Some experiences to improve how to write a paragraph in english for good students at tan lap secondary school

THANH HOA EDUCATION AND TRAINING DEPARTMENT OFFICE OF BA THUOC EDUCATION AND TRAININGINITIATIVE EXPERIENCE SOME EXPERIENCES TO IMPROVE HOW TO WRITE A PARAGRAPH IN ENGLISH FOR GOOD STUDEN

THANH HOA EDUCATION AND TRAINING DEPARTMENT OFFICE OF BA THUOC EDUCATION AND TRAINING

INITIATIVE EXPERIENCE

SOME EXPERIENCES TO IMPROVE HOW TO WRITE A PARAGRAPH IN ENGLISH FOR GOOD STUDENTS AT TAN LAP SECONDARY

TABLE OF CONTENT

2.2 Problems emerged before the Study was acted 3

1 INTRODUCTION

In the context of deeper integration, English has become an essential tool

to bring successfully in business, education and life We know that English plays

an important role in our life And I think that improving the quality of teachingEnglish at school is very important Thus, every English teacher has to innovateteaching method We have to improve the quality of English teaching andlearning in schools It is the task of English teachers

Viet Nam education is trying to innovate the teaching methods insecondary schools and high schools Innovating teching methods has toassociate with the fact, in line with the student audience in order to promote thepositiveness and possibilities of the students Every year, there are a lot ofworkshops on new teaching methods to provide the best academic performancefor students And there are also a lot of workshops on improving the quality ofEnglish teaching in secondary school and high schools

1.1 Rationale.

English is a difficult subject Learning English requires the time,perseverance of learners and specially the ability to apply in practice EnglishLearners must have the right attitude and identify the purpose of learningEnglish clearly

When students begin learning English, they must learn four four skills:Listening, speaking, reading and writing These are important skills that teachersneed to help students practice better and better In my opinion, writing is adifficult skill for junior high school students, especially writing a paragraph.When I teach students to take exams for good students at Tan Lap SecondarySchool, I realize that students are very afraid to write a paragraph in English.Because they do not know how to write an outline Especially they do not knowhow to write a paragraph with different types of paragraphs So I choose thetopic "Some experiences to improve how to write a paragraph in English

for good students at Tan Lap secondary school" to help students to write a

paragraph more effectively

1.2 The aim of research.

- Help students learn how to write some kinds of paragraphs

- Help students learn how to use conjunctions and structures in each part

of an essay

- Teach students to think independently

- Help students enjoy the subject and achieve high results when when taking exams for gifted students

- Helps teachers achieve better results when teaching good students

1.3 The object of research.

- How to write an English paragraph for good students

1.4 The methods of study.

During the study, I used the following methods:

- Observation is applied to observe the activities of students during the time they are included in writing activities

- Analysis, statistics, synthesis, comparation and assessment are applied toassess the progress of students when they approach the writing with newmethods

- Check students to find out the current state of writing a paragraph

- Apply different writing styles

2 CONTENT OF INITIATIVE EXPERIENCE.

The leading point of teaching foreign languages is now under the direction

of communication Therefore, the purpose of teaching a foreign language is tohelp learners not only understand the language system but also the use of thelanguage system as a communication tool The basic features of the new foreignlanguage teaching activities are independent, positive, proactive students insolving the task of communicating foreign languages Recently, the Ministry ofEducation and Training has specificly required for teaching based on thestandards of knowledge, skill, teaching methods demand action and attitude ofconfidence in learning for qualified students They have the gift for English andare keen on learning.They can pass both the written examination and the oralexamination

Thus, we must make students love the subject if we want to have a bettercourse As students love the course, the teacher must stimulate learning forstudents

2.2 Problems emerged before the Study was acted

- Lack of orientation and lack of system interoperability programs make teachers self-study and self-documented

- I have many periods in class At home, my children are too young,myhusband works far from away so my investment for the training of qualifiedstudents have also been limited.

* To students:

- Tan Lap Secondary School students are mainly ethnic minorities, somany children have the habit of using their own language – Muong - Thai in class caused many problems in the teaching process

- Many families are not really interested in their children's learning Theirchildren do not have time and good method of learning so the results are notgood

- Economic condition is still difficult.The students do not have a lot of time to study They have to work hard everyday

- Tan Lap secondary school also has a few qualified students but they areaffected by the subjective opinion of parents to choose the subject, making itdifficult for me to choose suitable students to train

In the process of teaching with the consciousness to research thesituation of student learning has conducted from experience I always orientmyself a plan and specific methods to actively investigate the situation ofstudent learning Through investigation, I realized that most of them don’t knowhow to write a paragrahp They are not good at doing the test The survey resultsare not good

The results of good students in grade 8,9 at Tan Lap secondary school inthe year 2015- 2016

Table 1:

From that fact, I tried to find out the reasons of the weak quality and Ifinally found out main reason: good students don’t know how to write aparagragh in English and the students’ interest to write a paragragh are verylimited

In order to solve the problems above and to improve the quality of generallyEnglish not only in grade 8 but also particularly in other grades, in the firstsemester of school year 2017-2018 and 2018- 2019 I only apply this innovativeexperience to teach in grade 8 ( in grade 9 I still taught as I had done beforeapplying this innovative experience ) At the beginning of the school year, I had

a survey about writing a paragragh , and level of interest in writing a paragragh:

Unit 3: At home 15-minute test:

Write a description of a room in your house.

Key:My Room

My room is on the second floor It's quite a big room and very light,because there are two windows overlooking the garden My desk is between thewindows and my bed is against the wall opposite the desk There's an armchairnear the desk and behind the armchair there's a wardrobe Opposite them, there's

a chest of drawers with bookshelves next to it I'm very pleased

Here are the survey results quality of good students of grade 8 at Tan Lap secondary

school at the begin of the school year 2016- 2017

Table 2:

Besides, I also tested the students’ interest before applying some of mymethods in teaching writing paragragh for them

Interest test of writing paragragh of grade 8, and grade 9 at Tan Lap

secondary school at the begin of the school year 2015-2016, 2016-2017:

How are you interested in writing paragragh ? Click X in your chosen one.Very Interested Normal Less interested Not interested

interested

Table 3: Check the good students’ interest

Starting from the above reality I strongly improved, gradually additionalthe new teaching method applied to the English periods in genera, in the yearafter to see the results markedly

2.3 Solutions

2.3.1.How to write a paragraph.[1]

When writing a Paragraph in English, it must include the full three parts:The topic sentence; The supporting sentences and The concluding sentence

a The topic sentence.

- It is the first sentence of the paragraph and also the most

important sentence in the paragraph

- The topic sentence briefly describes what the paragraph is about

- The topic sentence must contain the controlling idea of the paragraph.Here are phrases used to express the controlling idea:

+ Three main types + Three groups

+ The following + Noun + Several problems

+ These disadvantages + These disadvantages

+ Three main causes + Three characteristics

b The supporting sentences

- Give the main ideas to explain, prove the topic sentence

- This section usually includes 3 supporting sentences The conjunctions

is usually used to link the main ideas in the supporting sentences:

+ Firstly _ Secondly _ Lastly _

+ In the first place _ Also _ Lastly _ +

Generally _ Furthermore _ Finally _ +

To be sure _ Additionally _ Lastly _

+ In the first place _ Just in the same way .Finally .+ Basically _ Similarly _ As well _

- In each supporting sentences , we write from two to four sentences called " The supporting details" The conjunctions is usually used to link thesentences in "the supporting details":

+ Consequently + It is evident that

+ It is apparent that + It goes without saying that

+ Without a doubt + Needless to say

+ In the same way + More importantly/remarkably

c The concluding sentence

- It is the last sentence Recalling the main idea stated in the topic

sentence in a different way or drawing conclusions based on previous

arguments

- The conjunctions is usually used to end a paragraph:

+ Indeed

+ In conclusion

+ In short

2.3.2 Some things to remember when writing a paragraph [2]

a Don’t use contractions

b Do not go down the line for a paragraph

c The paper must contain the full three sections as stated above Do not writetoo long or too short

d Do not use "YOU" in a paragraph

e Do not use "extreme words"

f Always repeat the" KEY WORDS" in points

g Use "linking words" correctly and clearly

h Use "ACTIVE VOICE" instead of "PASSIVE VOICE"

2.3.3 Some types of writing a paragraph

* Type 1: Describing people: [3]

a Introduction: Who the person is/ When and how you first met or saw him/her

- Personality/ behavior (with justification/examples): give examples of manner and mannerism

Eg: Mark is rather unsociable, usually sitting silently in a corner

abserving others from a distance

- Life/ lifestyle/beliefs: talk about the person's habits, interests,

profession, daily routine, opinion, etc

Eg: Being both a university student and a part-time assistant in a

supermarket, Tom has little free time to go out in the evenings

c Conclusion:

- Comments/ feelings about person

*Tips: If the instruction for the writing task ask you to describe someonerelated to the present, you will describe the person using Present tenses eg: "Describe a person who is unusual "

If you are asked to describe somebody related to the past Somebody who

is no longer alive or somebody you met some time ago, you will describe theperson using Past simple tenses

* Linking words and Structures: Writing which contains a series of shortsentences or the same simple linking words(such as"and") soon becomes boringand repetitive To avoid this, you should use a wide range of linking words andstructures:

- with: She is tall and striking, with long blonde hair

- Relative Clauses: who/which/whose

Eg: My neighbour, who is slightly eccentric, has dozens of filthy cats

Eg: He is a scruffy child whose clothes are torn and dirty

Eg: He has a broken nose, which makes hims look like a boxer

- Result: so/such (a) (that)

Eg: She is so beautiful that she looks like a film star

- Addition: in addition to, as well as/ besides, moreover, furthermore, not only but also ,etc

Eg: He is very tall, in addition to being very thin

Eg: My grandmother has deep wrinkles, as well as thin grey hair

Eg: He is not only artistic, but also a successful businessman

- Contrast: + but/yet/However/Nonetheless/Even so + Clause

+ Although/(Even) though/ While + Clause+ In spite of/ Despite + -ing form/noun/the fact thatEg: He is temperamental, but/yet he is a loyal friend

Eg: He looks as through he's an old man However, he is only 35

Eg: Although he has a huge, powerful body, he's a very gentle person

Eg: In spite of being very busy, she always has time for her children

- Linking cause and effect:

+ Because/as/since+owing to/due to+ As a result/consequence of+ A/the result of / as a result,

+so/ therefore/for this reason+ The reason(that/why)Eg: She is popular because she is open and friendly

Eg: She is popular due to being/due to the fact that she is open and friendly.Eg: A result of her being open is that she is popular

Eg: She is open and friendly, so she is popular

Eg: She is open and friendly, therefore she is popular

Eg: The reason she is popular is that she is open and friendly

* Impressions, Opinions and Reactions:

+ I think/feel/etc (that)+ It seems to me that+ To me/To my mind+ As far as I'm concerned+ In my opinion/view/eyes+ Sb seems/ appear to be

+ Sb stribes people/comes across as (being)

+ Sb gives the impression of being / the impression that

* Compoud Adjectives: Compound adjectives are formed with

+ Present participles: a hard-working student+ Past participles: an open-hearted young man

* Example: Topic: A Close Friend

Jacques has been my close friend for two years I first met him on aschool exchange trip to Calais, France I asked him the way to the library and westarted talking We've been friends ever since Jacques is quite good-looking.He's tall and slim, with olive skin and curly dark hair Like many French people,

he has a great sense of style, so he always looks well- dressed even in casualclothes Jacques is very outgoing He is always friendly and loves to have fun.He's got a fantastic sense of humour and he always makes me laugh However,

he can be a bit immature at times For example, when he doesn't get what hewants, he acts childishly and stamps his feet Jacques is very keen on watersports He likes sailing and he spends a lot of time on his boat He enjoys scubadiving, too, and loves exploring life under sea All in all, I'm glad to haveHacques as my friend It's a pleasure to be with him and I really enhoy hiscompany I'm sure we'll always be close friends

* Type 2 Descibing places/ Buildings [4]

a Introduction: name/ location/ population of the place, reason for choosing theplace

- Factual information such as age, size, colour, material, etc

Eg: The temple, with 10-meter tall marble columns, was built in 800BC

- Details relating to the senses ( sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste) to suggest mood and atmosphere

Eg: Visitors' footsteps on the wom stone floors echo through the cool, dark corridors, disturbing the tranquil silence

b.Main body: general features and particular details

- Place: surroundings, sights, facilities, free-time activities

- Building: surroundings, detailed description of exterior/ interior

c Conclusion: Comments/ feelings or a recommendation

* Notice:

- Each aspect of the description should be presented in a separate

paragraph beginning with a clear topic sentence

- Present tenses are normal used when describing a place for a tourist brochure or a magazine article

- Past tenses are normal used when describing a visit to a place/building

- First and second conditionals(will/would) can be used when you

describe your ideal city/house,etc

- When we give factual information about a place or building this is normally given using Present tenses

Eg: I flew to Madrid last Monday Madrid is situated in the central point

of the Iberian peninsula with a population of about 3,000,000

* Expressing Impression & Reactions

- You can express positive impressions of a place by:

+ Using a variety of adjectives such as: breathtaking, delightedful, eyecatching, outstanding, picturesque, etc

+ Using a variety of present or past participle from such verbs as: astound, amaze, astonish, impress, refresh,etc.

Eg: I was/felt astounded at how beautiful Florida is in winter

+ Using a variety of nouns in expressions such as: to my amazement/

astonishment/ delight/ surprise/etc

Eg: To my delight, the place had kept its character

- You can express negative impressions of a place by:

+ Using a variety of adjectives such as: disreputable, inhospitable, neglected+ Using a variety of present or past participles from such verbs as: disappoint, shock,etc

Eg: the disappointing view of the unsightly housing

+ Using a variety of nouns in expressions such as: to my disappointment/

surprise/etc

* Making comparisons: To compare places or building you can use:

+ (just/nearly) as (positive degree) as

Eg: In those days the main streets were just as congested as they are

today + The same as

Eg: The cottage was the same as it had been fifty years before

+ (relatively/considerably) less (positive degree) than

Eg: The new buildings are considerably less ornate than the old ones.+ (much/far/considerably) more + adjective/ adverbs + than

Eg: The northern area is more picturesque than the eastern area

+ (by far) the most + adjective

Eg: Hill Manor is by far the most elegant hotel in the

region + comparative + and + comparative

Eg: The streets are becoming dirtier and dirtier

+ the comparative , the + comparative

Eg: The further south you travel, the warmer it becomes

* Example: Topic: Describe your school

My school is in the country It is not big but it is lovely and beautiful Thereare fiften rooms in my school It has a libray There are hundreds of books andnewpapres in the library I and my friends usually go there to borrow books.There is a big yard in my school We usually play games and sports like playingsoccer, playing marbles, skipping ropes …at recess There are many trees in theyears Some students sit under trees to study or listen to musuc The teachers of

my school are from different places Some lives near the school and some livefar from the school They are all very clever and hard-working All the studentslove them I love my school very much because it is very beautiful and ourteachers are friendly and outgoing

* Type 3 Describing festivals/ events/ ceremonies: [4]

1 Introduction: Set the scene ( name,time/date, place of event, reason(s) forcelebrating)