VietTESOL International Convention 2025

Teaching young learners (YLs) to speak English freely, smoothly, and spontaneously is the ultimate objective of EFL instruction. Drama activities are among the strategies used to help YLs improve their English-speaking abilities. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate how EFL teachers view the advantages and difficulties of employing drama activities to teach YLs how to speak English. This study was conducted in Vietnam at a private kindergarten system (PKS). Thirty-two English teachers who taught English there participated in the research. To guarantee the validity and reliability of the study, a mixed-method research design was used, collecting both quantitative and qualitative data. Three instruments—questionnaires, interviews, and observations—were used to gather data. Descriptive statistics and content analysis were used to analyze the data. According to the study's findings, drama activities were commonly used in bilingual classrooms. Teachers also found that using drama exercises helped YLs' English-speaking abilities, but they also faced several difficulties involving students, teachers, and the environment. It is anticipated that this study will clarify how speaking skills instruction is implemented for YLs in this setting and in other kindergartens generally.

Keywords: Speaking skills, drama activities, young learners, bilingual classes, Vietnamese context