VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES ********************* NGUYỄN THỊ PHƯƠNG AN DIFFICULTIES IN LEARNIN
Rationale of the study
Nowadays, English is considered as an international language and is used by people all around the world Flanegin and Rudd (2000) found that this language is necessary for different fields Thus, it cannot be denied that English is the need of modern world with four main skills named listening, speaking, reading and writing In these skills, writing is the most difficult part in learning English It is
“the expression of feelings, thoughts, desires and plans in black and white” (Akkaya & Kirmiz, 2010) Mentioned by Rita Rani Mandal (2009), “it is an important tool, which enables man to communicate with others people in many ways.”
In fact, writing is not only a compulsory subject at schools but also an essential skill in a real life It can be recognized that improving writing skills may help students develop their using language ability Moreover, it supports others skills such as reading or speaking Otherwise, writing is a significant tool for leading into different fields like literature or even technology With these benefits, writing is obviously a required skill for students However, most of the secondary students do not aware of its importance and they make lots of mistakes in their written works Additionally, learning writing is a challenging task for the majority of grade 6 students Actually, they do not know how to write a paragraph correctly That is one of the reasons why they often get low marks when taking the writing examinations and it affects their learning‟s results Therefore, teaching English in creative ways as well as helping students become independent learners and benefit a lot from the innovative teaching techniques is “a tough mission for teachers” (Rury, 1996).This research has been done to identify the writing difficulties of grade 6 students as well as to suggest some techniques which can help the students‟ writing skills get better
In the secondary school X where the research was conducted, English is the subject which received various investments in the form of specialized classrooms, foreign teachers, etc Besides that, there are two types of students in this school: students who learned at the primary school X, and students who were in other primary schools Throughout the teaching – learning process, I recognized that almost students have met with writing difficulties Actually, students in these two types tend to make the same mistakes when writing a paragraph and the difference is the rate of mistake repetition Therefore, it is necessary for me to figure out the writing difficulties and recommend some suggestions to improve students‟ writing ability.
Aims and objectives of the study
The aim of the study is to identify difficulties grade 6 students often have in learning writing in order to suggest ideas which can minimize these weaknesses
In particular, the objectives of the study are to find out the difficulties grade 6 students have to deal with when they learn writing English, and to suggest some solutions to help students enhance their writing skill.
Research questions
- From the grade 6 students‟ perspective, what are the writing difficulties in their learning process?
Scope of the study
Despite the fact that there are many difficulties in all four main English skills, the research just focus on difficulties grade 6students often have in learning writing and some suggestions to solve their problems
The research used the qualitative approach and followed by certain steps: Firstly, 50 written artifacts were collected Collecting students‟ writing samples helps me to determine common writing problems of grade 6 students
Next, the questionnaire was given 50 Grade 6 students directly It was used as a means to get information about students‟ difficulties when learning writing After that, personal interview with students were carried out which helped me assert their point of view, difficulties and ways of minimizing writing mistakes
Finally, recommendations for the solutions to the students‟ English writing difficulties were proposed based on the collected data
In Vietnam, the new English language curriculum – Project 2020 – is receiving concern from students, their parents, teachers, etc This English curriculum requires students to have knowledge of four skills: Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing In these four skills, writing is recognized as the most difficult skill learned in classes by most of the secondary students Consequently, it is necessary to consider writing at the secondary level and identify the difficulties students cope with when learning writing skill
Furthermore, for most of Grade 6 students, learning writing is a really challenging task As a matter of fact, only a few of them have known how to write a paragraph correctly The Grade 6 students‟ ability to write in academic English may be influenced by different factors such as their level or the native language literacy background which is very important in the development of students‟ writing skills Thus, finding out writing difficulties based on students‟ self – awareness is the essential mission which can help these students improve their learning ability
Part one gives information about (1) the rationale of the study, (2) the aims and objectives, (3) research question and (4) the scope, (5) the method, (6) the significance and (7) the design of the study
Part two includes three chapters Chapter 1 – Literature review - provides a theoretical framework for the study by reviewing previous studies and presenting relevant concepts to writing such as definitions of writing or types of writing that Grade 6 students have learned at school Chapter 2 – Methodology – explains (1) the setting, (2) the participants, (3) type of research, (4) data collection techniques and (5) procedure of research Chapter 3 comprises information about (1) data analysis and interpretations, (2) discussions and (3) pedagogical recommendations Part three presents conclusions of the research which mentions (1) the recapitulation, (2) the limitation of the study and (3) some suggestions for further studies
Finally, references and appendices are reported The references consist of various authors, psychologists, and researchers Appendices contain the survey, a list of interview questions, six-trait scoring rubrics of the NWREL Model, the Northern Nevada Writing Project‟s secondary writing guide, a table of general paragraph rubrics and some Grade 6 students‟ written artifacts
PART II: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW
Writing is regarded as a thinking tool for the creation of ideas and the consolidation of the language development That is the reason why Robert
(1990) asserted that writing was one of the most significant inventions in the process of human evolution As a result, third-year students in National University of Singapore (1994) defined writing as “the creative process because it is a process of reaching out for one’s thought and discovering them Writing, as such, is a process of meaning-making.” Thanks to writing, people could share their knowledge, opinions or even their feelings However, Burke (2010) pointed out
“writing can be understood only from the perspective of a society rather than a single individual.” Nunan (1991) also emphasized that “the most difficult task to do in language learning is to produce a coherent, fluent, extended piece of writing, which is even more challenging for second language learners.”
When learning English at schools, students have practiced all four language skills and writing is always their concern Thereupon, writing problems in this research are the concept referring to cases when students get troubles or make mistakes in the writing process These aspects of writing may be the use of grammar, the range of vocabulary or the time management
1.2.1 Types of writing in Grade 6
In the course of English 6, students are introduced four main types of writing: Description, Exposition, Letter writing and Narration a Description
Description is a type of writing that requires students to describe a person, a place or a thing In other words, it focuses on illustrating details of a character, an event or a place Moreover, in descriptive writings, five senses of human being - sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch - are paid attention because both writers and readers rely on these senses to experience the world Hence, it can be said that descriptions are important not only in the education but also in real life situations b Exposition
Exposition is the form of writing that seeks to define, explain or illuminate a topic in a logical, sequential and straightforward manner The paragraph is organized around a given topic and developed according to a pattern or combination of patterns Thus, the goal of exposition is to give information, present an analysis or provide an explanation of a specific topic c Letter writing
Letters are first used as a form of communication and letter writing is an essential skill It has different aims - letters of complaint, thank you letters, request letters or making suggestions Therefore, students‟ communication ability and handwriting skills can be improved if they practice writing letters regularly It can be said that writing letters encourage good social skills, learning to say thank you and asking for information politely d Narration
Narrative writing‟s main purpose is to tell a story with relevant details It describes either an actual event or a fictional one that the writer creates Thus, there will usually be characters and dialogues A factual story is one that is based in fact, meaning it can be proven, repeated or observed A fictional story is an imagined story that all characters and events can be created by the writer Narrative writing in fiction, non-fiction, and even poetry tells others the stories of personal experiences and allows readers to gain empathy and sympathy about the world
1.2.2 The 6+1 Traits Writing Model (NWREL Model)
The 6+1 Traits Writing Model is an analytic approach to writing which assesses basic traits of writing ability named ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, conventions and presentation It was constructed in the early 1980s by the researchers of the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL), so it is also called NWREL Model a Ideas are considered as the most important part of the writing Ideas make up the content of the writing, so they should be clear, focused and interesting Along with qualifying details, they help to expand and deepen the given topic b Organization - the structure of the writing - includes the beginning, middle and end Writers need arranging their writing in a logical and effective way so that readers can understand easily c Voice is regarded as the person behind the words It conveys writer‟s personal style as well as his or her convictions and life experience, so voice should be individual and appropriate d Word choice is the use of colorful and precise language It is writers‟ weapon which can create images and evoke emotions in their writing Hence, word choice should be specific and memorable e Sentence fluency is the structure and flow of the sentences It is the way the writing appeals to the ear, not just to the eye Thus, writers try to vary sentence length, structure and rhythm in order to make their writing smooth and easy to read aloud, even musical f Conventions refer the rules writers have to follow when writing They are correct and communicative Therefore, writers often check spelling, capitalization, punctuation and grammar g Presentation is how pleasing the writing appearance is to the eye Make sure the form and layout of the writing on the page
The following chart is applied for teaching Writing in secondary schools (see Appendix 03), and it shows the connection between the writing process and these traits writing
(Valle, 2007) http://writingfix.com/process/response.htm
1.2.3 Main causes of writing problems
Significance of the study
In Vietnam, the new English language curriculum – Project 2020 – is receiving concern from students, their parents, teachers, etc This English curriculum requires students to have knowledge of four skills: Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing In these four skills, writing is recognized as the most difficult skill learned in classes by most of the secondary students Consequently, it is necessary to consider writing at the secondary level and identify the difficulties students cope with when learning writing skill
Furthermore, for most of Grade 6 students, learning writing is a really challenging task As a matter of fact, only a few of them have known how to write a paragraph correctly The Grade 6 students‟ ability to write in academic English may be influenced by different factors such as their level or the native language literacy background which is very important in the development of students‟ writing skills Thus, finding out writing difficulties based on students‟ self – awareness is the essential mission which can help these students improve their learning ability.
Design of the study
Part one gives information about (1) the rationale of the study, (2) the aims and objectives, (3) research question and (4) the scope, (5) the method, (6) the significance and (7) the design of the study
Part two includes three chapters Chapter 1 – Literature review - provides a theoretical framework for the study by reviewing previous studies and presenting relevant concepts to writing such as definitions of writing or types of writing that Grade 6 students have learned at school Chapter 2 – Methodology – explains (1) the setting, (2) the participants, (3) type of research, (4) data collection techniques and (5) procedure of research Chapter 3 comprises information about (1) data analysis and interpretations, (2) discussions and (3) pedagogical recommendations Part three presents conclusions of the research which mentions (1) the recapitulation, (2) the limitation of the study and (3) some suggestions for further studies
Finally, references and appendices are reported The references consist of various authors, psychologists, and researchers Appendices contain the survey, a list of interview questions, six-trait scoring rubrics of the NWREL Model, the Northern Nevada Writing Project‟s secondary writing guide, a table of general paragraph rubrics and some Grade 6 students‟ written artifacts
PART II: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW
Writing is regarded as a thinking tool for the creation of ideas and the consolidation of the language development That is the reason why Robert
(1990) asserted that writing was one of the most significant inventions in the process of human evolution As a result, third-year students in National University of Singapore (1994) defined writing as “the creative process because it is a process of reaching out for one’s thought and discovering them Writing, as such, is a process of meaning-making.” Thanks to writing, people could share their knowledge, opinions or even their feelings However, Burke (2010) pointed out
“writing can be understood only from the perspective of a society rather than a single individual.” Nunan (1991) also emphasized that “the most difficult task to do in language learning is to produce a coherent, fluent, extended piece of writing, which is even more challenging for second language learners.”
When learning English at schools, students have practiced all four language skills and writing is always their concern Thereupon, writing problems in this research are the concept referring to cases when students get troubles or make mistakes in the writing process These aspects of writing may be the use of grammar, the range of vocabulary or the time management
1.2.1 Types of writing in Grade 6
In the course of English 6, students are introduced four main types of writing: Description, Exposition, Letter writing and Narration a Description
Description is a type of writing that requires students to describe a person, a place or a thing In other words, it focuses on illustrating details of a character, an event or a place Moreover, in descriptive writings, five senses of human being - sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch - are paid attention because both writers and readers rely on these senses to experience the world Hence, it can be said that descriptions are important not only in the education but also in real life situations b Exposition
Exposition is the form of writing that seeks to define, explain or illuminate a topic in a logical, sequential and straightforward manner The paragraph is organized around a given topic and developed according to a pattern or combination of patterns Thus, the goal of exposition is to give information, present an analysis or provide an explanation of a specific topic c Letter writing
Letters are first used as a form of communication and letter writing is an essential skill It has different aims - letters of complaint, thank you letters, request letters or making suggestions Therefore, students‟ communication ability and handwriting skills can be improved if they practice writing letters regularly It can be said that writing letters encourage good social skills, learning to say thank you and asking for information politely d Narration
Narrative writing‟s main purpose is to tell a story with relevant details It describes either an actual event or a fictional one that the writer creates Thus, there will usually be characters and dialogues A factual story is one that is based in fact, meaning it can be proven, repeated or observed A fictional story is an imagined story that all characters and events can be created by the writer Narrative writing in fiction, non-fiction, and even poetry tells others the stories of personal experiences and allows readers to gain empathy and sympathy about the world
1.2.2 The 6+1 Traits Writing Model (NWREL Model)
The 6+1 Traits Writing Model is an analytic approach to writing which assesses basic traits of writing ability named ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, conventions and presentation It was constructed in the early 1980s by the researchers of the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL), so it is also called NWREL Model a Ideas are considered as the most important part of the writing Ideas make up the content of the writing, so they should be clear, focused and interesting Along with qualifying details, they help to expand and deepen the given topic b Organization - the structure of the writing - includes the beginning, middle and end Writers need arranging their writing in a logical and effective way so that readers can understand easily c Voice is regarded as the person behind the words It conveys writer‟s personal style as well as his or her convictions and life experience, so voice should be individual and appropriate d Word choice is the use of colorful and precise language It is writers‟ weapon which can create images and evoke emotions in their writing Hence, word choice should be specific and memorable e Sentence fluency is the structure and flow of the sentences It is the way the writing appeals to the ear, not just to the eye Thus, writers try to vary sentence length, structure and rhythm in order to make their writing smooth and easy to read aloud, even musical f Conventions refer the rules writers have to follow when writing They are correct and communicative Therefore, writers often check spelling, capitalization, punctuation and grammar g Presentation is how pleasing the writing appearance is to the eye Make sure the form and layout of the writing on the page
The following chart is applied for teaching Writing in secondary schools (see Appendix 03), and it shows the connection between the writing process and these traits writing
(Valle, 2007) http://writingfix.com/process/response.htm
1.2.3 Main causes of writing problems
According to Al-Khsawneh (2010), main causes of students‟ weaknesses in English are the teaching method and the learning environment Their weak qualification in English is either related to the lack of student motivation or the teacher‟s interest Furthermore, Rabab‟ah (2003) found that students have limited vocabulary, so they tend to repeat same words and cannot reveal their thoughts Moreover, when students write a passage, they are not able to distinguish whether what they write is right or wrong Said in another word, they cannot check their writing by themselves Finally, the fact that students do not get the suitable feedback or they do not spend enough time on practicing writing is also the reason of students‟ weaknesses in learning writing English
1.3 Review of previous related studies
Throughout history, the key position of writing skill has been revealed and affirmed in various studies Abdul Haq (1982) concluded that most of the students often face problems in writing skills When required to write, they felt overwhelmed and make lots of mistakes such as grammar, vocabulary or organization On the other hand, some studies have ventured into how students‟ writing skill improves Recently, many studies have been conducted to examine a new teaching method – blending learning It is a flexible approach that students are suggested participating both in the classroom and an online course Students are allowed to read their classmates‟ writing as well as visit the lecture more than once (Graham, C., 2006) As stated by many researchers, this technique received positive attitude from students, and it also helped them improve their scores (Boyle, 2003; Dowling, 2003; Dziuban, 2004) Obviously, writing is still considered the complex and tough skill to master (Graham, Harris & Mason,
In short, all the previous studies mentioned the same writing mistakes and causes According to my expectation, this study was conducted with aims of discovering more writing difficulties and proposing further solutions to help students improve their writing skills
1.4 The importance of writing skills to Grade 6 students
In the secondary school setting, writing not only is one of the most important English skills but also plays complementary roles in students‟ learning process Firstly, writing is a skill which needs the use of strategies such as outlining, brainstorming or even evaluating Obviously, this skill is able to help students achieve many and various goals, for example, expressing an opinion about a real-life situation Secondly, writing requires a long-term and careful investment from students Like some researchers‟ illustrations, writing is a means of extending and deepening student‟s knowledge or said in another way, it acts as a tool for learning subject matter (Key, 2000; Shanahan, 2004; Sperling & Freedman, 2001) In general, writing is an effective method for transmitting thoughts or ideas from one person to the others, the essential skill in learning English and also the key to success in high schools and universities
This part shows the previous related studies and theoretical framework for the study, which are the cornerstone of designing the survey and interview questions Based on the information, the writing difficulties as well as the solutions of these problems were investigated