Using the task based appoach in teaching and learning efl writing skill an action research in suburban young learner class in ho chi minh city ma

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY – HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES & HUMANITIES FACULTY OF ENGLISH LINGUISTICS & LITERATURE USING THE TASK-BASED APPROACH IN TEACHING AND LEARNING EFL WRITING SKILLS: AN ACTION RESEARCH IN SUBURBAN YOUNG LEARNER CLASSES IN HO CHI MINH CITY A thesis submitted to the Faculty of English Linguistics & Literature in partial fulfillment of the Master‟s degree in TESOL By MAI TAN PHAT Supervised by NGUYEN THI HONG THAM, Ph.D HO CHI MINH CITY, JULY 2022 TABLE OF CONTENTS STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY v RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS vii LIST OF TABLES viii LIST OF FIGURES ix LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS x ABSTRACT xi CHAPTER INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the study 1.2 Problem statement 1.3 Aims of the study 1.4 Research questions 1.4 Significance of the study 1.5 Scope of the study 1.6 Organization of the thesis chapters CHAPTER LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Teaching EFL writing skills to young learners 2.1.1 The definitions of writing and writing skills 2.1.2 Writing as a product and writing as a process 2.1.3 Young learners 10 2.1.4 Young learners and writing learning 12 2.1.5 Factors affecting young learners‟ EFL writing 13 2.1.6 Approaches to teaching EFL writing skills to young learners 15 i 2.2 The task-based approach 18 2.2.1 An overview of tasks 18 2.2.2 Development of the task-based approach 20 2.2.3 Frameworks for the use of the task-based approach 23 2.2.4 Principles and guidelines for the implementation of the taskbased approach 25 2.3.5 Rationale for using the task-based approach in teaching EFL writing 26 2.3 Previous studies on the use of the task-based approach in young learners‟ EFL writing skills teaching and learning 28 2.4 Conceptual framework of the study 30 CHAPTER METHODOLOGY 32 3.1 Context of the study 32 3.2 Research participants 33 3.3 Research design 33 3.3.1 Reasons for the choice of qualitative action research design 34 3.3.2 Applying the action research design to the study 35 3.4 Research instruments 37 3.4.1 Observations 38 3.4.2 Students‟ writing samples 38 3.4.3 First semi-structured focus-group interview 41 3.4.4 Students‟ qualitative questionnaire 42 3.4.5 Teacher‟s focus-group interview 42 3.5 Data collection procedure 42 3.6 Data analysis schema 44 CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS 47 ii 4.1 The preliminary cycle 47 4.1.1 The first two writing samples 47 4.1.2 Data from teacher‟s journal 50 4.1.3 The first focus-group interview 50 4.1.4 Discussions on the preliminary cycle 52 4.2 The first intervention and cycle 53 4.2.1 Action plan for cycle 53 4.2.2 Three writing samples in Cycle 54 4.2.3 Data from teacher‟s journal 59 4.2.4 Discussion of Cycle 60 4.3 The second intervention and Cycle 61 4.3.1 Action plan of cycle 61 4.3.2 Three writing samples in Cycle 62 4.3.3 Data from teacher‟s journal 65 4.3.4 Data from questionnaires 66 4.3.5 The second focus-group interview 67 4.3.6 Discussions of Cycle 69 4.4 Answers to the research questions 70 4.4.1 The assistance of the task-based approach 70 4.4.2 Students perceptions 70 4.4.2 The strengths and weaknesses of the approach 71 CHAPTER CONCLUSIONS 73 5.1 Summary of the study 73 5.2 Implications of the study 75 5.3 Limitations of the study 75 iii 5.4 Recommendations for further research 76 References 77 Appendices 81 Appendix 1: Writing tasks 81 Appendix 2: Lesson plans 87 Appendix First focus-group interview form 103 Appendix Observation form 105 Appendix 5: Questionnaire 107 Appendix Second focus-group interview form 111 iv STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY I certify that the thesis entitled “USING THE TASK-BASED APPROACH IN TEACHING AND LEARNING EFL WRITING SKILLS: AN ACTION RESEARCH IN SUBURBAN YOUNG LEARNER CLASSES IN HO CHI MINH CITY” is the product of my own work The thesis has not been submitted for the award of any degrees or diplomas in any other institutions The thesis's content, except where clearly acknowledged within the text, has not been published by other authors Ho Chi Minh City, July 2022 Mai Tấn Phát v RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS I hereby state that I, Mai Tấn Phát, being the candidate for the degree of Master in TESOL at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities – Vietnam National University – Ho Chi Minh City, accept the requirements of the University relating to the retention and use of Master's Thesis deposited in the library In terms of these conditions, I agree that my thesis deposited in the library should be accessible for the purpose of study and research, in accordance with the normal conditions established by the library for the care, loan or reproduction of theses Ho Chi Minh City, July 2022 Mai Tấn Phát vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Dr Nguyễn Thị Hồng Thắm, for her wholehearted guidance, timely assistance, and continuous encouragement throughout the process of doing this thesis I would have been lost and the completion of this thesis would not be possible without her supervision Next, my thankfulness goes to all the instructors and the staff of the Faculty of English Linguistics and Literature at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities – Vietnam National University – Ho Chi Minh city They have inspired and provided me with valuable lessons, which not only broadened my horizon but also helped me grow up as a whole person I also wish to thank my friends and my classmates in the class of 2018A for their encouragement, material sharing, and helpful advice whenever I am in need Last but not least, my heartfelt thanks must go to my family and my siblings, who are always by my side and support me Without them, I would not have the courage and determination to complete this thesis vii LIST OF TABLES Table 2.1 The characteristics of EFL young learners and older learners 11 Table 2.2 Ellis‟s framework for task-based lessons 24 Table 3.1 Summary of the instruments employed 37 Table 3.2 Summary of the tasks used in the study 40 Table 3.3 Mark schema for A2 writing level 45 Table 4.1 Summary of results of students‟ writing in the preliminary cycle 48 Table 4.2 Summary of results of students‟ writing in Cycle 55 Table 4.1 Summary of results of students‟ writing in Cycle 63 viii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2.1 Willis‟s framework for task-based approach 23 Figure 2.2 The conceptual framework of the study 30 Figure 3.1 The cyclical model of the study 36 Figure 3.2 Thematic network for data analysis 44 ix T asks Ss to come up and take one piece of paper out of one box and read the sentence they combine T helps correct the tense use of the Ss T gives students the printed writing task T explains the example sentence Ss start writing their sentences Writing 20 minutes For Ss writing to the practice T goes around the class to provide needed first assistance conditional sentences T invites each student to write their sentence on the board, and correct the sentence Ss revise their sentences and submit their papers to the teacher 98 Lesson plans for task 2.2 A Students and Setting - Age: young learners 9~12 years old - Proficiency level: most students are at elementary (A2) level, a few are at , beginners (A1) level - Characteristics: learners possess typical characteristics of young learners (presented in 2.1.3) such as being enthusiastic, having short attention span, preferring visual, auditory and kinesthetic learning styles, and so on - Teaching context: a small-sized class in a language center in a suburban language center - Size of class: ~10 students - Duration: 50 minutes B Lesson background -In the previous lessons, learners have learned how to use the present perfect tense C Objectives By the end of the lesson, students will be able talk and write a short paragraph describing an amazing thing they have done D Materials and sources Coursebook: Got it! – Oxford University Press Unit: Unit pp 58 -59 E Teaching procedures (T = Teacher, Ss = Students, S = Student) Stages & Timing Review minutes Stage aim(s) Activities For Ss to review the T gives students a grammar practice exercise on present perfect tense the present perfect tense 99 Speaking 15 minutes For students to practice T has Ss to ask their partners the questions in Part speaking what they have page 59 done T asks two pairs to make dialogues T asks students to ask their peer and answers question of the task (task 2.2) Writing 15 minutes +Home assigment For Ss writing paragraph to practice a short T asks two students to answers the questions to the whole class and give comments Ss write the answers of the questions on their notebook as an outline for their writings Ss write their paragraphs at home Ss submit their paper the following day 100 Lesson plans for task 2.3 A Students and Setting - Age: young learners 9~12 years old - Proficiency level: most students are at elementary (A2) level, a few are at , beginners (A1) level - Characteristics: learners possess typical characteristics of young learners (presented in 2.1.3) such as being enthusiastic, having short attention span, preferring visual, auditory and kinesthetic learning styles, and so on - Teaching context: a small-sized class in a language center in a suburban language center - Size of class: ~10 students - Duration: 40 minutes B Lesson background -In the previous lessons, learners have learnt how to use the grammatical structure “be going to” and practiced using the structure C Objectives By the end of the lesson, students will be able to write reviews a book they have read D Materials and sources Coursebook: Got it! – Oxford University Press Unit: Unit pp 67 E Teaching procedures (T = Teacher, Ss = Students, S = Student) Stages & Timing Lead-in & minutes Stage aim(s) To lead-in the lesson Activities T asks Ss to talk about a book they like / they have read recently 101 Speaking For students to practice 10 minutes speaking about a book they have read recently T has Ss to ask their partners the questions of the speaking tasks page 67 T invites Ss to present their answers T asks students write their answers to the questions of the task onto their text book T shows a model of a book review and asks Ss some questions related to the text (what you think about this paper? Is this good? Are there Writing 25 minutes any grammatical mistakes? How is the For Ss to practice writing organization? ) a book review T asks Ss to write their reviews T asks students to exchange their papers with their peers, and give comment on others‟ papers T give feedback to the whole class T asks Ss to revise their papers and submit them the next day 102 Appendix First focus-group interview form FOCUS-GROUP INTERVIEW FORM Theme 1: Learners‟ perceptions on Notes learning writing: Core question: What you think about learning writing? Follow up questions: Do you like writing? Do you think it‟s difficult or easy to write? Why is it difficult or easy? What kinds of writing you like (email, paragraph, posters…)? Theme 2: Learners‟ perceptions on writing tasks Core question: Do you think that the two writing tasks we‟ve had (writing a paragraph about a movie, and email about plans) interesting / related to real world? What writing topic you prefer? 103 Theme 3: Learners perceptions on the three stages of the task-based lesson Core questions: Do you like the activities the teachers provide before you write your papers? Do you think they are helpful? While writing your paper, you have any difficulty? When you finish your paper, as I‟ve observed, you are unwilling to share your paper with your friends? Why is that? What can you learn from others‟ papers? 104 Appendix Observation form OBSERVATION FORM Session: Length: Descriptive notes Reflective notes Pre-writing stage: While-writing stage: Post -writing stage: 105 A sample observational entry 106 Appendix 5: Questionnaire Vietnamese version Em vui l ng tr l i m t s c u h i b n d u i Tất c c c c u tr l i c a em c gi b m t C u 1: H y n u m t v i i m em th ch (n u c ) h c vi t ti ng Anh …………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………….………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………… C u 2: H y n u m t v i i m em kh ng th ch h c vi t ti ng Anh …………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………….………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………… Câu 3: Em suy ngh g v ch c a nh ng b i vi t em vi t th i gian g n y? …………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………….………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………… Câu 4: Em suy ngh g v nh ng ho t em vi t b i? (tr ch i t v ng, ng v h ng d n c a G c b i m u, suy ngh tr c c c th o lu n n i dung b i vi t…) …………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………….………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………… C u 5: Trong l c vi t b i, nh ng i u g c n g y kh kh n cho em? (v d : thi u t v ng, ng ph p, n i dung, th i gian…) …………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………….………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………… 107 Câu 6: Em c m thấy nh th n o xem v nh gi b i vi t c a b n kh c? …………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………….………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………… Câu 7: Em c m thấy nh th n o c b n kh c xem v nh gi b i vi t c a m nh? …………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………….………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………… C u 8: Sau m t th i gian h c vi t ti ng Anh, em thấy k n ng vi t ti ng anh c a m nh c c c i thi n kh ng? …………………………………………………………………………………… N u c th k n ng vi t c c i thi n nh th n o? …………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………….………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………… H y n u v i l t i em thấy m nh v n ch a vi t t t: …………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………….………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………… C u 9: Em h y n u m t v i ki n kh c nh ng c u h i ph a tr n c a em v vi c h c k n ng vi t v i th y …………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………….………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………… C m n em nhi u! 108 English version QUESTIONNAIRE Please kindly answer the questions below All of your answers will be kept confidential Question 1: State a few things you like (if any) when learning English writing …………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………….………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………… Question 2: State a few things you not like (if any) when learning English writing …………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………….………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………… Question 3: What you think about the topic of the recent writing tasks? …………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………….………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………… Question 4: What you think about the activities and the teacher‟s instructions before you start writing (vocabulary game, model papers, brainstorming and discussing the content of your writings…)? …………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………….………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………… Question 5: While writing, what is still difficult for you? (lack of vocabulary, grammar, time…, for example) …………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………….………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………… 109 Question 6: What you think when reading and evaluating your friends‟ papers? …………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………….………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………… Question 7: What you think when your paper being read and evaluated by your friends? …………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………….………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………… Question 8: After a term of learning English writing, you think your writing skills have been improved? …………………………………………………………………………………… If yes, how are your writing skills improved? …………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………….………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………… State some reasons why you are still not good at writing: …………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………….………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………… Question 9: Please state some other opinions about learning English writing with your teacher, Mr Phat …………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………….………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………… Thank you for your cooperation! 110 Appendix Second focus-group interview form FOCUS-GROUP INTERVIEW FORM Theme 1: Learners‟ perceptions on learning writing in general: Core question: What you think about learning writing after learning writing for months? Follow up questions: Do you like writing now? Why or why not? What you like when writing? Give your explanation … Theme 2: Learners‟ perceptions on writing tasks Core question: Do you think that the writing tasks we‟ve had during this months? Which one you like best, and which one you don‟t like? Why? What kind of writing they would like to in the next lessons? 111 Notes Theme 3: Learners perceptions on the three stages of the task-based lesson Core questions: What you think about what we usually before you write? Do you like the activities before writing? Do you have any suggestion for the games? While writing your paper, you still encounter any difficulty? Can you write without a writing model? Most of you are more willing to share your writings and give others feedback, but you were not months ago Why is that? In general, you think that your writing skills have been improved since the last four months? What are the improvements? Do you have anything else to say about learning writing or my teaching? 112