some strategies to teach how to summarize a passage effectively

MÔN TIẾNG ANH – MÃ CHẤM: A01a SOME STRATEGIES TO TEACH HOW TO SUMMARIZE A PASSAGE EFFECTIVELY Table of contents INTRODUCTION …………………………………………………………… PART I: THEORY OF SUMMARY……………………………………… Definition of summary …………………………………………… … Characteristics of a good summary …………………………………… 2.1 Language ………………………………………………………… 2.2 Content ………………………………………………………… 2.3 Length ………………………………………………………… Processes of summarizing …………………………………………… 3.1 Selection process …………………………………………… … 3.2 Reduction process ……………………………………………… Strategies for summarizing …………………………………………… 4.1 Journalists’ questions ……………………………………… …… 4.2 “Somebody Wanted But So” ……………………………… …… 4.3 Writing one-sentence summary …………………………… … 10 4.4 Using annotations or maps …………………………………… 10 PART II: APPLICATION ………………………………………………… 13 Guided practice ……………………………………………………… 13 Suggested exercises …………………………………………………… 20 CONCLUSION …………………………………………………………….…37 References………………………………………………………………… ….38 INTRODUCTION Writing a summary is of paramount importance in language learning It provides students with valuable practice in reading and writing as it forces students to focus on understanding the whole passage to pick out the main ideas and communicate their meaning in their own words Their vocabulary and grammar are, therefore, improved considerably It also helps with developing critical thinking skills because students have to decide on the main ideas of the reading to include in the summary With the recognition of the importance and usefulness of summarization, a task of summarizing has been introduced in the national exam of selecting English-gifted students in the last few years Summarizing seems to be a big challenge to most students They not know how to start with this new kind of task in the exam They often either copy verbatim, write long, detailed “summaries” or write excessively short ones missing information This failure can be partially explained by the lack of careful and detailed guidance from teachers in supporting learners to find the most suitable and effective strategies It is understandable as summarizing skills are not officially taught in the school In class, students may only be required to summarize a text with nonspecific instructions These instructions are not technical enough to be helpful for students This matter has inspired the author to conduct an investigation on “Some strategies to teach how to summarize a passage effectively” with a view to sharing her practical experience with other teachers The subjects of the study are English-gifted students who are carefully selected for intensive training for the national exam of English proficiency held by the Ministry of Education and Training annually All of them have learnt English at least years and have a good command of English The study is composed of two main parts Part I is the theoretical foundation in which the definition, the characteristics, the processes and the strategies of a summary are reviewed Part II presents the application In this part, the guided practice as well as suggested exercises are provided PART I: THEORY OF SUMMARY 1.DEFINITION OF SUMMARY There have been a variety of definitions of summary, from rather broad to more detailed ones Delamont (1994, p.30), for instance, defines a summary as “the reduction of a large amount of information to its most important points.” Wohl (1978, p.127), on the other hand, states that “to summarize is to report information using a lot fewer words than were used in the original communication.” What is crucial in making a good summary, he argues, is the ability to identify essentials – the main points and ideas of the text According to Johnson (1983, p.45), identifying what is important in a text depends on good sampling but it also depends on knowing what to look for – the clues which helps us to identify the important points – and to separate them from the less important details According to those definitions, what is necessary for a summary writer is to omit some details, or at least state them concisely In addition, he needs to make sure that none of the main point or idea is lost and that the emphasis of the original is not changed In short, the various definitions of summary suggest that a summary is a brief statement that represents the condensation of information and reflects the gist of the discourse It can be thought of as a study outline that is connected by sentences rather than numbers, letters or indentations (Johnson, 1983) CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD SUMMARY 2.1.Language:  Condensed - Use only necessary words and phrases - Say an idea only once; don’t repeat  Restated - Put the author’s ideas in your own words, avoid direct quotations  Unbiased - Omit any personal opinions, ideas, thoughts, illustrations, and inferences An outstanding feature of a summary is the use of reporting words Reporting expressions are of great importance: - to show clearly whose idea you are dealing with at this point in your essay - to indicate the mode of argumentation being used by the writer, e.g.: believing, conceding, using analogies, giving examples, … Suggested expressions: Introduction Content - In (title), author (author) discusses - (Author) provides the reader with (topic) (details) - In (title), (author) explains the - (Title/ Author) shows how to principles of (topic) (details) - (Title) offered a detailed and - (Author) begins by explaining how practical introduction to (topic) … - (Title) is a detailed account of - Then (author) … (topic) - Chapter (number) focuses on - (Title) is an essential guide to (details) (topic) Reporting verbs Use reporting verbs, e.g explain, describe when you summarize the ideas of the writer of a text These verbs are used in different ways:  Verb + that + Clause E.g explain, argue, believe, claim, … The writer explains that this bridge was built to reduce the traffic problems in the city  Verb + Noun/ Indirect question E.g present, describe, explain, … The author first describes the Petronas Towers in Malaysia The writer explains why the dam was constructed Strong Neutral Argument Counter- Suggestion Criticism argument - argue - state - refute the - suggest - claim - report claim - contend - explain - argue against - maintain - discuss - insist - illustrate - criticize - recommend - posit 2.2.Content:  Proper citation - The summary begins by citing the title, author, source, and, in the case of a magazine or a journal article, the date of publication and the text  Thesis statement - is summarized clearly and accurately in a one-sentence thesis statement - does not contain specific details discussed in the text - is stated at the beginning of the summary  Supporting ideas - Cover all of the author’s major supporting ideas - Show the relationships among these ideas - Omit specifics, such as illustrations , descriptions, and detailed explanations 2.3 Length: The summary should be no more than 1/3 the length of the original paragraph or article Notes: A summary should not include: - Your personal opinion, inference, suggestion or advice - Paraphrase of technical terms - Copied material or a string of quotes from the selection PROCESSES OF SUMMARIZING According to Johnson (1983, p.354), whatever strategies are applied to summarize a passage, learners all follow these two processes 3.1 Selection process: make judgements about what text information should be included or rejected * Read the selection carefully, as many times as it takes for you to understand and identify the author’s thesis and main ideas You might underline or take notes on the key ideas as you read * Identify important information of the text: - Pay attention to signal device that author uses to stress importance: introductory statements, topic sentence, summary statements, underlining, italics, … - Seek key words and phrases that manage to capture the gist * Strip away the redundant examples, descriptions, detailed explanations * Save the crucial details that support the main idea 3.2 Reduction process: condense the ideas by substituting general ideas for more detailed ones - Using your own words, present the author’s thesis and other main ideas in a few concise sentences Do not copy sentences directly from the original text Use your own words to convey the main ideas as clearly and concisely as possible - Substitute a superordinate term for a list of items E.g If a text contains a list such as chair, table, desk, bed → substitute the word furniture - Substitute an encompassing action for a list of subcomponents of that action E.g “John left the house He went to the train station He bought a ticket to London.” → John went to London by train - Do not give your own opinion or interpretation of the material you are summarizing Your goal is an objective, accurate, condensed overview of the selection that does not reveal your attitude toward the ideas presented STRATEGIES FOR SUMMARIZING 4.1 Journalists’ questions: Called Journalists’ questions or Ws and an H, these simple questions help writers identify important information about a topic Only after the questions have been answered, can writers organize their summaries This strategy proves to be effective to deal with descriptive passages * WHO: - Who are the primary or most important characters? - Who are the secondary characters? - Who participated? - Who is affected? * WHAT: - What is the topic of the lesson? - What is its significance? - What is the problem? - What are the issues? - What happened? * WHERE: - Where did the event occur? - Where is the setting? - Where is the source of the problem? * WHEN: - When did the event occur? - When did the problem begin? - When is it most important? * WHY: - Why did the event, issue, or problem occur? - Why did it develop the way it did? * HOW: - How is the problem important? - How can the problem be resolved? - How does it affect the participants or characters identified? Not all these questions will be answered in a paragraph In other words, some of the questions might be irrelevant to the topic For example, if the topic focuses on weather trends of the past 10 years, the Who element will probably not be particularly important 4.2 “Somebody Wanted But So” Strategy The Somebody Wanted But So strategy goes by many names, depending upon the genre or content being studied The strategy helps students understand the various plot elements of conflict and resolution Either during reading or after reading, students complete a chart that identifies a character resolved (or failed to resolve) those problems The strategy helps students generalize, recognize cause and effect relationships, and find main ideas However, it seems to be inappropriate for students to summarize a long complex passages with many strata of meaning - Somebody/ Someone = main character or a group of people - Wanted/ Because = main events or a group’s motivation - But = the conflict or problem - So = the resolution of the problem stemmed from her soul and spirit She was one of the pioneers who broke tradition so others might be able to develop the art Her second contribution lies in dance costume She discarded corset, ballet shoes and stiff costumes These were replaced with flowing Grecian tunics, bare feet, and unbound hair She believed in the natural body being allowed to move freely, and her dress displayed this ideal Her third contribution was in the use of music In her performances she used the symphonies of great masters, including Beethoven and Wagner, which was not the usual custom She was as exciting and eccentric in her personal life as in her dance Annotating Many artists late in the last century were in search of a means to express their individuality Modern dance was one of the ways some of these people sought to free their creative spirit At the beginning there was no exacting technique, no foundation from which to build In later years, trial, error, and genius founded the techniques and the principles of the movement Eventually, innovators even drew from what they considered the dread ballet, but first they had to discard all that was academic so that the new could be discovered The beginnings of modern dance were happening before [Isadora Duncan, but she was the first person MAIN IDEA → to bring the new dance to general audiences and see it accepted and acclaimed.] Her search for a natural movement form sent her to nature She believed movement should be as natural as the swaying of the trees and the rolling waves of the sea, and should be in harmony with the movements of the Earth Her great contributions are in (1)Contribution to the expansion of the kinds of movements three areas First, she began the expansion of the kinds of movements that could be used in dance Before Duncan danced, ballet was the only type of dance performed in concert In the ballet the feet and legs were emphasized, with virtuosity shown by complicated, codified 24 positions and movements Duncan performed dance by using all her body in the freest possible way Her dance stemmed from her soul and spirit She was one of the pioneers who broke tradition so others might be able to develop (2) Contribution to the art dance costume Her second contribution lies in dance costume She discarded corset, ballet shoes and stiff costumes These were replaced with flowing Grecian tunics, bare feet, and unbound hair She believed in the natural body being allowed to move freely, and (3) Contribution to the her dress displayed this ideal use of music Her third contribution was in the use of music In her performances she used the symphonies of great masters, including Beethoven and Wagner, which was not the usual custom She was as exciting and eccentric in her personal life as in her dance Mapping Isadora Duncan was the first person to bring the new dance to general audiences and see it accepted and acclaimed Contribution to Contribution the expansion of dance costume to Contribution to the use of music the kinds of movements Sample answer: In this passage, Isadora Duncan was the first to develop/ suggest/ propose modern dance back to the nature, in which movement should be in harmony with that of the Earth This principle was manifested in three contributions Firstly, as regard the typical movement, codified use of foot and movement in ballet was expanded to use her whole body in the freest possible way She also 25 replaced corset, ballet shoes and stiff costumes with flowing Grecian tunics, bare feet and unbound hair to allow flexible physical movement Lastly, Duncan changed the use of music in her performances with the symphonies of great masters, which was not the usual practice at her time Exercise 3: Summarize the following passage PROMISING RESULTS FROM CANCER STUDY A new experiment vaccine has shown promising results in the fight against lung cancer In a small Texas-based study, a vaccine developed by scientists at Baylor University Medical Centre in Dallas, USA cured lung cancer in some patients and slowed the progress of the disease in others Researchers have reported encouraging findings from this small study Forty-three patients suffering from lung cancer were involved in these trials Ten of these patients were in the early stages and thirty-three in the advanced stages of the disease They were injected with the vaccine every two weeks for three months, and were carefully monitored for three years In three of the patients in the advanced stages of cancer, disease disappeared and in the others, it did not spread for five to twenty-four months However, no great difference was seen in the patients in the early stages of the illness This new vaccine uses the patient’s own immune system It is made specifically for each patient and is injected into the arm or leg It stimulates the body’s immune system, which then recognizes that the cancer cells are harmful, and attacks and destroys them The vaccine could be effective against other forms of cancer It offers great hope for the treatment of cancer in general, although further studies are needed before such treatment can be widely used Source: Dakin, F.P (2007) Promising results from cancer study New Medical Journal, 32 26 Annotating: PROMISING RESULTS FROM CANCER STUDY [A new experiment vaccine has shown promising results MAIN IDEA → in the fight against lung cancer.] In a small Texas-based study, a vaccine developed by scientists at Baylor University Medical Centre in Dallas, USA cured lung cancer in some patients and slowed the progress of the disease in others Researchers have reported encouraging findings from (1)promising results this small study Forty-three patients suffering from lung cancer were involved in these trials Ten of these patients were in the early stages and thirty-three in the advanced stages of the disease They were injected with the vaccine every two weeks for three months, and were carefully monitored for three years In three of the patients in the advanced stages of cancer, disease disappeared and in the others, it did not spread for five to twenty-four months However, no great difference was seen in the patients in the early stages of the illness This new vaccine uses the patient’s own immune (2) new method for cancer treatment system It is made specifically for each patient and is injected into the arm or leg It stimulates the body’s immune system, which then recognizes that the cancer cells are harmful, and attacks and destroys them The vaccine could be effective against other forms of (3) great hope for the other cancer It offers great hope for the treatment of cancer in general, although further studies are needed before such treatment can be forms of cancer widely used treatment of Source: Dakin, F.P (2007) Promising results from cancer study New Medical Journal, 32 Sample answer: In his article titled “Promising results from cancer study”, Dakin F.P reports positive findings from a research project on cancer A group of US researchers has carried out trials of a new vaccine which is effective against lung cancer Although the study was limited to fewer than fifty people, the results 27 were very promising Some of the patients at an advanced stage of the disease were cured Each patient in the trial had their own vaccine which activated their bodies’ immune system and enabled it to fight the cancer It is hoped that other forms of cancer can be cured in a similar way Exercise Summarize the following passage GLOBAL IMPLICATIONS OF PATENT LAW VARIATION A patent is an exclusive right to use an invention for a certain period of time, which is given to an inventor as compensation for disclosure of an invention Although it would be beneficial for the world economy to have uniform patent laws, each country has its own laws designed to protect domestic inventions and safeguard technology Despite widespread variation, patent laws generally fall under one of two principles: the first-to-file and first-to-invent The first-to-file principle awards a patent to the person or institution that applies for a patent first, while the first-to-invent principle grants the patent to the person or institution that was first to invent - and can prove it Most countries have adopted the first-to-file system However, the United States maintains a first-to-invent system, despite obvious shortcomings A result of countries employing different patent law principles is inconsistency of patent ownership Patent ownership is not recognized globally On the contrary, ownership may change depending on the country It is not uncommon for an invention to have two patent owners – one in the United States and one in the rest of the world This unclear ownership has economic consequences If a company is interested in using a patented invention, it may be unable to receive permission from both patent owners, which in turn may prevent manufacture of a particular product Even if permission is received from both owners, pay royalties to both may be quite costly In this case, if the invention is useful enough, a company may proceed and pass on the added cost to consumers International economic tension has also been increasing as a result of differing policies Many foreign individuals and companies believe that they are 28 at a serious disadvantage in the United States with regard to patent ownership because of the logistical difficulties in establishing first-to-invent status Further, failure of the United States to recognize patent ownership in other countries is in violation of the Paris Conventions on Industrial Properties, which requires all member nations to treat all patents equally The conflict surrounding patents has prompted the World Intellectual Properties Organization (WIPO) to lobby for universality in patent laws WIPO maintains that the first necessary step involves compelling the United States to reexamine its patent principle, taking into account the reality of a global economy This push may indeed result in more global economic cooperation (Koji Suziki, 1991) Annotating GLOBAL IMPLICATIONS OF PATENT LAW VARIATION A patent is an exclusive right to use an invention for a certain period of time, which is given to an inventor as compensation for disclosure of an invention [Although it would MAIN IDEA → be beneficial for the world economy to have uniform patent laws, each country has its own laws] designed to protect domestic inventions and safeguard technology Despite - Classify the two widespread variation, patent laws generally fall under one of two principles: the first-to-file and first-to-invent The first-toprinciples file principle awards a patent to the person or institution that - Point out that most applies for a patent first, while the first-to-invent principle grants of the world follows the patent to the person or institution that was first to invent - and one system and the can prove it Most countries have adopted the first-to-file system However, the United States maintains a first-to-invent United State another - Include a description system, despite obvious shortcomings A result of countries of the problem employing different patent law principles is inconsistency of surrounding variation patent ownership Patent ownership is not recognized globally On the in patent laws contrary, ownership may change depending on the country It is not uncommon for an invention to have two patent owners – one in the United States and one in the rest of the world This unclear 29 - Provide explanation some ownership has economic consequences If a company is for the interested in using a patented invention, it may be unable to problem receive permission from both patent owners, which in turn may prevent manufacture of a particular product Even if permission is received from both owners, pay royalties to both may be quite costly In this case, if the invention is useful enough, a company may proceed and pass on the added cost to consumers - Describe problem the International economic tension has also been increasing associated as a result of differing policies Many foreign individuals and with differing patent companies believe that they are at a serious disadvantage in the principles United States with regard to patent ownership because of the logistical difficulties in establishing first-to-invent status Further, - Provide explanation some failure of the United States to recognize patent ownership in other countries is in violation of the Paris Conventions on Industrial Properties, which requires all member nations to treat all patents equally The conflict surrounding patents has prompted - Describe the action the World Intellectual Properties Organization (WIPO) to taken to solve the lobby for universality in patent laws WIPO maintains that the problem first necessary step involves compelling the United States to reexamine its patent principle, taking into account the reality of a global economy This push may indeed result in more global economic cooperation (Koji Suziki, 1991) Sample answer: In his paper “Global Implications of Patent Law Variation”, Koji Suziki (1991) states that lack of consistency in the world’s patent laws is a serious problem In most of the world, patent ownership is given to the inventor that is first to file for patent However, the United States maintains a first-to-invent policy In view of this, patent ownership can change depending on the country Multiple patent owner ship can result in economic problems; however, most striking is the international tension it causes The fact that the United States does not recognize patent ownership in other countries, in violation of the Paris 30 Convention on Industrial Properties, has prompted the World Intellectual Properties Organization (WIPO) to push the United States to review its existing patent law principles Exercise When the first Europeans came to the North America continent, they encountered the completely new cultures of the Native American peoples of North America Native Americans, who had highly developed cultures in many respects, must have been as curious about the strange Europeans manners and customs as the Europeans were curious about them As always happens when two or more cultures come into contact, there was a cultural exchange Native Americans adopted some of the Europeans’ ways, and the Europeans adopted some of their ways As a result, Native Americans have made many valuable contributions to modern U.S culture, particularly in the areas of language, art, food, and government First of all, Native Americans left a permanent mark on the English language The early English-speaking settlers borrowed from several different Native American languages words for places in this new land All across the country are cities, towns, rivers, and states with Native American’s names For example, the states of Delaware, lowa, lllinois, and Alabama are named after Native American tribes, as are the cities of Chicago, Miami, and Spokane In addition to place names, English adopted from various Native American languages the words for animals and plants found in the Americas Chipmunk, moose, raccoon, srunk, tobacco, and squash are just a few examples Although the vocabulary of English is the area that shows the most Native American influence, it is not the only area of U.S culture that has been shaped by contact with Native Americans Art is another area of important Native American contributions Wool rugs woven by women of the Navajo tribe in Arizona and New Mexico are highly valued works of art in the United States Native American jewelry made from sliver and turquoise is also very popular 31 and very expensive Especially in the Western and Southwestern regions of the Unite States, native crafts such as pottery, leather products, and beadwork can be found in many homes Indeed, native arts and handicraft are a treasured part of U.S culture In addition to language and art, agriculture is another area in which Native Americans had a great and lasting influence on the peoples who arrived here from Europe, Africa and Asia Being skilled farmers, the Native Americans of North America taught the newcomers many things about farming techniques and crops Every U.S schoolchild has heard the story of how Native Americans taught the first settlers to place a dead fish in a planting hole to provide fertilizer for the growing plant Furthermore, they taught the settlers irrigation methods and crop rotation Many of the foods people in the US eat today were introduced to the Europeans by Native Americans For example, corn and chocolate were unknown in Europe Now they are staples in the U.S diet Finally, it may surprise some people to learn that citizens of the United States are also indebted to the native people for our form of government The Iroquois, who were an extremely large tribe with many branches called “nations,” had developed a high sophisticated system of government to settle disputes that arose between the various branches Five of the nations had joined together in a confederation called “The League of the Iroquois” Under the league, each nation was autonomous in running its own internal affairs, but the nations acted as an unit when dealing with outsiders The league keep the Iroquois from fighting among themselves and was also valuable in diplomatic relations with other tribes When the 13 colonies were considering what kind of government to establish after they has won independence from Britain, someone suggested that they use a system similar to that of the League of the Iroquois Under this system, each colony or future state would be autonomous in managing its own affairs but would join forces with the other states to deal with matters that concerned them all This exactly what happened As a result, the 32 present form of government of the United States can be traced directly back to a Native American model In conclusion, we can easily see from these few examples the extent of Native American influence on our language, our art forms, our eating habits, and our government The people of the United States are deeply indebted to Native Americans for their contributions to U.S culture Annotating: When the first Europeans came to the North America continent, they encountered the completely new cultures of the Native American peoples of North America Native Americans, who had highly developed cultures in many respects, must have been as curious about the strange Europeans manners and customs as the Europeans were curious about them As always happens when two or more cultures come into contact, there was a cultural exchange Native Americans adopted some of the Europeans’ ways, and the Europeans adopted some of their ways As a result, MAIN IDEA → [Native Americans have made many valuable contributions to modern U.S culture,] particularly in the areas of language, art, food, and government (1) language: English language many Native First of all, Native Americans left a permanent mark on borrows the English language The early English-speaking settlers words from borrowed from several different Native American languages American words for places in this new land All across the country are cities, culture to name states, towns, rivers, and states with Native American’s names For animals and plants example, the states of Delaware, lowa, lllinois, and Alabama are named after Native American tribes, as are the cities of Chicago, Miami, and Spokane In addition to place names, English adopted from various Native American languages the words for animals and plants found in the Americas Chipmunk, moose, raccoon, srunk, tobacco, and squash are just a few examples Although the vocabulary of English is the area that shows the most Native American influence, it is not the only area of U.S culture that has been shaped by contact with Native Americans 33 (2) Art: Native art and Art handicrafts is another area of important Native American contributions Wool rugs woven by women of the Navajo tribe in Arizona and New Mexico are highly valued works of art in the United States Native American jewelry made from sliver and turquoise is also very popular and very expensive Especially in the Western and Southwestern regions of the Unite States, native crafts such as pottery, leather products, and beadwork can be found in many homes Indeed, native arts and handicraft are a treasured part of U.S culture In addition to language and art, agriculture is another (3) farming agriculture: area in which Native Americans had a great and lasting techniques influence on the peoples who arrived here from Europe, Africa and crops, irrigation and Asia Being skilled farmers, the Native Americans of North methods and rotation crop America taught the newcomers many things about farming techniques and crops Every U.S schoolchild has heard the story of how Native Americans taught the first settlers to place a dead fish in a planting hole to provide fertilizer for the growing plant Furthermore, they taught the settlers irrigation methods and crop rotation Many of the foods people in the US eat today were introduced to the Europeans by Native Americans For example, corn and chocolate were unknown in Europe Now they are staples in the U.S diet Finally, it may surprise some people to learn that (4) form of citizens of the United States are also indebted to the native government: a highly people for our form of government The Iroquois, who were an sophisticated of government system extremely large tribe with many branches called “nations,” had developed a high sophisticated system of government to settle disputes that arose between the various branches Five of the nations had joined together in a confederation called “The League of the Iroquois” Under the league, each nation was autonomous in running its own internal affairs, but the nations acted as an unit when dealing with outsiders The league keep the Iroquois from fighting among themselves and was also valuable in diplomatic relations with other tribes When the 13 colonies were considering what kind of government to establish after they has won 34 independence from Britain, someone suggested that they use a system similar to that of the League of the Iroquois Under this system, each colony or future state would be autonomous in managing its own affairs but would join forces with the other states to deal with matters that concerned them all This exactly what happened As a result, the present form of government of the United States can be traced directly back to a Native American model In conclusion, we can easily see from these few examples the extent of Native American influence on our language, our art forms, our eating habits, and our government The people of the United States are deeply indebted to Native Americans for their contributions to U.S culture Mapping Native Americans have made many valuable contributions to modern U.S culture language Art agriculture form of government Sample answer: The provided passage gives information about four contributions of Native American to modern U.S culture Firstly, English language borrows lots of words from Native American culture to name states, animals and plants In terms of art, Native American’s handicrafts such as wool rugs, jewelry, leather products and beadwork are highly valued in U.S culture Native Americans also 35 have a significant impact on the American agriculture with their use of different farming techniques, irrigation methods and crop rotation The modern U.S government, which values the autonomy of each state as well as the unity across the whole country, also originates from Native Americans 36 CONCLUSION As the title of the study indicates, the author has attempted to propose an effective strategy and its clearly guided practice with a view to sharing her personal experience with other teachers to exploit students’ full English competence Because of the lack of time, knowledge and access to studies related to summary, shortcomings are inevitable in the process of study All the constructive comments and criticism are warmly welcomed and highly appreciated with great thanks For future studies, experimental or quasi-experimental research should be conducted to test the impact of this tritely on students’ summarizing A case study using different methods is likely to provide better insights into the effectiveness as well as the challenges of the strategy to summarize a passage in Vietnamese high schools 37 REFERENCES Alice Oshima, Ann Hogue, (2006) Writing Academic English, Pearson Longman Andy G., Angela H & Mary M., (2009), Inside Track Successful Academic Writing, Pearson Education Canada Delamont, S (1994), Academic writing, London: Falmer John M Swales & Christine B Feak, (2001), Academic writing for graduate students, The University of Michigan Press Johnson, N S (1983), what you if you can’t tell the whole story? The development of summarization skills, In Keith, E Nelson (Ed), Children’s Language, vol Rinehart, S D & Thomas, K.F (1993) Summarization ability and text recall, Reading Research and Instruction, 32(4), 24-32 Wohl, M (1978), Techniques for writing: Composition, Newbury House 38 ... states, towns, rivers, and states with Native American’s names For animals and plants example, the states of Delaware, lowa, lllinois, and Alabama are named after Native American tribes, as are... Delaware, lowa, lllinois, and Alabama are named after Native American tribes, as are the cities of Chicago, Miami, and Spokane In addition to place names, English adopted from various Native American... can use either or both of annotations or maps 10 Summary of a paragraph = MAIN IDEA + major details * Annotating: After reading the passage, students should annotate by:  [Placing brackets around