Rationale of the study
Motivation has been considered a crucial factor determining the success of language learning in general and English learning in particular According to Dornyei, motivation “has an important role in determining success or failure in any language situation” (Dornyei, 2001:2) He also stated that “learners with sufficient motivation can achieve a working knowledge of an L2”, while “even the brightest learners” without sufficient motivation “are unlikely to persist long enough to attain any really useful language” (Dornyei, 2001:5) Therefore, most language teachers have been trying to find out different ways to motivate their students in language lessons with a view to making their lessons most effective However, most of them have not been successful The situation is not an exception at Son Tay High school, where the researcher has been teaching English for eight years Some English teachers at Son Tay High School complained about their students’ indifference to English lessons, especially English writing lessons Meanwhile, many students claimed that they felt stressed and reluctant in these lessons and did not want to write In fact, it may be the lack of motivation in writing lessons that prevents students from participating actively into writing lessons and producing good pieces of writing For the mentioned reasons, the researcher found it necessary to carry out this minor research to find out types of motivation possessed by 10 th grade students, factors affecting their motivation in learning English writing skills, and motivational strategies employed by teachers in writing lessons, then base on which to suggest some motivational strategies to improve the problem.
Aim of the study
The study is aimed to find out what might motivate and help 10 th grade students at Son Tay high school learn better and improve their English writing skills.
Objectives of the study
The objectives of the study are summarized as follows:
- to investigate types of motivation possessed by 10 th grade students at Son Tay high school in learning writing skills
- to examine factors affecting students’ motivation in learning writing skills
- to explore some motivational strategies preferred by students in writing lessons.
Research questions
To achieve the aim and objectives mentioned above, the following research questions are addressed:
1 What types of motivation do10 th grade students have in learning writing skills?
2 What are some main factors affecting students’ motivation in learning writing skills?
3 What motivational strategies are highly evaluated by students in writing lessons ?
Scope of the study
This study examines types of motivation in learning English writing skills in classroom possessed by 80 students of 10th grade at Son Tay high school Such factors affecting students’ motivation in learning writing skills as the ones relating to learners, teachers and learning and teaching environment are also investigated in this minor research The results of the study and suggested motivational strategies will be applied in writing lessons to enhance the writing skills of 10 th grade students at Son Tay high school, Hanoi.
Methods of the study
In this study, both qualitative and quantitative methods were employed The data were collected from:
(1) A questionnaire for eighty 10 th grade students: to find out their types of motivation, activities enjoyed most by students and factors affecting their motivation; (2) A questionnaire for eight teachers of English at Son Tay high school: to find out activities and techniques used in writing lessons; some factors that can motivate students in learning writing skills and some suggestions to motive students in learning writing skills; (3) Classroom observation checklists were also used: to take note data for the research.
Significance of the study
Firstly, the information about types of motivation possessed by 10 th grade students will give teachers of English at Son Tay high school a better understanding about their students, which helps them find the most suitable teaching methods to apply in writing lessons
Secondly, some factors affecting students’ motivation will provide teachers with some suggestions in choosing the right techniques and activities to the students
Thirdly, the recommended motivational strategies will be applied to raise students’ motivation in writing lessons as well as their writing results
In short, when finished, the research is expected to enhance both the teaching and learning English in general and the teaching and learning English writing skills in particular at Son Tay high school.
Design of the study
The study consists of three main parts named:
Part A The Introduction Part B The Development Chapter 1: Literature Review Chapter 2: The Methods of the study Chapter 3: Data Analysis and Findings Part C: Conclusion
THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
Writing skills
1.1.1 Definitions and features of writing skills
Writing is one of the four language skills (speaking, listening, reading and writing) that a language learner expects to master According to Tribble, writing is
“a language skill which is difficult to acquire” (Tribble, 1996:3) He also added that writing “normally requires some forms of instruction” and that “it is not a skill that is readily picked up by exposure” (Tribble, 1996:11) The function of writing is
“recording things, completing tasks, developing arguments and assembling ideas”
(Tribble, 1996:9) From his point of view, writing is a complex skill that should be taught carefully Ur supported Tribble when he said that “most people acquire the spoken language (at least their own mother tongue) intuitively, whereas the written form is in most cases deliberately taught and learned” (Ur, 1996:161) Harris considered writing “a process that occurs over a period of time, particularly if we take into account the sometimes extended period of thinking that precedes creating an initial draft” (Harris, 1993:10) In his saying, Harris also wanted to focus on the complexity of writing Boughey referred to the requirements of writing in social communication when stating that “writing is a process requiring writers to explore, oppose, and make connections between propositions for themselves” (Boughey, 1997:127) According to Byrne, writing is “the act of forming” “graphic symbols: that is, letters or combinations of letters”, then putting them into “a sequence of sentences arranged in a particular order and linked together in certain ways” (Byrne, 1988:1) It is Byrne’s definition of writing that the researcher wished to apply in this minor thesis
In brief, writing is a complex but productive skill providing students with chances to expose their language proficiency and practice communicative skills at the same time Through the act of writing students may realize what they are already good at and what they still need to learn to become better
1.1.2 Approaches to teaching writing skills
Attempts to teach writing effectively has been made for ages Popular scholars had different ways to classify approaches to teach writing skills Tribble referred to three approaches to the teaching of writing: product approaches, process approaches and genre approaches (Tribble, 1996:37) Meanwhile, Byrne examined four approaches namely accuracy- approach, fluency- approach, text- approach and purpose – approach (Byrne, 1988) Raimes claimed that there were six main approaches in the teaching of writing: Controlled-to-Free approach, Free-writing approach, Paragraph- pattern approach, Grammar- syntax- organization approach, Communicative approach and Process approach (Raimes, 1983:6) In this minor thesis, the six approaches classified by Raimes will be discussed
Applying this approach means that teachers at first make students write controlled compositions in the form of such exercises as sentences building, word reordering, and sentence reordering When students reach “advanced level of proficiency”, they can write a composition of their own words and ideas It is easy for students to write these controlled compositions with the least opportunity to make mistakes This approach focuses on the elimination of grammatical, syntactical and mechanical mistakes learners made in their written work by teachers’ control Fluency or originality is not emphasized in this approach
When teacher use this approach, they want students to write as much and quickly as they can without paying much attention to errors In fact, students’ actions of putting their ideas down on a paper fluently are the purpose of this approach However, this approach without any obligation for students may make them write with many grammatical and structural errors and mistakes This approach seems to be most suitable to intermediate-level students It might be useful when writing about something that interests students or a journal or a diary
This approach teaches students to the way to build and organize paragraphs basing on a sample one This approach focused on the importance of paragraph as a basic unit of written expression rather than the accuracy and fluency The use of the approach helps students express themselves effectively at a level beyond the sentence as well as realize the difference in communication organization in different cultures
Using this approach, teachers need to develop writing tasks that make students at the same time pay attention to not only organization but also grammar and syntax, which means that teachers do not separate writing skills from other skills This approach helps students be aware of the connection between the purpose of their writing and the forms that are needed to convey the message
This communicative approach stresses that students can communicate through their writings There should be a reason as well as an addressee for students’ writing This approach both helps to increase students’ motivation in writing and shows the communicative roles of writings
This approach concerns the process how ideas are developed and formulated in writing This approach includes following stages, namely: Pre-writing (specifying the task, choosing the topic and planning what to write), composing or writing (putting a draft version on paper), revising (making such changes to improve the writing as reorganizing, shifting styles and so on) and editing (checking grammar/ lexis features) In this approach, students are given considerable freedom within the task, which means they explore a topic through writing in an unrestricted time
After finishing the first draft, students can show them to their teacher or classmates to get comments basing on which they can improve their writings The writing process becomes a process of discovery (of new ideas and new language forms to express those ideas) However, this approach seems to be very time-consuming and difficult to apply to a large-size class
In conclusion, no approach has been considered the best way to teach writing
Each approach has its own strength and weakness Therefore, when teaching writing, teachers should choose the one that suits their setting best Sometimes, the combination of different approaches can bring better results than using one approach alone.
Motivation
No one can deny essential roles of motivation in the success or failure of foreign language teaching and learning However, motivation is an abstract concept that has been defined in different ways so far because each researcher sees motivation from different angles
According to Gardner, motivation is "the combination of effort plus desire to achieve the goal of learning the language plus favorable attitudes towards learning the language" (Gardner, 1985:10) Brown also states that “motivation is the extent to which you make choices about (a) goals to pursue and (b) the effort you will devote to that pursuit.” (Brown, 2001:72) In these two definitions of motivation, Gardner and Brown share their view when concerning such two interrelated components as “goals” and “efforts made to achieve the goals” Similarly, in his study, Ur points out that a motivated learner is a person “who is willing or even eager to invest effort in learning activities and to progress” (Ur, 1996: 274)
Dornyei states in his book that “motivation explains why people decide to do something, how hard they are going to pursue it and how long they are willing to sustain the activity”(Dornyei, 2001:7) In this definition, he focuses on the reason, the manner as well as the attitude of language learners in learning a foreign language
Other researchers define motivation as an internal state or condition that serves to activate or energize behavior Skehan (cited in Ellis, 1994: 509) claims that “motivation derives from an inherent interest in the learning tasks the learner is asked to perform” In addition, Harmer defined motivation as “some kind of internal drive which pushes someone to do things in order to achieve something” (Harmer, 2001:51)
According to Crookes and Schmidt (1991) motivation is defined in terms of students' interest in, enthusiasm for and engagement in the materials and activities used inside classroom, their persistence with the learning task as indicated by levels of concentration and enjoyment The learners’ studying results are only good if students feel interested in and eager to participate in activities and work hard
In this minor research, the researcher exploited Crookes and Schmidt’s definition because it is students' interest in, attitudes towards the materials and activities used in class that the researchers will examine Moreover, students’ concentration and participation will also be assessed
1.2.2 Types of motivation in foreign language learning
Motivation in foreign language learning is classified in different ways by different theorists In some pieces of research, motivation is classified into intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation In some others, it is divided into integrative motivation and instrumental motivation The resultative motivation is another type that has caused debated so far
According to Ellis, intrinsic motivation "involves the arousal and maintenance of curiosity and can ebb and flow as a result of such factors as learners' particular interests and the extent to which they fell personality involved in learning activities" (Ellis, 1994:76) In fact, intrinsic motivation is the learners’ interest in the culture, the target language group or in learning tasks It also means the stimulation arouses from the learners themselves It is their own inner desire as well as anxiety to learn that brings about success
Extrinsic motivation “is caused by any number of outside factors such as: the need to pass an exam, the hope of financial reward or possibility of future travel”
Harmer (2001:51) Spaulding also stated that “When individuals are extrinsically motivated, they hold some desired outcome as a goal (e.g., getting a good grade or avoiding punishment), they recognize that a certain way of behaving is an expedient means to that goal, and they make plans to modify their behavior in such a manner that they are likely to experience the desired outcome” (Spaulding, 1992:5) In short, extrinsic motivation can be understood as the opposite of intrinsic motivation This type of motivation originates from the influence of some kinds of external stimuli, including the teachers’ influence, the learner's wish to make some other people pleased or to become successful in an exam, other than their wish to learn for their own sake or interest in learning tasks or activities
According to Falk (1978), “It is thought that students who are most successful when learning a target language are those who are like the people that speak the language, admire the culture and have a desire to become familiar with or even integrate into the society in which the language is used” (Falk 1978) In addition, Gardner and Lambert stated that “An integrative orientation involves an interest in learning an L2 because of a sincere and personal interest in the people and culture represented by the other language group” (Gardner and Lambert (1972:
98) In short, integrative motivation is the desire to learn a language in order use it successfully in social interactions in the target language community
According to Ellis, instrumental motivation refers to “some functional reasons such as to pass an examination, to get a better job, or to get a place at university These reasons motivate learners to learn an L2 because it opens up educational and economic opportunities for them” Ellis (1994:75) Gardner and Lambert (1972) assume “A learner with instrumental motivation is more interested in how the second language can be a useful instrument towards furthering other goals, such as gaining a necessary qualification or improving employment prospects” (cited in Littlewood 1998:57) In short, learners’ instrumental motivation arouses when they find a need to use the target language as an instrument to obtain a particular goal
The question whether motivation is the cause or the result of the success in second language learning has not been fully answered Savignon (1972) claimed that students’ desire to learn a language increased with gains in that language proficiency (Savignon, 1972, cited in Ellis, 1994:515) Hermann (1980) also shared his view with Savigon when he said that "learners who do well are more likely to develop motivational intensity and to be active in the classroom" (cited in Ellis, 1994:515) From this point of view a learner’s motivation may originate from his/ her achievement or the achievement may affect a learner’s motivation Ellis concluded that “the relationship between motivation and achievement is an interactive one A high level of motivation does stimulate learning, but perceived success in achieving L2 goals can help to maintain existing motivation and even create new types Conversely a vicious circle of low motivation = low achievement
= lower motivation can develop” (Ellis, 1994: 515)
In conclusion, there are several types of motivation in L2 learning The concentration of this study, however, mainly focuses on the following: integrative, instrumental, resultative, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation
1.2.3 The roles of motivation in foreign language learning
Motivation in second language learning as well as in foreign language learning has been paid much attention in so far Most researchers agree that motivation plays a very essential role in deciding the success or failure of a language learner Gardner points out that “positive attitudes and motivation are related to success in second language teaching” (Gardner, 1985) Nunan shares his view with Gardner when regarding motivation as a key factor which determines
“the amount of effort a learner is ready to put into language learning” (Nunan, 1991:
131) Caron states that “ The more motivation a learner has, the more time he or she will spend learning an aspect of a second language” (Carol, 1962), which means he or she will be more successful in learning the language
1.2.4 Factors affecting motivation in foreign language learning
A lot of studies have shown that students’ motivation in foreign language learning can be affected by many factors In this minor thesis, they are discussed in three types: one relate to learners themselves, another to teachers and the other to teaching and learning conditions
Previous researches
Motivation plays an essential role in foreign language learning in general and in writing skills in particular As a result, many studies have been carried out to investigate the definition of motivation, types of motivation as well as effects of motivation in foreign language learning
In the first place, concepts of motivation, its types, benefits and strategies were discussed by many popular linguists such as Gardner (1985), Brown (1994) or Dorneyi (2001), (Harmer, 2001), ( Ur, 1996) and Crookes and Schmidt (1991)
Basing on the background knowledge given by these researchers, many other studies were carried out in the related topic like “Influencing Motivation In The Foreign Language Classroom” by Nicholson (2013) and “ Learners’ motivation and the implications for Classroom Teaching” by Aiming and Aimin (2006)
In Vietnam, there have also been some studies discussing motivation in language learning First of all, it is “Learners’ motivation and identity in the Vietnamese EFL writing classroom” by Tran (2007) The study focused on students’ intrinsic motivation related to institutional needs, their linguistic needs and social need “Improving 11 th Grade students’ Motivation in Speaking Lessons at Viet Nam- Poland High School by Using Communicative Activities” by Dinh Thuy Linh
(2011) is another study as minor thesis about motivation in language learning It is a study on some communicative activities to improve speaking skill to 11 th grade students of English at Viet Nam- Poland High School
Another study is the one specialized in motivation conducted by Hoang Thi
Ha (2011) “A Study on Students’ Motivation in Reading Skills at Quang Dinh lower secondary school” The study focuses on 4 main issues students’ types of motivation, factors affecting their motivation, motivational strategies employed by teachers and suggested motivational strategies to help students improve their reading skills
At Son Tay high school, the site of this minor thesis, there was a study on 10 graders’ types and levels of motivation in speaking activities named “The study of 10th Graders’ motivation in speaking activities at Son Tay High School, Hanoi” by Nguyen Thanh Thuy (2013) In the study, the researcher discussed types and levels of motivation possessed by 10 th graders in speaking activities
In conclusion, the matter motivation in language learning has received great concern in many studies Although, there has never been one about students’ motivation in learning writing skills at Son Tay High School with the subjects of grade- ten students As a result, the study was carried out in the hope that it can bring benefit to the teaching and learning English writing at the school.
Summary
In summary, the researcher has discussed different views on definitions, types of motivation and major factors affecting it Overview of writing including its nature and approaches to teaching writing is presented in this chapter Literature review of some previous studies of the same topic is also discussed in the chapter.
METHODOLOGY
The setting of the study
2.1.1 An overview of the research site
Son Tay High School, where the study was conducted, was founded in 1959
It has been considered one of the oldest as well as most famous schools in the area
The school has 123 teachers of twelve compulsory subjects including English
Many of them graduated from prestigious universities in Vietnam like Hanoi National University, Hanoi University of Education and Training and Hanoi University, so they are really well-trained While over two thirds of the teachers are young, dynamic and creative, the others have much experience in teaching In the school year 2014-2015, the school has over 2000 students of all three different grades 10 th , 11 th and 12 th in 27 classes for gifted students and 18 ones for non-gifted students It means that each class has around 40 students The school has had a large number of students who pass the Graduation Examinations and the university entrance examinations with flying colors in recent years
2.1.2 English teachers in Son Tay high school
In the school year 2014-2015, there are fourteen teachers of English in the school Their ages range from 24 to 53 Nearly half of the teachers were trained in official courses at English Department, College of foreign Languages, National University, Hanoi Two were former teachers of Russian and French graduated from the same above mentioned university The others got their degrees from in-service training programs of the University Among fourteen teachers of English, two had their MA degrees and two are going to receive their M.A degree next year The facts about the teachers at Son Tay high school may show that not all of them have reasonable access to effective teaching methods On average, one teacher gives fifteen to seventeen lectures per week along with a great deal of such work as preparing and marking tests as well as family workload Although, most teachers are so enthusiastic and experienced
2.1.3 10 th grade students in Son Tay high school
All 10 th grade students at Son Tay High School, aged from 15 to 16, both males and females, have learnt English for at least 6 or 7 years Nevertheless, they have different levels of proficiency in English Those in English- gifted classes are really interested in learning English, wishing to be proficient in this subject
Meanwhile, many students in non-gifted classes are still passive in their learning In general, a number of 10 th grade students at Son Tay High School may not be aware of the importance of the subject, which may affect their attitudes towards learning the subject
2.1.4 English teaching and learning situation in Son Tay High School 2.1.4.1 The syllabus of teaching and learning English
Like other high schools in the country, English is a compulsory subject in the curriculum at Son Tay High School “Tieng Anh 10”, “Tieng Anh 11” and “Tieng Anh 12” prescribed by the Ministry of Education and Training are the textbooks for English for English non-gifted students For those in English gifted classes, the syllabi are “Tieng Anh 10 Nang Cao”, “Tieng Anh 11 Nang Cao” and “Tieng Anh
12 Nang Cao” also prescribed by the Ministry of Education and Training
“Tieng Anh 10” includes sixteen units which are divided into 105 forty-five minute periods during 35 weeks of a school year, which means that students have three periods of English per week Sixteen units deal with different themes such as daily life, social issues, sports, music and so on, which may interest students more in the subject Each unit consists of five sections namely reading, speaking, listening, writing and language focus The content of most five sections are presented through task-based exercises which are used as the major means to help students not only master English language but also widen their knowledge about the cultures of some English speaking countries After every three lessons, there is a consolidation to check students’ achievement in the previous lessons
In short, the new textbook “Tieng Anh 10” brings a new way of teaching and learning English at Son Tay High School comparing to the old curriculum If this new textbook is made used of, it can help students increase their English proficiency at some levels
2.1.4.2 Teaching and learning situations of English writing skills
English subject has been paid more and more attention at Son Tay High School in recent years However, teaching writing skills encounters a great deal of challenges Although writing is an essential skill in both the first language and second language, apart from those in the English- gifted classes, few students have real interest or motivation in English writing lessons A number of the students claim that they can do grammar exercises perfectly but cannot get good grades in their writings They also say that writing is “too difficult and time-consuming”; and “why we have to learn writing skills when we often take only tests on grammar and vocabulary” This fact may result from students’ lack of vocabulary, grammar structures or ideas, and motivation in learning the skills Besides, lack of training in teaching methods may also contribute to the limited results of writing lessons.
Methods of the study
2.2.1 The subjects of the study
The participants of the study include 8 teachers of English and 80 students from 2 classes 10A1 and 10A2 at Son Tay high school
Among eight English teachers, ranging from 24 to 53 years of age with 1 to
27 years’ teaching experience, two are taking an M.A course at College of foreign Languages, National University, Hanoi and two are going to retire in next two years The other four teachers finished their in-service training programs at College of foreign Languages, National University, Hanoi They have had chances to attend some extra courses on teaching methods in the light of The National Foreign Language Project 2020 Although, it cannot deny that using traditional teaching methods in language teaching has become these teachers’ habit
Eighty students from two classes 10A1 and 10A2 in Son Tay High School were chosen to participate in the research All of them were at the age of fifteen and have been learning English for 7 years Unlike gifted students, they did not have to take a placement test of English at the beginning of the school year, so they have different levels of English proficiency
Survey questionnaires are the major instruments to collect information for the research for the following reasons Firstly, they take little time and money
Secondly, they make it easy to get information from a large number of respondents in a short period of time Thirdly, respondents can complete them whenever they feel convenient Finally, the respondents do not have to sign their name in the questionnaires, so they may express their ideas truthfully, which makes the results of the questionnaires confidential
In the research, two sets of questionnaires were used to collect information: one for students including 7 questions and the other for teachers with 6 questions
The questionnaires for students were translated into Vietnamese before distributing so that students can understand the contents
Class observation sheets were also used to collect more information about students’ involvement, writing attitudes, writing time and classroom atmosphere
The questionnaires were distributed and gathered from those teachers and students of Son Tay High School who agreed to take part in the research during the third week of the first semester of the school year 2014-2015 After one week, figures from the questionnaires were collected and presented in tables for analysis
The observation was carried out in two different classes (10A1, 10A2) at the same week The lesson chosen to observe was Unit 3 In each class, the researcher observed for 45 minutes Students’ attitudes towards writing activities techniques used, students’ writing time and involvement in different activities were noted down to see how motivated students were
In the data analysis stage, the collected data from both questionnaires and observation sheet were analyzed at the same time The data was selected statistically in the form of percentage.
Summary
This chapter has presented the methodological framework of the study including the context of the study, the participants, the data collection tools and procedures as well as the method of data analysis In the next chapter, the data analysis and findings will be identified in details.
DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS
Students’ motivation
3.1.1 Students’ interest in writing lessons
Chart 1: Students’ interest in writing lessons
As can be seen from chart 1, the majority (47.5%) of the students admitted that they did not like writing skills Moreover, nearly one third of the respondents (30%) showed no idea about their interest in writing lessons These facts mean that they do not show concern for the skill The chart also indicates that only 2.5% of the students strongly agreed that writing was the skill they are most interested in, and about 13.7 % agree that they are interested in learning writing skills
In short, the analysis of the chart shows the fact that students have quite low interest in writing lessons
3.1.2 Types of motivations possessed by 10 th grade students at Son Tay High School
Reasons Percentage of students (%) Extrinsic motivation
A English is a compulsory subject in your curriculum
B You want to get good marks in English tests and examinations
C You are interested in English writing skills 13.7%
D You have a great interest in English culture and people
E You want to please your parents 62.5%
F You want to communicate in English fluently
G You think English is necessary for you in your future job
Table 1 Reasons for students to learn writing skills The types of motivation in learning writing skills possessed by students are interpreted from the reasons why they study the skills It is revealed in the table that the majority of students (91.3%) owned extrinsic motivation They claimed that they studied English writing because it is included in their compulsory subjects at school Many of them also adopted instrumental motivation: 76.3 % studied English writing to communicate in English fluently, 73.6 % studied it for its usefulness to their future jobs, and about 62.5 % practiced English writing to please their parents
Nearly half of the students (47.5%) owned resultative motivation The reason for studying writing English was that they wanted to get good marks in English tests and examinations Meanwhile, only 13.7% of learners possessed intrinsic motivation They studied English writing as they were interested in writing skills
About the same number of the students (11.2%) owned integrative and intrinsic motivation They agreed that they studied English writing because they had great interest in English culture and people
In short, among the five types of motivation listed in the above table, the most popular one possessed by 10 th grade students in Son Tay high school was extrinsic motivation They studied English writing because it was their duty
Ranking at the second position was instrumental motivation These students considered English writing as a means of communication, a necessary instrument to please parents as well as to get good job in the future About one half of respondents owned resultative motivation Intrinsic motivation and integrative intrinsic motivation also belonged to 10 th grade students in Son Tay high school but at a very poor rate
3.1.3 Students’ participation in writing activities
A are often eager to write carefully on all topics 3.8%
B just write on topics that interest you 32.5%
C often eager to write carefully on all topics given some suggested ideas or models
Table 2 Students’ participation in writing activities More than half of the students (55%) agreed that they often write on the topics which are given some suggested ideas or models About one third of the participation in writing The number of students who rarely write was only seven among eighty, accounting for 8.7% The left 3.8% of the respondents were these who were often eager to write carefully on all topics
Students’ participation in writing activities in classroom was exposed in the following observation sheet as well
1 Students get involved in pre-writing activities
2 Students get involved in while-writing activities
3 Students’ level of interest in teacher’s teaching techniques & writing activities
4 Students get involved in post-writing activities
7 Interesting level of classroom learning atmosphere
Table 3 Results of classroom observation
As can be seen from the observation sheet results in table 3, about three quarters of the students took part in the pre-writing activities In this stage, the teacher taught students vocabulary, structures and organization of the writing
However, only one quarter of the students got involved in most writing activities in classroom, picked up their pens and wrote something The others did something else but not to write When being asked to do the main and most important task, most students just spent about 25 % of the given time writing some sentences or phrases
It seemed that students were not interested in the teacher’s teaching techniques and activities The teacher just called students to do writing tasks individually, no extra activities, no pair or group works She was probably worried about the time limited of one period Besides, while students were writing, the teacher went around the classroom only once to control the class, then sat in her position to wait for students to hand in their writings When class stopped, the teacher had finished her lecture, but not all students had finished their writings The classroom atmosphere was not much interesting after all
In summary, 10 th grade students at Son Tay High School had low participation in writing activities Most of them found the skills not interesting and unattractive As a result, the majority did not eagerly take part in writing activities
3.1.4 Factors affecting students’ motivation in learning writing skills
Factors Percentage of students (%) Teachers’ related A The teacher’s teaching methods 58.8 % factors B The teacher’s enthusiasm 51.3%
C Your fear of making mistakes and/ or getting bad marks
73.8% factors D Your lack of vocabulary and grammar structures
E The learning condition and atmosphere in the classroom.( class size, class studying atmosphere )
Table 4 Factors affecting students’ motivation in learning writing skills According to the result of table 4, about 77.5% of surveyed students motivation in learning English writing The fear of making mistakes and/ or getting bad marks made 73.8% students’ have low motivation in learning the skills
Teacher’s teaching methods was another factor that affected motivation to learn of 58.8%of students More than half of the students (51.3 %) agreed that teacher’s enthusiasm also affected to their motivation to learn the skills The factor that had the least effect on students’ motivation was their learning condition and classroom atmosphere with only 16.3 %
To sum up, among the factors affected students’ motivation in learning writing skills, the one that related to students (fear of making mistakes and/ or getting bad marks and the lack of vocabulary and grammar structures)teachers (the teaching methods and enthusiasm) outweighs those related to and teaching and learning environment
3.1.5 Problems faced by 10th grade students in learning writing skills
A The lack of vocabulary and grammar structures 71.2 %
C The impracticality of the topics given ( purpose or receiver of the writing is not clear enough)
D The fears of making mistakes and getting bad marks 65%
Table 5 Problems faced by 10th grade students in learning writing skills
As seen from table 5, only 11.3% of the students admitted that the given writing topics were impractical (without a clear purpose of writing or the receiver)
Meanwhile, 65% of the surveyed blamed on the fear of making mistakes and getting bad marks The number of students who agreed that they lacked ideas to write accounted for 68.7% This factor may arise because of students’ limited background
Attitudes of teachers to motivation in teaching writing skills for students
In conclusion, students encountered a several problems in learning writing skills namely low level of English proficiency, limited background knowledge and fear of making mistakes Besides, the impracticality of writing topics and the inability of using English in practicing writing were also their difficulties
3.2 Attitude of teachers towards motivations in teaching writing skills for 10 th grade students
3.2.1 Teachers’ time to motivate students in writing lessons
D All the above mentioned stages 12.5%
Table 6 Teachers’ time to motivate students in writing lessons According to table 6, no teachers thought that motivation was not needed in all three mentioned stages The majority of surveyed teachers (62.5%) agreed that students needed motivation most in the pre-writing stage About 37.5% of the teachers thought it was good to motivate students while they were writing After students finished their writings, two teachers surveyed (25%) agreed that motivation should be used once more Lastly, only one teacher (12.5%) believed that motivation can be used well in all three writing stages
The results from table 6 also indicate the uneven time to motivate students among the teachers Some thought that students needed to be motivated only once during a writing lesson while some claimed that they should be motivated at least twice or three times during a writing lesson
To sum up, most teachers were aware of the role of motivation in teaching students writing skills However, they had different views on when to motivate students in a writing lesson and spent different amount of time motivating them
Moreover, not many teachers realized the importance of motivation in the two main writing stages (while-writing and post-writing ones)
3.2.2 Teachers’ assistance during writing lessons
Assistance of the Teacher Number of
A go around the classroom to help students if needed
B remain at their seat and wait for students’ writing
50% often C stand near the students who are good at writing 12.5%
Table 7 Teachers’ assistance during writing lessons The table 7 showed that half of the teachers often remained at their seat and waited for students to hand in their writing Meanwhile, 37.5% of the teachers questioned showed their assistance when admitted that they often went around the classroom to help students if needed Lastly, 12.5% of the teachers often stood near the students with good writing
It can be concluded that the teachers were not actually enthusiastic in classroom Many of them were not aware of the importance of going round the classroom to help or encourage students to write
3.2.3 Teacher’s responses to unwilling writers
A let them free and never check their writings 37.5%
B Ask their problems and try to help them solve the problems 50%
C encourage them to write by rewarding (marks , presents… ) 25%
Table 8 Teacher’s responses to unwilling writers Table 8 indicates that more than one third of the teachers (37.5%) did not do anything to make students write when they were not interested On the contrary, half of the teachers agreed that they tried to find out and help students get out of problems they encountered A very small percentage of teachers (25 %) encouraged students to write by such rewards as marks, p resents and so on
In summary, the fact that some teachers ignored students’ unwillingness to write in writing lessons might be a reason for a less successful lecture As a result, this problem should be taken into consideration
3.2.4 Problems faced by teachers in teaching writing skills
B students’ low proficiency of English 87.5%
C students’ lack of background knowledge 75%
Table 9 Problems faced by teachers in teaching writing skills
As can be seen from table 9 above, surprisingly 100% of the surveyed teachers agreed that there were too many students in one class This problem obviously affected the quality of teaching and learning English writing lessons
Besides, three quarters of the teachers complained about students’ limited background knowledge The table also indicates that most of the teachers faced all the three mentioned problems
On the whole, the big-size of most class is the biggest problems facing teachers Student’s low level of English proficiency and limited background knowledge were also great difficulties that teachers had to overcome
3.3 Strategies and activities to motivate 10 th Grade students in learning writing
Students’ interest in communicative writing activities employed by teachers
Table 10: Students’ comments on communicative activities employed by teachers
As can be seen from table 10 that most students (66.2%) wished their teachers to let them practice writing in groups whereas this activity was often applied by only 12.5% of the teachers About 25% of teachers often or sometimes used pair writing activities, which satisfied students’ wish because only 28.8 % of students wanted to practice writing in pairs The activity employed most often by teachers was individual work (100%) was not the one students like because only 5% of the students wished to do writing tasks by themselves
From the above analysis, it can be concluded that writing activities used by teachers did not suit their students perfectly, which may results from the fact that it was difficult to manage pair or group activities in a composition lesson
Students’ interest in motivational strategies and activities employed by teachers
Table 11: Students’ comments on motivational strategies and activities employed by teachers
Strategies and Activities Percentage of
1 Immediate writing 0% 0% techniques 2 Pre-teaching vocabulary and structures 100% 100%
The use of Teaching aids
6 task adjusting and adapting in practice stage ( by using authentic materials)
7 Designing extra activities in practice stage
8 Applying pairs or group work in practice stage
Table 11 indicates that students enjoyed many motivational strategies
First of all, surprisingly when most of the students surveyed claimed that teachers’ pre-teaching techniques were appreciated 100% of the students wanted to be taught vocabulary and structures and 81.3 % of students wanted their teachers’ eliciting ideas before writing The result from teachers’ answers showed a high understanding between teachers and students as 100% of the teachers always or often taught new words and structures in pre-writing stage However, about 37.5% of the teachers applied idea eliciting techniques in this stage
Next, in the while-writing process, 100% of the teachers preferred to apply semi-controlled activities, assigning students to do writing tasks in a limited time
However, a very small percentage of students (8.8%) supported for the activity The results prove that teachers did not satisfy students’ need Similarly, teachers’ use of teaching aids in writing lessons did not meet students’ needs Giving a model writing, adjusting and adapting tasks and designing extra activities in practice stage was applied by only 12.5%, 25% and 12.5% respectively Meanwhile, 71.3% of the students wanted to have a model to follow, 68.8% preferred tasks that were adjusted or adapted to become more suitable to them, and 72.5% liked extra activities designed by teachers
Communicative activities were interested in by students but rarely employed by teachers About 70% of the students preferred to work in pairs or in groups and 71.3% wanted to check their writings with partners However, 13.8% teachers liked to use 12.5% often swapped students’ writings so that they could check each other’s finished products
Findings
The most students of 10 graders at Son Tay High School occupied extrinsic motivation in writing lessons They practised writing English because they had to (it was a compulsory subject in the syllabus) Their second popular type was instrumental motivation The learners hoped they could use English to communicate with foreigners or they thought it was necessary for them in their future exams or future job Nearly half of the students owned resultative motivation Approximately only more than ten percent of the students owned intrinsic motivation and integrative motivation Extrinsic motivation as well as instrumental motivation outweighed the other three kinds, that is integrative, intrinsic and resultative motivation, all of which belonged to about the same number of respondents
Factors affecting students’ motivation in learning writing skills
Major causes of 10 graders’ lack of motivation comes from the five factors affecting students’ motivation to write English in class (teacher’s teaching methods, the enthusiasm of the teacher, lack of confidence, low level of English proficiency and the classroom atmosphere)
Over two-thirds of the students had problems from themselves The lack of ideas, vocabulary or structures to contributed to their motivation deficiency in writing lessons Teachers’ preference for better students and their uneven participation were also seen as other reasons in this case Furthermore, the fear of mistakes and bad remarks ascertained the reason why students were reluctant to write
It was the first weeks of the new school- year, as a result, they were not yet used to the new environment with new friends, new teachers as well as their new way of teaching, and possibly lacked self- confidence accordingly Teacher’s good behavour may encourage students to write more but his negative attitude can also discourage them from contributing to the lesson It is also the case of classroom atmosphere Students might lost interest to learn in a boring lesson
In short, learner-related factors (confidence, anxiety and language proficiency level), teacher-related factors (teaching methods and enthusiasm of the teachers) and teaching and learning conditions (classroom atmosphere) were taken into account as what made learners in the research unwilling to write
Teaching activities and strategies preferred by students’
In writing lessons, teachers used many different activities and strategies to motivate students to write( providing pre-teaching activities, using teaching aids, giving feedback and encouragement, etc.) However, all of those communicative activities were not yet applied regularly and made full use of
The information collected proved that the students preferred such activities as pre-teaching vocabulary and structures, model giving, designing extra activities, pair and group writing and checking and eliciting ideas Meanwhile, only about ten percent to two-thirds of the teachers sometimes applied these activities
It can be concluded that the writing activities by the teacher-respondents were not to expectations of the students This is also the reason why few teachers showed their satisfaction with their writing lessons.
Summary
In brief, the data analyses are presented in the chapter to find out the answers to the three research questions at Son Tay High School context: kinds of motivation
10th grade students possessed in writing lessons; major factors affecting the motivation of 10 th grade students and motivational strategies that should be applied in writing lessons All the data were obtained from the study instruments through the two survey questionnaires and two observation sheets
Summary of the main ideas
The study was carried out to learn about the current situation of motivation possessed by 10 graders of Son Tay High School in writing lessons On the whole, its aim was to better the English teaching and learning in general and English writing in particular at Son Tay High School
The study has discussed several view-points on motivation such as conceptions of motivation, five major types of motivation (including intrinsic, extrinsic, integrative, instrumental, and resultative) The essential roles of motivation in foreign language learning, followed by factors relating to learners, teachers and learning condition that affect it were attained in the theoretical background Writing and approaches to teaching this skill were explored in detail
It goes without saying that motivation has been a topic of concern for a great number of researchers, linguists as well as researchers The study was based on related-theories by Gardner, Brown or Dorneyi and also on experiences from other works like an article of Tran (2007) and these M.A theses of Dinh Thuy Linh
(2011), Hoang Thi Ha (2011) and Nguyen Thanh Thuy ( 2013)
Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to carry out this study
Data were collected for analysis from responses of 80 10 th grade students, 8 teachers of English and from information received from the observation sheets
The questionnaires were first delivered to the subjects and then gathered again in the third week of semester one of the school year 2014-2015 The results obtained were then quickly presented in tables and charts for analyses
First of all, the research results showed that most 10 th grade students at Son Tay High School possessed extrinsic motivation and not many of them occupied intrinsic motivation This fact urges teachers at this school to find strategies to enhance students’ internal interest in learning writing skills and maintain the other types of motivation (extrinsic, instrumental, intrinsic and integrative and resultative) at the same time
Secondly, factors affecting 10 graders’ motivation derived from teachers (teaching methods and enthusiasm), students (low level of English proficiency and limited background knowledge), and teaching and learning conditions (the class atmosphere) Therefore, there should be solutions to minimize these factors in order to make writing lessons become more effective
Finally, motivational strategies and activities that should be applied to teaching writing 10 th grade students at Son Tay High School were pre-teaching activities (vocabulary and structure teaching and eliciting ideas), using teaching aids (like models, authentic materials and extra activities), applying communicative activities ( pair or group writing and peer correcting) and giving regular feedback and encouragement.
Implications and Recommendations
In the first place, the results of the research that most 10 th grade students at Son Tay High School did not own intrinsic motivation urge teachers at this school to play the role of a facilitator applying some strategies to increase this important kind of motivation For example, they can create and develop students’ autonomy so that they do not depend on outside rewards or praise In addition, it is advisable that teachers should use rewards and praise but in a selectively and judiciously way so that students can recognize their own self-satisfaction in having done something well Besides, setting some personal goals for students and utilizing their learning strategies can help them take charge of their own learning Moreover, the teaching materials should be made relevant for the learners Students are often more motivated when they know that what they are learning is has relevance to their lives
Another way to intrinsically motivate students in learning writing skills is using content-based activities and courses The aim of the activities is to focus students on interesting, relevant subject-matter content that gets students more linguistically involved Finally, increasing students’ expectancy of success is another way to promote their intrinsic motivation
Secondly, the research results said that students’ motivation was greatly affected by teachers’ teaching methods and behaviors That is the reason why presenting all the tasks in a motivating way (explaining the purpose and the utility of thee task and providing students with appropriate strategies to do the tasks) can help increase students’ motivation in learning the skills Teachers can get students’ involvement in the lessons by using authentic materials and extra activities
Teachers’ enthusiasm and commitment will also contribute much to students’ motivation Teachers can offer to meet students individually to explain things after class It is also advisable that teacher should encourage students to call them whenever they encounter any problems
Moreover, some factors affecting students’ motivation derived from the students themselves; therefore teachers also should have strategies to help these students solve their problems For instance, teachers should pay more attention to enhance students’ vocabulary and grammar structures not only in writing lessons but also in such other lessons as reading or language focus ones Teachers can also provide students with relevant or particular interesting articles to help them widen their background knowledge
In addition, it is necessary for teachers to promote cooperation among students by organizing pair or group activities during writing lessons Students’ expectancy of success is likely to be higher when they cooperating with each other because they know that they can account on their peers This technique of using communicative activities can help teachers solve the problem of a big-sized class as well
Another recommendation is that a pleasant and supportive atmosphere in classroom should be created Teachers should encourage students’ actions of risk- taking and have mistakes accepted as a natural part of learning Only by that way can students feel comfortable taking risks and writing without worrying about being criticized or embarrassed, which may increase their involvement in learning writing process Teachers’ good rapport with students and students’ harmonious relationship with each other help create a friendly atmosphere in classroom as well
Humour is also advised to be used to create a relaxing climate inside
Limitations are unavoidable in any research papers This minor thesis is not an exception The research is an investigation into the context of English writing teaching and learning of grade 10 at Son Tay High School The findings and implications obtained are expected to help bring about a deeper understanding of the teaching and learning context at this school However, because of the limited time and length constraint of a minor thesis, the study has the following limitations:
First of all, the limitation of participants (with 80 students of 10 th graders only) makes the study less reliable As a result, the findings of which are clearly not generalized to all the 10 graders at the school
Secondly, there are many different factors affecting students’ motivation learning writing skills such as learners' personal attributes (aptitude, previous language learning experience), learners' attitudes (sentiment towards the target language) and learners' belief about themselves (anxiety, expectations about one's ability to succeed), but the researcher did not had chance to explore
Thirdly, the research was carried out at the beginning of the school year when 10 th grade students were actually new comers and new friends, new teachers as well as new teaching and learning methods or techniques might be strange to them Moreover, only a few writing lessons had been taught at the time the survey questionnaires were given and the observation was carried out As a result, the findings achieved are true of the students at that particular time only
The study was aimed at bettering 10 graders’ English writing skills For this long-termed purpose, it is vital that an insight into the situation be taken into account Therefore, further studies could be conducted on the spot
Firstly, the same study on motivation but in other language skills (listening skills, reading skills) could be applied with a bigger number of participants In addition, the subject of the future study may be 11 th and 12 th grade students at Son Tay High School
Secondly, other studies on other factors affecting students’ motivation in English learning can be carried out
Finally, studies should be undertaken at the middle or the end of the school year so that the research results can be seen from another angle
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APPENDIX 1 SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS This survey is conducted as a part of my research “A Study on Motivations of 10th Grade Students in Learning English Writing Skills at Son Tay High School, Hanoi” Your assistance in completing the following items is highly appreciated All the information provided by you is of great use and for study purpose only Thank you very much for your cooperation!
II Please circle the appropriate answers or write in brief where necessary
1 You are interested in learning English writing skills
2 You study English writing skills because: (you can circle more than 1 answer)
A English is a compulsory subject in your curriculum
B You want to please your parents
C You are interested in English writing skills
D You have a great interest in English culture and people
E You want to get good marks in English tests/ to pass the examination
F You want to communicate in English fluently
G You think English is necessary for you in your future job
3 In writing lessons, you (you can circle more than 1 answer)
A are often eager to write carefully on all topics
B just write on topics that interest you
C often write on the topics which are given some suggested ideas or models
4 Which are your difficulties in writing lessons? (you can circle more than 1 answer)
A The lack of vocabulary and grammar structures
C The impracticality of the topics given (purpose or receiver is not clear enough)
5 Which factors can affect your motivation in writing lessons?
(You can circle more than one answer)
C The learning condition and atmosphere in the classroom.( class size, class studying atmosphere )
D Your fear of making mistakes and/ or getting bad marks
E Your lack of vocabulary and grammar structures
6 When practicing writing, you like to write
7 In writing lessons what of the following activities do you like your teacher use to motivate you to write? (You can circle more than one answer)
A Asking you to write immediately
B Pre-teaching new words and structures to be used in the writing task
C help you find ideas or make outlines before assigning you to write
E Assigning the task for you to write in a limited time
F Adjusting or adapting the writing tasks so that they can become more suitable to you
G Designing different activities to increase your motivation
H Assigning you to write in pairs or in groups
I Swapping your products so that you can check each other’s writing
K Giving feedback regularly by marking and giving comments on your writings
L Praising students with good writings in front of the class or giving you rewards
Thank you very much for your cooperation!
APPENDIX 2 SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE FOR TEACHERS This survey is conducted as a part of my research “A Study on Motivations of 10th Grade Students in Learning English Writing Skills at Son Tay High School, Hanoi” Your assistance in completing the following items is highly appreciated All the information provided by you is of great use and for study purpose only Thank you very much for your cooperation!
II Please circle or tick (√) the appropriate answers or write in brief where necessary
1 In which stage of a writing lesson do you often motivate your students?
(you can circle more than one answer)
D All the above mentioned stages
2 In writing lessons, how often do you let students write
Always Often sometimes rarely never
3 When your students are unwilling to write in class, you (You can circle more than one answer)
A let them free and never check their writings
B Ask their problems and try to help them solve the problems
C encourage them to write by rewarding (marks, presents… )
4 In writing lessons, you often
A go around the classroom to help students if needed
B remain at your seat and wait for students’ writing
5 How often do you use the following activities in writing lessons?
6 What are your problems in teaching writing skills? (you can circle more than one answer)
B students’ low proficiency of English
C students’ lack of background knowledge
Thank you very much for your cooperation!
Activities Always Often Sometimes Rarely Never
1 Asking students to write immediately
2 Pre-teaching new words and structures to be used in the writing task
3 help students find ideas or make outlines before assigning them to write
5 Assigning the task for the students to write in a limited time
6 Adjusting or adapting the writing tasks so that they can become more authentic or suitable to your students
7 designing different activities to increase students’ motivation
8 Assigning students to write in pairs or in groups
9 Swapping students’ products so that they can check each other’s writing
10 Giving feedback regularly by marking and giving comments on students’ writing
11 praising students with good writings in front of the class
APPENDIX 3 OBSERVATION SHEET - OVERALL CLASS MOTIVATION
7 Number of students present: 8 Material:
Observation focus: Levels of students' involvement 3 is average mark for any one item
1 Students get involved in pre- writing activities
2 Students’ attitudes towards writing topic:
Not very interested 1 2 3 4 5 very interested
3 Students get involved in while- writing activities
4 Students’ attitudes towards teacher’s teaching techniques
Not very interested 1 2 3 4 5 very interested
5 Students get involved in post- writing activities
6 Students' work attitude not hard-working 1 2 3 4 5 very hard-working
8 students' discussion not very intense 1 2 3 4 5 very intense
Not very interesting 1 2 3 4 5 very interesting
APPENDIX 4 PHIẾU KHẢO SÁT (DÀNH CHO HỌC SINH) Các bạn thân mến,