Teaching writing communicatively to english learners ai the nong lam university center fo foreign studies an experiment

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY – HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES TRAN THI THUY HANG TEACHING WRITING COMMUNICATIVELY TO ENGLISH LEARNERS AT THE NONG LAM UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR FOREIGN STUDIES: AN EXPERIMENT Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (TESOL) Supervisor DOAN HUE DUNG, Ph.D HO CHI MINH CITY, 2008 CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY I hereby certify my authorship of the thesis submitted today entitled: TEACHING WRITING COMMUNICATIVELY TO ENGLISH LEARNERS AT THE NONG LAM UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR FOREIGN STUDIES: AN EXPERIMENT In terms of the Statement of Requirements for Theses in Master’s Programs issued by the Higher Degree Committee Ho Chi Minh City, June 2008 TRAN THI THUY HANG RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS I hereby state that I, Tran Thi Thuy Hang, being the candidate for the degree of Master of TESOL, accept the requirements of the University relating to the retention and use of Master’s Theses deposited in the Library In terms of these conditions, I agree that the original of my thesis deposited in the Library should be accessible for the purposes of study and research, in accordance with the normal conditions established by the Library for care, loan, or reproduction of theses Ho Chi Minh City, June 2008 Tran Thi Thuy Hang ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my thesis supervisor, Ms Đoàn Huệ Dung, Ph.D., for her explicit guidance in the completion of my thesis, and for her valuable support and care during the struggle against my sickness Special thanks are also expressed to all my colleagues for their care and encouragement which make me feel warmed and shared And to all the teachers and learners who have responded to the questionnaire survey to provide me a trustworthy source of data for the research And to my close friend, Ms Nguyễn Thị Minh Thoa, for her cooperation in teaching the two experimental classes My heartfelt thanks and love are also meant towards all the members in my family who are always by my side and help me overcome the most difficult time in my life so that I can continue and finish up this research And last but wholeheartedly, this thesis is dedicated to the memory of my Mom and Dad ABSTRACT This thesis investigates aspects associated with the current practice of teaching and learning writing in general English classes at the NLU CFS: factors demotivating learners in studying writing, what teaching methods or techniques had usually been employed by the teachers, and how the communicative approach worked in a writing class in order to gain an insight into an effective teaching method to make students like studying writing The study is carried out by means of an experimental teaching, which adopts the C.A and process writing techniques, conducted on 160 elementary and low-intermediate learners from four classes at Nguyen Huu Huan and Thu Duc evening Divisions Four experimental lessons are observed in each class In addition, two sets of questionnaire were delivered parallel to these learners and 16 writing teachers to fill out The findings drawn from the data analysis reveal that although most of the teachers have applied the C.A in teaching writing, the learners have low motivation in this subject resulting from (1) the big class size and restricted time frame allotted to writing, and (2) some repercussions in classroom application of the C.A., e.g a poorly motivating classroom atmosphere, insufficient opportunities for collaborative work, improper and ineffective practice in the pre-writing and post-writing stages, and lack of real contexts for writing The results gained from the classroom observations show that the experimental teaching is quite successful in stimulating the students, and that the C.A and process writing techniques can be applied even to low levels to make a writing class more motivating and communicative Based on the findings, suggestions were made to provide the teachers with possible adjustments in their teaching practice in order to overcome these repercussions The study is expected to help not only the teachers at Nguyen Huu Huan and Thu Duc evening Divisions but also those teaching at other divisions of the NLU CFS better the current practice of teaching writing TABLE OF CONTENTS Certificate of originality Retention and use of the thesis Acknowledgements Abstract Table of contents List of charts List of tables Abbreviations and symbols i ii iii iv v ix x xi Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the study 1.2 Writing teaching and learning at the NLU CFS 1.3 Purposes of the study 1.4 Procedure of the study 1.5 Significance of the study 1.6 Scope of the study 1.7 The organization of the thesis 6 Chapter 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 The nature of writing 2.1.1 What is writing? 2.1.2 Spoken language vs Written language 2.1.3 Why is writing difficult? 2.1.4 The significance of writing teaching and learning 2.1.5 Types of writing performance 2.1.6 Types of writing activities 2.1.6.1 Controlled writing activities 2.1.6.2 Communication activities 2.1.6.3 Guided writing activities 2.2 Approaches in teaching writing in ESL classes 2.2.1 Teaching writing traditionally: A product-oriented approach 2.2.1.1 The controlled-to-free approach 2.2.1.2 The paragraph-pattern approach 2.2.1.3 The grammar-syntax-organization approach 2.2.2 Teaching writing communicatively: A process-oriented approach 8 10 13 14 16 17 18 19 20 21 21 21 22 22 24 2.2.2.1 The free writing approach 2.2.2.2 The communicative approach 2.2.2.3 Process approach 2.2.3 Difficulties in applying the communicative approach in teaching English in Vietnam 2.3 Composition marking and error correction 2.3.1 Mistakes and Errors 2.3.2 Causes of errors 2.3.2.1 Interference of the first language 2.3.2.2 Interlanguage interference 2.3.2.3 Other affective variables 2.3.3 Error Correction 2.3.3.1 Traditional attitude towards error correction 2.3.3.2 CLT attitude towards error correction 24 25 25 28 29 29 30 30 31 31 31 32 32 Chapter 3: METHODOLOGY 3.1 Research goals and method 3.2 Research design 3.2.1 Subjects 3.2.2 The experimental teaching 3.2.2.1 The experimental teaching outline 3.2.2.2 Materials 3.2.2.3 Activities 3.2.3 Class observations 3.2.4 The questionnaire 3.3 Data collection 35 36 36 37 37 38 39 45 45 48 Chapter 4: DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS 4.1 Class observations 4.1.1 Concerning the teachers 4.1.2 Concerning teacher/students interaction 4.1.3 Concerning the lesson’s success 4.2 Learners’ responses 4.2.1 Characteristics 4.2.2 Learners’ views on the study of writing 4.2.2.1 Learners’ purposes in studying writing 4.2.2.2 Learners’ attitude towards the study of writing 4.2.2.3 Learners’ difficulties in studying writing 4.2.3 Learners’ strategies in getting prepared for writing 4.2.4 Factors satisfying learners in a writing class 50 50 50 51 51 52 52 52 53 54 55 56 4.2.5 Favorite activities and topics 4.2.6 Cooperative learning 4.2.7 Learners’ awareness of the readership 4.2.8 Learners’ favorable approaches of error correction 4.2.9 Learners’ views on grammar learning and the time allotted to writing 4.2.10 Learners’ recommendations 4.3 Teachers’ responses 4.3.1 Characteristics 4.3.2 Teachers’ views on students’ attitude towards learning writing 4.3.3 Teachers’ problems in teaching writing 4.3.4 Teachers’ ways of conducting writing lessons 4.3.5 Motivational factors in a writing class 4.3.6 Ways of conducting writing activities 4.3.7 Difficulties with a CLT writing class 4.3.8 Ways of correcting students’ written work 4.3.9 Teachers’ views on the schedule and materials for writing 4.3.10 Teachers’ recommendations on how to better the teaching of writing 4.4 Findings 4.4.1 Teachers’ and learners’ negative views on the study of writing 4.4.2 Factors causing learners’ lack of motivation 4.4.2.1 Factors relating to the NLU CFS’s academic administration 4.4.2.2 Repercussions in applying the communicative approach 4.4.3 Learners’ active performance in the experimental classes 58 60 61 62 63 63 64 64 65 65 66 68 71 72 73 74 75 75 75 76 76 77 80 Chapter 5: CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS 5.1 Conclusions 5.2 Suggestions 5.2.1 Increasing the time for writing in the course syllabus 5.2.2 Stimulating in students a desire to communicate 5.2.3 Creating a motivating setting for learners to write in 5.2.3.1 Games 5.2.3.2 Quizzes 5.2.3.3 Music 5.2.3.4 Visual aids 5.2.4 Conducting more group work 81 82 82 83 83 84 86 86 87 87 5.2.5 Making the planning stage effective and systematic 88 5.2.6 Providing real contexts for writing 89 5.2.7 Giving more attention to the revision stage 91 5.2.7.1 Self-correction 91 5.2.7.2 Discussing the marking criteria and correction codes with the students 92 5.2.7.3 Peer/group correction 93 5.3 Limitations of the study 94 5.4 Suggestion for further research 94 BIBLIOGRAPHY 95 APPENDICES 98 LIST OF CHARTS Chart 4.1: Learners’ attitude towards the study of writing Chart 4.2: Learners’ difficulties in studying writing Chart 4.3: Learners’ attitude towards cooperative learning Chart 4.4: Teachers’ views on learners’ attitude towards learning writing Chart 4.5: Teachers’ ways of conducting writing activities 10 APPENDIX D PHIẾU KHẢO SÁT (dành cho học viên) Bản câu hỏi nhằm lấy ý kiến học viên lớp tiếng Anh tổng quát TTNN ĐHNL phương pháp giảng dạy tạo hứng thú cho người học học viết Dữ liệu thu thập sử dụng cho đề tài nghiên cứu luận văn thạc sỹ Xin chân thành cảm ơn đóng góp q báu bạn PART I Xin vui lòng cung cấp thông tin cá nhân bạn cách đánh dấu vào ô thích hợp Giới tính: … Nam … Nữ Tuổi: … 18 … từ 18 đến 24 … 24 Nghề nghiệp: … học sinh/ sinh viên … đã/đang làm việc PART II Xin bạn chọn câu trả lời phù hợp với thân Trong trường hợp bạn cảm thấy câu trả lời thích hợp với mình, xin viết câu trả lời riêng bạn vào mục “Ý kiến khác” Tại bạn học môn viết? (Bạn có lựa chọn) a Môn viết đưa vào chương trình khóa học tiếng Anh TTNN ĐHNL b Học viết TTNN ĐHNL giúp viết tốt môn học tiếng Anh trường phổ thông / đại học c Kỹ viết cần thiết cho công việc tôi: viết đơn xin việc, viết thư thư điện tử kinh doanh d Kỹ viết luôn kiểm tra kỳ thi quan trọng thi chứng A-B-C, TOEFL, IELTS e Tôi cảm thấy thích thú sử dụng qui tắc văn phạm vốn từ vựng học để giao tiếp thông qua hình thức viết f Kết môn viết tốt môn khác Xin cho biết cảm nhận bạn lớp học viết tiếng Anh mà bạn học qua? a Thú vị b Cần thiết c Không cần thiết d Chán e Ý kiến khác: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… a b c Bạn có khó khăn học viết? (Bạn có lựa chọn) Tôi đủ vốn từ để diễn đạt ý Tôi diễn đạt ý văn phạm Tôi sử dụng từ nối thích hợp để nối câu lại với 122 d e f g h Tôi cách xếp ý tưởng thành đoạn văn mạch lạc Tôi cảm thấy khó bắt đầu viết Tôi nghó ý để viết Tôi hoàn tất viết thời gian qui định Ý kiến khác: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… a b c d e f Khi chuẩn bị viết, bạn nên làm gì? Học trước tất từ vựng cấu trúc Suy nghó ý diễn đạt tiếng Việt dịch sang tiếng Anh Suy nghó tìm cách diễn đạt ý tiếng Anh Bắt chước văn mẫu viết Liệt kê ý làm dàn Ý kiến khác: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Bạn cảm thấy hài lòng với học viết a Giáo viên giúp bạn làm việc dịch mẫu, giải thích từ vựng, cấu trúc ngữ pháp, lập dàn cung cấp ý tưởng đề tài trước bạn viết b Giáo viên hướng khuyến khích bạn làm việc theo nhóm với bạn khác để giải vấn đề c Giáo viên bạn vui nhộn đáng yêu làm bạn cảm thấy thoải mái d Ý kiến khác: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Bạn có thích giáo viên giảng tiếng Anh không? a Không Đôi giáo viên cần nói tiếng Việt để giải thích rõ ràng tiết kiệm thời gian b Không Nói tiếng Việt giúp hiểu rõ từ khó giảm bớt căng thẳng c Có Đó cách tốt để thực tập nghe giao tiếp với giáo viên d Có Nó giúp khởi động việc xử lý tiếng Anh đầu bạn, vốn hữu ích cho bạn việc sử dụng ngôn ngữ viết e Ý kiến khác: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 10 Đánh dấu (9) vào loại tập viết áp dụng khóa học mà bạn thích a Các trò chơi thực tập viết b Làm tập văn phạm, cấu trúc câu cần cho loại tập viết học c Phân tích mẫu để học hình thức văn phong cách tổ chức ý loại mẫu d Học cấu trúc từ vựng e Sử dụng hình ảnh (tranh ảnh, đồ họa, đồ), liệu có thật để viết f Làm việc theo nhóm g Tham gia với giáo viên lớp vào việc liệt kê ý tưởng làm dàn h Hoàn thành tập viết riêng bạn thời gian qui định 123 i Nhận ý kiến đánh giá giáo viên viết k Nhận ý kiến đánh giá giáo viên viết Trong số đề tài mà bạn học khóa này, đánh dấu (9) vào đề tài bạn thích đánh dấu (99) vào đề tài bạn không thích Cấp độ 200A a Viết cách bạn giữ cho thể khỏe mạnh b Viết việc sử dụng vitamin c Miêu tả hình dáng người d Miêu tả tính cách người e Miêu tả nơi chốn (nhà, phòng v.v) f Viết bưu thiếp g Viết thư cho người bạn kể quê bạn Cấp độ 300 a Phỏng vấn bạn lớp viết đoạn văn giới thiệu người bạn với câu lạc sinh viên quốc tế trường bạn b Sử dụng biểu đồ đê’ viết báo cáo c Viết chia sẻ ý kiến bạn game online d Viết nêu ý kiến bạn nghi phạm vụ án trộm tiền qua hệ thống máy tính ngân hàng e Viết thư hồi âm đưa lời khuyên vấn đề tình yêu f Viết thư cho bạn bè, người thân để cảm ơn, mời thăm viếng mượn tiền g Viết thư kinh doanh đơn xin việc sơ yếu lý lịch 11 Bạn có thích hoạt động nhóm lớp học viết không? a Không Tôi chưa làm việc nhóm lớp học viết b Không Tôi ngại bạn khác chế nhạo phạm lỗi c Có Hoạt động nhóm vui thư giãn d Có Tôi thích chia sẻ công việc với bạn nhóm e Ý kiến khác: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 12 Ưu tiên sở thích bạn lớp học viết gì? a Lắng nghe giáo viên làm việc b Làm việc hai người c Làm việc theo nhóm d Ý kiến khác: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 13 Khi viết bạn có ý thức mục đích viết độc giả không? a Có b Không 124 14 Bạn nghó bạn viết tốt độc giả bạn a Giáo viên bạn thầy / cô giúp lỗi viết mà bạn mắc phải b Bạn lớp bạn cảm thấy thoải mái viết mà lo lắng việc phạm lỗi viết c Chính thân bạn viết để diễn đạt bạn d Ý kiến khác: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 15 Khoanh tròn (các) câu mô tả thái độ bạn lỗi viết a Tôi sợ phạm lỗi chúng phản ánh điểm yếu thất bại việc học ngoại ngữ b Tôi chẳng quan tâm đến việc có phạm lỗi không miễn viết trôi chảy c Phạm lỗi không rút kinh nghiệm củng cố khả viết d Ý kiến khác: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 16 Bạn thích viết sửa nào? a Tôi thích giáo viên sửa dùm tất lỗi b Tôi thích giáo viên lỗi để lớp sửa c Tôi thích giáo viên lỗi để tự sửa d Tôi thích đọc viết trước để tìm lỗi sửa chúng trước nộp cho giáo viên e Tôi thích trao đổi với bạn khác để sửa lỗi cho f Ý kiến khác: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 17 Bạn nhận thấy có cần thiết học thêm văn phạm viết không? a Có b Không 18 Xin cho biết ý kiến bạn thời gian phân bổ cho môn Viết trung tâm a Mỗi tuần hợp lý b Mỗi tuần nên có ………………… 19 Bạn có đề nghị nhằm giúp cải thiện việc dạy học viết trung tâm? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 125 APPENDIX E STUDENT QUESTIONNAIRE This questionnaire is to inquire learners of English in general English classes at the NLU CFS on their preference for a teaching method that can stimulate their interest in learning writing Collected information will be used in an M.A thesis Thank you very much for your cooperation Part I Please give us some of your personal information by ticking the appropriate box ; Gender : … Male … Female Age: … under 18 … 18 – 24 … over 24 Occupation: … student … working person Part II Please circle ONE of the answers that best applies to you In case you feel no answer is exactly true of you, please write your own answer in the space for “Other opinions” Why you learn writing? (You may have more than one choice) a Writing is included in the framework of my English course at the NLU CFS b Learning writing at the NLU CFS helps me write better at my school / university c It is necessary for my job, e.g., writing job application forms, business letters or emails d Writing skill is always tested in important tests, e.g A-B-C level exams, TOEFL, IELTS e I find it interesting when I can use the grammar rules and vocabulary I have learned to communicate through the medium of writing f My result in writing is better than those in other subjects g Other opinions:……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… a b c d e How you feel about the writing classes you have ever taken so far? Interesting Important Unnecessary Boring Other opinions: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… What difficulties you have in learning writing? (You may have more than one choice) a I don’t have enough vocabulary to express my ideas b I cannot express my ideas correctly in grammar c I don’t know how to use appropriate connectors to link my sentences together 126 d e f g h I don’t know how to organize my ideas into a coherent text I find it difficult to get started I cannot think of anything to write I cannot finish a writing task in a limited time Other opinions:……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… a b c d e f What you think you should in getting prepared for a writing task? Learn all the new words and structures in advance Think about the ideas in Vietnamese and translate them into English Think and find ways to express ideas in English Imitate a model text and get started right away Brainstorm ideas or make an outline Other opinions: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… You feel satisfied with a writing class when a your teacher does everything for you, e.g translating model texts, explicitly explaining the vocabulary and the grammar structures, and making an outline and giving ideas related to the assigned topic in advance b your teacher gives guidance and encourages you to work in pairs / in groups to try things out on your own c your teacher is nice and funny and makes you feel relaxed d Other opinions: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Do you like your teacher to always explain the lessons in English? a No It’s sometimes necessary for the teacher to speak Vietnamese to clarify his instructions or to save time b No Speaking Vietnamese helps me understand difficult words clearly and reduce tension c Yes It is a good way for me to practice listening and communicating with the teacher d Yes It activates your mental processing of English, which is helpful for you to construct the language when you write e Other opinions:…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 10 Please tick (9) at the activities applied in your writing classes in this course that you found interesting a Writing games / quizzes b Doing exercises on grammar rules / sentence patterns, needed for the type of text in question c Analyzing a model text to learn about the convention and the organization of the type of text in question d Learning new structures and vocabulary ………… e Using visual aids (pictures, graphs, maps) or fact to write f Small group work 127 g Brainstorming ideas or making an outline with the teacher and the whole class ………… h Completing a writing task on your own in a limited time i Getting feedback from the teacher k Swapping your paper with a partner and editing each other’s paper 11 Among the topics you have been learning in this course, please tick (9) at the ones you like Mark a double tick (99) at the one(s) you dislike Set A: Class 200A a Writing about what you to stay healthy b Writing about the use of vitamins c Writing a description of a person’s appearance d Writing a description of a person’s character e Writing a description of a place (home, room, etc.) f Writing a postcard g Writing a letter to tell your friend about your hometown Set B: Class 300 a Interviewing one classmate and writing an article to introduce him/her to the International Student Club at your university b Interpreting graphs/ charts to write reports c Writing to share your opinion about online games d Expressing your opinion about suspects in a computer crime at the bank e Responding to a letter giving advice on love f Writing a personal letter to your friend or relative (inviting him/her to come visit you or borrowing money) g Writing business letters, e.g., a job application form, a resume 12 Do you like to have group work in a writing class? a No I’ve never worked in groups in a writing class b No I’m afraid other students will laugh at me when I make a mistake c Yes It is fun and relaxing to work in a group d Yes I like to share work with other students in my group e Other opinions:………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 13 Which you like most in a writing class? a Listening to the teacher and working alone b Working in pairs c Working in a small group d Other opinions:………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 14 When writing, are you aware of the purpose of your writing and the audience for it? a Yes b No 128 15 Do you think you can write better when your reader is a your teacher because s/he can point out your mistakes b your classmate or friend because you feel free to write without worrying about making mistakes c yourself because writing is expressing yourself Other opinions:………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 16 Circle the statement(s) that describe(s) your attitude towards errors b I’m afraid of making errors because they reflect my weakness and failure in learning the language c It doesn’t bother me if I make mistakes as long as I can write fluently d It doesn’t matter if I make errors in my written work because I can learn from errors and improve my writing e Other opinions:………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 17 How you like your written work to be corrected? a I like my teacher to correct all my mistakes b I like my teacher to point out my mistakes and let the whole class correct them c I like my teacher to point out my mistakes so that I can correct them myself d I like to read my text first to find mistakes and correct them myself before handing in my paper e I like to exchange my paper with a partner to correct each other’s writing f Other opinions:………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 18 Do you find it necessary to learn more about grammar in your writing class? a Yes b No 19 What you think about the time allotted for your writing class? a One hour a week is reasonable b There should be ……………… hours a week 20 Do you have any suggestions to help us improve the teaching and learning writing at the NLU CFS? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 129 APPENDIX F TEACHER QUESTIONNAIRE This questionnaire is to collect data for the study on “Teaching Writing communicatively at the NLU CFS: An Experiment” for an M.A thesis The study is to examine aspects concerning the teaching of writing in general English classes at the NLU CFS: factors affecting learners in writing lessons, the methods or techniques often used by the teachers and the difficulties they have encountered when conducting communicative activities in writing classes in order to gain an insight into an effective way to motivate students in learning writing Your answers are very important for the success of the study and used for the research purpose only Thank you very much for your participation Notice: The subjects mentioned in the study are the students in classes 200A and 300 Part I Please give us some of your personal information by ticking the appropriate box ;é Gender : … Male … Female Qualification: … B.A degree … M.A degree Teaching experience: … under years … from to 10 years … over 10 years Part II Please circle ONE of the answers that best applies to you In case you feel no answer is exactly true of you, please write your own answer in the space for “Other opinions” What you think about your students’ attitude towards learning writing? a They are unmotivated in learning it b They are passive and indifferent in class c They are lazy and afraid of making mistakes d They are interested in learning it e They are active and hard working f Other opinions:……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… What problems have you encountered in teaching writing? a Students participate in classroom activities passively b Students are too dependent on the teacher c Students feel bored or afraid of writing because of their low linguistic competence d Students rarely writing assignments at home e There is not enough time to help students get prepared for the writing task and complete it in class f Large size classes make it hard to give full attention to each individual g Large size classes make the correction of students’ papers a heavy load h Other opinions: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 130 What you pay more attention to in teaching writing? a The final result of your students’ written work b The process in which your students are involved in the classroom activities c Other opinions:……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Please tick the statement(s) that describe(s) your opinion of the most effective ways of teaching writing? (You may have more than one answer) a Teachers should give students a lot of practice exercises on grammar structures and vocabulary ranging from the easiest to the most complex so that they can write well-formed sentences and error-free text b Basic composition skills regarding paragraph development, cohesive mechanism, spelling and punctuation, logical argument and general organization should be taught to learners c Students should learn to translate texts / sentences from Vietnamese into English d Students should be exposed to different types of model texts to learn about their conventions and imitate the model texts to write their own e Students should learn to make an outline and brainstorm ideas on their own before writing f Teachers should know how to stimulate in students a desire to communicate effectively g Students should be given enough time and space to work in pairs or in groups to explore the topic fully before writing h Teacher should designed writing tasks that make students recognize the functional purpose of their writing and the audience for it i Other opinions:………………………………………………………………………………………………… In your opinion, what are the major causes of students’ lack of motivation in learning writing? a The difficult nature of writing itself b The quiet and boring atmosphere of the writing class c The students’ relatively low linguistic competence d The students’ preference of studying speaking and listening for communication e The lack of pressure of passing exams or getting good grades f The use of unauthentic materials and students’ lack of interest in the topic(s) g The students’ laziness or shyness in participating in pair work or group work h The high-structure, transmission modes of learning in most writing classes i Other opinions:……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… In which stage of a writing lesson you find it necessary to motivate learners? a Pre-writing b While-writing 131 c Post-writing d All of the above 10 Which of the following teaching aids you often use to motivate your students? a Pictures in the textbook b Pictures from magazines or newspapers c Charts / Maps d Music e Games f Other (please specify): …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 11 How often you use the following techniques to motivate students to write? = never = sometimes = often = always Techniques Creating a competitive atmosphere Combining textbooks and relevant materials Giving feedback regularly by correcting, giving comments on students’ writing Giving rewards Giving classroom tests Giving a model text Teaching new structures and vocabulary needed for the writing tasks in advance Assigning students to write in a limited time Having students swap their papers so that they can check each other’s work Brainstorming ideas or making an outline with the whole class 12 How often you use the following activities in your writing lessons? = never = sometimes = often = always Activity Individual work Pair work Group work 13 Do you have any difficulties in making students work in pairs or in groups? a Yes Some students are shy and resist to participating in pair work / group work b Yes Large size classes make it difficult to involve all learners in pair work / group work 132 c Yes Some students are very passive in group work resulting from their low linguistic competence, or anxiety and laziness d No Most of the students in my classes enjoy working in pairs / in groups e No I often design tasks that involve students in pair work / group work f No I always try to encourage students to work in pairs / in groups to complete the tasks on their own g Other opinions:……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is a teaching approach that aims at developing learners’ communicative competence through the use of language for meaningful communication It emphasizes fluency over accuracy, meaning over form It opposes to the traditional grammar-translation classes by involving learners in group work, discussion, games, songs, etc 14 Have you ever tried to implement the CLT in your writing classes? a Yes b No 15 Please circle the difficulties you have experienced with a CLT writing class (Adapted from Li.) a Students have relatively low English proficiency b Students’ resistance to class participation, to pair work or group work c Students use Vietnamese during pair work or group work d Too little time to develop CLT materials e Class sizes are too large to conduct CLT f Feeling deficiency to facilitate a communicative class g Misconceptions about what CLT actually is h Lack of CLT materials i Others …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 16 How you often correct your students’ written work? (You may have more than one choice) a I correct all of their mistakes g I have one student write his work on the board and correct the mistakes with the whole class h I point out students’ mistakes so that they can correct them on their own i I only correct selected errors j I have students read their texts first to find mistakes and correct them before handing in their paper k I have students exchange their papers with other classmates to correct each other’s writing l Other opinions:………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 133 17 What you think about the time allotted for writing classes and the writing materials being used presently at NLU CFS? Please tick one option for the time and one for the materials a One hour a week is reasonable b There should be ……………… hours a week c The tasks and exercises are challenging enough for all class levels d The tasks and exercises are relatively easy and below the student levels e The tasks and exercises are quite demanding f Other opinions:……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 18 Do you have any suggestions to make the teaching of writing at the NLU CFS more interestingly and effectively? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Thank you for your cooperation 134 APPENDIX E RESULTS OF CLASSROOM OBSERVATIONS Class level: Low-intermediate Grading scheme: 4: excellent 3: above average Aspects of the classroom The teacher: a Clarity of tone and audibility of voice b Good pronunciation and intonation: fluency and appropriate use of English c Clear explanation d Making the lesson interesting e Good personal appearance Teacher/students interaction: a The teacher was able to control and direct the class b Teacher encouraged and assured full student participation in class c The students were treated fairly, impartially, and with respect d The students were encouraged to their best e teacher showed great patience f The students were attentive and involved g The students contributed actively in the lesson h The class felt free to ask questions, to disagree or to express their own ideas i The students were comfortable and relaxed, even during intense intellectual activities Lesson’s success: a The activities were challenging enough b Tasks and goals were successfully 2: average Class 300-1 ! 2nd 3rd 4th st 1: unsatisfactory Class 300-2 2nd 3rd 4th st 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 3 3 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 3 3 3 4 4 3 4 3 3 4 3 4 3 3 135 RESULTS OF CLASSROOM OBSERVATIONS Class level: Elementary Grading scheme: 4: excellent 3: above average Aspects of the classroom The teacher: a Clarity of tone and audibility of voice b Good pronunciation and intonation: fluency and appropriate use of English c Clear explanation d Making the lesson interesting e Good personal appearance Teacher/students interaction: a The teacher was able to control and direct the class b Teacher encouraged and assured full student participation in class c The students were treated fairly, impartially, and with respect d The students were encouraged to their best e teacher showed great patience f The students were attentive and involved g The students contributed actively in the lesson h The class felt free to ask questions, to disagree or to express their own ideas i The students were comfortable and relaxed, even during intense intellectual activities Lesson’s success: a The activities were challenging enough b Tasks and goals were successfully 2: average Class 200A1 ! 2nd 3rd 4th st 1: unsatisfactory Class 200A2 2nd 3rd 4th st 4 3 4 4 2 3 4 2 4 3 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 3 3 3 2 2 2 3 3 2 2 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 136