl
%
sl
%
sl
%
6
55
20
36.4
25
45.5
10
18.2
17
30.9
27
49.1
6
10.9
7
60
21
35
24
40
15
25
19
31.7
28
46.7
13
21.7
8
45
10
22.2
25
55.6
10
22.2
7
15.6
20
44.4
18
40
9
33
11
33.3
15
45.6
7
21.2
9
27.3
14
42.4
10
30.3
Total
193
62
32.1
89
46.1
42
21.8
52
26.9
89
46.1
47
24.4
VI . CONCLUSION:
All the things that I said above are the lessons learned in the process of holding the school English club. Changing the content and method of conducting activities are mainly my personal ideas, so I am looking forward to getting the contributions and comments from my colleagues and leaders.
Chieu Luu, April, 2016
Writer
Ngo Kim Vinh
VII. LEADER’S APPROVAL: