Using a fifteen- Phrase/sentence solution to improve the gifted students’ argumentative writing skil...

Using a fifteen Phrase/sentence solution to improve the gifted students’ argumentative writing skill and help them get band 7 in IELTS writing task 2 1 PART ONE INTRODUCTION I RATIONALE OF THE STUDY T[.]

PART ONE: INTRODUCTION

I RATIONALE OF THE STUDY

Today learning English is very important because it is the only language that truly links the whole world together English may not be the most spoken language in the world, but it is the official language in a large number of countries It is estimated that the number of people in the world that use in English to communicate on a regular basis is 2 billion English is the dominant business language and it has become almost a necessity for people to use English if they are to enter a global workforce, research from all over the world shows that cross-border business communication is most often conducted in English Its importance in the global market place therefore cannot be understated, learning English really can change people’s life Many of the world’s top films, books and music are published and produced in English Therefore by learning English you will have access to a great wealth of entertainment and will be able to have a greater cultural understanding Most of the content produced on the internet (50%) is in English So knowing English will allow people to access an incredible amount of information which may not

be otherwise available!

In fact, many Vietnamese students who have good professional knowledge, but can’t use English well don’t get good jobs So, English is the first and the most important standard for workers who want to work not only at foreign companies but also at national ones

Writing which is one of the four skills of learning English can be one of the most enjoyable and satisfying activities for teachers and students to do together

in a classroom, especially in a foreign language classroom But writing skill which includes language, private knowledge and skill, emotion and the interaction of personal opinion is difficult and challenging to learn and develop for many students in the world in general and in Vietnam in particular In Vietnam, there are many teachers of English who even believe that teaching writing skill to learners is more complex than teaching other communicative skills (Mazdayasna &Tahririan, 2001)

Argumentative writing has been confirmed by researchers to be the hardest

model in writing This genre of writing is important for gifted students to express their own points of view in academically appropriate forms and strategies Unfortunately, students often encounter difficulties in the use of complex syntactic patterns and appropriate elements in composing argumentative writing Consequently, by means of the drawbacks in language teaching methods of the past, particularly in the argumentative writing skill, a number of research studies (Watcharakaweesilp, 2001; Thepsiri and Pojanapunya, 2012) have sought to investigate and demonstrate how argumentative writing can be improved by using effective methods to gauge the weaknesses of students’writing ability

Therefore, in this study I present a fifteen- phrase/sentence solution which I have used successfully over the last few years to improve my gifted students’ argumentative writing skill and help them get band 7 in IELTS writing task 2 Each sentence has a clear purpose and often involves logically thinking when choosing ideas for argumentative writing

II AIMS OF THE STUDY

I do the research to know about the fact of teaching and learning argumentative writing skill in Nhu Thanh High School more clearly This study also investigates whether the fifteen- sentence model can have positive impact

on writing process among gifted students and can develop their argumentative

writing skill or not Bearing in mind, I decide the research with title “Using a fifteen- phrase/sentence solution to improve the gifted students’ argumentative writing skill and help them get band 7 in IELTS writing task 2”

III RESEARCH QUESTIONS

This study aims at finding answer to the following research question:

How can the fifteen- sentence model help the students at Nhu Thanh High School improve their argumentative writing skill and get band 7 in IELTS writing task 2?

The question has been addressed to two of groups that I have been teaching in Nhu Thanh High School with the aim to examine how the fifteen- sentence model affect the process of argumentative writing here

IV METHODS OF THE STUDY

In this study, I use some research tools to collect and analyze the needed data Recording is used to record the process of using the fifteen- sentence model The second tool used in this study is interviews with students at the end of the research to study whether using the fifteen- sentence model in English writing lessons is really suitable for them or not

Surveying through the answer sheets is used to know the practical situation of teaching and learning English writing skill

PART TWO: DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW

I OVERVIEW OF WRITING SKILL

Lannon (1989) claims that writing is a process delivering meaningful messages and including its own specific goal This process requires students to work hard instead of regarding it as an uncomplicated act (Byrne, 1988) However, in language teaching and learning process, Tribble (1996, p.3) defines writing as a language skill that involves “not just a graphic representation of speech, but the development and presentation of thoughts in a structured way” This means writers need to arrange their ideas logically and systematically Some of the difficulties associated with the teaching of writing in foreign language classes come from the nature of writing itself Writing is an artificial activity in a way that speech is not; while every normal human being on this planet learns, eventually, to talk and to listen, far fewer people become literate, able to write Writing is learned, while speaking is acquired as part of growing

up

Writing is indeed difficult, for several reasons Firstly, the writer has to decide what information the reader needs, and how best to express this So there is a

psychological difficulty, in that the writer cannot consult the reader- the

audience is not immediately present, in contrast with most conversations Writer has no immediate feedback to let them know how they are doing and whether they should change their approach There is no immediate interaction between

the producer and receiver Secondly, there is a linguistic difficulty, in that the

language used in written language is different in most ways from that used in speech It is either simplified (lists, telegrams, notes, etc.) or more elaborate, more formal In our mother tongue we have to learn an elaborate network of conventions and rules before we become “good writer” In a foreign language this process is all the more difficult as there may be interference on a cultural level, not just the linguistic, between mother tongue and the foreign language

Thirdly, there is a cognitive difficulty, in that students have to organize thoughts

on paper

In schools, writing is taught partly as a vital part of literacy program, but also

in order to show that work is being done Writing is often associated, particularly in weaker students’ minds, with “chores” or even with discipline (the traditional writing lesson is quite quiet, so the teacher is easily able to keep control) This “homework syndrome” can lead to students making less and less progress because they are poorly motivated, perform badly, receive low grades, and end up disliking writing more and more

II THE ARGUMENTIVE ESSAY

The argument essay is the most common type of writing assignment that gifted students will encounter throughout their exams While there are different variations of the argument essay, the overall foundation is always the same: the

writer is tasked with investigating an issue, taking a stand on the issue, and finding and incorporating a multitude of evidence in a logical manner to support the overall claim

Most of us have experience with arguing, but an argumentative essay is quite different than a verbal argument that arises out of the blue Verbal arguments often become heated and unreasonable, while the goal of an argumentative essay

is the opposite: the argument must be specific, reasoned, detailed and supported with a variety of evidence Furthermore, a verbal argument often focuses on who

is right regarding a specific issue, while a well-written, researched argument essay focuses on what is the right side of a particular issue In short, an argument essay must be logical from beginning to end

III THE DIFFICULTIES OF WRITING ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAYS

Writing an argumentative essay is one of the most common types of assignments set for the gifted student-choosing exammination This genre of writing calls for students to argue for and against a convinced proposal Most students are unable to argue or propose a convincing thesis statement Argumentation is a procedure to compose an argument by looking for actual evidence to back up the claim or a thesis statement To write a good piece of argumentative writing is often difficult for students Basically, writing an argument begins with taking a stance and giving evidence in order to convince the readers to execute the action or to accept the idea based on a controversy Nippold and Ward-Lonergan (2010, p 238) note that “argumentative writing is

a challenging communication task that needs sophisticated cognitive and linguistic abilities.” Likewise many research studies confirm that an argumentative writing essay is the most difficult genre for students Most students are unable to produce good argumentative essays because of their lack

of readiness for English argumentative writing and insufficient practice writing during classroom instruction As stated by Crowhurst (1991, p.314) arguing a case is particularly challenging, even though “it is important both for academic success and for general life purposes” Knudson (1994, p.211) also asserts that,

“argumentation is one of the genres which is essential for full participation in society” Students are supposed to argue for their stand point in order to convince the readers However, most students struggle with the various difficulties in writing argumentative essays They are unable to write due to insufficient skills in argumentative writing

IV THE IMPORTANCE ELEMENTS OF A GOOD ARGUMENTAIVE ESSAY.

The following are important elements of a good argument essay:

Create a clear, firm,and debatable thesis An effective thesis statement is an

important foundational element of any essay, but it is of even greater importance

in an argument essay The reader needs to know exactly what the argument is and why it is important; there can be no confusion

Provide the necessary background information on the topic While an

argument essay isn’t the same as a research essay, a bit of background information is often needed early in the essay to understand the argument For example, if the writer is arguing that a certain amendment to the state constitution should be passed, it is probably necessary to describe what changes the amendment would make and whether or not a similar amendment has been proposed at some point

Focus on organization and transitions While transitions are important in any

type of essay, they are particularly important in an argument essay This is because the argument essay involves multiple reasons and evidence to support the overall thesis, and counter arguments are often discussed and refuted as well

Argument essays can be organized in a variety of ways Regardless of the order

in which it is organized, all argument essays should explain and support several reasons why the argument is valid, as well as explain and refute several opposing arguments offered by the other side All writers will benefit from creating an outline to organize all of the information that will be presented, and this benefit becomes even greater with longer argument essays

Perform effective and thorough research Most argumentative essays require

incorporating research into the essay If this is the case with your essay, make sure to perform a significant amount of research before fully committing to a topic This is important because you need to make sure there are enough credible sources that can be used in your essay You don’t want to commit to a topic and begin writing the essay only to later discover that you can’t find enough quality sources to make the topic work

Incorporate logos, pathos, and ethos Logos is a term that refers to the use of

logic in a debate As a writer, the use of logos should be primary, should appear throughout the essay, and it is the best way to convince someone to adopt a particular stance on any issue It is also important to avoid using logical

fallacies While logos should be the primary target, pathos - which is the use of

emotion - can also be incorporated Pathos means getting the reader emotionally involved in the argument so that the reader is open to further persuasion One of

the best places to use pathos is in the introduction Ethos - the use of credibility

- is also important The best way for writers to incorporate ethos is by addressing counterarguments and using credible sources Additionally, taking a reasonable stand on the issue (as opposed to an extreme one) will also lead to more credibility

V THE CRITERIA TO GET BAND 7 IN IELTS WRITING TASK 2

One of the keys to success in the IELTS writing test is understanding how the test is marked and using this knowledge to increase your band score You can then give the examiners exactly what they want and focus on doing the things that get high scores

The four criteria you will be marked on to get band 7 are:

1 Task Achievement

- Gives relevant ideas and these are developed with explanations or examples

but these ideas may be too general or lack focus

Example: The main problem causing traffic jams is too many cars In lots of

cities around the world there are lots of cars and this causes traffic jams For example, the number of cars purchased in developing countries is increasing year after year.

This example has presented a clear position, but it has given a very general explanation and the example lacks focus and is not specifically linked to the main point

2 Coherence and Cohesion

- Logically organises information and ideas, there is clear progression

throughout.

- Presents a clear central topic with each paragraph

- Uses a good range of these linking phrases effectively but there might be some over or under use

3 Lexical Resource

- Uses a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow some flexibility and precision

- Uses less common lexical items with some awareness of style and collocation

- Answers have far fewer of these errors, however some errors are permitted

The words chosen here are more likely to show use of correct style and collocations There is still some repetition of words permitted

4 Grammatical Range and Accuracy

- Answers use a variety a ‘complex structures’ and around 50% of the sentences

are completely error free

- Has good control of grammar and punctuation but may make a few errors

VI A FIFTEEN-PHRASE/SENTENCE SOLUTION AND ITS IMPACT ON DEVELOPING THE STUDENTS’ ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING SKILL.

These sentences and phrases are based on the criteria of band 7 in IELTS

writing task 2 The fifteen- phrase/sentence solution is actually a format of an

essay Although students use the model to write, they still give their own ideas

The benefits of this fifteen- phrase/sentence solution are that the essay is not

only logic, but the students also think and write more quickly and easily

This study is beneficial for teachers to provide valuable insights into the weaknesses in their learners’ language variants that can be used to develop their teaching programmes and instructions to more effectively support students’ argumentative writing development

Additionally, it can also be used as logical guidelines for students to improve their argumentative writing The study helps students overcome the main difficulties such as vocabulary, grammar structure, structure of argumentative writing, providing solid evidence, time constraints, organized idea, fulfilling task demand, understanding the questions, writing the thesis statement, interpreting the questions, pacing , evaluating, topic choice and length

CHAPTER 2: PRACTICAL SITUATIONS

I METHODS OF THE STUDY

The research is done qualitatively in the context of two gifted - student groups (

A and B – At Nhu Thanh High School) In this survey, I use the survey questionnaire for students This survey is designed to collect information for the study on “An investigation into the Reality of teaching and learning English argumentative writing skill at Nhu Thanh High School

II THE REALITY OF TEACHING AND LEARNING ENGLISH ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING SKILL AT NHU THANH HIGH SCHOOL

The whole procedure of teaching and learning is implemented similarly to all students of the class after all of them give consent to be part of the research However, due to the limit of the study, I only focus to collect information from the learning engagement of two gifted - student groups ( total: 20 students) during this process as the data for analysis Below is the survey of the practical situation of learning English writing skill at Nhu Thanh High School

Table 1: Frequencies of argumentative writing difficulties faced by students

Difficulties faced by students Number

The structure of argumentative writing 17

During the interview, the students talked about the difficulties in writing argumentative essay As shown in Table 1, students reported that grammar structure in English was one of the great difficulties for their argumentative writing They felt that they did not have enough knowledge of the complex sentences

Understanding the argumentative writing structure was also considered difficult for students because students pointed out that the structure of argumentative writing posed the main barrier for them to produce a good piece of argumentative essay In relation to the difficulties of solid evidence, they stated that providing solid evidence was one of the most difficult aspects for them to convince the audience to believe in what they wrote

With reference to the difficulties of time constraints in argumentative writing, students faced the difficulties in this aspect One of students stated:

“Another problem is the limitation of the time I cannot write a good piece of writing because I feel hectic I need more time to write because of the limited time I cannot think of strong evidence to write”

They admitted that it was difficult to write a well-organized argumentative essay For example, the following students pointed out that “I don’t know how

to organize the idea of argumentative writing essay I do not know that I have to write the Introduction or I have to control the idea I have to write supporting detail 1,2,3 and then I have to write the conclusion I write down what I can think of without controlling the idea”

With the reference to the difficulties of fulfilling task demand and understanding the questions, students considered this task demand difficult Students stated that writing the thesis statement was difficult for them to write in order to convince the audience

CHAPTER 3:

RECOMMENDATIONS

TO HELP THE GIFTED STUDENTS TO IMPROVE THEIR ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING SKILL AND GET BAND 7 IN IELTS WRITING TASK 2

I RECOMMENDATIONS

According to the data analysis from the survey, The aim of this study was to identify the argumentative writing difficulties that students encountered when they compose argumentative essays It was noted that teachers have realised that there is a critical need to accord greater attention to the improvement of writing teaching for students The way to improve writing instruction is to develop insights into the diagnostic evaluation of writing This type of evaluation provides valuable data about students‟ weaknesses in argumentative writing

Therefore, I have used a fifteen- sentence model to improve the gifted students’ argumentative writing skill at Nhu Thanh High School.

II PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS

A fifteen- phrase/sentence solution

Introduction

Introducing

topic, idea

1 Nowadays, an increasing number of people are concerned about……

Introduce the background

2 Yet, whether………… is a controversial issue/ has caused a heated debate.

Introduce the debate topic

3 My view is that/ it strikes my mind that………

Give writer’s own idea

4 First, it is obvious that……… Give the 1st reason

( topic sentence)

5 This means that……….(effect) This is because……….(cause) If……….not………( opponent

approach).

Explain more specifically

Paragraph 1

Supporting

idea

6 So/ Therefore, ……… The idea is basic

7 Moreover/In addition/ besides…

Another point worth noting is that………….

Give the 2nd reason ( topic sentence)

8 For example,……… Give example relating

the fact

Paragraph 2

Giving an

example

more specifically

10 That is not to say that…… not Some people continue to claim that………

Don’t deny the opposite ideas

11 Of course,……… Admit that there was

still rational aspect for the opposite idea

Paragraph 3

(counter-

argument)

Making

concessions

Nonetheless, it is more important

to remember that…/

Indicate that there was

no rational aspect for the opposite idea

13 In sum/In conclusion…… Restate their own idea Conclusion

14 Meanwhile,……… Simultaneously, they

shouldn’t disregard completely the opposite ideas

15 By doing so,………

Extend the topic

Note:

Using some following complex sentences in order to raise students’ marks:

* That + clause

Ex: That human activities have the greatest impact on the environment is obvious

* what+ not……….,but………….

Ex: what most companies and workforces need is not robots, but creative people who can contribute ideas

* That + clause ( as an apposition)

Ex1: I agree with the view that not only governments but every single citizen should………

Ex2: The fact that we have different languages demonstrates that we ……

* Relative clause

Ex: Children who enter school at an early age are generally more confident and independent than children who stay at home with their parents

* Some other structures:

Not only………but also

Neither……….nor

Too………to

Regardless of

It………that……

III SOME PRACTICAL EXAMPLES OF USING A FIFTEEN- SENTENCE/PHRASE SOLUTION IN THE WRITING LESSON AT NHU THANH HIGH SCHOOL.

Example 1: Nguyen Van Tien’s essay ( the 12 th grader)