Skkn tiếng anh an action research on secondary students’ punctuation

It’s very important to know all the punctuation marks, their meanings, and when to use them in order to produce a good piece of writing – and more importantly, to convey the correct mess

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GIA LAI DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

HUNG VUONG GIFTED HIGH SCHOOL

By : ĐÀO NGUYỄN TIỂU QUYÊN

PART A: INTRODUCTION

I Rationale

Language is the most powerful weapon in communication It makes human beings different from animals It is the way through which we share our ideas and thoughts with others

In the four skills of learning English, writing, as one of the communicative activities, has been neglected by English learners But in reality, writing is very important; writing and speaking help you express yourself Writing is how much of the world communicates Writing can be

a great tool to help you know more about the way you think writing can solidify ideas and thoughts, and allow you to reflect on them better than if the ideas remained evolving in your head Writing is one of the ways that

we translate our thoughts for other people

Punctuation is one of the most important aspects of written English, and yet it is one that is taken the most lightly It is, in fact, this feature of writing that gives meaning to the written words… much like pauses and changes in tones of the voice when speaking An error in punctuation can convey a completely different meaning to the one that is intended.For example, “ Don’t Stop.” means carry on, you are not required to stop Rewriting the same words as ‘Don’t Stop’ means stop what ever is being done with immediate effect Definitely both sentences would be spoken in

a different manner Let us look at another example: “He was bitten by a dog which hurt him.” is completely different from “He was bitten by a dog, which hurt him.” The first sentence means the dog hurt him The second sentence means the bite hurts him It’s the comma after the dog that has

completely changed the meaning of the sentence

It’s very important to know all the punctuation marks, their meanings, and when to use them in order to produce a good piece of writing – and more importantly, to convey the correct message

Moreover, Good punctuation shows that a student or a writer has a good knowledge of grammatical structure And to understand the latter, you should obviously grasp what is a simple sentence, a complex sentence and the meaning of each punctuation marks and where to use them Good, correct use of punctuation is very important in your writing Punctuation often plays the same role as variations in your voice do when you are speaking: full stops, colons, semi-colons and commas indicate various lengths of pauses; a question mark obviously indicates a question, whereas

a rise or fall in your voice would do this Lack of punctuation, therefore, or incorrect use of it, will result in your writing being difficult to follow, and your reader having to do unnecessary work It could, in fact, be argued that correct punctuation is more important than correct grammar in making your writing easy to read

It is convenient for Vietnamese to learn punctuation in English because Vietnamese and English have the same language system Their usage of punctuation is almost similar That is the reason why the students use some common punctuation marks in the habit Teaching punctuation at schools in general and high schools in particular is not mentioned much because in reality, this is not the curriculum Moreover, in the high school graduation examination and the entrance university examination, students only have to do multiple-choice tests, which make them lazy to study punctuation

Thus, beginning with the recognition of the importance of

punctuation in writing and the practical teaching, we choose “An Action

Research on Secondary Students’ Punctuation” as the topic of my

research

II Scope, objectives and research question of the research

This research is aimed to investigate how and how much students at Hung Vuong Gifted High School in Gia Lai province use punctuation in writing The data collection and data analysis therefore are based on the information provided by written tests and the journals written by the students of Hung Vuong Gifted High School during the first semester from August to December 2012 The subjects of the study are the students of class 12C1 of Hung Vuong Gifted High School

To be more specific, in realizing the study, the main objectives are:

- To investigate how much the students use punctuation marks in writing

- To investigate how the students use punctuation marks in writing

- To give some pedagogical implications and suggestions for further development

With those objectives, my research questions with sub-questions are:

1 How much do students use correct punctuation marks?

- Are the students eager to use punctuation in writing?

2 How accurately and purposefully do students use punctuations mark?

- Do they use the correct punctuation marks?

3 What are the students’ attitudes towards the usage of punctuation marks?

PATR B: DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW

I.1 The concepts of punctuation

Up to now, there have been many officially published materials on punctuation by English The best known book on this grammatical point in

the English language is “Punctuation” by Robert Allen (2002) According

to them, punctuation is the use of standard marks and signs in writing to separate words into sentences, clauses, and phrases in order to clarify meaning The marks or signs are called punctuation marks Punctuation marks are signals to readers When you speak, you can pause, stop, or change your tone of voice to make your meaning clear You cannot do this when you write When writing, you must use punctuation marks such as commas and question marks to make your meaning clear

Punctuation marks are symbols that indicate the structure and organization

of written language, as well as intonation and pauses to be observed when reading aloud (Wikipedia)

In the book entitled “The King's English: A Guide to Modern Usage,” Kingsley Amis states that punctuation is the system of signs given

to a reader to show how the sentence is constructed and how it should be read Sentences are the building blocks used to construct written accounts They are complete statements Punctuation shows how the sentence should

be read and makes the meaning clear

I.2 The importance of punctuation

According to Oxford dictionary, punctuation marks are essential when you are writing They show the reader where sentences start and finish and if they are used properly they make your writing easy to

understand This section gives practical guidance on how to use commas, semicolons, and other types of punctuation correctly, so that your writing will always be clear and effective

For example, "woman, without her man, is nothing" (emphasizing the importance of men) and "woman: without her, man is nothing" emphasizing the importance of women) have greatly different meanings

I.3 Types of punctuation marks

1 Period [.] (Full stop)

- Use a period to show the end of a sentence

Hockey is a popular sport in Canada

The federal government is based in Ottawa

- Use a period after certain abbreviations

B.C is the province located on the West Coast

Dr Bethune was a Canadian who worked in China

The company is located at 888 Bay St in Toronto

It is 4:00 p.m in Halifax right now

3.2 Question Mark [?]

- Use a question mark at the end of a sentence to show a direct question

How many provinces are there in Canada?

Note: do not use a question mark for indirect questions

The teacher asked the class a question Do not ask me why

3.3 Exclamation Mark [!]

Use an exclamation mark at the end of a sentence to show surprise or

excitement

We won the Stanley Cup!

The forest is on fire!

3.4 Comma [,]

- Use a comma to show a pause in a sentence

Therefore, we should write a letter to the prime minister

- Use a comma with quotation marks to show what someone has said

directly

"I can come today," she said, "but not tomorrow."

- Use commas for listing three or more different things

Ontario, Quebec, and B.C are the three biggest provinces

- Use commas around relative clauses that add extra information to a

sentence

Emily Carr, who was born in 1871, was a great painter

3.5 Apostrophe [']

- Use an apostrophe to show ownership of something

This is David's computer

These are the player's things (things that belong to the player)

Note: For nouns in plural form, put the apostrophe at the end of the noun

These are the players' things (things that belong to the players)

- Use an apostrophe to show letters that have been left out of a word

I don't know how to fix it

3.6 Quotation Marks ["]

Use quotation marks to show what someone has said directly

The prime minister said, "We will win the election."

"I can come today," she said, "but not tomorrow."

3.7 Colon [:]

- Use a colon to introduce a list of things

There are three positions in hockey: goalie, defence, and forward

- Use a colon to introduce a long quotation

The prime minister said: "We will fight We will not give up We will win the next election."

3.8 Semicolon [;]

- Use a semicolon to join related sentences together

The festival is very popular; people from all over the world visit each year

- Use a semicolon in lists that already have commas

The three biggest cities in Canada are Toronto, Ontario; Montreal, Quebec; and Vancouver, B.C

3.9 Dash [-]

- Use a dash before a phrase that summarizes the idea of a sentence

Mild, wet, and cloudy - these are the characteristics of weather in Vancouver

- Use a dash before and after a phrase or list that adds extra information in the middle of a sentence

The children - Pierre, Laura, and Ashley - went to the store

Most Canadians - but not all - voted in the last election

- Use a dash to show that someone has been interrupted when speaking

The woman said, "I want to ask - " when the earthquake began to shake the room

I.4 Teaching Punctuation

Converting spoken words into a written form is a critical process If you fail to convey the exact intended meaning of what someone said, you are essentially conveying the message in a different form which may entail consequences Thanks to the punctuation marks, a writer can put his/her feelings into the message and make it more interesting and attractive to the readers So teaching punctuation is an on-going process in four-skill lessons

According to Janet Angelillo, here are some guides to teach punctuation:

- Starting With What Students Know and Notice: The class focuses on the author’s intentions and on noticing how the author wanted to shape our reading of the text Whole-class and small-group work suggestions show ways to meet students’ needs and extend student learning

- Building on Students’ Knowledge: extend students’experience with punctuation beyond examining texts, practicing in notebooks, and discussing with peers By assessing your class’s needs, you may decide

to plan additional punctuation study of an author, a genre, or deep study of one punctuation mark across content areas

- “Hearing” punctuation: how reading aloud to students holds such owner for teaching them punctuation Through reading aloud, teacher teach students the way reading should “sound,” and we can model for them by thinking aloud about our decisions as readers when we see punctuation Punctuation is therefore a “code” which must be understood in the same way that the combinations of letters that make up words must be understood

- Conferring With Children: conferring as a way to research and assess what students know about punctuation Conferring is a powerful tool for gathering information, and teachers should use the information to inform

their teaching Ideas for later lessons can come from conferring It also includes groups of mini-lessons that grew from information gathered in conferences

- Reading and Writing by the Book: Studying authors, not grammar texts,

is what will teach students that punctuation is a powerful and complex tool Looking at authentic texts helps students learn punctuation and then holds them to a standard of punctuation use

- Passionate about punctuation: supporting students who become fascinated

by punctuation When students are treated as learners who can figure out most anything, they often take up the challenge and surprise everyone with their passion for any topic You will read about mid- and end-of-year studies in punctuation that push students to deepen their knowledge and improve their facility Independent study of punctuation and self-evaluation are also important pieces of a total punctuation immersion This

is what teachers can do when students want to know more about punctuation, and how to encourage them

- Losing the red pen: evaluating Written Conventions

Teacher will face the difficult question of how to evaluate punctuation Examining student writing while thinking about how the student has grown, what he or she is demonstrating about learning, or what he or she is attempting to do make evaluation of writing much richer and provides validation for students

I.5 Punctuation and intonation

Punctuation, the use of special signs in writing to clarify how words are used; the term also refers to the signs themselves In every language, besides the sounds of the words that are strung together there are other features, such as tone, accent, and pauses, that are equally significant In English, stress, pausing, and tonal changes interlock in a set of patterns

often called intonations Such features are represented by punctuation, indicated by signs inserted usually between words, and often following the feature they mark

The intonations of declaration are classified in three types, symbolized by the comma (,), used to separate words or phrases for clarity; the semicolon (;), used to mark separation between elements in a series of related phrases, generally in a long sentence; and the full stop, or period (.), used to mark the end of a sentence Other intonations are shown by the exclamation point (!); the interrogation point, or question mark (?); the parenthesis [(  )], used to set off a word or phrase from a sentence that is complete without it; and the colon (:), typically used to introduce material that elaborates on what has already been said Quotation marks ("  ") indicate direct quotation or some borrowing, and usually demand special intonation The ellipsis (…) is used to indicate the place in a passage where material has been omitted or a thought has trailed off The long dash (—) is especially used in handwriting for incomplete intonation patterns

CHAPTER 2: DEVELOPMENT OF THE RESEARCH

higher requirements in learning English in general and learning how to write effectively in particular

The teachers

In the English group of Hung Vuong Gifted High School, there are

12 teachers, who were all trained in universities in Viet Nam (Da Nang University of Foreign Languages and Qui Nhon University) They are from

30 to 50 years of age 3 of them are experienced teachers who have devoted over 20 years of their life to the development of the School and the grown-

up of generations of teachers in the province; others are young teachers who are friendly, active, knowledgeable and full of inspiration for teaching Every year, they are all sent to seminars or training courses held in Pleiku

or other cities

I.2 School and class

Improvements in teaching method are accompanied by improvements in the school’s infrastructure Students are in small-sized class (from 30 to 35 students/class); each class has one private classroom to study The rooms are especially designed for small classes with large windows, blackboards, fans, lights and especially projector and sound mixer which are very convenient for teaching Besides, there is a language learning laboratory that helps teachers and students improve their English skills

I.3 Textbook

Teaching English 12 (Advanced level) is distributed 4 periods (45 minutes/period) a week English 12 (Advanced level), the book following the English 10 and 11 (Advanced level), consists of sixteen units whose themes are Home life, Cultural diversity, School Education System, Higher Education, Future Jobs, Economic Reformed, Youth, Future Life, Deserts,

Endangered species, Books, Water Sports, SEA Games, International Organizations, Women in Society and Association of Southeast Asian Nations

Each unit contains:

II Methodology of the study

II.1 Subjects

The action research is carried out in a 12-grade class of 32 major students at the age of 18, eight boys and 23 girls one third live in the city center and the rest come from various districts in the province Their level of proficiency in English can be roughly attributed to pre-intermediate, judging from the curriculum and requirements of the Education and Training Ministry The students attended a hard entrance examination to become students of the gifted school Some of them are considered as the best students in Literature in Gia lai after spending several examinations held by the Gia Lai Education and Training Department or Vietnam Education and Training Ministry to choose the best This means most of them are good at Vietnamese and Literature It is acknowledged that they know how to use correct punctuation marks in Vietnamese

literature-II.2 Problem diagnosis

To clarify the problems, the researcher scored the first practice test, interviewed students, read the students’ journals to discover the reasons why they cannot use the correct punctuation marks:

 Focusing on the content of an essay and forgetting the punctuation

 Doing multiple-choice test makes them neglect punctuation

 Not having opportunities to learn how to use the proper punctuation

 Not having opportunities to "play” with punctuation

II.3 Plan of action

1 Finding the problem through the students’ first

writing practice test (unit 1)

II.4 Data collection

The results of the study were developed on the basis of data collected via observation, practice tests and journals written by students As motioned above, the stage of data collection has been carried out during the first semester of the school year 2012-2013

The first instrument for collecting data is observation schedules aiming to examine the students’ frequency of using proper punctuation marks in pre- and post- tests The pre-observation has been carried out in the first practice test (unit 1: Home Life) and the post-observation is used to examine the students’ usage of punctuation in the last writing practice test

of the first semester of school year 2012-2013 Besides, punctuation study must be embedded in authentic reading and writing experiences, and must become part of the classroom conversation all semester long So another observation is fulfilled during the reading, listening and speaking lesson (sometimes through games of language) to emphasize how to read the punctuation marks

- the teacher asks students to read the reading passage, paying much the intonation because punctuation tells the reader where to pause, breathe, raise his voice, change his voice, etc This activity is on-going in speaking and listening lessons

- The teacher organizes punctuations games such as filling, guessing the punctuation, etc

The second instruments are students’ journals written regularly every two week after the teacher correct score their writing practice tests in each unit

to express their reflection on the usage of punctuation and also the practice

of effective writing The journals are aimed to collect data for the research, thus, they were structured to focus on the issues related to the research questions The students were also informed that the journal are not marked, but they are just means by which the students feel totally free to reflect

their feelings, opinions of the lessons to help the teacher improve the teaching and learning It is of great important that they will give reflection thoroughly and honestly All this is done to make sure that the students’ journals will provide essential qualitative data for the research

After all the data have been collected, we move into quantitative and qualitative data analysis, which will be thoroughly presented in the next section

III Data analysis

III.1 Data analysis procedure

In term of quantitative analysis, the data collected from the observations of pre and post-practice tests were used to discover the students’ frequency of using punctuation marks

In term of qualitative analysis, the data collected from the second observation and students’ journals are useful sources of data about the students’ accuracy of using punctuation marks in writing and speaking and their attitude towards the punctuation

III.2 Data analysis results

Punctuation means making points It means putting the right kind of points in the right place so as to mark the exact length and meaning of sentences Proper punctuation is essential in written English to enable the reader to understand what it is you are trying to say

III.2.1 The results from observations

The results from observations of the pre-practice test

In unit 1 of English 12 (Advanced level), the topic of writing lesson

is Family rules The students were asked to write a letter to a friend about