An investigation into the use of conjunctions for developing coherence in writing english by third year students at hue university college of foreign languages

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HUE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES DANG THI HUONG AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE USE OF CONJUNTIONS FOR DEVELOPING COHERENCE IN WRITING ENGLISH BY THIRD YEAR STUDENTS AT HUE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES MA THESIS IN THEORY AND METHODOLOGY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING CODE: 60.14.01.11 SUPERVISOR: TON NU NHU HUONG, D.Ed HUE, 2014 i BỘ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO ĐẠI HỌC HUẾ TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ -ĐẶNG THỊ HƯỜNG NGHIÊN CỨU VIỆC SỬ DỤNG LIÊN TỪ ĐỂ TẠO TÍNH LIÊN KẾT TRONG HỌC VIẾT TIẾNG ANH CỦA SINH VIÊN NĂM THỨ BA TẠI ĐẠI HỌC HUẾ TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ LUẬN VĂN THẠC SĨ LÝ LUẬN VÀ PHƯƠNG PHÁP DẠY HỌC BỘ MÔN TIẾNG ANH MÃ SỐ: 60.14.01.11 NGƯỜI HƯỚNG DẪN KHOA HỌC: TIẾN SĨ: TÔN NỮ NHƯ HƯƠNG HUẾ, 2014 ii STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP I hereby acknowledge that this study is mine The data and findings discussed in the thesis are true and have not been published elsewhere Author Dang Thi Huong iii ABSTRACT This research investigates the use of conjunctions for developing coherence in writing English, at Hue University College of Foreign Language First, it attempts to clarify students‟ perceptions of using conjunctions in developing coherence in English writing Second, it seeks to find what types of conjunctions of coherence students often use in their writing Third, it aims to identify students‟ problems with using conjunctions in their writing Last, it seeks to address some suggestions for improving students‟ ability in using conjunctions The subjects for this study consisted of 70 students, and teachers of English at HUCFL The data were collected through questionnaires, interviews They were analyzed based on both quantitative and qualitative approaches The findings of this study indicate that most of the students are well aware of the importance of using conjunctions in the writing With the main purpose of identifying difficulties faced by students to find possible solutions, these difficulties are carefully put into consideration Based on the findings, suggestions are drawn out for students to have better achievement in English learning process iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my deepest thanks and gratitude to my supervisor, who has provided me with the invaluable guidance, the valuable advice, reference books and materials during the time I wrote the study I am grateful to teachers and third year students of Hue University College of Foreign Language The data collection for my research paper was supported by them Without their valuable contributions with real and truthful ideas, I could not well with my research paper I also want to thank the teachers and students who were willing to spend their time participating in the interviews I am also grateful to the staff of librarians working in the college of Foreign Languages, who helped me assess the necessary and valuable materials for the fulfillment of the study v I wish to send my last expression of greatest gratitude to my family members and my friends whose great affection, considerate care, both spiritual and material supports, and in time encouragement in moments of difficulty have meant a very big mobilization to me during the process of doing this thesis TABLE OF CONTENT v SUB COVER PAGE i, ii STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP iii ABSTRACT .iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS v TABLE OF CONTENTS vi LIST OF FIGURES ix LIST OF TABLES…………….…………………………………………………… x LIST OF APPENDICES ………………………… ……………………………… xi CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION 1.1 The background of the research 1.2.Rationale of the research 1.3 Purposes of the research Scope of the research 1.4 Significance of the research vi 1.5 Research Questions 1.6 Structure of the thesis CHAPTER II.LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Writing 2.1.1 Definition of writing and of academic writing 2.1.2 The importance of academic writing 2.1.3 Coherence and cohesion in academic writing 2.2 Coherence 12 2.2.1 Definition of coherence 12 2.2.2 The importance of coherence 13 2.2.3 Factors to create coherence in academic writing 13 2.3 Conjunctions 15 2.3.1 Definition of conjunction 15 2.3.2 Types of conjunctions for developing coherence in academic writing 16 2.3.3 The importance of conjunctions in academic writing 18 2.4 Teaching & learning essay writing skills in EFL environments 19 2.4.1 Teaching & learning essay writing skill at Vietnamese universities 19 2.4.2 Teaching & learning essay writing skill at Hue‟s College of Foreign Language 20 2.5 Conclusion 21 CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 22 3.1 Research Design 22 3.2 Participants 22 3.3 Data collection instruments 23 3.3.1.The Questionnaire 23 3.3.2.The Interview 24 3.4.Data collection 24 3.5.Chapter summary 25 CHAPTER IV FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 26 4.1 Students‟ perceptions of using conjunctions 26 4.1.1 A comparison between students using and not using conjunctions 26 vii 4.1.2 The importance of conjunctions 27 4.1.3 The necessity of using conjunctions 29 4.1.4 Benefits of using conjunctions 30 4.1.5 The frequency of using conjunctions 32 4.2 Types of conjunctions used by the students 34 4.2.1 The students‟ self-evaluation on the use of conjunctions 34 4.2.2 Kinds of conjunction used by students 35 4.3 Students‟ problems with using conjunctions 37 4.3.1 The existence of difficulties in using conjunctions 37 4.3.2 Types of difficulties in using conjunctions 38 4.3.3 The ways to deal with difficulties 39 4.4 Suggestions for improving students‟ ability in using conjunctions 41 4.5 Summary 42 CHAPTER V CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS 43 5.1 Summary 43 5.2 Implications 43 5.2.1 For teachers 44 5.2.2 For students 45 5.2.3 For administrators 45 5.3 The limitation of the study 46 5.4 Suggestions for further studies 46 REFERENCES 47 APPENDICES …………………………………………………………… .51 viii ix LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 4.1 A comparison between students with and without using conjunctions 26 Figure 4.2 The important of conjunctions 28 Figure 4.3 The necessity of using conjunctions 29 Figure 4.4 The frequency of using conjunctions 32 Figure 4.5 The students‟ self-evaluation on their use of conjunctions 34 Figure 4.6 The existence of difficulties in using conjunction 37 Figure 4.7 The ways to deal with difficulties 40 x Richards, J C., & Renandya, W A.(2003).Methodology in language teaching: An anthology of current practice.(3rded.).Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Shields, M (2010) Essay Writing: A students‟ Guide London: SAGE Publications Ltd Schiffrin, D 1994 Approaches to Discourse Oxford: Blackwell Tan, H (2009) What is writing and why is there a need to learn it? Retrieved April 27, 2011, from http://www heddatan.com.a-definition-of-writing.html Ting, F (2003) An Investigation of Cohesive Errors in the Writing of PRC Tertiary EFL Students(Unpublished Master‟s Thesis, National University of Singapore, Singapore) Ton, N M N.(1998) Factors to consider: Developing the ESL learner‟s writing skill Quinhon College of Teacher Education Ton, N M N (2002) How to improve the students‟ four skills Quinhon College of Teacher Education Tran, V (2008) A comparison of Vietnamese and American Writing – Pedagogy Retrieved on January 3rd, 2011 from http:// castle Eiu.edu/manifest/ issue2/pedagogy htm Tran, T.L (2007) Learners‟ motivation and identity in the Vietnamese EFL writing classroom Retrieved on May, 2007, Volume 6, Number 1from http://education.waikato.ac.nz/research/files/etpc/2007v6n1art8.pdf pp 151163 Tran, L (2001) Using pair work and group work in teaching writing Teacher‟s Edition, 5, 22-28 White, R., & Arndt, V (1991) Process Writing Longman William, J M (2003) Style: The basic of Clarify and Grace Longman Worrall, E (2009) Discourse in Writing by Emma Worrall Retrieved on May 25th,2010 from http://www.developingteachers.com/articles_tchtraining/diswritel_emma.htm Witte, S and Faigley, L (1981) Coherence, cohesion, and writing quality College Composition and Communication, 32, 189-204 Zamel, V (1983) Teaching those missing links in writing ELT Journal, 37(1), 22-29 50 Appendix 1A Questionnaire ( For students) Gender Male Female The purpose of this survey is to investigate your perceptions about using conjunctions for essay writing, how you use conjunctions in your essays and difficulties you face in essay writing, and what kind of conjunctions you use in your essays All the information provided will be treated with care, used only for the research purposes, and kept confidential Your participation in this survey is voluntary The researcher wishes to thank you for agreeing to complete this survey After reading each statement, please tick the option(s) you choose Some questions might have more than one answer Your responses are of great significance for the success of this study Thank you for your time!  Some examples of types of coherence conjunctions: I use these conjunctions in my study: + Enumerative: first, second, third….;firstly, secondly, thirdly…; one, two, three…; for one thing…, for another (thing); for a start; to begin with, to start with; in the first place, in the second place; next, then; finally, last, lastly; to conclude + Reinforcing: also, furthermore, moreover, then, in addition, above all, what is more + Equative: equally, likewise, similarly, in the same way + Transitional: by the way, incidentally + Summative: then, in all, in conclusion, to sum up + Apposition: namely, in other words, for example, for instance, that is, that is to say 51 + Result: consequently, hence, so , therefore, thus, as a result + Inferential: else, otherwise, then, in other words, in that case + Reformulatory: better, rather, in other words + Replacive: alternatively, rather, on the other hand + Antithetic: instead, then, on the contrary, in contrast, by comparison, on the other hand + Concessive: anyhow, anyway, besides, else, however, nevertheless, still, though, yet, in any case, at any rate, in spite of that, after all, on the other hand, all the same + Temporal transition: meantime, meanwhile, in the meantime (Randolph Quirk and Sidney Greenbaum, 1973, p.247-p.248) Into which language skills you think you should put more effort to improve? Listening Speaking Reading Writing Others : …………………………………………………………………… How you think about the importance of conjunction in the essay? Very important Important Slightly important Not important at all How often you use conjunctions in your essay? Always Sometimes Rarely Never 52 In your writing, using conjunctions helps you: (you can choose more than one opinion) Improve your writing performance Express your idea naturally and smoothly Make the readers understand your essay better Create a written text with proper English writing style Combine the sentences without any grammatical mistakes Others :……………………………………………………………………… Do you think students using conjunctions in their writing have better marks than students not using them? Yes No Not sure No idea Others: …………………………………………………………………… You think conjunctions are: Very necessary Necessary Not much necessary Not necessary Others: …………………………………………………………………… Do you have any difficulties in using conjunctions? Yes No Not sure No idea Conjunctions are very a significant factor to create the coherence in essay writing Strongly disagree Disagree Agree Strongly agree 53 No idea Others: ………………………………………………………… When writing an essay, have you ever used conjunctions suitably? Yes No 10 What kinds of conjunctions you often use in your essay? (you can choose more than one answer) Enumerative Reinforcing Equative Transitional Summative Apposition Result Inferential Reformulatory Replacive Antithetic Concessive Temporal transition 11 What are your main difficulties when you study about using conjunctions? You not know how to use conjunctions correctly and effectively You lack the self-confidence to employ conjunctions in your essays You not have many tasks about using conjunctions to practice There is little time to practice using conjunctions Others:……………………………………………………………… 12 What you often when you face difficulties in using conjunctions? Ask friends Ask teachers Solve the problems by yourself Ignore 54 Others:…………………………………………………………………… 13 In your opinion, what should teachers and students to improve students‟ ability in the use of conjunctions? Students should read the materials concerning the use of conjunctions Students should practice to write more essays Teachers should give more exercises and explain students‟ mistakes in their writing Teachers should instruct clearly to students how to use kinds of conjunction Thank you so much! 55 Appendix 1B Bảng câu hỏi (Đối với học sinh) Giới tính Nam Nữ Mục đích khảo sát để điều tra nhận thức bạn việc sử dụng liên từ để viết luận, làm bạn sử dụng liên từ tiểu luận khó khăn bạn, bạn phải đối mặt viết luận, loại liên từ bạn sử dụng luận bạn Tất thông tin cung cấp giữ gìn cẩn thận, sử dụng cho mục đích nghiên cứu, giữ bí mật Tham gia vào khảo sát tự nguyện Các nhà nghiên cứu muốn cảm ơn bạn đồng ý để hoàn tất điều tra Sau đọc câu, xin vui lòng đánh dấu vào ý kiến mà bạn chọn Một số câu hỏi có nhiều câu trả lời Câu trả lời bạn có ý nghĩa lớn cho thành cơng nghiên cứu Cảm ơn bạn dành thời gian bạn! • Một số ví dụ loại liên từ gắn kết: Tôi sử dụng liên từ nghiên cứu tôi: + Liệt kê: first, second, third….;firstly, secondly, thirdly…; one, two, three…; for one thing…, for another (thing); for a start; to begin with, to start with; in the first place, in the second place; next, then; finally, last, lastly; to conclude + Sự tăng thêm: also, furthermore, moreover, then, in addition, above all, what is more + Sự ngang bằng: equally, likewise, similarly, in the same way +Sự chuyển tiếp: by the way, incidentally + Sự tổng hợp: then, in all, in conclusion, to sum up + Phần chêm vào: namely, in other words, for example, for instance, that is, that is to say + Kết quả: consequently, hence, so , therefore, thus, as a result + Sự suy luận: else, otherwise, then, in other words, in that case 56 + Đề thêm nữa: better, rather, in other words + Thay thế: alternatively, rather, on the other hand + Đối nhau: instead, then, on the contrary, in contrast, by comparison, on the other hand + Nhượng bộ: anyhow, anyway, besides, else, however, nevertheless, still, though, yet, in any case, at any rate, in spite of that, after all, on the other hand, all the same + Sự chuyển đổi thời gian: meantime, meanwhile, in the meantime (Randolph Quirk and Sidney Greenbaum, 1973, p.247-p.248) Những kỹ ngôn ngữ bạn nghĩ bạn nên nỗ lực nhiều để cải thiện? Nghe Nói Đọc Viết Bạn suy nghĩ tầm quan trọng liên từ luận? Rất quan trọng Quan trọng Có quan trọng khơng đáng kể Khơng quan trọng Bạn có thường xun sử dụng liên từ viết bạn? Luôn Thỉnh thoảng Hiếm Không Trong viết bạn, sử dụng liên từ giúp bạn: (bạn chọn nhiều ý kiến) Cải thiện việc diễn đạt viết bạn Diễn tả ý tưởng trôi chảy tự nhiên Làm cho người đọc hiểu luận bạn tốt 57 Tạo viết phù hợp với phong cách tiếng anh Kết hợp câu mà khơng có lỗi ngữ pháp Ý kiến khác: ……………………………………………………………… Bạn có nghĩ sinh viên mà sử dụng liên từ viết họ có điểm tốt sinh viên khơng sử dụng? Có Khơng có Khơng chắn Khơng có ý kiến Ý kiến khác: ………………………………………………………………… Bạn nghĩ liên từ là: Rất cần thiết Cần thiết Không cần thiết nhiều Không cần thiết Ý kiến khác: ………………………………………………………………… Bạn có khó khăn việc sử dụng liên từ ? Có Khơng Khơng chắn Khơng có ý kiến Ý kiến khác: ………………………………………………………… Liên từ yếu tố quan trọng để tạo liên kết luận Rất khơng đồng ý Khơng đồng ý Đồng ý Hồn tồn đồng ý Khơng có ý kiến Ý kiến khác: ……………………………………………………………… 58 Khi viết luận, bạn sử dụng nhiều loại liên từ cách hợp lý chưa? Có Khơng 10 Những loại liên từ mà bạn thường sử dụng luận gì? (bạn chọn nhiều câu trả lời) Liệt kê Sự tăng thêm Sự ngang Sự chuyển tiếp Sự tổng hợp Phần chêm vào Kết Sự suy luận Đề thêm Thay Đối Nhượng Sự chuyển đổi thời gian 11 Những khó khăn bạn học sử dụng liên từ gì? Bạn khơng biết làm để sử dụng liên từ hiệu Bạn không tự tin để sử dụng liên từ viết Bạn khơng có nhiều tập liên từ để thực hành Có q thời gian để luyện tập sử dụng liên từ 12 Bạn thường làm gặp khõ khăn viêc sử dụng liên từ? Hỏi bạn bè Hỏi giáo viên Tự giải vấn đề Làm lơ Ý kiến khác:……………………………………………………………… 59 13 Theo bạn, nên làm để cải thiện khả sinh viên việc sử dụng liên từ? Sinh viên nên đọc nhiều tài liệu liên quan tới việc sử dụng liên từ Sinh viên nên luyện tập để viết luận nhiều Giáo viên nên cung cấp nhiều tập giải thích lỗi sai viết sinh viên Giáo viên nên hướng dẫn rõ ràng cho sinh viên cách sử dụng liên từ Cám ơn bạn nhiều! 60 APPENDIX 2A INTERVIEW QUESTIONS (For students) Name:………………………… Class:………………………… How often you use conjunctions in your writing? What kinds of conjunctions you often use in your essay? In your opinion, is it necessary to use conjunctions in essay writing? Why?/ Why not? How important you think conjunctions are in developing coherence in written text? What you think the teachers can to help students get a good demand of conjunction use? 61 APPENDIX 2B CÂU HỎI PHỎNG VẤN (Cho sinh viên) Tên:………………… Lớp:………………… Bạn có thường dùng liên từ viết khơng? Các loại liên từ bạn thường dùng luận bạn gì? Theo bạn có cần thiết phải sử dụng liên từ luận khơng?/ Vì có? Vì khơng? Theo bạn nghĩ liên từ quan trọng cho việc phát triển tính mạch lạc luận? Bạn nghĩ giáo viên làm để giúp sinh viên đạt nhu cầu sử dụng liên từ? 62 APPENDIX 3A INTERVIEW QUESTIONS (For teachers) How often your students use conjunctions in their writing? In your opinion, is it necessary to teach your students how to use conjunctions in writing essays? Why? / Why not? How can you help your students improve their use of conjunctions in writing? How often you give texts of using conjunctions for your students to practice? Why?/ Why not? Do you think that using conjunctions in writing play important role for developing coherence in your students‟ essay? Why? / Why not? Are there any difficulties you encounter in the process of teaching conjunctions for your students? 63 APPENDIX 3B CÂU HỎI PHỎNG VẤN (Cho giáo viên) Sinh viên thầy/ có thường dùng liên từ viết họ không? Theo thầy/cơ có cần dạy cho sinh viên cách dùng liên từ luận khơng? Vì có?/ Vì khơng? Thầy/ giúp sinh viên cải thiện viết họ cách gì? Thầy/ có thường xun cung cấp tập liên từ cho sinh viên luyện tập khơng? Tại có?/ Tại khơng? Thầy/ có nghĩ dung liên từ viết tạo tính mạch lạc cho viết sinh viên khơng? Tại có?/ Tại khơng? Có khó khăn mà thầy / cô gặp phải dạy liên từ cho sinh viên không? 64