INTRODUCTION
Rationale
Writing is a complex and multifaceted skill, essential for English learners as it significantly impacts their second language proficiency assessment Despite its importance, improving writing skills poses challenges, prompting various teaching approaches Among these, self-monitoring has emerged as a debated technique, with limited research focused on its application in writing instruction In Vietnam, self-monitoring remains an underexplored concept in academic literature This thesis aims to illuminate the effects of self-monitoring in writing classes within a Vietnamese university context.
The research focuses on first-year English majors at a university in Hanoi, where writing is perceived as both challenging and tedious These students face significant obstacles in producing quality in-class texts due to factors such as language incompetence, lack of motivation, and a passive learning approach, leading them to prioritize other language skills over writing Consequently, their academic writing skills suffer as they progress through their studies, despite having adequate oral communication abilities This long-term issue highlights the urgent need for effective teaching strategies to enhance writing skills among first-year English majors, a concern that has garnered considerable attention from educators in recent years.
The researcher aims to improve the writing quality of first-year students while fostering learner autonomy through the thesis titled “Experimental Research on the Effect of Self-Monitoring.”
This study explores the effectiveness of the self-monitoring technique in enhancing writing skills among English-major freshmen at a university in Hanoi By implementing this technique in two writing classes, the research aims to provide practical applications that can improve both learning and teaching outcomes for students, benefiting not only this university but also other institutions.
Aims and objectives
This research investigates the impact of self-monitoring techniques on enhancing writing skills among English-major freshmen at a university in Hanoi The study aims to achieve two key objectives: first, to assess how self-monitoring techniques contribute to students' writing improvement, and second, to explore the attitudes of students towards the implementation of these techniques.
Scope of the study
“Experimental research on the effect of self-monitoring technique on improving writing skill among English-major freshmen at a university in Hanoi.”
The research examines the "self-monitoring technique in writing," which involves students making notes or annotations on their work prior to submission This approach encourages students to adopt the perspective of readers, enhancing their writing skills For teachers, the self-monitoring technique provides a valuable opportunity to give feedback not just on the final draft, but also on the questions and issues that arise throughout the writing process.
The study focuses exclusively on first-year students at the Faculty of English in a university located in Hanoi, which means that the findings are specifically applicable to this particular context.
Research questions
This research focuses on answering the following questions:
1 What are the effects of self-monitoring technique on English-major freshmen‟s writing performance?
2 What are these students‟ attitudes towards self-monitoring technique?
Method of the study
This experimental research involved 58 English-major freshmen at a university in Hanoi, Vietnam, divided into an experimental group and a control group over a five-month period The findings are derived from the students' scores on pre-tests and post-tests, as well as the number of annotations from four writing tasks and responses from semi-structured interviews Additionally, classroom observations provided further insights, and ongoing discussions with the supervisor and colleagues were crucial to the research process.
6 Design of the study The study is divided into three main parts:
Part I (Introduction) includes the rationale, the aims and objectives, the scope, the research questions, the method and the design of the study
Part II (Development) consists of chapters as follows -Chapter 1 (Literature review) presents the theoretical background of the study and the review of the previous studies
Chapter 2 (Methodology) provides a comprehensive overview of the research methodology, including the study's context, subject information, data collection instruments, procedures for data collection, and methods for data analysis.
- Chapter 3 (Results and Discussion) reports the statistical results and the analysis of the data
Part III (Conclusion) closes the study by summarizing the whole study with concluding remarks and offering some limitations and suggestions for further studies.
DEVELOPMENT
LITERATURE REVIEW
This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of literature related to writing and self-monitoring, including definitions of writing and its significance in second language acquisition It explores various teaching approaches for writing in ESL classes and identifies challenges that learners face in mastering writing skills Additionally, the chapter defines self-monitoring and discusses the annotation technique as a self-monitoring strategy It reviews previous studies on the effectiveness of self-monitoring and examines the associated drawbacks, highlighting both the benefits and limitations of this technique in the writing process.
Writing plays a crucial role in the development of both native and second languages It has been defined in various ways, with Byrne (1991) describing it as the "act of forming graphic symbols" or "making marks on a flat surface." Similarly, Brannon, Knight, and Neverow-Turk (1982) emphasize its importance in communication and language acquisition.
Writing is fundamentally a creative art form, distinct from a mechanical process of simply arranging words and sentences according to a set plan This perspective contrasts with the views of Brannon, Knight, and Neverow-Turk, who define writing as a structured sequence of sentences organized in a specific order and interconnected in a deliberate manner.
Writing serves as a means of conveying messages to readers with a specific purpose, highlighting its essential communicative function As noted by Rozakis (1997), effective writing is fundamentally about communication, a sentiment echoed by Leki (1976), who emphasizes that writing is inherently a form of communication.
Good writing gets your ideas out of your head and into the reader’s head without losing or distorting these ideas.” From another view of writing, Murray
(1978:29) and Perl (1979:43) defined writing as “a creative discovery procedure characterized by the dynamic interplay of content and language: the use of language to explore beyond the known content.”
Writing is often viewed by language teachers as a challenging skill to master (Tribble, 1996) It is a gradual process that involves significant reflection and thought, especially before producing a first draft (Harris, 1993).
1.1.2 The roles of writing in a second language
Mastering a language requires learners to develop strong writing skills, as writing serves as a fundamental productive skill that allows students to apply the language elements they have acquired White (1991) highlights the importance of writing, stating, "Through writing we are able to share ideas, arouse feelings, persuade and convince other people," emphasizing its unique ability to help us discover and articulate thoughts effectively.
According to Raimes (1983: 3), writing is very important since it helps students learn in some ways:
Writing not only reinforces the grammatical structures, idioms, and vocabulary taught to students, but it also encourages them to be adventurous with the language and take risks This engagement with writing fosters a deep involvement with the language, as students express their ideas through the coordinated use of eye, hand, and brain As they navigate the challenges of putting their thoughts on paper, they often uncover new ways to articulate their ideas and recognize the importance of selecting the right words and sentences The intrinsic link between writing and thinking underscores its value as an essential component of any language course.
1.1.3 Approaches to the teaching of writing in ESL classes
In order to produce a good piece of writing, learners have to deal with a lot of elements The following diagram demonstrates these elements clearly:
Stylistic choices, etc logic, etc
Rules for verbs, getting ideas Agreement, articles, getting started
Paragraphs, vocabulary the reason for writing Topic and support, idiom, tone
Chart 1.1: Producing a Piece of Writing (Raimes, 1983:6)
Raimes (1983:5) states that on the basis of stressing different features of this diagram and combing them with how teachers think writing is learnt, a variety
Effective communication strategies for teaching writing have been established, with Raimes identifying six distinct approaches: (i) The Controlled-to-Free Approach, (ii) The Free-Writing Approach, (iii) The Paragraph-Pattern Approach, (iv) The Grammar-Syntax-Organization Approach, (v) The Communicative Approach, and (vi) The Process Approach.
1.1.3.1.The Controlled-to-Free Approach
In the 1950s and early 1960s, ESL classes predominantly utilized the audio-lingual method, characterized by a controlled-to-free approach that focused on structured learning and formal correctness This method highlights three key elements: grammar, syntax, and mechanics, prioritizing accuracy over originality in language acquisition.
This teaching approach focuses on developing students' writing skills through structured exercises, including transforming questions into statements and converting tenses These controlled compositions enable students to write extensively while minimizing errors, making the teacher's grading process more efficient As students progress, the level of control is gradually lessened, allowing advanced learners to engage in free writing, where they can express their own ideas and creativity.
Byrne (1991) regards the controlled-to-free approach as “accuracy-oriented approach” that “produces many useful ideas on how to guide writing” although it is no longer fashionable
The free-writing approach encourages students to write quickly and extensively without the fear of making errors, prioritizing quantity over quality Teachers focus on allowing students to express their ideas freely, with minimal corrections, which fosters a sense of enjoyment in the writing process This method acknowledges the importance of audience and content, as highlighted by Byrne (1991), who argues that many students struggle with writing due to insufficient practice and the pressure of specific topics By adopting a fluency-oriented approach, such as keeping a diary, students can overcome their inhibitions and improve their writing skills.
1.1.3.3 The Paragraph-Pattern Approach Different from two approaches above, the paragraph-pattern one highlights the importance of organization, another feature of the diagram This approach is mainly concerned to teach students how to construct and organize paragraphs Students simply copy paragraphs, analyze the form of model paragraphs and imitate model passages Their concrete tasks are putting scrammed sentences into paragraph order, identifying general and specific statements, choosing or inventing an appropriate topic sentences and inserting or deleting sentences This approach has its own advantages pointed out by Byrne (1991:23) “this approach identifies and tries to overcome one of the central problems in writing: getting students to express themselves effectively at a level beyond the sentence.”
1.1.3.4 The Grammar-Syntax-Organization Approach From the viewpoint that writing cannot be seen as composed of separate skills which are learned one by one, this approach stresses the necessity to work simultaneously on more than one of the features in the composition diagram: grammar, syntax and organization Teachers give students writing tasks that lead them to pay attention to organization while they also work on the necessary grammar and syntax For instance, to write a clear set of instructions on how to operate a washing machine, students need more than the appropriate vocabulary They need the simple forms of verbs; an organizational plan based on chronology; sequence words like first, then, finally; and even sentence structures like “when…; then…” This approach can link the purpose of a piece of writing to the forms that are needed to convey meaning
Writing typically serves a specific purpose and targets a particular audience, yet these elements are often overlooked in writing education The communicative approach addresses this gap by guiding students to consider both the intent behind their writing and who will be reading it By encouraging student writers to engage with real-world writing practices, they learn to critically evaluate their work through essential questions regarding purpose and audience.
The communicative approach enables teachers to create purposeful writing opportunities for students, such as writing to peers in the classroom or engaging in role-play scenarios By identifying external readers, educators provide a relevant context that helps students choose suitable content, language, and levels of formality in their writing.
METHODOLOGY
The research method is crucial in any study as it influences the reliability and validity of the findings Therefore, this article explores the most suitable methods that align with the study's aims and objectives.
This study utilized an experimental method to address research questions, employing cluster sampling as the selection technique due to its numerous benefits By selecting two pre-assigned groups, the researcher saved time and increased the degree of representation, as the students came from diverse backgrounds The chosen groups consisted of 29 students each, with one male and 28 females, providing a suitable sample size for the study.
This chapter outlines the rationale behind the chosen methodology for the study, detailing the study's setting, data collection instruments, and the procedures for both data collection and analysis Additionally, it describes the design of the pretest and posttest utilized, along with the self-monitoring program implemented for writing.
2.1 Rationale for using experimental method This study is an attempt to investigate the relationship between self-monitoring technique and students‟ writing performance; therefore, it is best assisted by an experimental research method There are a number of reasons for the choice of this method According to Nunan (1992:24), this method is carried out to explore the strength of relationships between variables A variable, as the term itself suggests, is anything which does not remain constant which may include language proficiency, aptitude, motivation and so on Cohen, Manion, Morrison
(2007) define the method as follows:
Experimental research is characterized by the deliberate control and manipulation of conditions by investigators to study specific events This approach involves altering the value of one variable, known as the dependent variable, to observe the effects of these changes.
An independent variable is the input variable, whereas the dependent variable is the outcome variable (p 272)
This study explores the impact of a self-monitoring writing technique on students' language proficiency test scores The researcher aims to understand how this teaching method influences students' writing improvement, establishing a relationship between the independent variable (self-monitoring technique) and the dependent variable (test scores).
The English Department at a university in Hanoi, established in 1956 and officially named in 2012, is a leading institution offering full-time undergraduate English programs focused on science and technology In the initial three semesters, English-major students primarily develop their language skills—reading, writing, listening, and speaking As they progress, they delve into translation and interpreting skills, along with specialized courses like English for Information Technology and English for Environmental Science.
The site was selected primarily due to the researcher's approved access to the department and the substantial support received from teachers in the English writing skill group.
The study involved two groups of English-major freshmen at a university in Hanoi, each consisting of 29 students (one male and 28 females) Selected after completing their first semester, these groups had the most comparable writing test scores By the second semester, the students had begun to recognize their language learning challenges and expressed a willingness to participate in a program aimed at addressing these issues.
Most participants in the study were 19 years old, with a few being 20, and they hailed from Hanoi and nearby northern provinces of Vietnam Prior to university, the majority had seven years of English language education in secondary and high schools It was assumed that these first-year students had reached a pre-intermediate level in English, as standard tests indicated that most met this requirement, with some even achieving an intermediate level The distribution of students' proficiency levels was relatively balanced between the two groups By the time of the study, participants had already completed coursework in sentence and basic paragraph writing during their first semester.
The intervention lasted for 12 weeks which included initial two weeks for training and another 10 weeks for practice
Cresswell (2000: 236) noted that the self-monitoring technique often causes students to focus primarily on language issues, which can detract from their attention to content relevance and composition organization Additionally, students may struggle to articulate their problems effectively through annotations Therefore, the success of this technique largely hinges on the students' ability to be trained in its proficient use.
The training sessions each of which lasted for 90 minutes followed the following format
In the first session, the teacher gave a brief introduction to self-monitoring and asked the students to make annotations on their pre-test compositions
Students were organized into groups of four, tasked with selecting a paper for discussion Throughout the feedback process, they engaged in constructive disagreements on specific points, annotating the paper to highlight areas of contention.
In the upcoming session, the teacher selected a group's essay for class discussion, focusing on the clarity of annotations, their ability to convey the author's intentions, and potential revisions The teacher posed questions about the essay's content, organization, and structure, providing examples to demonstrate effective annotation techniques.
Students were tasked with re-annotating their essays and exchanging them with peers to respond to each other's comments When they encountered unclear annotations, they sought clarification from the author and reviewed feedback to assess the effectiveness of their annotations If the feedback did not align with their original intentions, they engaged in discussions to understand the discrepancies and explore ways to improve their annotations Throughout this process, the teacher was available to provide assistance.
After completing their training, students engaged in practical self-monitoring by learning to write various academic paragraph genres, including comparison-contrast, cause-effect, and argument paragraphs The teacher introduced these concepts by analyzing model structures to help students understand the necessary components and language for each genre Students participated in in-class writing tasks and annotated their drafts by marking areas of dissatisfaction, followed by writing comments or questions to clarify their issues The teacher provided feedback on both the students' compositions and their annotations, ensuring that self-monitoring practices were maintained throughout the writing semester.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
This chapter outlines the study's findings based on data collected from three sources: the annotations made by students in the experimental group during four writing tasks, their pretest and posttest scores, and feedback from interviews with the experimental group The SPSS software was utilized to analyze the students' test scores, ensuring an accurate and objective comparison between the two groups.
3.1 Evaluation of the annotations made by the experimental group students in the four writing tasks
In the study, students in the experimental group were instructed to annotate their first drafts, focusing on content, organization, and language form, while the control group did not engage in this practice Additionally, the experimental group was encouraged to seek clarification from the teacher by asking questions about any uncertainties in their writing This approach highlighted a significant distinction between the two groups, emphasizing the importance of active engagement in the writing process.
The annotations from the experimental group were analyzed and presented as percentages, categorized into three key areas: content, organization, and language form The findings are visually represented in the accompanying pie chart.
Chart 3.1: Annotations made by the students in the experimental group during the four writing tasks
The chart reveals that nearly half of the annotations (49.1%) focused on language forms, indicating that students find it relatively easy to identify language issues in their writing Content annotations comprised a significant 40.5%, while organization received the fewest annotations This data suggests that students effectively employed self-monitoring skills, as they dedicated substantial effort to content while still considering organization Initially, the researcher feared that students would primarily focus on grammar and spelling errors, neglecting content and organization However, the results showed that students successfully annotated their drafts across all aspects, alleviating the researcher’s concerns about the effectiveness of self-monitoring.
The researcher was pleased with both the quantity and quality of the annotations Initially, students struggled with self-monitoring during their first writing task, resulting in a limited number of annotations due to uncertainty about what to express However, significant progress was observed in the students' written language by the second task, with typical annotations providing persuasive evidence of this improvement.
In comparing the roles of a tutor and a shop assistant, it becomes evident that the tutoring position offers greater benefits for students While both jobs have their merits, the conclusion that tutoring is more suitable for students may appear subjective Therefore, it might be more effective to reframe this conclusion to better align with the paragraph's focus.
“in general, the two jobs, tutor and shop assistant are distinct from each other in many aspects”
In this argumentative paragraph, I assert my viewpoint on the benefits of renting a house Renting offers flexibility and financial freedom, allowing individuals to relocate easily without the long-term commitment of homeownership Additionally, tenants can enjoy lower maintenance costs, as landlords typically handle repairs and upkeep Overall, living in a rented house can provide a stress-free lifestyle, making it an appealing option for many.
Living in a rented house offers several advantages, such as flexibility, lower maintenance costs, and the opportunity to explore different neighborhoods In the lecture, the concepts of "counter-argument" and "refutation" were introduced, which are essential in constructing a balanced discussion A counter-argument presents an opposing viewpoint, while refutation involves addressing and disproving that viewpoint, thereby strengthening your original position Understanding these terms can enhance your ability to engage in thoughtful debates about the benefits of renting versus owning a home.
Teenage pregnancy is a complex issue influenced by several factors, including lack of comprehensive sex education, limited access to contraceptive methods, and socio-economic challenges Many teenagers may not receive adequate information about safe sex practices, leading to unplanned pregnancies Additionally, barriers such as financial constraints and lack of support can hinder access to effective birth control To mitigate these risks, it is crucial for teenagers to engage in open conversations about sexual health, seek guidance from trusted adults, and utilize available resources to educate themselves about contraception and responsible decision-making.
Students significantly benefit from self-monitoring training, effectively utilizing this technique to enhance their composition content The detailed annotations provided clarity on their intentions, enabling the teacher to deliver precise feedback that met their expectations.
3.2 Comparison of the experimental and control groups’ writing performance
3.2.1 Comparison of the experimental and control groups’ writing performance in the pretest
Table 3.2: Descriptive statistics for the pretest score of the two groups
Table 3.3: Independent samples t-test of the pretest score between the two groups
The tables show the statistic values of the pretest score of the experimental and control groups including the means, standard deviation, t and p-value It is clear to
Levene‟sTest For Equality of Variances
T-test for Equality of Means
95% Confidence Interval of the Difference
The mean scores of the control group and the experimental group were 64.97 and 65.10, respectively, with a p-value of 0.915, indicating no significant difference in proficiency levels at the beginning of the course This establishes a solid foundation for the researcher to implement treatment and accurately assess the impact of the intervention.
3.2.2 Comparison of the experimental and control groups’ writing performance in the posttest
Table 3.4: Descriptive statistics for the posttest score of the two groups
Table 3.5: Independent samples t-test of the posttest score between the two groups
The posttest results reveal a significant improvement in both groups, with the experimental group's mean score increasing from 65.10 to 72.66, compared to the control group's rise from 64.97 to 67.79 The mean difference of 3.71 and a p-value below 0.05 indicate a notable distinction between the groups' performances This gap highlights the effectiveness of the self-monitoring technique implemented in the experimental group, leading to superior outcomes in the posttest compared to the control group.
Levene‟sTest For Equality of Variances
T-test for Equality of Means
95% Confidence Interval of the Difference
Semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore the experimental group students' reflections on self-monitoring The researcher recorded the students' responses for subsequent analysis, categorizing their answers into five distinct themes.
Category 1: The importance of writing skill to the students’ study and career Question 1: How important is English writing skill to your present study and future jobs?
The article investigates students' perceptions of the importance of writing skills for their academic success and future careers It highlights that recognizing the significance of writing enhances students' motivation to learn A substantial 88% of students acknowledged writing as crucial for their studies, particularly for completing written assignments in subjects like Translation, American Studies, Cross-Cultural Communication, English Literature, and their graduation papers Many students also plan to take the IELTS test for studying abroad, where writing proficiency is essential Additionally, a significant number of students aspire to careers as translators or English language teachers, underscoring the necessity of mastering writing skills for professional success.
Twelve percent of students undervalue the importance of writing, believing it to be less critical for their future careers They are pursuing a second major and feel that their prospective jobs will rely more on oral communication skills than on writing abilities.
Category 2: Students’ difficulties with English writing Question 2: What are your difficulties when writing English?
CONCLUSIONS
Major findings
Students in this study effectively learned to use self-monitoring in their writing tasks, with annotations reflecting a focus on both content and organization Annotations related to content comprised 49.1%, while organization and language form accounted for 10.4% and 49.1%, respectively Initially, students struggled with self-monitoring, primarily concentrating on language form errors like spelling and grammar However, significant improvement was noted in the second writing task, as students began to prioritize content and organization in their annotations, demonstrating clearer intentions for their teacher This progress was evidenced by their ability to construct more complex sentences using academic vocabulary, highlighting the substantial impact of the training course on their writing skills.
Self-monitoring has proven to be an effective strategy for enhancing students' writing performance In the pretest, both groups demonstrated equivalent proficiency levels (t = -0.107; p = 0.915) However, the posttest results revealed a significant difference in performance between the two groups.
The experimental group showed a significant difference with a t-value of -3.576 and a p-value of 0.001, resulting in a mean difference of -4.862 This discrepancy can be attributed to the implementation of a self-monitoring technique during the semester.
Most students displayed a positive attitude towards self-monitoring, recognizing its benefits for their writing They understood the importance of content and organization for their success and utilized self-monitoring techniques to view their work from a reader's perspective This approach allowed them to identify language issues, express uncertainties, and ask essential questions, fostering their independence and responsibility for their writing The teacher provided feedback not only on drafts but also addressed the students' inquiries, resulting in more detailed and intentional guidance that reflected a deep understanding of their challenges This two-way interaction enhanced throughout the semester, ensuring students received attentive support from their teacher, ultimately leading to noticeable improvements in their writing proficiency.
Despite the significant benefits, challenges are inherent in any experimental process Students acknowledged that this technique was difficult at the start of the course, resulting in poor performance on their initial drafts, which lacked sufficient annotations on both content and organization, despite their prior understanding of its importance Over time, they adapted to the technique, became enthusiastic about it, and endeavored to apply it as professionally as possible.
Despite initial challenges, the advantages of self-monitoring for English-major freshmen outweigh the difficulties Many students support the ongoing implementation of this technique for the following year To enhance the effectiveness of self-monitoring practices, they suggest allocating additional training time and providing more self-monitoring models to assist in the training process.
Pedagogical implications
Based on the research findings and the students‟ responses in the semi-structured interview, some pedagogical implications may be drawn out as follows:
Research shows that self-monitoring significantly enhances student writing proficiency Educators are encouraged to implement this innovative technique in writing classes to motivate students, foster learner autonomy, and improve writing skills.
To effectively implement self-monitoring techniques, it is essential to incorporate training during the initial stages of the course, ensuring students gain a thorough understanding of the method The duration of this training should be adaptable, tailored to each student's learning pace Providing typical examples of self-monitoring can serve as clear guidance on the process and its application.
Writing instructors should emphasize the importance of content and organization in achieving successful writing It is essential to focus on these elements to thoroughly enhance and annotate student writings.
Limitations of the study
Every research study has its limitations, and this one is no exception As this is the inaugural introduction of self-monitoring, certain limitations may have influenced the outcomes.
A key limitation of this study is its small sample size of 58 English-major students from a university in Hanoi, which impacts its external validity, defined as the degree to which findings can be generalized to broader populations (Nunan, 1992, p 15) Consequently, the results may vary if the research is replicated in different settings with diverse subjects.
One limitation of the study is the potential subjectivity in scoring the pretest and posttest, despite efforts to ensure accuracy Additionally, the markers, who are non-native EFL teachers sharing the same first language as the students, may influence the scoring process These factors contribute to a reduction in the overall objectivity of the assessment results.
Suggestions for further studies 45 REFERENCES I APPENDICES IV APPENDIX 1: THE SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS IV APPENDIX 2: THE PRETEST V APPENDIX 3: THE POSTTEST VI APPENDIX 4: SOME TYPICAL SAMPLES OF STUDENTS’S
Self-monitoring is an emerging concept that requires further research to validate its effectiveness The current study's limitations include a small participant pool and a short duration, which may affect the reliability of the findings Therefore, the author advocates for future studies that involve a larger sample size and extended timeframes to enhance data validity and confirm the results of this research.
This study explores the application of self-monitoring techniques among English-major freshmen in two writing classes at a university in Hanoi Future research could examine the impact of self-monitoring on writing improvement in diverse groups, including non-English major students, to compare outcomes across different participant demographics.
The main goal of the self-monitoring application discussed in this paper is to improve student writing performance, which is a key aspect of language proficiency Consequently, it is recommended that future researchers conduct experimental studies on the impact of self-monitoring techniques in reading or listening classes to ultimately enhance overall student language proficiency.
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APPENDIX 1: THE SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Category 1: The importance of writing skill to the students’ study and career Question 1: How important is English writing skill to your present study and future jobs?
Category 2: Students’ difficulties with English writing Question 2: What are your difficulties when writing English?
Category 3: The efficacy of self- monitoring Question 3: Do you think that self-monitoring in this semester is helpful to you in writing English paragraphs? If yes, in what way do you think self-monitoring helps you make progress? If no, why do you think self-monitoring is not necessary for paragraph writing?
Question 4: To what extent do you benefit from teacher feedback after using self- monitoring?
Category 4: The students’ difficulties when administering self-monitoring Question 5: Do you have any difficulties when applying self-monitoring?
If yes, what are your troubles?
Category 5: The students’ recommendations for further enhancing the teaching of self-monitoring Question 6: Should self-monitoring be maintained for the students of next year in writing course, in your opinion? If yes, do you have any specific recommendations to enhance the quality of the course? If no, could you explain the reasons for your disapproval?
APPENDIX 2: THE PRETEST Choose one of the following topics and write a paragraph
1 What are the qualities of a good teacher?
2 What do you think people should do to stay healthy?
3 What are the benefits of living in the city?
APPENDIX 3: THE POSTTEST Choose one of the following topics and write a paragraph
1 Contrast men’s and women’s attitudes toward shopping
2 Discuss some causes of school violence
3 “Happiness directly relates to economic success.”
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
APPENDIX 4: SOME TYPICAL SAMPLES OF STUDENTS’S ANNOTATIONS MADE IN THE FOUR WRITING TASKS