Applying some innovative solutions to improve the gifted students’ argumentative writing skill at nhu thanh high school

THANH HOA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND TRAININGNHU THANH HIGH SCHOOL ---***---INNOVATION IN TEACHING APPLYING SOME INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS TO IMPROVE THE GIFTED STUDENTS’ ARGUMENTATIVE W

THANH HOA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

NHU THANH HIGH SCHOOL

-*** -INNOVATION IN TEACHING

APPLYING SOME INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS TO

IMPROVE THE GIFTED STUDENTS’

ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING SKILL AT NHU

THANH HIGH SCHOOL

TABLE OF CONTENT

PART ONE: INTRODUCTION 1

I RATIONALE OF THE STUDY 1

II AIMS OF THE STUDY 2

III RESEARCH QUESTIONS 2

IV METHODS OF THE STUDY 2

PART TWO: DEVELOPMENT 2

CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 2

I OVERVIEW OF WRITING SKILL 2

II THE ARGUMENTIVE ESSAY 3

III THE DIFFICULTIES OF WRITING ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAYS 4

V THE SOLUTION OF DETERMINING THE STRUTURE OF ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING THROUGH THE NETWORK AND A FIFTEEN-PHRASE/SENTENCE SOLUTION AND THEIR IMPACT ON DEVELOPING THE STUDENTS’ ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING SKILL 5

CHAPTER 2: PRACTICAL SITUATIONS 6

I METHODS OF THE STUDY 6

II THE REALITY OF TEACHING AND LEARNING ENGLISH ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING SKILL AT NHU THANH HIGH SCHOOL 6 CHAPTER 3: RECOMMENDATIONS TO HELP 7

I RECOMMENDATIONS 7

II PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS 7

SOME PRACTICAL EXAMPLES OF USING A FIFTEEN- SENTENCE/PHRASE SOLUTION IN THE WRITING LESSON AT NHU THANH HIGH SCHOOL 14

CHAPTER 4: RESULT 18

PART THREE: CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION 18

I CONCLUSION 18

II REFLECTIONS 18

REFERENCES 20

PART ONE: INTRODUCTION

I RATIONALE OF THE STUDY

Studying English nowadays has become an essential demand foreveryone Learning English is important It is simple as English is one of themost popular international languages and it is most not only all over the worldbut also in all aspects of society Therefore, learning and mastering it wouldgreatly give advantages to the person concerned Especially, since Vietnambecame the 150th member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), it has beenrequired that we have to build the labor force who are skillful at work and useEnglish well as an effective tool of communication

Although many Vietnamese students get excellent certain qualifications,their ability of communicating in English is limited As a result, they must give

up their dream jobs There is no doubt about that English is the optimumstandard for applicants into foreign and state- owned companies On account ofthe above demands, English is compulsory not only at school but also inexaminations at certain stages of the school education system According to thenational curriculum, English is built with the aim of communicating Creatingthe ability of communication in English for students is the most important target

in the process of teaching

As teachers, I think we’d all agree that communication is important In fact,it’s a necessary component of education, livelihood, and basic functionality in oursociety It’s also fairly obvious that there are two main ways to communicate,although more obscure forms exist Basically, we talk and we write That’s how welet other people know what’s going on, and it’s an important skill to have Justabout every student can talk, but how many Vietnamese students can truly writewell? Writing is important because it’s used extensively in higher education and inthe workplace If students don’t know how to express themselves in writing, theywon’t be able to communicate well with friends, teachers, professors, employers,peers, or just about anyone else

Much of professional communication is done in writing: proposals,memos, reports, applications, preliminary interviews, e-mails, and more are part

of the daily life of a college student or successful graduate Even if studentsmanage to learn the material in their college classes without knowing how towrite well, they won’t be able to express their knowledge to the people who aremaking the big decisions Potential employers won’t know whether or not headknowledge can be applied to everyday demands unless it’s through a spokeninterview Even the majority of certifications and licensures require basicwriting skills to obtain The inability to write makes for a stillborn career

Argumentative writing has been confirmed by researchers to be the

hardest model in writing This genre of writing is important for gifted students toexpress their own points of view in academically appropriate forms andstrategies Unfortunately, students often encounter difficulties in the use of

complex syntactic patterns and appropriate elements in composingargumentative writing Consequently, by means of the drawbacks in languageteaching methods of the past, particularly in the argumentative writing skill, anumber of research studies have sought to investigate and demonstrate howargumentative writing can be improved by using effective methods to gauge theweaknesses of students’ writing ability.

Therefore, in this research I present some innovative solutions including

The solution of determining the structure of an argumentative essay and its own

paragraph through the network and a fifteen – sentence/phrase solution which I have applied effectively over the last few years to improve my gifted students’

argumentative writing skill.

II AIMS OF THE STUDY

On the basis of surveying students’ ability of writing an argumentativeessay in English at Nhu Thanh High School, I have given feasible solutionsincluding innovating methods of teaching writing skill

This study also investigates whether the solution of determining the structure

of an argumentative essay through the network and a fifteen – sentence/phrase

solution in improving argumentative writing skill can have positive impact on

writing process among gifted students and can develop their argumentative writing

skill or not I decide the research with title “Applying some innovative solutions to

improve the gifted students’ argumentative writing skill”

III RESEARCH QUESTIONS

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

How can innovative solutions help the students at Nhu Thanh High Schoolimprove their argumentative writing skill ?

The question has been addressed to one group of students that I have beenteaching in Nhu Thanh High School with the aim to examine how innovativesolutions affect the process of argumentative writing here

IV METHODS OF THE STUDY

- The method of collecting and analyzing materials for the research:research for materials concerning about the subject, analyze and get certainknowledge from previous researches, finally give the foundation to the research

- The method of talking to students: through talking to students, I have got

to know real situation of students’ writing learning in language classes at NhuThanh High School

- The method of surveying through answer sheets

PART TWO: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW

I OVERVIEW OF WRITING SKILL

What is writing?

"Writing" is the process of using symbols (letters of the alphabet,punctuation and spaces) to communicate thoughts and ideas in a readable form

To write clearly it is essential to understand the basic system of a language InEnglish this includes knowledge of grammar, punctuation and sentencestructure Vocabulary is also necessary, as is correct spelling and formatting Awriter may write for personal enjoyment or use, or for an audience of one person

or more The audience may be known (targeted) or unknown Taking notes forstudy purposes is an example of writing for one's self Blogging publicly is anexample of writing for an unknown audience A letter to a friend is an example

of writing for a targeted audience As with speaking, it is important to consideryour audience when writing There are many different styles of writing, frominformal to formal

Some of the difficulties associated with the teaching of writing in foreignlanguage classes come from the nature of writing itself Writing is an artificialactivity in a way that speech is not; while every normal human being on this planetlearns, eventually, to talk and to listen, far fewer people become literate, able towrite Writing is learned, while speaking is acquired as part of growing up

Writing is indeed difficult, for several reasons Firstly, the writer has to decidewhat 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 noimmediate feedback to let them know how they are doing and whether they shouldchange 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 eithersimplified (lists, telegrams, notes, etc.) or more elaborate, more formal In ourmother tongue we have to learn an elaborate network of conventions and rulesbefore we become “good writer” In a foreign language this process is all the moredifficult 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, butalso 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 keepcontrol) This “homework syndrome” can lead to students making less and lessprogress because they are poorly motivated, perform badly, receive low grades,and end up disliking writing more and more

II THE ARGUMENTIVE ESSAY

The argumentative essay is a genre of writing that requires the student toinvestigate a topic; collect, generate, and evaluate evidence; and establish aposition on the topic in a concise manner

Please note: Some confusion may occur between the argumentative essay and

the expository essay These two genres are similar, but the argumentative essaydiffers from the expository essay in the amount of pre-writing (invention) and

research involved The argumentative essay is commonly assigned as a capstone

or final project in first year writing or advanced composition courses andinvolves lengthy, detailed research Expository essays involve less research andare shorter in length Expository essays are often used for in-class writingexercises or tests, such as the GED or GRE

Argumentative essay assignments generally call for extensive research ofliterature or previously published material Argumentative assignments may alsorequire empirical research where the student collects data through interviews,surveys, observations, or experiments Detailed research allows the student to learnabout the topic and to understand different points of view regarding the topic so thatshe/he may choose a position and support it with the evidence collected duringresearch Regardless of the amount or type of research involved, argumentativeessays must establish a clear thesis and follow sound reasoning

The argument essay is the most common type of writing assignment thatgifted students will encounter throughout their exams While there are differentvariations of the argument essay, the overall foundation is always the same: thewriter is tasked with investigating an issue, taking a stand on the issue, andfinding and incorporating a multitude of evidence in a logical manner to supportthe overall claim

Most of us have experience with arguing, but an argumentative essay is quitedifferent than a verbal argument that arises out of the blue Verbal arguments oftenbecome heated and unreasonable, while the goal of an argumentative essay is theopposite: the argument must be specific, reasoned, detailed and supported with avariety of evidence Furthermore, a verbal argument often focuses on who is rightregarding 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 belogical from beginning to end

III THE DIFFICULTIES OF WRITING ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAYS

Writing an argumentative essay can be easy in many aspects becausestudents are given the opportunity to take a personal stance on a topic This can

be a more entertaining essay to write, but we must remember that althoughstudents’ main idea may be opinion based, it is important that students’ paper isstill research based Here are some common problems students may experiencewhile writing an argumentative essay:

Finding Support

Once students have selected a topic or argument that students would like

to prove through their essay, it is crucial to locate reputable support TheInternet is full of opinion-based articles, but these are not what students willwant to use to develop they argument Arguments or opinions must besupported with factual data or research in order to be credible They can alsoquote an authority on the topic

Contradictory Arguments

Another common problem to be weary of when writing an argumentativeessay is contradictory arguments Make sure to thoroughly read their sources Aquote or idea from a source can easily be taken out of context, changing themeaning of said quote all together Students want to be sure to maintain theircredibility on the topic, and honestly make their argument

Avoid Personal Opinion

When writing your argumentative essay you must be sure to keep aneutral tone on the topic There is a difference between making a compellingargument, and bombarding your readers with overly emotional personal opinion.With strong facts and reliable sources you will find that harsh or passionatelanguage is unnecessary to prove your point

Consider Your Audience

Your audience quite frequently influences the way you approach yourtopic The means to convince an audience of college professors will surely bedifferent from adolescent readers

IV THE IMPORTANCE ELEMENTS OF A GOOD ARGUMENTAIVE ESSAY.

Most people do not require special skills to prove their point of view whenproviding arguments on various day-to-day issues All of us sometimes arguewhy the movie we have watched is so impressive or why we should get apromotion This means that we argue not only in the academic field, but also inour everyday lives That is why writing an argumentative essay does not requireany additional skills and most students can deal with the assignment withmuch success However, it is also important to structure an argumentative essay

in a correct way For this reason, before writing an essay, you need to find outwhat elements should be included in your argumentative essay You also need tosupport your viewpoint by providing an explanation of your ideas and specificexamples Let us discuss the fundamental elements of argumentative essays

* Organization and focus When writing an argumentative essay, you need to prove

the main viewpoint by providing enough evidence and well-grounded arguments

* Description and analysis: Description and analysis are two more elements of

an argumentative essay that should be included in your paper if you want it to beconsistent and relevant

* Evidence Evidence can be provided in different way You should support

your ideas with certain examples and make the readers accept your point of view

by providing well-grounded evidence in favor of your position

* Answering a counterargument If you add a counterargument in your essay,

it will make it clear for the readers that you fully understand the material you arediscussing in your paper

V THE SOLUTION OF DETERMINING THE STRUTURE OF ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING THROUGH THE NETWORK AND A FIFTEEN-PHRASE/SENTENCE SOLUTION AND THEIR IMPACT ON DEVELOPING THE STUDENTS’ ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING SKILL.

Determining the structure of argumentative essay in the right way is

extremely important, which helps students arrange logical ideas in suitable places

An argumentative essay is one of the most common type of essays in the academicworld It is conceivable that every student will be expected to write an argumentativeessay at one point or another in their academic career To write a good argumentativeessay, it is imperative for the writer to know the structure of the essay

In addition, using sentences and phrases in the fifteen- phrase/sentence

solution is 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 usethe 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 theweaknesses in their learners’ language variants that can be used to develop theirteaching programmes and instructions to more effectively support students’argumentative writing development

CHAPTER 2: PRACTICAL SITUATIONS

I METHODS OF THE STUDY

The research is done qualitatively in the context of one group of thirty students AtNhu 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 intothe Reality of teaching and learning English argumentative writing skill at Nhu ThanhHigh 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 toall 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 fromthe learning engagement of one gifted student group ( total: 30 students) duringthis process as the data for analysis Below is the survey of the practicalsituation 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 of students have difficulty

During the interview, the students talked about the difficulties in writingargumentative essay As shown in Table 1, students reported that grammarstructure in English and the structure of an argumentative essay were the greatdifficulties for their argumentative writing They felt that they did not haveenough knowledge of the complex sentences.

Understanding the argumentative writing structure and grammar oneswere also considered difficult for students because students pointed out that thestructure of argumentative writing posed the main barrier for them to produce agood piece of argumentative essay In relation to the difficulties of solidevidence, they stated that providing solid evidence was one of the most difficultaspects for them to convince the audience to believe in what they wrote Withreference 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 ofwriting because I feel hectic I need more time to write because of the limitedtime I cannot think of strong evidence to write”

They admitted that it was difficult to write a well-organized argumentativeessay 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 towrite the Introduction or I have to control the idea I have to write supportingdetail 1,2,3 and then I have to write the conclusion I write down what I canthink of without controlling the idea” With the reference to the difficulties offulfilling task demand and understanding the questions, students considered thistask demand difficult Students stated that writing the thesis statement wasdifficult for them to write in order to convince the audience

CHAPTER 3: RECOMMENDATIONS TO HELP THE GIFTED STUDENTS TO IMPROVE THEIR ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING SKILL

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 whenthey compose argumentative essays It was noted that teachers have realized thatthere is a critical need to accord greater attention to the improvement of writingteaching for students The way to improve writing instruction is to developinsights into the diagnostic evaluation of writing This type of evaluationprovides valuable data about students‟ weaknesses in argumentative writing

Therefore, I have applied some innovative solutions to improve the gifted students’ argumentative writing skill at Nhu Thanh High School.

II PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS

A The solution of determining the structure of an argumentative essay through the network.

I have given my students the following structures and ask them to get toknow them and analyse them in detail

The structure of paper's outline is the same as the structure of their entireessay The difference is that they include the entire information in the body textwhile students only name the arguments in their outline An English essayoutline is worth their time as it figures as their plan during the whole writingprocess.

There are three basic sections of any argumentative essay students shouldfollow:

Outline Section 1: Introduction

Every essay starts with an introduction, and an argumentative essay is not

an exception

1 Hook

First of all, think about a powerful, eye-catching hook to grab reader's attention.Sure, it is important to know who your target audience is first Different peoplerequire different approaches Let's look at the example Writers used to write anargumentative essay on why there should be a second official language in theUnited States in addition to English They have chosen Spanish as my point ofview Based on the primary research, my hook could be,

"As far as most of the immigrants in the United States speak Spanish due to the neighborhood with Latin America, Spanish should be made the second official language in the United States."

2 Background information

Don't try to write too much in this part Simply name a topic and give ahint on what you'll be talking about in your argumentative text Briefly explainwhy the topic is important and who cares about it An example might be,

"The research shows that immigrants from Latin America feel uncomfortable with studying in English schools as they require more time to learn this language Thus, it is important to work on the question of the second national language."

3 Working on the thesis statement

This part contains the main argument Don't pose any questions here - juststate your main point of view clearly and without any hesitations

You may look at the additional information on how to write an eye-catchingessay introduction with a hook

Outline Section 2: Working on students’ arguments and refusing opposing arguments