BÁO CÁO SÁNG KIẾN TECHNIQUES OF TEACHING PARAGRAPH WRITING

SỞ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO NAM ĐỊNH TRƯỜNG THPT CHUYÊN LÊ HỒNG PHONG SÁNG KIẾN DỰ THI CẤP TỈNH BÁO CÁO SÁNG KIẾN TECHNIQUES OF TEACHING PARAGRAPH WRITING Tác giả: Phạm Kim Anh Trình độ chuyên môn: Thạc sỹ Chức vụ: Giáo viên Nơi công tác: Trường THPT chuyên Lê Hồng Phong NAM ĐỊNH, THÁNG 5 - 2014 THÔNG TIN CHUNG VỀ SÁNG KIẾN 1. Tên sáng kiến: Techniques of teaching paragraph writing. 2. Lĩnh vực áp dụng sáng kiến: Sáng kiến này được viết chủ yếu nhằm áp dụng cho lĩnh vực dạy viết đoạn văn cho học sinh lớp 12 ôn thi tốt nghiệp. Ngoài ra, sáng kiến cũng có thể áp dụng cho việc dạy viết đoạn văn cho học sinh lớp 9 ôn thi học sinh giỏi và thi vào lớp 10 chuyên Anh; cho học sinh lớp 12 ôn thi học sinh giỏi phổ thông và học sinh lớp 10 chuyên Anh 3. Thời gian áp dụng sáng kiến: Sáng kiến này có thể áp dụng cho lớp 12 trong suốt năm học, đặc biệt giai đoạn ôn thi tốt nghiệp và ôn thi học sinh giỏi; lớp 9 trong giai đoạn ôn thi học sinh giỏi và thi vào lớp 10 chuyên Anh; lớp 10 chuyên Anh trong cả năm học. 4. Tác giả: Họ và tên: Phạm Kim Anh Năm sinh: 1977 Nơi thường trú: Thành phố Nam Định Trình độ chuyên môn:.Thạc sỹ Chức vụ công tác: Giáo viên Nơi làm việc: Trường THPT chuyên Lê Hồng Phong- Thành phố Nam Định Địa chỉ liên hệ: Trường THPT chuyên Lê Hồng Phong, số 76-Vị Xuyên - thành phố Nam Định Điện thoại: 0917835620 6. Đơn vị áp dụng sáng kiến: Tên đơn vị: Trường THPT chuyên Lê Hồng Phong Địa chỉ: số 76-Vị Xuyên Điện thoại: 03503640297 7. Điều kiện hoàn cảnh tạo ra sáng kiến: Do sự thay đổi về cấu trúc đề thi tốt nghiệp môn Tiếng Anh năm 2014 và yêu cầu thực tế của bộ môn trong các kì thi học sinh giỏi, thi tuyển sinh vào lớp 10 chuyên; bên cạnh đó, do thực trạng dạy và học viết đoạn văn còn đang gặp rất nhiều khó khăn nên tôi muốn góp một phần nhỏ bé của mình nhằm cải thiện thực trạng đó. Sáng kiến này sẽ giúp giáo viên dạy viết tìm được những cách dạy phù hợp với đối tượng học sinh của mình và phù hợp với yêu cầu cụ thể của mục tiêu đề ra. PART I - INTRODUCTION I. Rationale: It is a fact that English is becoming increasingly popular these days, which can be seen in almost every field of everyday life such as on TV, in newspapers, on the radio. This fact can also be seen in school curriculum, in which English is always considered as one of the most important subjects. In order to have a good command of English, learners must be good at four skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing, of which writing is widely seen as the most difficult and inconvenient one. As for me, I have chosen to study this because of the following reasons: 1. There is a change in the requirement of the GCSE test, in which writing a paragraph is a compulsory part. 2. Writing a paragraph has always been a must in such other important exams as exams for gifted students of the 9 th form, entrance exam into Le Hong Phong school. 3. Students of the 10 th form are required to write a paragraph well enough, which is considered as a precondition of essay writing in their following form. 4. Above all, writing a paragraph has always been what I am interested in. I see writing as a way to broaden knowledge of various fields, improve vocabulary of a particular field and most importantly, the way to use English language. II. Aim of the study: In fact, writing is a skill that takes such a lot of time and patience. Therefore, not many students are willing to start doing it, leading to certain difficulties for the teachers of writing. I have decided to devote my time and effort to writing about this matter with a view to sharing some of my modest experience with colleagues, hoping that writing a paragraph is no longer a boring and challenging task and is better welcomed by students. III. Scope of the study. Due to the limited time and strength, this study only focuses on the topics familiar to the students between the 9 th form and the 12 th form. PART II – DEVELOPMENT I. Literature review. 1. What is a paragraph? Sample paragraph: Indonesia-Something Interesting at Every Turn By Ken Jones If you dream of travelling to a country with beautiful tropical islands, wonderful food, beautiful places to go sightseeing, and very friendly people, you should visit Indonesia. If you look at the map, the first thing you notice is that Indonesia is made up of islands-more than 17,000 of them. Travelling between islands by boats is great fun. Just like the many islands, there are also may different groups of people living in Indonesia. In fact, there are around 300 different ethnic groups! Most Indonesians are Malay, but others Javanese, Balinese, Chinese, or Indian. All these groups together make Indonesian culture very interesting. Finally, Indonesia has many cities and historical sights to see. Jakarta, the capital city, is fast becoming a modern center of commerce, yet the ancient temples on the island of Bali show that the country’s old traditions are still alive. All the people, places, and things to see definitely make Indonesia a great place for a vacation. (Extracted from College writing from paragraph to essay _By Dorothy E Zemach and Lisa A Rumisek) Definition of a paragraph: + a group of sentences about a single topic. + sentences: all explain the writer’s main idea (most important idea) about the topic. + length: In academic writing, between five and ten sentences long, but it can be longer or shorter. It depends on the specific topic. + the first sentence: usually indented in a few spaces. Analysis of the above paragraph: - The topic: Indonesia - The main idea about the topic: It is a country with beautiful tropical islands, sightseeing, and very friendly people. - The ideas that help explain the main ideas are: + Many islands- more than 17,000; travelling by boat between them is fun. + Many types of people – about 300 ethnic groups (Malay, Javanese, Balinese, Chinese, Indian) + Many cities and historical sights. 2. Organisation of a paragraph: A paragraph has THREE basic parts: a. Topic sentence. - the main idea of a paragraph - usually the first sentence. - the most general sentence. b. The supporting sentences. - talk about/ explain the topic sentence. - more detailed ideas that follow the topic sentences c. Concluding sentences. - found as the last sentence of a paragraph - finish the paragraph by repeating the main idea or just giving a final comment about the topic. 3. Topic sentence: - usually comes first in a paragraph - length: about 1-1,5 lines - gives the writer’s main idea about the topic; helps readers understand what the paragraph is going to talk about. E.g. Learning a second language creates job opportunities. Topic main idea (controlling idea) Xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxx xxx xxxx xxxx xxxx. Xxxxx xxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxx xxx xxxx xxxx. Xxxx xxxxxxx xxxxx xxx xxxx xxx xxxxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxx xxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx. Xxxxxxx xxxxxx xxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxx xxx xxxx xxxx, xxxx xxxx. Xxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxx xxx xxxx xxxx xxxx. Xxxx xxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxx xxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxx xxx xxxx xxxx, Xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxx xxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxx xxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx. Xxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxx xxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxx xxx xxxx xxxx. Xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxx xxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxx xxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx . Xxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxx xxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxx xxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxx xxx - Organisation of a topic sentence: 2 parts: + Topic: the person, thing or event that the paragraph is about. + Main idea (Controlling idea): what the writer will say about the topic. E.g. My friend is an honest person. Topic controlling idea My friend is the funniest person I know. Topic controlling idea A topic sentence must not be a simple fact or a specific detail. The controlling idea must say something about the topic that can then be supported, developed or demonstrated in the supporting sentences. The controlling idea must also not be too general, or the topic sentence will be unclear. E.g. A surprise party is a kind of party. (too general) There were 14 guests at my surprise birthday party. (too specific) My classmates gave me an unforgettable surprise party for my 18 th birthday. The last topic sentence is a good one because it introduces the topic and has a controlling idea that can be developed in the supporting sentences. The paragraph will probably tell the story of the party. Practice 1. Topic: How to protect endangered species. Animals which are on the verge of extinction can be saved by the efforts from all individuals and the government. Practice 2. Topic: Should students do volunteer work? Doing volunteer work among students is very beneficial to not only the students themselves but also society as a whole. Practice 3. Topic: The measures to reduce domestic violence. Stricter laws and better education about marriage and happiness are the two ways that can ease the problem of family violence now. - Tips: Don’t repeat the task. Therefore, use different words (synonyms, different parts of speech). E.g. - endangered species = vulnerable animals; animals at risk; species in danger - difficulties = trouble - women = females - encounter = meet, face, have - domestic violence = violence from family 4. Supporting sentences: After students have written a topic sentence, they have to develop their main idea. It means that they have to add more information to explain what they mean at the beginning. There are many ways to do this but the following are three common ways to support the topic sentence. a. Giving details: - Details are specific points that tell more about a general statement. Topic sentence: The football match I saw last week in Thien Truong stadium was the most memorable. Details: - weather: very favorable - which teams taking part: my school and Tran Hung Dao school - score: 3-2 - attitude: yourself and other fans - player’s spirits: very high - scorers: - The most impressive point b. Explanation: An explanation tell what something means or how something works. E.g. Main idea: Charity work helps to build a better community. In the main body of the paragraph, students have to answer the following question: Why does charity work help to build a better community? The above question can be answered by giving the following explanations: Because + better relationship among people + ease sufferings + build up belief in future life c. Example: An example is a specific person, place, thing, event that supports an idea or statement. The following paragraph includes an example from the writer’s own experience. Even when a first date is a disaster, a couple can still become good friends. For example, my first date with Greg was terrible. I thought he was coming to pick me up at 6:30, but instead he came at 6:00. I didn’t have time to fix my hair, and my make-up looked sloppy. When I got into his car, I scraped my leg against the car door and tore my stocking. Next, he took me to an Italian restaurant for dinner, and I accidentally dropped some spaghetti on my shirt. Then we went to a movie. Greg asked me which movie I wanted to see, and I chose a romantic comedy. He fell asleep during the movie, and I got angry. Now that Greg and I are good friends, we can look back and laugh at how terrible that first date was! Eg. Giving examples as support Main idea: Charity work helps to form your personality. Example: + teach disabled children in Namdinh city → improve sense of responsibility/ sympathy → take action + help patients in Namdinh hospital: realise individual as well as social responsibility → try more in your work/ study → become a better person Tips: The best organisation of a paragraph consists of three supporting ideas. With each supporting idea, two sub-supporting ideas (example, explanation or detail) should be provided. Include linking devices between supporting ideas: + First, ……. Second, ………, Third, ……. + Firstly, ……… Secondly, ………. Finally, ………. + In the first place, Another advantage/ benefit/ reason is N/ is that S+V What’s more, Furthermore, Moreover, Advanced level: + Undeniably, It is undeniable that Obviously, Interestingly, Unavoidably, + Finally, The last reason/ benefit/ advantage is …. Include linking devices between sub-supporting ideas: E.g. Topic: How to protect endangered species. Supporting idea 1: Raise public awareness Supporting idea 2: Stricter laws Supporting idea 3: Build new reserves Sub-supporting ideas (1): + school curriculum + mass media In the first place, we need to raise public awareness about animal protection. This can be put into school curriculum as a compulsory part for students. And, people’s knowledge can be considerably widened through the use of mass media. 5. Concluding sentence: - the final sentence of a paragraph - sum up the main point/ restate the main idea in a different way + sum up: remind the reader of what the writer’s main idea and supporting points were. + restate the main idea: give the same information in a slightly different way by using: - different words - different word order. E.g. Topic sentence: [...]... activities: I myself have applied these techniques to teaching 10 English- majored classes studentsof the 12th form for the GCSE exam I have found considerable benifits as follow: - The students had a better overview of academic writing in general and writing a paragraph in particular They, therefore, have known how to write a paragraph They have had a lot of chances to practise writing familiar topics such as:... bravery or sense of optimism like Remi in “No family” by Hector Malot In conclusion, our life will be improved considerably thanks to the books we read (Word count: 164 words) PART III - CONCLUSION Writing a good paragraph is the result of a long and persistent period with lots of efforts and patience However, a good paragraph of your own will bring you a lot of satisfaction A good paragraph requires... the signs, you will drive over a hill The airport is on the other side of the hill On your right, you will see the international terminal This terminal is two stories tall The front is all glass On the left, you will see the domestic terminals… II Stages of writing a paragraph: 3 stages: Pre -writing ; While -writing; Postwriting 1 Pre -writing: There are three very important steps in this stage Brainstorming... ideas, a wide range of vocabulary and structure Therefore, teachers of writing must be enthusiastic enough in order to help students to write better Writing can be improved day by day, little by little It is widespread knowledge that writing is so challenging Therefore, teaching essay writing is extremely taxing for both teachers as well as students It requires teacher’s great amount of reading and creative... Outlining: An outline is a list of the information you will put in the paragraph An outline should: - begin with the topic sentence - show the organisation of the paragraph - ends with the concluding sentence An outline plays a very important role in the success of the paragraph because it helps: - show you what to write before you actually start writing - make the paragraph well-organised enough and... arranged in a clear and logical way In this way, the paragraph will become coherent so that the reader can easily understand the main points It is necessary for the writer to think about how to organise the paragraph This should depend on the topic or the type of paragraph The paragraph can be organised by using time, space or order of importance In the paragraph below, the organisation is by space: When... suffering from various problems 2 While -writing: After the students have an outline for a paragraph, they can start writing the intended one This can be done either in class or at home There are many ways for the teachers to carry out this stage It is advisable that students should practice individual units first, and then the whole paragraph At the very beginning of writing practice, students should learn... stressful day of hard work Similarly, children can find a lot of fun in comic books or picture ones One more very important advantage that reading offers us is our personality improvement Our reading means that we become more patient because reading takes us a such a lot of time Moreover, through pages of books, we can learn a lot from characters, for example, their endurance, bravery or sense of optimism... teacher’s great amount of reading and creative work Patience is indispensable, too It also needs regular practice of both teacher and students Teachers are supposed to devote a great of time and careful consideration to assessing students’ work I have got some years of experience of teaching writing However, I still find it such a hard job So I always try my best to help students produce better results... valuable source of entertainment Interestingly, we can relax with a small book after a stressful day of hard work Similarly, children can find a lot of fun in comic books or picture ones One more very important advantage that reading offers us is our personality improvement Our reading means that we become more patient because reading takes us a such a lot of time Moreover, through pages of books, we . NAM ĐỊNH, THÁNG 5 - 2014 THÔNG TIN CHUNG VỀ SÁNG KIẾN 1. Tên sáng kiến: Techniques of teaching paragraph writing. 2. Lĩnh vực áp dụng sáng kiến: Sáng kiến này được viết chủ yếu nhằm áp dụng cho lĩnh. DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO NAM ĐỊNH TRƯỜNG THPT CHUYÊN LÊ HỒNG PHONG SÁNG KIẾN DỰ THI CẤP TỈNH BÁO CÁO SÁNG KIẾN TECHNIQUES OF TEACHING PARAGRAPH WRITING Tác giả: Phạm Kim Anh Trình độ chuyên môn: Thạc. left, you will see the domestic terminals…. II. Stages of writing a paragraph: 3 stages: Pre -writing ; While -writing; Post- writing 1. Pre -writing: There are three very important steps in this