Investigating theeffects of teaching communicative writing skills on intermediate EFL learners writing performance at saigon vina language center a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTS OF TEACHING COMMUNICATIVE WRITING SKILLS ON INTERMEDIATE EFL LEARNERS’ WRITING PERFORMANCE AT SAIGON VINA LANGUAGE CENTER A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (TESOL) Submitted by NGUYEN THI THAO PHUONG Supervisor NGUYEN DINH THU Ph.D Ho Chi Minh City, October 2016 STATEMENT OF AUTHORITY I hereby certify that this thesis is based on my original work except for quotations and citations which have been duly acknowledged I also declare that it has not been previously or currently submitted for any degree at this university or others Name: Nguyen Thi Thao Phuong Signature: Date: i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First, I would like to express my deep and sincere thanks and gratitude to my supervisor, Nguyen Dinh Thu Ph.D, for his continuous professional support and encouragement Without his guidance, follow-up, and endless patience, this thesis would not have been completed Thanks also go to my colleagues who are always ready to support me,give me advice and insightful comments during my thesis writing Gratitude is owed to all my students, who participated in the study groups for their patience and cooperation They have been working with me during the time I conducted the study, which is highly appreciated I also wish to express my deep love and appreciation to my parents, brothers and sisters for their encouragement, inspiration and support me throughout my life I am very much thankful to them for their unswerving love, understanding and continual support to the end of the thesis writing Finally, I would like to acknowledge the Manager and the staff of Saigon Vina language center, who have given me best conditions, support and assistance during my study ii ABSTRACT This study is carried out in order to identify the effects of teaching communicative writing on students’ writing performance and investigate what students’ attitudes towards teaching communicative writing skills are The study involved 68 intermediate students from classes at Saigon Vina language center In the study, the pre-test and post-test were used to explore how teaching writing skill in a communicative way affects students’ writing performance In addition, a set of questionnaire was distributed to students, then was collected and analyzed so as to find out whether or not students like the implementation of the communicative approach into teaching writing The results of the study showed that implementing communicative approach to teach writing has positive effects on students’ writing performance The writing scores of experimental group indicated that there was a significant improvement in writing ability after the treatment The findings from the questionnaire also give an optimistic perspective of implementing of teaching writing communicatively as most of the respondents expressed their supportive communicative writing iii attitude towards teaching TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Statement of authority i Acknowledgements ii Abstract iii Table of contents iv List of tables viii List of abbreviations .x CHAPTER INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the study 1.2 Statement of problems .3 1.3 Teaching material .4 1.4 Purposes of the study .4 1.5 Research Questions 1.6 Significance of the study 1.7 Organization of the study CHAPTER LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction 2.2 The notion of writing .7 2.2.1 Definition of writing .7 2.2.2 Writing approaches .10 2.2.2.1 Product-based approach 10 2.2.2.2 Process-based approach 13 2.2.2.3 Genre-based approach 16 iv 2.3 Comparing the product-based, process-based, and genre-based approaches 18 2.4 The approach in the study: Communicative writing 20 2.4.1 Definition of communicative writing 20 2.4.2 What is not communicative in the writing classes .21 2.4.3 The effectiveness of teaching communicative writing 23 2.5 The implication of teaching communicative writing .25 2.6 Empirical studies 26 2.7 Chapter summary 28 CHAPTER RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 29 3.1 Introduction 29 3.2 Research design .29 3.2.1 Research site 29 3.2.2 Participants 30 3.3 Research methods 30 3.4 Research questions 31 3.5 Data collection .32 3.5.1 Research instruments 32 3.5.1.1 Writing test: Pre-test and post-test 33 3.5.1.2 Questionnaire 33 3.5.1.3 Experimental teaching procedures 36 3.5.2 Data collection procedure .40 3.6 Data analysis approaches .40 3.6.1 Analysis from the questionnaire 40 v 3.6.2 Analysis from the pre-test and post-test .41 3.7 Validity and reliability of instruments 42 3.8 Chapter summary 43 CHAPTER DATA ANALYSIS, FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 44 4.1 Introduction 44 4.2 Research question 1: Does teaching writing in communicative way affect students’ writing performance? 44 4.2.1 Before the treatment .44 4.2.2 After the treatment 46 4.2.3 Summary 51 4.3 Research question 2: What are the students’ attitudes towards teaching communicative writing? .52 4.4 Discussion of results 61 4.4.1 Students’ writing performance .62 4.4.2 Students’ attitudes towards teaching communicative writing 65 4.5 Chapter summary 68 CHAPTER CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 69 5.1 Introduction 69 5.2 Main conclusions 71 5.3 Limitations of the study 71 5.4 Recommendations 71 5.5 Suggestions for further studies .72 5.6 Chapter summary 72 vi REFERENCES 73 APPENDICES 80 vii LIST OF TABLES Table 4.1 Group Statistics on pre-test of control group and experimental group Table 4.2 Independent samples t-test of the two groups before the experiment Table 4.3 Group statistic of post-test results Table 4.4 Independent Samples T-test of two groups after treatment Table 4.5 Paired Samples T-test of the control group before and after the teaching instruction Table 4.6 Paired Samples Correlations of the control group before and after the teaching instruction Table 4.7 Paired Samples Test of the control group before and after the teaching instruction Table 4.8 Paired Samples T-test of the experimental group before and after the treatment Table 4.9 Paired Samples Correlations of the experimental group before and after the treatment Table 4.10 Paired Samples Test of the experimental group before and after the treatment Table 4.11 Reliability Statistics Table 4.12 Students’ responses towards types of writing texts used Table 4.13 Students’ responses towards communicative aspects of the writing Table 4.14 Students’ response towards the skills integrating with writing Table 4.15 Students’ response towards topics used in the treatment Table 4.16 Students’ comments about tasks and instructions teacher given Table 4.17 Students’ responses towards the activities employed viii Table 4.18 Students’ level of confidence on composing writing texts after the treatment Table 4.19 Students’ engagement and learning motivation after the treatment Table 4.20 Students’ response towards the effectiveness of the communicative approach in teaching writing Table 4.21 The effectiveness of implementing pair work and group work in teaching communicative writing Table 4.22 Students’ responses to the effectiveness of teaching experiment ix classmates You want to share your interest, and find someone has interest in common Now write an e-mail telling about yourself and your liking to - Ask them to think of what they will write and start to write They can write based on the elicited ideas before - Mind map what to write, then write - Work individually - Ask Sts to write individually - Move around to conduct the activity and to note down sts' mistakes Postwriting - Ask for help if necessary 10’ Aims: to get feedback - Ask Sts to share their e-mail with their partner - Ask Sts to report their work sentence by sentence in front of class - Ask Sts to give their comments to their friends’ writing - Give feedback 113 - Do peer-correction - Ask and answer about the e-mails in groups - Students report their work in front of the class - Sts give their comments to their friends’ writing - Get feedback Week UNIT WHERE WERE YOU DOING Smart Choice by Ken Wilson (p.112) I Aim: To help students to write a paragraph about something funny, strange, or interesting that happened to them II Objective: At the end of the lesson, students can be able to write a paragraph about something funny, strange, or interesting that happened to them III Teaching aids: course book, board, chalk, laptop, speakers IV Procedures Stage Warmup Time 5’ Teacher's activities Students' activities Aims: To raise students' interest Shark attack - Divide class into two groups: Tom and Jerry - Ask Sts to play the game “Shark Attack” The key word: EXPERIENCES ( consist of 11 letters) - Give feedback, declare the winner - Ask Sts some questions about their funny, their interesting experiences they spent 114 - Work in groups - Play the game - Start to take turn, and guess the letters of the word - Get the comment, present from the teacher - Sts listen + Have you ever… + Did you feel…? + When did it happen…? - Elicit answer sfrom the students 10’ - Contribute ideas Aim: provide the language input - Remind Sts to use past tense to talk about their past experience Prewriting - Ask Sts to work in pairs and talk about their funny, strange or interesting things that happened to them + Time - Get attention to the use of past simple to describe what they had experienced - Work in pairs to talk about their experiences + Place + What is the most interesting/ funny/ strange? + Conclusion - Call out some Sts to talk about their experiences - Ask Sts to generate ideas on paper - Ask Sts to share their ideas in pairs - Answer the questions - Mind- map the ideas for the writing - Share with partner - Give feedback - Get feedback Whilewriting 20’ Aim: to improve writing - Tell Sts that they will write 115 about their funny, strange or interesting things/ experience that happened to them - Define the Setting: You are going to write experience, then write a paragraph about your funny, about it based on strange or interesting things/ information they experience that happened to you mind-mapped - Remind Sts of using connectors for the ideas appropriately + Firstly, + Secondly, + Next, … + Lastly - Ask Sts to work individually, to write their text - Work individually - Move around to conduct the activity and to note down sts' mistakes - Ask for help if necessary Aims: to get feedback Postwriting 10’ - Ask Sts to share their writing with their groups - Ask Sts to report their friends’ favorite place to shop sentence by sentence in front of class - Give feedback - Do peer-correction - Ask and answer about the letter in groups - Sts report their work in front of the class - Sts give their comments to their friends’ writing 116 Week 10 UNIT 10 IT MUST BE AN EARTHQUAKE Smart Choice by Ken Wilson (p.112) I Aim: To help students to write an e-mail to a friend who needs help II Objective: At the end of the lesson, students can be able to know how to write an e-mail and a description of an extreme natural event III Teaching aids: course book, board, chalk, laptop, speakers IV Procedures Stage Warmup Time 5’ Teacher's activities Students' activities Aims: To raise students' interest - Divide class into two groups: Tom and Jerry - Each group has representatives to play the game “passing the pictures” - Listen to the instructions - Work in two groups - Form in two rows - T gives the instruction: In this game, Sts will stand in two rows They will look at set of some pictures, then try to remember all the pictures, then whisper what they see in the pictures to their next friend, one by one, until the last member The last member will go to the board and write down all words The winner is the one getting more correct words - Let Sts play the game - Play the game - Memorize the pictures 117 - Do correctness, declare the winner - Write about what they see in the pictures - Get the feedback Pictures: earthquake dust storm flood tornado tsunami volcano avalanche Hurricane - Give feedback - Lead-in: All the pictures are about the extreme natural events You are going to write an e-mail in replying to a raising - Focus on the lead-in call for help Aim: provide the language input Prewriting 10’ - Ask Sts to look at the e-mail in the course book - Sts read and answer the questions - Ask Sts some questions about the e-mail - Contribute ideas - Elicit answers from Sts - Remind Sts of the structure of the e-mail It includes: - Look at the e-mail, give information about it + Sender’s e-mail address (From :……… ) + Subject of the e-mail (about what?) + Contents of the e-mail (Signature) 118 - Take notes - Elicit Sts how to reply to another e-mail: The same structure, but to answer what being asked from the sender Whilewriting 20’ - Give answer for questions in the email Aim: to improve writing - Tell Sts that they are going to write an e-mail to reply to the email Setting: You have recently received an e-mail that needs your help to finish a project on extreme natural events It needs you to share some of examples from real life Now write an email to reply for your friend about that - Pay attention to the instructions - Ask them to write a reply email Postwriting 10’ - Remind them of answering the questions mentioned in their friend’s e-mail - Generate what to write, then write - Ask Sts to write individually - Work individually - Move around to conduct the activity and to note down sts' mistakes - Ask for help if necessary Aims: to get feedback - Ask Sts to share their e-mail with their partner - Ask Sts to report their work sentence by sentence in front of class - Share if there is any additional information Give feedback 119 - Do peer-correction - Ask and answer about the e-mails in groups - Students report their work in front of the class - Sts give their comments to their friends’ writing Week 11 UNIT 11 I USED TO SING Smart Choice by Ken Wilson (p.113) I Aim: To help students to write an e-mail describing their country II Objective: At the end of the lesson, students can be able to know how to write an e-mail describing their country III Teaching aids: course book, board, chalk, laptop, speakers IV Procedures Stage Warmup Time 5’ Teacher's activities Aims: To raise students' interest - Divide class into two groups: Tom and Jerry Students' activities - Listen to the instructions - Work in two groups - Ask Sts to play the game “Hangman” - Draw the two gallows on the board, let Sts play the game - Play the game - Declare the winner Key word: MY COUNTRY (consist of letters) - Give feedback - Lead-in: The topic today is about our country You are going to write an e-mail in replying to a friend You will share some things about our country 120 - Get feedback from teacher - Get involved in the topic - Focus on the lead-in Prewriting 10’ Aim: provide the language input - Ask Sts to look at the e-mail in the course book - Sts read and answer the questions - Ask Sts some questions about the e-mail - Elicit answers from the students - Remind Sts of the structure of the e-mail It includes: - Contribute ideas - Look at the e-mail, give information about it + Sender’s e-mail address (From :……… ) + Subject of the e-mail (about what?) + Contents of the e-mail - Take notes (Signature) - Elicit Sts how to reply to another e-mail: The same structure, but to answer what being asked from the sender 20’ Whilewriting - Give answer for questions in the email Aim: to improve writing - Tell sts that they are going to write an e-mail to reply to a friend from another country Setting: You have recently received an e-mail that needs your help to finish a project about your country It needs you to share some of information about your 121 - Pay attention to the instructions country Now write an e-mail to reply to your friend about that - Ask them to write a reply email - Generate what to write, then write - Remind them of answering the questions mentioned in their friend’s e-mail - Ask Sts to write individually - Work individually - Ask Sts to be free to give their answer - Move around to conduct the activity and to note down sts' mistakes - Ask for help if necessary Aims: to get feedback Postwriting 10’ - Ask Sts to share their e-mail with their partner - Ask Sts to report their work sentence by sentence in front of class - Share if there is any additional information - Give feedback 122 - Do peer-correction - Ask and answer about the e-mails in groups - Sts report their work in front of the class - Sts give their comments to their friends’ writing Week 12 UNIT 12 LIVING IN A PYRAMID Smart Choice by Ken Wilson (p.113) I Aim: To help students to write a letter to reply to someone who wants to study in their country II Objective: At the end of the lesson, students can be able to know how to write a letter to reply to someone who wants to study in their country III Teaching aids: course book, board, chalk, laptop, speakers IV Procedures Stage Warmup Time 5’ Teacher's activities Aims: To raise students' interest Students' activities - Listen to the instructions - Ask Sts to work in groups of - Work in groups or 4, to make a list of types of houses - Play the game - The group with more correct answers will win - Get feedback from teacher - Ask Sts types of houses they want to stay if they study abroad, where can be the best - Get involved in the topic + Where you want to stay when studying abroad? + Do you want to live in the youth hostel or dorm? + Do you think it will be expensive? 123 - Elicit answers from Sts 10’ Prewriting - Lead-in: You are going to - Focus on the lead-in read an e-mail and then write a reply e-mail to that e-mail Aim: provide the language input - Ask Sts to look at the e-mail in the course book - Sts read and answer the questions - Ask Sts some questions about the contents of the e-mail - Contribute ideas - Elicit answers from the students - Remind Sts of the structure of the e-mail It includes: - Look at the e-mail, give information about the structure of the e-mail + Receiver’s e-mail address (To :……… ) + Subject of the e-mail (about what? - Take notes + Contents of the e-mail (Signature) - Elicit Sts how to reply to another e-mail: It has the same structure, but is to answer what being asked from the sender 20’ Whilewriting Aim: to improve writing - Tell Sts that they are going to write an e-mail to reply to a friend about the place to live when she/he comes to study 124 - Give answers for questions in the email Setting: You have recently - Pay attention to the received an e-mail from a instructions friend who wants to study in your country Give her/him information about where to live, how to spend time in your country Write an e-mail to reply for your friend about that - Ask them to write a reply email - Generate what to write, then write - Remind them of answering the questions mentioned in their friend’s e-mail - Ask Sts to write individually - Work individually - Move around to conduct the activity and to note down sts' mistakes - Ask for help if necessary - Ask Sts to be free to give their answers 10’ Postwriting Aims: to get feedback - Ask Sts to share their e-mail with their partner - Ask Sts to report their work sentence by sentence in front of class - Share if there is any additional information - Do peer-correction - Ask and answer about the e-mails in groups - Students report their work in front of the class - Sts give their comments to their friends’ writing - Get feedback - Give feedback 125 APPENDIX Marking scale for graders’ evaluation (Jacobs et al., (1981)) The scale consists of aspects with levels for each VOCABULARY ORGANIZATION CONTENT Aspects Level Criteria 3.5-3.25 Knowledgeable, substantive, thorough development of topic; relevant to assigned topic 3-2.25 Some knowledge of subject, adequate range; limited development of topic; mostly relevant to the topic, but lacks detail 2-1.25 Limited knowledge of subject; little substance; inadequate development of topic 1-0 Does not show knowledge of subject; non-substantive; not pertinent; or not enough to evaluate 1.5-1.25 Fluent expression; well-organized; ideas clearly stated/supported; logical sequencing; cohesive 1-0.75 Somewhat choppy; loosely organized but main ideas stand out; limited support; logical but incomplete sequencing 0.5 Non-fluent; ideas confused or disconnected; lacks logical sequencing and development 0.25 Does not communicate, no organization; or not enough to evaluate 1.5-1.25 Sophisticated range; effective word/idiom choice and usage; word form mastery; appropriate mastery 1-0.75 Adequate range; occasional errors of word/idiom form, choice, usage; but meaning not obscured 0.5 Limited range; frequent errors of word/idiom form, choice, usage; meaning confused or obscured 0.25 Essential translation; little knowledge of English vocabulary, idioms, word form; or not enough to evaluate 126 LANGUAGE USE MECHANICS 2.5-2 Effective complex constructions, fewer errors of agreement, tense, number, word order/function, articles, pronouns, prepositions 1.75-1 Effective but simple constructions, minor problems in complex constructions, several errors of agreement, tense, number, word order/function, articles, pronouns, prepositions but meaning seldom obscured 0.75-0.5 Major problems in simple/ complex constructions, frequent errors of negation, agreement, tense, number, word order/ function articles, pronouns, prepositions and/or fragments, run-ons, deletions, meaning confused or obscured 0.25-0 Virtually no mastery of sentence construction rules, dominated by errors, does not communicate, or not enough to evaluate Demonstrates mastery of conventions, few errors of spelling, punctuation, capitalization, paragraphing 0.75 Occasional errors of spelling, punctuation, capitalization, paragraphing but meaning not obscured 0.5 Frequent errors of spelling, punctuation, capitalization, paragraphing, poor handwriting; meaning confused or obscured 0.25 No mastery of conventions; dominated by errors of spelling, punctuation, capitalization, paragraphing; hand writing illegible, or not enough to evaluate 127 ... students at Saigon Vina Language Center? Based on the main research question, there are two sub-questions: Does teaching writing in communicative ways affect students writing performance? What are the... or are sometimes ignored Once communicative approach is adopted for language teaching and learning, the context of language use is treated as an important factor in defining, teaching and measuring... p.73) also stated that it “focuses on both the grammatical and communicative aspect of writing From the above definitions, purpose and meaning are two of the main communicative aspects of writing