This study investigated the relationship between the number of reward cards ("EZ cards") earned by 92 secondary students in Indonesia for speaking English, and their oral assessment scores. The students could earn EZ cards by speaking English in and outside of class. A chi-square test found a significant relationship between the number of EZ cards earned and oral assessment scores. Students who spoke English more to earn more EZ cards prepared more for their oral exams, and tended to receive higher scores. The results supported previous research finding that motivation and opportunities to practice a language impact English learning achievement.

1. Relationship between the Number of
EZ Cards (Rewards) Gained by the
Students and their Oral Assessment
scores in L2 English Speaking
Environment
Afiani Astuti
Presented in ASIA TEFL
24 October 2013
Ateneo de Manila University
Philippines

2. The Study
 Investigated the
relationship between the
number of EZ cards
(rewards) gained by
secondary students and
their oral assessment
score.

3. Setting/Participants
 The participants were 92
students in West Bandung
district from year 7 to 11
 Studying English as their
foreign language.
 They have different
background of language
learning and have learned
English for more than 5
years.
 Some students have been
speaking English in their
English course and some
have experienced staying
and living overseas in
English speaking countries.

4. Efforts to create ESE (EZ)

5. English Speaking Environment
English day –
once a week
English days –
three days a
week
English days-
everyday
English speaking
Environment (EZ
cards as rewards)

6. Reality
 It was tough to encourage the students to
speak English
 The English Speaking Environment program
had to be supported from all teachers, parents
and friends.
 Applications and procedures were established
 Supporting the sustainability of the program

7. EZ Cards

8. EZ Cards system
 Worth 10% of marks
 Collected by students 8-10
cards per term
 The students have to use
English actively both in and
out of the classroom

9. Terms & Conditions
 Speaking actively in the class
 “Caught in the act” - speaking English
actively out of classroom
 Helping other students actively to support
the speaking activity during the lesson
 The students’ EZ cards will be withdrawn
if they speak Bahasa Indonesia (L1)

10. EXAMPLE OF SCORING
It contributes 10 % to the progress report total score
writing reading listening speaking project EZ Total
20% 35% 15% 10% 10% 10%
writing reading listening speaking project EZ Total
20% 35% 15% 10% 10% 10% 100%
85 90 80 85 70 80 490
17 31.5 12 8.5 7 8 84

11. Theories
 Motivation (Gardner, 1981; Dornyei, 2001;
de Bot et all, 2005)
 A genuine interest in learning the second language in order
to come closer to the other language community. (Gardner,
1981)
 Motivational attribution, feedback, learner’s satisfaction,
rewards and grades (Dornyei, 2001)
 Learners do better when they are rewarded but the extra
effort stopped when the rewards are taken away (de Bot et
all, 2005)

12. Linguistics environment (Krashen, 1996; Long,
1999; Elllis, 1999; Swain, 2003, Wang, 2009)
to increase practice opportunities
to improve the quality of students’ talk
to help individualising instruction
to promote a positive affective climate

13. EZ – Linguistic Environment
Explicit
learning
controlled Formal classroom
Implicit Less
controlled
Informal
Out of
classroom

14. Methods
Quantitative
• This study applied chi-square calculation as
its statistical tool to identify how the number
of EZ cards gained correlated to the
students’ speaking score
Data collection
• by recapping all the EZ cards gained for one
term
• by collecting oral assessment in the end of
the term

15. Instruments
Score Categories
EZ cards EZ cards
0 L
3 M
>6 H
Score Categories
Speaking score EZ cards
0 L
4 M
>7 H
• A recapitulation sheet of EZ cards collection
• The score of oral assessment during the oral
assessment week.

16.  HH = high number of EZ card gained with high speaking score
 MM = medium number of EZ card with medium speaking score
 LL = low number of EZ card gained with low speaking score
 MH = medium number of EZ card gained with medium speaking score
 LH = low number of EZ card gained with high speaking score
 HM = high number of EZ card gained with medium speaking score
 LM= low number of EZ card gained with medium
 HL = high number of EZ card gained with low speaking score
 ML = = high number of EZ card gained with low speaking score
SPEAKING SCORE EZ card gained
HIGH MEDIUM LOW
HIGH HH HM HL
MEDIUM MH MM ML
LOW LH LM LL

17. Frequency
 The two nominal variables had to be categorised and
made correlated between one and another.
SPEAKING
SCORE
FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE
HIGH MEDIUM LOW HIGH MEDIUM LOW
HIGH HH=27 HM=7 HL= 0 29.35% 7.61% 00
MEDIUM MH=11 MM=27 ML=4 11.96% 29.35% 4.35%
LOW LH= 2 LM= 10 LL= 4 2.17% 10.87% 4.35%

18. Expected & Observed
OBSERVED EZ card gained TOTAL
SPEAKING SCORE HIGH MEDIUM LOW
HIGH 32 2 0 34
MEDIUM 10 28 4 42
LOW 3 5 8 16
TOTAL 45 35 12 92
EXPECTED EZ card gained TOTAL
SPEAKING SCORE HIGH MEDIUM LOW
HIGH 16.63 12.93 4.43 34
MEDIUM 20.54 15.98 5.48 42
LOW 7.83 6.09 2.09 16
TOTAL 45 35 12 92

19. Chi square
X2 = Ʃ (32-16.63)2 + (10-20.54) 2 + (3-7.83) 2 + (2-12.93) 2 + (28-15.98)2 +
16.63 20.54 7.83 12.93 15.98
(5-6.09) 2 + (0-4.43) 2 + (4-5.48) 2 + (8 – 2.09) 2 +
6.09 4.43 5.48 2.09
X2 = 14.2 + 5.41 + 2.98 + 9.24 + 9.04 + 0.19 + 0.19 0.40 +
X2 = 62.66
The number of the degree of freedom for two ways table is found
by applying formula.
df =(C-1) (R-1)
df =(3-1) (3-1)
df = 4

20. Results
 The obtained chi-square value is 62.66 which
means it is in the critical region that it exceeds
the critical value of 9.488 with the degree of
freedom 4. Therefore, H0 is rejected and the
result is significant with X2 (4, n = 92), p < 0.05.
 The relationship between the number of EZ
cards gained as motivation and the speaking
score on oral assessment is significant.

21. Conclusion
The more students practiced their English, the
more EZ cards gained.
The more they practiced, the more they
prepared for the oral examination.
The more they prepared, the higher score
they will get.
Overall, the students have more chances for
oral production in the linguistic environment
This study supported a number of research on
motivation and the achievement of the English language
learners.

22. Maraming Salamat Po