Rationale for the Study
With the globalization trend, English has become a mandatory subject in all state school curricula While teaching speaking, listening, and reading skills is essential, the importance of writing skills is undeniable for effective communication As society develops rapidly, writing proficiency is now one of the top demands for English language learners Additionally, writing is a key component of high school final exams and university entrance examinations, highlighting its vital role in academic success.
Writing is an essential skill in both first and second languages, serving as a means of organized thought expression Despite its importance, writing remains the most challenging language skill due to its complexity and high linguistic demands Although there is increased focus on teaching English writing, it is often neglected at the high school level in Vietnam, primarily because most exams emphasize grammar and standardized norms Limited time and effort allocated to teaching writing contribute to unsatisfactory student results, driven by factors such as inadequate background knowledge and low language proficiency Many learners excel in structural exercises but struggle to produce quality essays or paragraphs, highlighting the need for effective teaching techniques to enhance writing skills.
Paragraph writing is fundamental to mastering English writing skills, as it serves as a prerequisite for composing essays and other complex texts According to Grabe and Kaplan (1996), developing skills from simple paragraph and summary writing to essay composition is essential for students in EFL contexts Learning to craft clear and coherent paragraphs enables learners to effectively communicate messages, transfer knowledge, and succeed in exams, highlighting the critical role of paragraph writing in language development and academic achievement.
English paragraph writing is a crucial component of Vietnamese high school curricula due to its importance in developing effective communication skills Students are trained to focus on higher-level skills such as planning and organizing their ideas, as well as mastering lower-level skills like spelling, punctuation, and word choice According to Richards and Renandya (2002), these essential skills are integrated into the syllabus to enhance students’ overall writing proficiency and academic success.
Teachers play a crucial role in helping students express their ideas effectively in written form by providing appropriate guidance and support through scaffolding Scaffolding, a widely used teaching strategy across all language skills, involves offering assistance that enables students to engage in higher-level thinking, overcome vocabulary limitations, and solve ideas that get stuck Even when teachers are unaware of the term, they often unconsciously apply scaffolding techniques to motivate students and enhance their writing abilities Overall, scaffolding is essential in raising students’ interest in writing and supporting their academic success.
Recognizing the crucial role of scaffolding in teaching English, especially in developing students' paragraph writing skills, I aim to enhance my students' abilities at Phan Boi Chau High School for the Gifted This inspired the study titled “The use of scaffolding strategies for teaching paragraph writing to 11th graders,” which seeks to explore effective methods to improve student writing I hope the findings will provide valuable insights and serve as a helpful reference for educators and researchers interested in enhancing English language instruction.
Aims of the Study
The study is conducted with the following aims:
- to examine students’ attitudes towards writing skill
- to investigate the difficulties students encounter in their paragraph writing learning
- to evaluate the effectiveness of scaffolding strategies application in teaching paragraph writing to students
- to propose some suggestions and recommendations to improve students’ writing paragraph.
Research Questions
In order to serve the previously mentioned aims, the research attempts to answer the following questions:
1 What are students’ attitudes towards learning the writing skill?
2 What are the students’ difficulties in learning paragraph writing?
3 How do scaffolding strategies affect 11 th graders’ paragraph writing?
Scope of the Study
This study was conducted at Phan Boi Chau High School for Gifted Students Due to time constraints, only 70 students from classes 11C2 and 11A5 participated in the research, providing a focused sample for the investigation.
Significance of the Study
This study aims to improve students' writing skills, contributing to effective teaching and learning methods for 11th-grade students at Phan Boi Chau High School for Gifted Students It seeks to enhance the quality of English writing instruction by emphasizing the importance of scaffolding activities Both teachers and students will gain a deeper understanding of the vital role that scaffolding plays in writing education, enabling them to incorporate these techniques into specific lessons and apply them in future research on scaffolding activities.
THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
Literature Review in Brief
Writing is a crucial skill for English learners of all levels, recognized for its difficulty and importance Both teachers and students understand the vital role of guideline activities in enhancing writing skills In recent years, educators and scholars have extensively researched strategies, techniques, and activities to improve student writing, each offering unique perspectives and methods.
Discussing over the matter of writing’s importance in the learning of English, Mark (1997, as cited in Bui Thi Duyen, 2004, p.10) stated that writing is
Writing is both an aim in learning English and a vital tool for language development, serving to reinforce students’ understanding of grammar, syntax, and vocabulary Through writing, learners can experiment with words, sentences, and various writing elements, thereby enhancing their language acquisition and ability to express ideas effectively According to Homstad and Thorson (1996), writing helps increase overall language proficiency and supports other language skills Penny Ur (2013) also emphasizes the pedagogical importance of writing in enabling learners to achieve better control over all aspects of English language skills.
Writing is considered by language teachers to be a challenging skill that requires explicit instruction, as it is not easily acquired through exposure alone (Tribble, 1996) It is a complex process that unfolds over time, often involving extended periods of thinking before producing an initial draft (Harris, 1993, as cited in Phung, 2004) Given its difficulty for native speakers, writing demands significant time and effort from second language users to develop proficiency.
Raimes (1983) offers practical procedures for teachers to stimulate student writing through visual aids, readings, and discussions, emphasizing responsive communication Oluwadiya (1992) highlights the importance of pre-writing activities in motivating students, generating ideas, and acquiring necessary language skills These activities, including brainstorming, cubing, interviewing, and reading, help students develop vocabulary, syntax, and content for their writing The stages of writing—pre-writing, practicing, and post-writing—are essential for effective skill development and student engagement.
The authors of NSW Department of English and Training (2007) in
Effective classroom strategies to support students with additional learning support needs in writing and spelling include incorporating evidenced-based techniques such as modeled writing and think-aloud strategies, which model the writing process for students Additionally, preparing students to write through activities like brainstorming and note-making helps build their ideas and organization skills These scaffolding approaches, as outlined in the key sections on “Writing instruction” and “Preparing students to write,” are essential for fostering independent writing skills and enhancing students’ confidence in their writing abilities.
Extensive research over the past two decades has focused on identifying effective models of scaffolding to enhance writing skills in the classroom The metaphor of scaffolding has been widely used to describe adults' roles in guiding children's learning and development (Stone, 1998; Hammond, 2002; Daniels, 2001) Hammond (2002) specifically analyzes how scaffolding supports teaching English as a second language Additionally, studies by Devlin (2000) and Donovan and Smolkin (2002) have explored various aspects of scaffolding in teaching writing and reading, emphasizing its importance in literacy education.
One specific study of scaffolding in writing is presented by Veerappan
Research indicates that second-year college students often struggle with journal writing, exhibiting poor sentence construction, frequent grammatical errors, and limited vocabulary To address these challenges, the researcher implemented interactive writing techniques and targeted instruction, scaffolding support for three undergraduate students Data collected over five weeks, through observations and journal comparisons, demonstrated significant improvement in students’ writing skills These findings confirm that scaffolding techniques are an effective method to enhance English language proficiency among students with low language skills.
One more remarkable work on scaffolding for writing is that of Reed
Scaffolding is a crucial process that enables teachers to systematically organize writing activities to address the diverse needs of all students According to 2014, implementing scaffolding techniques helps create an effective learning environment by providing structured support throughout the writing process An example of this is a six-step scaffolding approach designed for a typical writing process, which includes a sample outline specifically tailored for a descriptive writing activity This method not only enhances student engagement but also improves their writing skills by gradually guiding them through each stage of the assignment.
In his 2005 writing workshop, David demonstrated effective methods for teaching paragraph writing, emphasizing clear steps such as memorizing the five essential parts of a paragraph and proper paper set-up to simplify the process A notable contribution to paragraph writing education was made by Adele in 2002, highlighting practical techniques that improve students' ability to craft coherent and well-structured paragraphs These approaches focus on making paragraph writing accessible and straightforward for learners, ensuring mastery of foundational writing skills.
"Paragraph Power" is a comprehensive resource featuring 50 mini-lessons, engaging activities, and student checklists designed to enhance paragraphing skills This curriculum serves as a valuable tool for educators and researchers seeking effective methods to teach paragraph structure According to Mayer (2006), the work provides a rich source of instructional content that supports both classroom practice and research in writing education.
Mastering confident writing is essential for crafting effective paragraphs and essays This process guides readers step by step through prewriting, discovery, outlining, and predicting, ensuring clear and cohesive messages Providing diverse options at each stage enhances the overall writing experience and helps writers develop well-structured, impactful content.
Vietnamese researchers have extensively studied this subject, highlighting the effectiveness of scaffolding as an instructional strategy in teaching academic writing Le Van Canh and Nguyen Thi Thuy Minh (2010) examined how various techniques can be adapted to support students of different proficiency levels in improving their writing skills within an EFL context Bui Thi Duyen (2014) conducted a case study on pre-writing activities such as brainstorming, listing, clustering, and interviewing, demonstrating their effectiveness in helping 11th-grade students at Nguyen Duc Thuan High School develop their basic writing skills Additionally, Vu Thi Giang (2010) explored the relationship between scaffolding and student writing by investigating teachers’ understanding of scaffolding and the difficulties faced by students, emphasizing the significant role of scaffolding activities in supporting learners’ needs.
Recent research has extensively focused on the importance of writing skills, particularly paragraph writing, and exploring effective methods to enhance these abilities These studies provide a solid foundation for developing strategies to improve paragraph writing, such as implementing scaffolding techniques in teaching By understanding the key approaches to writing instruction, educators can better support students' development of strong, coherent paragraphs, ultimately improving overall writing proficiency.
Theoretical Background
Fluent and expressive writing remains a common challenge for all language learners, whether learning their first or second language Children generally have an innate desire and need to write before they want to read, highlighting the natural progression of language development Despite widespread recognition of its importance, there is still no clear consensus on the true definition of writing, as various perspectives continue to differ.
Writing is a complex process that goes beyond simply forming graphic symbols that relate to spoken sounds According to Donn Byrne (1988), writing involves transforming various sources such as research, inspiration, accidents, and trial and error into a meaningful message Similarly, Coulmas and Florian (1999) define writing as a system of visible and tactile signs that systematically represent language units for the purpose of recording messages.
One more view of writing is that writing is ‘decontextualized’ (Ellis, 1994, p.188) because it assumes that written communication never takes place in the presence of the writer and the reader As for Canale and Swain (1980), they defined writing as “a manifestation of, as well as the process of manifesting, sociolinguistic, strategic and grammatical competences mediated by the use of orthographic systems” (cited in Silva & Matsuda, 2002, pp 252)
Daniel, Peter & Bright, William (1996, p.3) gave another definition of writing: “Writing is a system of more or less permanent marks used to represent an utterance in such a way that it can be recovered more or less exactly without the intervention of the utterer” This definition views writing system as a set of symbols to represent sounds of speech
Writing is a complex process that goes beyond simply forming graphic symbols corresponding to spoken sounds; it involves transforming discovered material—whether from research, inspiration, accidents, or trial and error—into meaningful messages (Donn Byrne, 1988) According to Byrne, writing is about creating messages with definite meaning, emphasizing its role as a purposeful form of communication Similarly, Coulmas and Florian (1999) define writing as a system of visible and tactile signs that systematically represent language units to record messages effectively, highlighting its function as a tool for message preservation and communication.
Candlin and Hyland (1999) define writing as a social process, emphasizing that it involves engaging with others through text They explain that writing reflects specific methodologies, arguments, and rhetorical strategies designed to engage colleagues and persuade them of particular claims This perspective highlights the social and communicative nature of effective writing, making it a crucial aspect of academic and professional communication.
According to Deborah (2009, p.3), writing encompasses a wide range of forms, from simple shopping lists and aide-memoires to formal and informal letters, as well as academic texts like essays She emphasizes that each type of writing features unique characteristics, observable both at the grammatical level within sentences and at the broader text structure level Understanding these different features is essential for effective writing across various contexts, highlighting the importance of versatile writing skills in academic and everyday communication.
1999, as cited in Deborah, 2009, p.3) Therefore, the requirement of a lot of skills in writing is unavoidable
Writing is understood differently by each linguist, reflecting their unique perspectives on the writing process, which means no single definition can encompass all existing and historical writing systems While writing primarily functions as a tool for language practice, this role is part of a broader, more diverse perspective on its purpose Byrne (1988) emphasizes that teachers should help students recognize that every piece of writing aims to communicate a message, with the writer having specific goals, requiring contact with the reader, and needing to organize content through logical and grammatical devices.
2.2.1.2 Some views of teaching and learning writing in EFL and ESL classrooms
Writing is a crucial productive skill in learning and teaching English, essential for effective communication in higher education and the workplace Without strong writing abilities, students struggle to express themselves and connect with professors, peers, and others Through writing practice, students develop their vocabulary, grammar, and understanding of sentence structure, enhancing their overall language proficiency and communication skills.
Writing is a challenging skill for second language learners, as Nunan (1999) emphasizes that the difficulties are enormous Even native speakers face significant challenges in clear writing, which highlights that second language users require significant time and effort to develop this skill White and Arndt (1991) further note that people writing in their native language often encounter similar writing problems as second language learners, despite having a more extensive language resource base.
Raimes (1993, cited in Nunan, 1999, p 273) identifies two types of writing in the EFL classroom: “writing for learning,” which involves pre-writing, drafting, revisions, and editing, and “writing for display,” such as exam writing Mastering the process of “writing for learning” is essential for developing writing skills, while understanding the specific requirements of the question is critical for success in display writing Additionally, Raimes emphasizes that students who use natural language similar to that of native speakers tend to perform better than those relying on translations from their first language (L1), highlighting the importance of authentic language use in effective writing.
Obviously, many students have problems in writing Deborah Grossmann
According to 2009 (p.5), students’ writing difficulties stem from both linguistic challenges and a lack of essential writing skills Past learning experiences significantly influence students’ confidence and perception of their writing abilities Furthermore, proficiency in one writing genre does not guarantee skills in another, as each genre requires mastering different vocabulary, formats, and register conventions, highlighting the diverse skills needed for effective writing across various contexts.
The classroom has a distinct purpose and structure that differentiate it from the outside world, emphasizing its unique environment for learning Writing activities should be viewed not only from an instrumental perspective—focusing on external purposes and practical utility—but also in terms of their educational role Recognizing the classroom's reality is essential for understanding how writing fosters learning and development within this specific context.
Developing writing competence is a crucial aspect of language learning and teaching, but there is no one-size-fits-all method, as approaches depend on factors such as student needs, text type, and educational context While various strategies exist to teach writing in the classroom, there is no definitive 'best' way, and effective methods vary based on individual circumstances According to Raimes (1983), the two predominant approaches in English Language Teaching (ELT) are the product approach and the process approach, each offering different strategies to develop writing skills in students.
2.2.1.3.1 Product approach to teaching writing
The product approach to teaching writing is considered the traditional method, as it emphasizes the final written product over the writing process (Grossmann, 2009) According to Nunan (1989, as cited in Alfaki, 2005), this approach places significant emphasis on the outcome of composition rather than the methods or steps involved in the writing process.