Nghiên cứu việc sử dụng các hoạt động nhóm để nâng cao kỹ năng viết đoạn văn tiếng anh cho sinh viên năm thứ hai trường cao đẳng y tế thái nguyên

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES ********************* VŨ THỊ HÒA IMPROVING ENGLISH PARAGRAPH- WRITING PERFORMANCE BY THE SECOND- YEAR STUDENTS AT THAI NGUYEN MEDICAL COLLEGE THROUGH COLLABORATIVE WRITING ACTIVITIES Nghiên cứu việc sử dụng hoạt động nhóm để nâng cao kỹ viết đoạn văn tiếng Anh cho sinh viên năm thứ hai trường Cao đẳng Y tế Thái Nguyên M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS FIELD: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY CODE: 60140111 Hanoi, 2014 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES ********************* VŨ THỊ HÒA IMPROVING ENGLISH PARAGRAPH- WRITING PERFORMANCE BY THE SECOND- YEAR STUDENTS AT THAI NGUYEN MEDICAL COLLEGE THROUGH COLLABORATIVE WRITING ACTIVITIES Nghiên cứu việc sử dụng hoạt động nhóm để nâng cao kỹ viết đoạn văn tiếng Anh cho sinh viên năm thứ hai trường Cao đẳng Y tế Thái Nguyên M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS FIELD: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY CODE: 60140111 SUPERVISOR: PROF NGUYỄN HÒA Hanoi, 2014 i DECLARATION I certify that this thesis is the result of my own research and that this thesis has not been submitted for a degree to any other university or institution wholly or partially Signature Vu Thi Hoa ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my gratitude to all those who have given me great assistance, encouragement and support in the completion of my research work First and foremost, I would like to express my profound gratitude and appreciation to my supervisor, Prof Nguyen Hoa for his invaluable and insightful comments, his deliberate guidance and wholehearted supervision during the study My thanks are also offered to all my respected lecturers in the Faculty of Post Graduate Studies, ULIS, VNU, Hanoi for their informative, valuable lectures and suggestions that have enlightened my research path of the study I am also grateful to all my colleagues and students at TMC for their enthusiastic participants in my research Last but not least, I would like to show my big gratitude to my family, my relatives, especially my husband who encourage and help me to carry out the study Hanoi, August 2014 iii ABSTRACT The study has been conducted for the purpose of enhancing the effectiveness through the application of collaborative writing activities to improve the second- year students at TMC in writing skills Participants are 40 second- year- students from the Department of Midwifery and Nursing at TMC divided into two groups: experimental group and control group The experimental group is taught in collaborative learning for eight weeks The control group is taught in the traditional method of the teacher- centered approach Findings from pre- and post tests, pre and post- questionnaires reveals that: i) Collaborative writing activities have improved students’ proficiency in writing skills; ii) the method has positive effects on student’s attitudes and opinions toward writing; iii) the study provides more information concerning the implementation of collaborative writing It is hope that the thesis will make some contribution to the improvement of learning and teaching writing skill based on collaborative activities These activities help students feel confident to write paragraph writings Moreover, they have more opportunities, are more comfortable and more interested in collaborative activities iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS CWA: Collaborative Writing Activities TMC: Thai Nguyen Medical College CL: Collaborative Learning v LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES Table 1: Checklists of writing tasks in Lifelines- Elementary Table 2: Students’ view on writing lesson before and after the experiment Table 3: The difficulties of students on writing lesson before and after the experiment Table 4: Students’ opinions about the way they like to writing in class Table 5: Students’ opinions of writing in English Table 6: Students’ opinions on collaborative writing activities Figure 1: Stages of the process approach to writing Figure 2: Pre- test results of both groups Figure 3: Post- test results of both groups Figure 4: Pre and post test results of the experimental group vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements .ii Abstract iii Table of contents iv List of abbreviations vi List of tables and figures vii PART A: INTRODUCTION Rationale of the study Aims of the study Research questions Scope of the study .2 Methods of the study Design of the study PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 1.1 Theoretical Backgrounds of paragraph writing performance 1.1.1 What is paragraph writing performance 1.1.2 Approaches to teaching paragraph writing skills in foreign language… … 1.2 Theoretical backgrounds of Collaborative writing activities 1.2.1 Definition of Collaborative Writing 1.2.2 Roles of collaborative activities in writing vii 1.2.3 Collaborative writing activities .8 1.2.4 Using collaborative writing in the classroom 1.2.5 Elements of collaborative writing 1.3 Previous studies of collaborative writing 11 1.4 Concluding remarks .12 CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY 2.1 Restatement of Research question .13 2.2 Setting of the study and Participants 13 2.2.1 Setting of the study 13 2.2.2 Participants……… 15 2.2.3 The study 15 2.2.4 The experimental program………… ………………………………………17 2.3 Data collection 17 2.3.1 Data collection instruments .17 2.3.2 Data collection procedures .18 2.3.3 Data analysis procedures 18 2.3.4 Concluding remarks 19 CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 3.1 Findings and discussions 20 3.1.1 From the writing tests .20 3.1.2 From the questionnaires 25 viii 3.2 Correlation between questionnaire and test scores………….… .… .….31 3.3 Concluding remarks 32 PART C: CONCLUSION Recapitulation (optional) 33 Conclusions 33 Limitations of the study 34 Pedagogical implications 34 Suggestions for further study 36 REFERENCES 37 APPENDICES Appendix I Appendix .II Appendix .III Appendix V Appendix .VI Appendix VII Appendix VIII Appendix .IX Appendix .XI Appendix 10 XIV Appendix 11 .XVII IV Weak (3-4) Very Poor ( 0- 2) obvious,; ideas grouped appropriatel y; some persuasive focus, unclear at times; some unity ,etc Some organization; relationship between ideas not evident; attempted thesis, but unclear; etc ent; logic flaws may be evident; ; some sections still under supported and generalized, etc Lacks content at abstract and concrete levels; few examples Underdeveloped; etc No organization evident; ideas random, related to each other but not to task; no paragraphing; no thesis; no unity ,etc Development severely limited; examples random, if given, etc mostly effectiv e use of logical connectors, used to progress ideas; etc limited pattern of error; meaning usually clear; etc -ely successful academic, attempts at formal sophisticat in ion, etc lexical choices; use some idiomatic expressio ns , etc Partially Meaning not Meaning Evidence coherent; impeded inhibited; of attempt by use of limited developing at simple range; command relationship, sentences, some of basic relevancy and despite patterns of mechanical progression errors; errors may features; of some embedding be evident; frequent, ideas, may be limited unsystemat but evident; etc command ic errors inconsistent of usage; etc or much ineffective , repetition; etc reader distracted at time , etc Not coherent; Attempted Meaning Little or ideas simple severely no random/ sentences; inhibited; command unconnect serious, very of spelling, ed; attempt recurring, limited punctuation at unsystematic range; , transitions grammatical relies on paragraphi may be errors repetition ng present, obliterate of capitalizati etc meaning; non- common on , etc English words; patterns etc predominate, etc V APPENDIX Pre and Post test scores of the students’ paragraph writing in the two groups Name Experimental group Control Group Pre- test Post- test Mean score Pre- test Post- test Mean score 4 3.5 8 4.5 5 6.5 4.5 5 5 6 5.5 6 7 7.5 4.5 8 8.5 5.5 7 7 10 6 11 8.5 12 6.5 7 13 5 5 14 6.5 6.5 15 7 7 16 7.5 6 17 5.5 5.5 18 7.5 7.5 19 8.5 3.5 20 5.5 6 VI APPENDIX Pre and Post test Scores of the Students’ paragraph writing in the experimental group Organi- Develo- Na zation pment me Pr Pr Po Cohesion Po Structu- Vocabul- re ary Mechanic-s Total Pr Po Pr Po Pr Po Pr Po Pr Po 6 7 3 5 6 4 5 8 7 7 6 5 6 6 6 6 6 6 7 7 9 8 7 8 9 9 9 9 9 8 8 10 4 5 5 11 6 7 7 12 7 7 6 7 13 5 14 8 6 7 7 15 8 16 7 7 9 8 17 6 6 7 4 18 7 8 8 8 19 9 9 9 9 20 6 6 6 5 (Pr = Pre test; Po = Post test) VII APPENDIX Pre and Post test Scores of the Students’ paragraph writing in the Control group Organi- Develo- Na zation pment me Pr Pr Po Cohesion Po Structu- Vocabul- re ary Mechanic-s Total Pr Po Pr Po Pr Po Pr Po Pr Po 4 3 4 3 8 8 8 8 7 8 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 5 5 5 6 4 5 6 6 7 6 4 5 4 5 6 6 6 8 7 7 10 6 6 7 6 11 9 9 9 9 12 7 7 6 7 13 6 5 5 14 6 7 6 15 7 7 8 7 16 6 6 6 6 17 7 5 6 18 7 8 8 19 4 4 4 3 20 6 7 6 6 6 (Pr = Pre test; Po = Post test) VIII APPENDIX PRE- QUESTIONNAIRE Dear students! The aims of this questionnaire is to find out “ Improving English paragraph- writing performance by the second – year- students at Thai Nguyen medical college through collaborative writing activities” I would be so grateful if you could answer the following question about your attitudes towards the use of collaborative writing activities and it’s advantages So please respond to each statement/ question and complete all of them as honestly and accurately as possible Thank you in advance for your cooperation! Please complete the following questions For question 1, you can choose more than one options Part A: Students’ attitude towards writing How feel when writing in class? A Very interesting B Difficult C Not difficult D Boring What difficulties you have when write in class? A Lack of ideas and make ideas in paragraph B Lack of vocabulary to finish your writing C Worry about making grammatical structure mistakes D Fear teacher’s negative feedback? E Fear that there are lots of mistakes F Poor writing activities in writing lesson G Getting little help from the classmates When writing in class, you prefer: A Working Individually B Working in group C Working in pair Statements Agree Uncertain Disagree I often write paragraph frequently I usually use CWA in the writing lesson I am motivated in writing lesson I don’t have confidence in writing It takes me lots of time to write I want to be given lots of guidance from teacher 10 I like to work with classmate Thank you very much for your cooperation! IX APPENDIX POST- QUESTIONNAIRE Dear students! The aims of this questionnaire is to find out “ the improving English paragraphwriting performance by the second – year- students at Thai Nguyen medical college through collaborative writing activities” I would be so grateful if you could answer the following question about your attitudes towards the use of collaborative writing activities and it’s advantages So please respond to each statement/ question and complete all of them as honestly and accurately as possible Thank you in advance for your cooperation! Please complete the following questions For question 1, you can choose more than one options Part A: Students’ attitude towards writing How feel when writing in class? B Very interesting B Difficult C Not difficult D Boring What difficulties you have when write in class? A Lack of ideas and make ideas in paragraph B Lack of vocabulary to finish your writing C Worry about making grammatical structure mistakes D Fear teacher’s negative feedback? E Fear that there are lots of mistakes F Poor writing activities in writing lesson G Getting little help from the classmates When writing in class, you prefer: A.Working Individually B working in group C working in pair Statements Agree Uncertain Disagree I often write paragraph frequently I usually use CWA in the writing lesson I am motivated in writing lesson I don’t have confidence in writing It takes me lots of time to write I want to be given lots of guidance from teacher 10 I like to work with classmate X Part B: Opinions of Collaborative Writing activities (CWA) No Agree Uncertain Disagree CWA create exciting classroom atmosphere and make the lesson become more interesting? CWA help increase students’ participation? CWA help to feel active involved in all activities CWA help you to finish your writing easily and quickly Provide more ideas and opinion in your writing tasks CWA are good strategy that helps you to write effectively( improvement in the content of their writing) CWA provide students with chances of communicating , interacting with each other and the development of social skills CWA help students gain in grammatical and structural proficiency CWA help me to acquire and use the vocabulary correctly 10 CWA create motivation Thank you very much for your cooperation! XI APPENDIX SAMPLE LESSON PLAN Unit 2: PEOPLE Writing lesson : Write a paragraph about yourself Number of teaching period: / Number of old lesson: Teaching date: / / Course book: Lifelines- Elementary by Tom Hutchinson, 2010 Time: 45 minutes Class: I AIMS AND REQUIREMENTS: - Teacher helps students to master the words and phrases used to write a paragraph about yourself - Students are able to practice writing a paragraph of themselves II PREPARATION OF FACILITIES AND TEACHING AIDS: *Lesson plan * Course books * Chalk, boards * Handouts III PROCEDURES: Pre- writing stage: (20 minutes) Teacher prepares the handouts with the following content: The handouts contain three texts and three pictures ( page 14 in the course book) Students have to read the texts carefully and then match the text and the pictures Teacher’s activities Students’ activities Giving guidance : -Asks students to create Techniques - Numbered Heads -Joined the formed group Together group of four or five Think- Paire- Share students in mix 4S brainstorming proficiency and random group -Get and read the cards -Hand out the cards -Teacher works with containing three texts and the whole class three pictures -Asks students to read the -Do the task quickly Peer response -Team- Pair- Solo XII texts carefully and find - Think- Pair- Share out the information that represent these pictures - Teacher controls the whole class - Asks students hand their answers -Work with other members in their group and finish the task -Hang their paper answer sheets on the table -Check the result with the teacher and other groups -Checks the students’ -Find out the words or result phrases -Asks students to find out the words of personal information in the texts -Students work in pairs to discuss and write down -Asks students to use the their answers words or phrases in the -Students to work in texts to make up a groups to share their paragraph writing about ideas themselves -Each student to work with a partner from another group to compare grammatical structures used in their two paragraphs While- writing stage: ( 15 minutes) Teacher’s activities Students’ activities Techniques -Controls the whole -write in the paper Work individually class and offering support and XIII encouragement Post- writing stages: ( minutes) -Teacher’s activities Students’ activities Gets students to hand -Hang the writing paper their writing -Read the other groups’ -Read the students’ writing and give paragraph writing , comments correct the mistakes Techniques Peer response - Listen and take note -Give the comment to each writing IV Homework: ( minutes) Teacher asks students at home to finish their own paragraph writing and hand in their writing in the next lesson XIV APPENSIX 10 SAMPLE LESSON PLAN Unit 3: DESCRIPTIONS 1.Writing lesson : Write a description of your family Number of teaching period: 3.Teaching date: / / Number of old lesson: / 4.Course book: Lifelines- Elementary by Tom Hutchinson, 2010 5.Time: 45 minutes 6.Class: I.AIMS AND REQUIREMENTS: - Teacher helps students to master the words and phrases used to write a “description of your family” - Students are able to practice writing a paragraph of themselves II PREPARATION OF FACILITIES AND TEACHING AIDS: *Lesson plan * Course books * Chalk, boards * Handouts III PROCEDURES: 1.Pre- writing stage: (20 minutes) Teacher prepares the handouts with the following content: -Read the text in page 22- Lifelines- elementary - Write the name in the family tree Teacher’s activities Students’ activities Techniques Giving guidance : Joined the formed Numbered Heads -Asks students to create group Together group of four or five -Get and read the cards Think- Paire- Share students in mix -Do the task quickly 4S brainstorming proficiency and random -Work with other group members in their group -Hand out the cards and finish the task -Teacher works with the containing three texts and -Hang their paper whole class family answer sheets on the XV -Asks students to read the texts carefully and find out the information that necessary for the family tree table -Check the results with the teacher and other groups - Teacher controls the -Find out the words or whole class phrases - Asks students hand in their answers -Students work in pairs to discuss and write -Checks the students’ down their answers results -Students to work in -Asks students to find out the words of description of family -Peer response -Team- Pair- Solo groups to share their ideas -Each student to work with a partner from -Asks students to use the another group to words or phrases in the compare grammatical texts to make up a structures used in their paragraph description of two paragraphs family While- writing stage: ( 15 minutes) Teacher’s activities Students’ activities Techniques -Controls the whole -write in the paper Work individually class XVI Post- writing stages: ( minutes) -Teacher’s activities Students’ activities Gets students to hand -Hang the writing paper their writing -Read the other groups’ -Read the students’ writing and give comments paragraph writing , correct the mistakes Techniques Peer response - Listen and take notes -Give the comment to each writing IV Homework: ( minutes) Teacher asks students at home to finish their own paragraph writing and hand in their writing in the next lesson XVII APPENSIX 11 SAMPLE LESSON PLAN Unit 4: WORK AND PLAY Writing lesson : Write about your abilities Number of teaching period: 3.Teaching date: / / Number of old lesson: / 4.Course book: Lifelines- Elementary by Tom Hutchinson, 2010 5.Time: 45 minutes 6.Class I AIMS AND REQUIREMENTS: - Teacher helps students to master the words and phrases and structure “ can” used to write about “your abilities” II Students are able to practice writing a paragraph PREPARATION OF FACILITIES AND TEACHING AIDS: *Lesson plan * Course books III * Chalk, boards * Handouts PROCEDURES: Pre- writing stage: (20 minutes) Teachers’ activities Students’ activities Activities -Asks students to make - Make group of Numbers- Heads- a group of Togethers -Asks students to read -Read the text carefully the text carefully - Requires students Think- Paire- Share 4S brainstorming -Answer question in the answer the questions in book -Teacher works with the the book whole class - Asks students to find -Read the text carefully to -Peer response out structures, words find down the structures, -Team- Pair- Solo and phrases that used words and phrases to write about ability - Listen and take note - Introduce how to you “can” to write ability -work in group Think- Pair- Share XVIII -Asks student to work in group to find out ideas to write a paragraph about” your ability” using “ can”, words and phrases that have found -Teacher goes around - Each student to work with to give the help a partner from another group -Stop collaborative to compare grammatical work and give structures used in their feedback paragraphs While- writing(15 minutes) Teachers’ activities Students’ activities -Ask students to write - write a paragraph Activities - work individually a paragraph about “ your ability” 3.Post- writing.(8 minutes) Teachers’ activities Students’ activities Activities Gets students to hand -Hang the writing paper -peer response their writing -Read the other groups’ -Read the students’ writing and give comments paragraph writing , correct the mistakes - Listen and take notes -Give the comment to each writing IV.Homework: ( minutes): Teacher asks students at home to rewrite their own paragraph writing and hand in their writing in the next lesson ... THAI NGUYEN MEDICAL COLLEGE THROUGH COLLABORATIVE WRITING ACTIVITIES Nghiên cứu việc sử dụng hoạt động nhóm để nâng cao kỹ viết đoạn văn tiếng Anh cho sinh viên năm thứ hai trường Cao đẳng Y tế. .. and my mother love me, too My mother’s full name is Dam Thi Van Huyen She is 38 years old She is a beautiful woman She has got a short brown hair and black eyes My mother is worker, everyday, she... something that happened to you on a journey or a holiday 11 Fashion Write a paragraph compare what you normally with what you’re doing today 12 health Write the story from the creatures’ point