USING SUMMARIZING TECHNIQUES TO INTEGRATE WRITING INTO READING LESSONS FOR EFL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AT TAN HIEP HIGH SCHOOL

1 MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING VINH UNIVERSITY LÊ THỊ PHÚC HẬU USING SUMMARIZING TECHNIQUES TO INTEGRATE WRITING INTO READING LESSONS FOR EFL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AT TAN HIEP HIGH SCHOOL Major: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Code: 60140111 MASTER’S THESIS IN EDUCATION Supervisor: Dr.Nguyễn Thị Kim Anh NGHE AN 2017 STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP I hereby acknowledge that this study is mine The data and findings discussed in the thesis are true, used with permission from associates and have not been published elsewhere Long An, June 2017 Author Le Thi Phuc Hau ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis would not have been possible without the encouragement and whole- hearted assistance of many people Firstly, I owe my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Dr Nguyen Thi Kim Anh, whose encouragement, guidance, and support from the initial to the final level has enabled me to overcome many difficulties and develop my research skills It is an honor for me to extend my special thanks to all the staff, especially, the teaching staff at Vinh University Without their help and encouragement, I would not have accomplished my thesis My special thanks would also go to the teachers and students who have participated in this project Without their assistance, I would not have been able to collect valuable data for the project I owe deeply my family, especially my parents, whose continuous encouragement, support and love have helped me pass through insurmountable difficulties during my project Finally, I would like to show my gratitude to all my classmates whose encouragement and support have helped lift up my spirits during the time I conducted this study Long An, June 2017 Author Le Thi Phuc Hau TABLE OF CONTENTS Contents Pages ABSTRACT This study aims to investigate 1) whether summarizing techniques have effects on improving Students’ writing skill , 2) investigate how much the summarizing techniques affect students on their Reading comprehension The subjects in this study were 90 students at Tan Hiep high school.The Independent Group t-test was used for this study Three instruments were used: the pre-test, the post-test and the interview questions.The findings revealed that summarizing techniques have obvious effects to the subjects’ writing skill and their summaries especially in cases of finding the main ideas, using summarizing techniques in reading comprehension develop students’ Reading comprehension Based on the findings, it is recommended that the teachers should use summarizing techniques for teaching students writing subject, which could prove more useful for students in both their writing skill and reading comprehension CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 The rationale of the study English is an international language that allows us to communicate with people from over the world English has been widely used in many areas in life Billions of people speak and write English to at least a basic level It is one of the six official languages of the United Nations Many books, manual, newspaper, letters, emails and information are written in English If we not learn English, we are isolating ourselves away from almost half of the world’s knowledge It is also used in variety of professional fields such as business, information technology, medicine, science, entertainment, aviation, diplomacy and ect Therefore, it is necessary for many Vietnamese to have a good command of English to satisfy the growing needs in a developing country like Viet Nam Four language skills are used to attain the English language proficiency: listening, speaking, reading, and writing Unavoidably, in Vietnam English has been considered important by the government From the point of view of education, it is seen from its position as one of compulsory subjects in high schools, both in junior and senior levels The importance of English in Indonesia is also reflected by the fact that English is one of the compulsory requirements that high schools’ students need to pass to graduate from those levels of education Writing is the fourth of the four language skills.Writing is a form of written communication People who are thousand miles away from us can also be reading the things that we are writing So it is important to write in English as people from thousand miles away might be from a different country understand only the global language which is English Writing English is a task that is often required in school Regardless of the obstructions found by students, writing is a very important competence It is because nowadays people, who take technology as their means of communication, seem to be impossible to be separated from the activity of writing, from the simplest like sending short messages through mobile phones and to the more complex like making business letter via e-mail The importance of writing is also seen from the fact that the skill has become a need for people to compete in the global era Students need to prepare themselves for their future They need to be able to write an application letter when applying a job and many other kinds of written texts when doing their job later In addition, writing is a means of expressing idea or communicating with others, instead of speaking There are situations in which the ability of writing is crucial or written language is a need, as it is said by Nunan (1993) that writing is needed to communicate with others who are removed in time and space, or is used for those occasions on which a permanent or semi-permanent record is required Such situations can be easily found in the real life every day, for instance, when someone was visiting a friend but he could not meet and he left a note However, the writing skill difficulties are one of the most significant problems that affect not only native English speakers, but also hundreds of students that are learning English as a second or foreign language around the world Many students have learned in high school to camouflage their lack of reading and writing skills, so it is often difficult for teachers to identify their weaknesses until students hand in papers or take exams Then writing deficiencies are obvious Besides, not only self-strategies influence students’ performance, but also the effectiveness of teaching techniques that teachers apply in their English lesson plans Each method is useful with some students but fails with others, so writing needs to persist and teachers must take into account suitable strategies if they want their students to develop effective writing skills Among the four skills in standardized tests, writing remains a popular way to evaluate students’ proficiency in English, especially for academic purposes (White,1987) However, according to recent test results from the Educational Testing Service (ETS), writing has been the most problematic to Vietnamese test takers This could be explained in terms of the low quality of English language teaching in Vietnam (Hoang, 2010), particularly the challenge of teaching EFL writing (Nguyen, 2009) Causes of the low quality in teaching writing, especially in teaching argumentative essays, should be examined in light of current approaches to teaching English writing, the roles of teachers and students in EFL writing classes, the impact of Vietnamese culture and testing and assessment on learners’ EFL writing Besides, reading skills are important for students because they are the chosen instruments to widen their knowledge Reading is very essential for students studying English as a Foreign Language (EFL) because most textbooks and the sources of science knowledge and information on higher technology are published in English As a result, reading is the foundation of advanced studies which require reading abilities to access both textbooks and other reading materials outside the classroom (Roe, Stoodt, & Burns, 1998) When dealing with a reading lesson, students often experience the lack of reading strategies which are essential for them to overcome the challenges in the classroom Research into reading has found that effective readers are aware of the strategies they use and that they use strategies flexibly and efficiently (Garner, 1987; Presley, Beard EL, Dinary & Brown, 1992) Recent thinking about the nature of reading and writing views the two skills as interdependent and transactive (Carson, 1993, Church, 1997, Spack 1998b) Reading, as well as writing, is seen as an active, constructive process (Barnett, 1998, Church, 1998, Reid, 1993, Spack,1998b, Zamel, 1992) Meaning is created through interaction between the reader, the writer, and the text in a give-and-take relationship in which each partner shapes and is shaped by the other A range of elements such as the reader’s prior knowledge, experience, feelings and the context in which the reading takes place determine what a text communicates to a reader As a result, readers’ interactions with a text and the meanings they construct are personal and unique (Reid, 1993, Spack, 1998b) If the kinds of teaching and learning activities employed in the classroom are to reflect this view of the reading process, then traditional reading comprehension exercises that call for a single correct answer need to be replaced with ones that allow for a diversity of responses Students need to be given the authority and independence to figure things out for themselves within a supportive classroom atmosphere Reading and writing, since they are so closely linked, mutually reinforce each other and, therefore, promote learning when they are integrated in classroom activities Their integration allows for multiple approaches to tasks, covering all learning styles (Cobine, 1995) Students become better readers, writers and thinkers when they learn reading and writing together (Carson, 1993, Spack, 1998) Writing activities motivate students to read and re-read in that they provide a purpose for reading and require students to become actively engaged with a text Writing enhances students’ understanding and improves the retention of what they read It can serve as a vehicle through which students organize and clarify their thoughts on a reading In addition, writing makes comprehension of a reading visible, providing teachers with opportunities to assess students’ ability and to spot any misconceptions or areas of confusion (Reid, 1993) 10 On the other hand, without the benefit of reading, students cannot become effective writers They need to see and experience how the written language works While reading gives students exposure to vocabulary, sentence structure, and rhetorical structures of English writing, writing activities give students practice in using them Students can use readings as a model for their writing, or they can write about readings (Reid, 1993).Through writing, students can practice skills related to reading such as paraphrasing and summarizing Finally, integrated reading and writing activities help students cope in university courses (Badger and Thomas, 1992, Grabe, 1991, Reid, 1993, Spack, 1993, Zamel, 1993) In an academic setting, student success is dependent on their ability to interact with a text Activities such as summarizing can prepare students for academic tasks in which they will be asked to extract and work with ideas and information from readings (Reid, 1993) With those facts, a solution to students’ low proficiency, particularly in writing and reading in high school was needed The writer believed that one of effective ways of improving students’ ability was by implementing the summarizing techniques to language teaching and learning It was necessary to carry out an investigation, teachers should consider teaching students effective writing strategies, especially showing them how to utilize the skills and knowledge that they bring from their first language in order to cope with writing in the second language Besides developing writing level for students, teachers who train students to use writing strategies can also help them develop their Reading comprehension As a result, teaching students learning strategies is an important duty of the language teachers since learning strategies can help students monitor and take charge of their own learning Helping students understand good language learning strategies and training them to develop and use such good language learning strategies can be considered to 73 From the findings of this research, the summarizing techniques are obviously useful for the students, especially in terms of writing skill and their reading comprehension If learners have opportunity to practice more about summarizing, they will better improve their reading comprehension and summary writing ability, so teachers should include the use of summarizing techniques or summary writing in curriculums to benefit the students The results indicated that the participants in the experimental condition significantly gained in their writing performance and Reading comprehension In comparison to that of the experimental condition, the learners’ writing performance and reading comprehension in the control group stayed the same while the positive impact of the use of using summarizing techniques improved the quality of writing performance and Reading comprehension in the experimental group To improve the learners’ writing ability, the teachers of English in the research context may consider applying the suggested techniques in their classes With the regards to the roles of teachers as a facilitator and the learners as the center of the writing and reading activities, if the teachers positively facilitate the learning to write techniques by using these techniques, the learners’ writing performance and reading comprehension could be improved That could obviously show that the outcomes of this study could be adaptable to Tan Hiep high school classrooms as the similar issues, goals for writing and reading classes and focuses were stated in the previous studies and issues possibly exist In addition, the teachers should provide the students should be the center of the learning process Teachers should involve them as much as possible in most of the writing and reading activities When the students the activities, these activities help them practice and experience writing and reading In addition, teachers should also motivate the learners’ writing ability and reading 74 comprehension by providing them with confidence to write Moreover, with the opportunities to have teacher consultation The teacher consultation could be very effective when teachers use the questioning strategies to help learners realize their strengths and weaknesses by themselves When the learners understand what they should to improve their writing and reading comprehension and teachers facilitate their learning process, the learners’ writing ability and reading comprehension would be changed very fast 75 REFERENCES Anderson, N.J (1999) Exploring Second Language 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a Remaining at home b c working outside home c Inheriting property d d receiving education B Writing Write a summary about the passage 81 Passage People commit crimes for various reasons For example, many persons steal things they could not obtain otherwise Others, such as drug addicts, steal to get money to by narcotics or other things they need Some shoplifters steal for excitement, but others so to stretch the family budget Many automobile thieves take cars for joy-riding, but others strip down the stolen autos and sell them Many embezzlers take money from their employers to meet a personal emergency, intending to return the money The motives also vary in crimes of violence A robber may kill his victim to avoid detection Some gangsters torture people to obtain money A man may beat his wife in a fit of a rage during a quarrel A Reading comprehension According to the passage, some people who steal money… a Don’t need it b Are shoplifters c Are criminals d love money We understand from the passage that… a Drug addicts are the most dangerous criminals b Detectors may kill robbers c There are many criminals in the world 82 d There are many reasons why a person commits a crime Which of the following has not been mentioned as a crime? a Beating wives b Making money c Killing victims d Stealing cars According to the passage which of the following is a crime? a Returning money b Stretching the family budget c Stealing things d Joy-riding The main idea of this passage is related to … a Stealing things b Torturing people c Causes of crime d Buying narcotics B WRITING Write a summay about the passage 83 Passage The earliest recorded evidence of religious activity dates from only about 60,000 BC However, anthropologists and historians of religion believe that some form of religion has been practiced since people first appeared on the earth about two and a half million years ago Experts think prehistoric religion arose out of fear and wonder about natural events, such as the occurrence of storms and earthquakes and the birth of babies and animals To explain why someone died, people credited supernatural powers greater than themselves or greater than the world around them A Reading comprehension The passage is mainly about… a Anthropology and religion b The origin of religion c Religious people and places d Different kinds of religion We understand from the passage that religion a Is not a recent phenomenon b Has been practiced since 60,000 BC c Was practiced even before man appeared on earth d Has been mentioned in history 84 According to the passage, prehistoric people… a Believed in fear and wonder b Believed in supernatural powers c Could control storms and earthquakes d Could explain why someone died Which of the following has been suggested as the basis for prehistoric religions? a Evidence for historians b Fear about natural events c Love for children d Care for animals According to the passage, religion beliefs relate to… a Powers greater than we can imagine b Natural powers used for social purposes c Supernatural powers mentioned in history d Powerful people in the history of mankind B Writing 85 Write a summay about the passage Passage Student Volunteers Needed! On Saturday, December 12th, from 10 A.M until P.M., Carverton Middle School will be holding a music festival in the school gymnasium The special event will feature a variety of professional musicians and singers Interested students should speak with Ms Braxton, the music teacher Students who would like to help at the festival must have written permission from a parent or guardian A.Reading comprehension: What time will the festival begin? A 10 A.M B 11 A.M C P.M D P.M In line 2, the word feature is closest in meaning to _ A look B keep C include 86 entertain D Who will be included in the festival ? A teachers B dancers C D musicians and singers magicians What job will be done the day before the festival begins? A Making posters B Setting up the gym C Cleaning up the gym D Helping the performers Who is told to talk to Ms Braxton? A Parents B Students C Teachers D Performers B.Writing Write a summary about the passage Correlational research is often conducted as exploratory or beginning research Once variables have been identified and defined, experiments are conductable 87 APPENDIX II Interview questions Please evaluate the effectiveness of the following summarizing techniques: Put a check ( ) on the chosen column No Names of summarizing techniques Finding the topic sentence Effective Neutral Ineffective and making an outline Paraphrasing Oral summary Written-journal summary About/Point Why you evaluate one techniques as effective or ineffective? (Select the techniques with ineffective choice and the effective one when most participants chose) ... of using summarizing techniques to integrate writing into reading lessons and summarizes some studies on effects of using summarizing techniques in integrating writing into reading lessons that... comprehension? What recommendations are given for applying summarizing techniques to both develop students? ?? writing skill and students? ?? reading comprehension at Tan Hiep high school? 1.3 Scope of the... as a basis for an investigation into effects of using summarizing techniques in integrating writing into reading lessons which is carried out and presented in the next chapter 2.1 Writing skill: