VietTESOL International Convention 2026

Developing communicative aptitude for English among young learners is a pivotal objective in primary education, particularly in circumstances where students are exposed to considerable language input but still struggle to use it effectively and confidently. Despite the implementation of communicative curricula as well as modern and standard textbooks, many grade 1 – 2 students remain reluctant to speak, often staying in a “silent period” and generating only single words. In addition, limited classroom practices, insufficient scaffolding, and a lack of opportunities for language use beyond the classroom can obstruct their development of listening and speaking skills. This study addresses these gaps by designing and conducting an integrated model to build a communicative learning environment through communicative, experiential, and technology-supported learning tasks. Grounded in Second Language Acquisition theories, the study implemented a classroom-based intervention with 98 primary students over two academic years. The model consisted of four key components: scaffolding through mind maps and sentence frames, a Video Speaking Homework cycle combined with peer modeling, interactive classroom and school-based communicative activities, and digital portfolios along with gamified learning platforms. The findings revealed significant improvements in students’ confidence, listening comprehension, and ability to produce complete spoken sentences. Most students gradually overcame the initial silent phase and demonstrated greater fluency and willingness to communicate in English. The study highlights the importance of extending language practice beyond the classroom and provides a practical model for integrating scaffolding, peer interaction, and technology in primary English education.