The application of Information Technology to foreign language education is obviously a must
in the Information age. In the last few years, there have been dramatic changes in the ways
that languages are taught with the replacement of grammar translation by communicative
approaches and the introduction of technological tools. The reason for such changes is that the
goal of Vietnamese learners is no longer to pass examinations but to use language for daily
communication and interactions.
Hermann Gmeiner school of Hanoi is seeking further improvements and achievement in
teaching English language skill. Apart from selecting qualified teaching staff, applying
appropriate teaching methods, the school is experimenting with the use of multimedia in
teaching English.
This study aims to investigate the current use of multimedia in teaching English speaking skill
at Hermann Gmeiner school of Hanoi. The subjects of the study were seventy-two 10
th
form
students and the teacher who was responsible to teach English to these students. The teacher
and the students were invited to take part in the survey, answerthe questionnaire, participate
in the interview, and play the role of source for the author’s observation. The research reveals
that using multimedia to teach speaking skill to 10
th
form students is rather effective.
However, several difficulties are realized during the first steps of applying this method of
teaching; and thus, suggestions to overcome these obstacles as well as to increase the efficient
of using multimedia in teaching this skill are in great demand. On this basis, the study
provides a number of recommendations for the administrators, the teachers to utilize IT in
improving the teaching quality of speaking skill among EFL students.