BÀI GIẢNG HỌC PHẦN VIẾT NÂNG CAO 2 (đh SƯ PHẠM ANH)

Trong 4 kỹ năng nghe, nói, đọc và viết, kỹ năng viết từ lâu đã được xem là kỹ năng khó không chỉ đối với các em học sinh, sinh viên nước ngoài học tiếng Anh như một ngôn ngữ thứ hai hay

TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC ĐỒNG NAI

Khoa: Ngoại Ngữ

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BÀI GIẢNG HỌC PHẦN VIẾT NÂNG CAO 2

(ĐH SƯ PHẠM ANH) LECTURER: TRƯƠNG PHI LUÂN

ĐỒNG NAI, 2021

1 Lý do chọn đề tài

Trong thế giới phẳng ngày nay việc thụ đắc một ngôn ngữ thứ hai, đặc biệt là tiếng Anh, được xem là lợi thế rất lớn nhằm giúp người ta thành công trong thế giới hoc thuật, công việc, trong giao tiếp đời thường, đi du lịch quốc tế cũng như định

cư và làm việc ở nước ngoài nữa… Trong 4 kỹ năng nghe, nói, đọc và viết, kỹ năng viết từ lâu đã được xem là kỹ năng khó không chỉ đối với các em học sinh,

sinh viên nước ngoài học tiếng Anh như một ngôn ngữ thứ hai hay như một ngoại ngữ mà còn khó khăn ngay cả đối với cả các em học sinh, sinh viên bản ngữ, giáo viên bản ngữ và phi bản ngữ, hay các em sinh viên học tiếng Anh như một chuyên ngành nữa

Để đáp ứng được mục tiêu đổi về đề án đổi mới giáo dục về dạy và học TA cho giai đoạn đoạn 2018-2022, thì cần phải có sự thay đổi và đổi mới đồng bộ về cả phương pháp dạy và học tiếng Anh cũng như thay đổi cách kiểm tra đánh giá đối với sinh viên chuyên ngành ngôn ngữ Sau 5 khóa đào tạo tiếng Anh chuyên ngành cao đẳng và đại học sư phạm tiếng Anh khóa 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5, BCN khoa ngoại ngữ DNU nhận thấy còn nhiều bất cập và thiếu thống nhất trong chương trình khung của chuyên ngành lý thuyết tiếng và thực hành tiếng của cả hệ đai học và cao đẳng, cụ

thể ở đây là bộ đề cương môn VIẾT học thuật và tài liệu giảng dạy cho môn học đặc thù này xuyên suốt từ viết cơ bản 1 đến viết cơ bản 4 để mà từ đó các em có

thể đi chuyên sâu vào viết nâng cao 1 & 2 trong học kỳ 5 và 6 của chương trình đào tạo bậc đại học 4 năm của hệ đào tạo đại học sư phạm chuyên ngành tiếng Anh

Với sự đồng bộ và thống nhất cả về đề cương chi tiết và tài liệu giảng dạy cho phân môn môn VIẾT, tất cả các thầy cô DẠY MÔN VIẾT HỌC THUẬT có

thể yên tâm dạy và ra đề thi thống nhất nếu mình và một thầy cô khác cùng dạy một phân môn trong các học kỳ đó Xuất phát từ ưu đó, tôi đã tiến hành biên soạn lại bộ

đề cương môn viết nâng cao 1 & 2 dựa trên khung hình chuẩn châu Âu 6 bậc vào năm học 2018-2019 Trên cơ sở đề cương chi tiết này, năm học này (2019-2020),

tôi đã tiến hành soạn tài liệu giảng dạy môn VIẾT NÂNG CAO 1 cho năm học này

để mà các em sinh viên SPTA và các thầy cô giảng dạy môn viết có thể sử dụng tài liệu này học/dạy trên lớp hay sinh viên và giảng viên có thể dùng nó để làm tài liệu tham khảo bên ngoài lớp học Bên cạnh đó, các sinh viên sư phạm Anh có thể dùng

nó để ôn tập giúp mình tự tin và biết được cách ra đề thi của kỳ thi lấy các chứng

chỉ FCE và CAE để đủ điều kiện tốt nghiệp ra trường của mình

Hy vọng rằng BÀI GIẢNG HỌC PHẦN VIẾT NÂNG CAO 2 (ĐHSP ANH) sẽ góp phần đổi mới và nâng cao hiệu quả giảng dạy môn viết chuyên ngành

tại khoa ngoại ngữ trường Đại học Đồng Nai Tất nhiên trong quá trình biên soạn, tôi không tránh được những thiếu sót do bắt nguồn từ tâm lý chủ quan và kiến thức hạn hẹp của mình Tôi rất mong nhận được ý kiến đóng góp chân thành từ quý đồng nghiệp, tổ trưởng bộ môn để sau này tài liệu sẽ được hoàn chỉnh hơn Tất nhiên tất

cả các sai sót trong nội dung đề cương này (nếu có) sẽ hoàn toàn thuộc về tác giả biên soạn và tôi xin hoàn toàn chịu trách nhiệm về phần lỗi của mình

Tôi xin chân thành cám ơn!

2 Lịch sử nghiên cứu vấn đề

2.1 Căn cứ vào chương trình đào tạo đã được điều chỉnh vào năm 2016 2.2 Căn cứ vào chuẩn đầu ra của sinh viên chuyên Anh Khoa Ngoại ngữ 2.3 Căn cứ vào khung chương trình đào tạo học kỳ 5 năm 3 của SV chuyên ngành tiếng Anh

2.4 Căn cứ vào tình hình kiến thức thực tế của sinh viên sư phạm ĐH Đồng Nai

3 Đối tượng và mục đích nghiên cứu

BÀI GIẢNG HỌC PHẦN VIẾT NÂNG CAO 1 (ĐHSP ANH) được biên

soạn đặc biệt cho sinh viên sư phạm chuyên ngành tiếng Anh hệ cao đẳng và đại

học cần đạt được chứng chỉ FCE và CAE bậc 4/6 & 5/6 của khung hình chuẩn Châu Âu (CEFR) để đủ điều kiện tốt nghiệp ra trường Vì thế, mục đích soạn đề tài

liệu này là nhắm hướng đến mục tiêu đổi mới giáo dục dạy học tiếng Anh ở cấp độ chuẩn hóa quốc tế, qua đó giúp các em đạt được bằng cấp quốc tế để đủ điều kiện tốt nghiệp chuyên ngành tiếng Anh cũng như làm bệ phóng giúp các em tiếp tục học

sau đại học, đủ điều kiện đi du học hay làm việc trong các công ty nước ngoài mà đòi hỏi năng lực nghe, nói, đọc và viết của người sử dụng tiếng Anh Bên cạnh đó, tài liệu này cũng giúp cho các giảng viên dạy môn viết chuyên ngành tiết kiệm được thời gian khỏi phải sưu tầm nhiều tài liệu mà hóa ra lại không có khả thi vì có quá nhiều nguồn tài liệu này trên thị trường sách hiện nay mà có thể khiến các giảng viên rối chí Với tài liệu tinh giản này, các giảng viên dạy cùng có thể dùng nó để chuẩn bị bài giảng khi lên lớp, thiết kế đề thi sao cho phù hợp và tiện lợi cho sinh

viên nữa Chính trong ý nghĩa này mà BÀI GIẢNG HỌC PHẦN VIẾT NÂNG CAO 1 (ĐHSP ANH) được thiết kế để đưa vào giảng dạy cho sinh viên chuyên

ngành tiếng Anh sư phạm

4 Phương pháp nghiên cứu

Phương pháp nghiên cứu này dựa trên phương pháp phân loại, chắt lọc và sưu

tầm từ nhiều nguồn tài liệu dạy viết FCE & CAE được biên soạn bởi các chuyên

gia ngôn ngữ về phương pháp giảng dạy tiếng Anh như Malcolm Mann & Steve

Taylore-Knowles với các quyển sách dạy về viết FCE và CAE như Writing for First & Writing for Advance & Skills for First Certificate Writing và nhiều

nguồn tài liệu khảo cứu có giá trị khác của các tác giả chuyên gia về giảng dạy ngôn

ngữ về dạy viết (xem thêm trong phần tham khảo) Trên cơ sở chắt lọc đó, tôi đã

soạn ra bộ tài liệu giảng dạy mà mà có thể đáp ứng mục tiêu đổi mới giáo dục đào

tạo và thi cử môn viết và luyện thi viết trình độ B2 (FCE) & C1 (CAE) cho sinh

viên chuyên ngành sư phạm Anh hệ cao đẳng và đại học, giúp các em tự tin khi làm bài thi cuối khóa và cả kỳ thi lấy chứng chỉ quốc tế nữa

MỤC LỤC

Lý do chọn đề tài 1

Lịch sử nghiên cứu vấn đề 2

Đối tượng và mục tiêu nghiên cứu 2

Phương pháp nghiên cứu 3

Unit 0: Orientation for the Course 5

Unit 1: Writing an Informal Letter 28

Unit 2: Writing a Formal Letter 57

Unit 3: Writing a Discursive Essay 86

Unit 4: Writing Articles 109

Unit 5: Writing Reports 127

Unit 6: Writing Reviews and set books 142

Unit 7: Story telling (Bonus unit) 142

ĐÁP ÁN 155

Tài liệu tham khảo 170

UNIT 0: ORIENTATION OF THE COURSE (Periods 1-2)

AND AN OVERVIEW OF FCE WRITING SECTION 1 & 2

 OBJECTIVES:

This section aims to

 help students understand in depth the requirements of the module

“advanced writing 1” in terms of coursework assessments in the areas of credits, active attendances and participations, regular tests, midterm tests and final exam, etc

 arm students with commonly-found genres in FCE Writing Paper including

essays, letters, article, report, and review so that they set their appropriate

learning timetable in the prior preparation for their forthcoming exams

 introduce students new formats of the FCE Writing Paper adapted From:

Cambridge First for Schools, Handbooks for Teachers for Exams from 2016)

 roughly introduce to students main steps of how to write a letter, essay, article, report, and review effectively

 introduce to students some popular themes found in FCE

 introduce to students a sample FCE writing paper written by an FCE candidate along with the remarks given by the FCE examiner

I Orientation of the Coursework

 The name of Module: Viết nâng cao 1 (Advanced Writing 1)

 Term delivery: Semester V, third-year of Undergraduate training Program

 Participants: English-majored students (TESOL Program)

 Course Description: Obligatory

 Credit: 2, approximately 30 periods, done in 15 weeks, 2 periods per week

 Lecture Delivering: In-class, Venture: Dong Nai University (DNU)

 Instructor of the Coursework: Mr Truong Phi Luan, MA

 Attendance: Compulsory, without any exemptions, a three-mark deduction

for one absent session; to be detained for the next year relearning if one is found to be absent for three consecutive weeks

 Participation: Active participation in class discussion, individual, pair and

group work activity

 Regular tests: Fulfill the test given by the instructor on weekly basis

 Mid-term test: In-class test

 Final exam: held by the DNU

II ASSESSMENT of the coursework

 Attendance and Participation: 10%

 Regular Test: 10%

 Mid-term Test: 20%

 Final Exam: 70%

III GENERAL DESCRIPTION of THE FCE WRITING PAPER EXAM

The writing tasks make up 20% of your final mark in FCE There are two tasks

which are designed to test your writing ability in a number of ways Part 1 is a

single essay task in which you are required to comment on the essay question, giving

your own ideas and opinions In part 2 you have to choose one of three contextualized questions You will be asked to write one of the following text

For both parts, you have to write 140-190 words

 The marks you receive in each task are based on:

 How relevant the content is to the question

 How well you communicate your message to the reader and hold their attention This is called communicative achievement

 How well your writing is organized

 The range and accuracy of the language used in the writing (i.e grammar and vocabulary)

Below is the detailed table of FCE exam description

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

NO OF QUESTIONS Candidates are required to complete

two tasks: A compulsory one in part

1 and one from a choice of three in part two

article, a letter/email, a review, a report

Each task has a given purpose and a target reader

ANSWER FORMAT The questions are in a booklet The

answers are written in a separate booklet with lined pages

equal marks

STRUCTURE AN TASKS

PART 1 TASK TYPE AND FOCUS Writing an essay with a discursive

focus

Focus on agreeing or disagreeing with

a statement giving information, giving

an opinion, giving reasons, comparing and contrasting ideas and opinions, drawing a conclusion

FORMAT: Candidates are required to deal with an input of up to 120 words

There is an opening rubric to set the scene, and then an essay question with two given prompts, plus a prompt requiring to write about their own additional idea

NO OF TASKS AND LENGTH: One compulsory task 140-190 words

PART 2 TASK TYPE AND FOCUS: Questions 2-5

Writing one of the following: An article, a letter/email, a review, a report

IV ASSESSMENT FOR FCE WRITING PROFICIENCY OF THE CANDIDATE

Candidates’ answers will be assessed with reference to two mark schemes:

One based on the examiner’s overall impression (The General Impression

Marking Scheme), the other on the requirements of the particular task (The Task

Specific Mark Scheme) The General Impression Mark Scheme summarizes the Content, Organization, Cohesion, ranges of Structure, and Vocabulary, Register,

and Formal, and Target Reader indicated in the Task The Task Specific Mark Scheme focuses on criteria specific to each particular task

Candidates are penalized for dealing inappropriately with the requirements

of the task specific mark scheme The accuracy of language, including spelling and punctuation, is assessed on the general impression scale for all tasks

The examiner’s first priority is to give credit for candidate’s efforts at

communications, but candidates are penalized for inclusion of content irrelevant to the task set

 General Impression Mark Scheme

Band 5 (approximately 17-20 marks): For a Band 5 to be awarded, the

candidate’s writing fully achieves the desired effect on the target reader All the content points required in the task are included and expanded appropriately Ideas are organized effectively, with the use of a variety of linking devices and a wide range of structure and vocabulary The language is well developed and any errors that do occur are minimal and perhaps due to ambitious attempts at more complex language Register and format which is consistently appropriate to the purpose of the task and the audience is used

Band 4 (approximately 13-16 marks): For a Band 4 to be awarded, the

candidate’s writing achieves the desired effect on the target reader All the content points required in the task are included and expanded appropriately Ideas are clearly organized, with the use of the suitable linking devices and a good range of structure and vocabulary Generally, the language is accurate and any errors that do occur are

mainly due to attempts at more complex language Register and format which is, on the whole, appropriate to the purpose of the task and the audience is used

Band 3 (approximately 8-12 marks): For a Band 3 to be awarded, the

candidate’s writing, on the whole, achieves the desired effect on the target reader All the content points required in the task are included and expanded appropriately Ideas are organized adequately with the use of the simple linking devices and an adequate range of structure and vocabulary A number of errors are present, but do not impede communications A reasonable, if not always successful, attempt is made at the register and format which is appropriate to the purpose of the task and the audience

Band 2 (approximately 4-7 marks): For a Band 2 to be awarded, the

candidate’s writing does not clearly communicate the message to the target reader All the content points required in the task are inadequately covered or omitted, and/or there is some irrelevant material Ideas are inadequately organized; linking devices are rarely used, and the range of structure and vocabulary is limited Errors distract readers and may obscure communication sometimes Attempt at appropriate register and format are unsuccessful or inconsistent

Band 1 (approximately 1-3 marks): For a band 1 to be awarded, the

candidate’s writing has a very negative effect on the target reader There is notable omission of content points and/or considerable irrelevance, possibly due to misinterpretation of the task There is a lack of organization or linking devices, and there is little evidence of language control, the range of structure and vocabulary is narrow, and frequent errors obscure communication There is little or no awareness

of appropriate register and format

Band 0 (No marks) For a band zero to be awarded, there is either too little

language for assessment or the candidate’s writing is totally irrelevant or totally illegible

 Note: Candidates who fully satisfy the Band 3 descriptor will demonstrate

an adequate performance in writing at FCE levels

III MAIN STAGES OF FCE TEXT TYPES

Below are the description of the linguistic features and linguistic structure of some commonly found genres in FCE

1 Formal Letter

Greeting  Name unknown: Dear Sir/Madam

 Name Known: Dear Mr / Dear Mrs / Dear Ms + Surname,

Reason for Writing  I am writing to………

 I am writing with regard to………

 I am writing on behalf of ………

 I am writing in connection to/with ………

 I am writing in response to ………

Asking questions  I would be grateful if………

 I wonder if you could………

 Could you……….?

Referring to their Letter/points  As you stated in your letter………

 Regarding ………

 Concerning………

 With respects to………

 With regard to ………

Closing Expressions  If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to

contact me

 I am looking forward to hearing from you (soon)

Signing off  If Dear + name: Yours Sincerely,

 If Dear Sir/ Madam: Yours faithfully,

 Dear + name/ Dear + Sir/Madam: Yours, Name Your first name + surname

2 Informal Letter

Greeting Dear + first name,

Asking about them  Hi! How are things?

 How are you?

 How’s it going on?

Referring to their news  Great news about………

 Glad to hear that………

 Sorry to hear about………

Giving news  Listen, did I tell you about………

 You’ll never believe what ………

 Oh, and another thing………

Making suggestions  Why don’t you ……….?

 Maybe you could ………

 How about……….?

Closing expressions  Well, got to go now  Give my love/ regards to………

 Say hello to………

 See you soon! Signing off  Love,  Lots of love,  Yours, Name Your first name 3 Letter of application Stages Examples Greeting Name unknown: Dear Sir/ Madam, Name known: Dear Mr./ Mrs./ Ms + Surname Reason for Writing I am writing to apply for the post/ position of ………… as advertised in ………

I am writing with reference to your advertisement, which I saw………

Your experience I gained some experience while………

My qualifications include………

I am currently………

CV Please find attached my CV

As you can see from the attached CV

Closing expressions Please do not hesitate to contact me if………

Should you require further information, main clause ………

I am available for interview at your convenience

I look forward to hearing from you

Signing off If Dear + name: Yours sincerely,

If Dear Sir/ Madam: Yours faithfully, Dear + name/ or Dear Sir/ Madam: Yours faithfully, Dear + name or Dear + Sir/ Madam: Yours

Introduction As requested,

This involved visiting/ speaking to………

Having visited/ spoken to………

My findings are outlined/ presented below

5 ESSAY

Introducing the first

point in a list of points

First/ firstly/ first of all/ To start with/ To begin with

Introducing a further

point in a list of points

Second(ly)/ Third(ly)/ Moreover/ Furthermore/ In addition/ What is more/ Apart from that/ also/ Another point to be made is that

Introducing the final

point in a list of points

Finally/ Lastly

Presenting two (dis)

advantages together

Not only… But also…

Presenting two opposing

points of view

On the one hand/ On the other hand

Expressing results For this reason/ because of this/ as a result/ therefore/ thus

Expressing contrasts However/ but/ although/ though/ even though/ in spite of/ despite/

nevertheless/ In contrast to this

Giving examples For example, / For instance,/ Such as/ like

Expressing your opinions In my opinion,/ as I see it/ To my mind/ I believe that/ as far as I am

concerned / In my view

Expressing someone

else’s opinions

Someone believe that According to/ It is said that

Introducing a conclusion To conclude,/ In conclusion,/ To sum up,/ In summary,

Conclusion The advantages of….outweigh the disadvantages…

6 Article

Engaging the readers Have you ever………?

Do you find that……….?

Are you one of those people who……… ?

Making suggestions Imagine………

Let’s suppose………

Why not………?

Have you thought of ………?

Try………

Giving examples Take… for example/ for instance

Expressing Opinions As I see it………

To my mind ………

I believe that ………

As far as I am concerned ………

In my view ………

V Below are some commonly found themes in FCE WRITING

 Film

 Occupation

 Education

 Sport

 People

 Travel

 Food and Drink

 The Media

 The Weather

 The Environment

 Technology

 Health & Fitness

 Transport

 Fashion

 Crime

 Shopping

VI WRITING | SAMPLE PAPER 1

PART 1

You must answer this question Write your answer in 140-190 words in an appropriate style on the separate answer sheet

1 In your English class you have been talking about the environment Now, your English teacher has asked you to write an essay

Write an essay using all the notes and giving reasons for your point of view

Every country in the world has problem with pollution and damage to the environment Do you think these problems can be solved?

Notes:

Write about

1 Transport

2 Rivers and seas

3 _ (your own idea)

Part 2

Write an answer to one of the questions 2-4 in this part Write your answer in

140-190 words in an appropriate style on the separate answer sheet Put the question number in the box at the top of the answer sheet

2 You see this announcement in your college English-language magazine

Book reviews wanted

Have you read a book in which the main character behaved in a surprising way? Write us a review of the book in which the main character did and why it was surprising Tell us whether or not you would recommend this book to other people The best reviews will be published in the magazine

Write your review

3 You see this announcement on an English-language website

Article wanted The most useful thing I have ever learned

What’s the most useful thing you have learned?

Who did you learn it from? Why is it useful?

Write us an article answering these questions

We will publish the best articles on our website

Write your article

4 You have received this email from your English-speaking friend David

From: David

Subject: touring holiday

Some college friends of mine are visiting your area soon for a week’s touring holiday They would like to travel around and learn about your local area and its history

Can you tell me about some of the places they could visit? What’s the best way to travel around- car, bike or couch?

First of all a huge damage to the environment brings a transport People can’t imagine their living without cars, buses, trains, ships and planes But it’s an open secret that one of disadvantage of these accustomed things is harmful exhaust Needless to say that use of environment friendly engines helps us to save atmosphere from pollution

In addition to this our rivers and seas are in not less danger situation It’s a fact of common knowledge that numerous factories and plants pour off their waste to ponds Obviously that cleaning manufacturing water helps to avoid extinction of ocean residents

Apart from this I’m inclined to believe that every person can and must contribute to solving this important problem Doing a little steps for protection our environment every day we will be able to save our Earth And it’s a task of each of us

Examiner comments

Subscale Mark Commentary

1 All content is relevant to the task However, the target reader is on the whole informed, rather than being fully informed

2 Both numbered points (transport; rivers and seas) are referred to with some discussion of the problems

caused (Harmful exhaust; factories which pour off their

waste to ponds) and some

limited mention of solutions

3 No tangible 3rd aspect of environmental damage is discussed

4 While the writer does conclude with a strong

statement of opinion (every

person can and must) the

reader is not fully informed

on the solutions proposed

(Doing a little steps for

Protection our environment every day we will be able to save our Earth).

Communicative

1 The essay is written in a consistently neutral register and the format is appropriate for the communicative task, using more formal language

to introduce the ideas within

the text (To begin with; First

of all; It’s a fact of common knowledge)

2 There is a clear essay structure with an opening statement, topic paragraphs and a conclusion which sums

up the writer’s point of view Straightforward ideas are communicated to the target reader but when more complex ideas are attempted these are sometimes not as

successful (Obviously that

cleaning manufacturing water helps to avoid extinction of ocean residents)

ideas throughout the text (To

begin with; In addition to this; Needless to say; Apart from this)

2 The essay is clearly organized into paragraphs, which each deal with one idea Occasionally the follow-up examples are not as clearly connected as they could be For example, they discuss how factories pollute pond water and then offer a solution which would

help ocean residents

1 There is a range of everyday vocabulary used appropriately with some attempt to use more

sophisticated lexis (a global

ecocatastrophe;

atmosphere; common knowledge; factories and plants; inclined to believe; must contribute to solving)

2 There is a range of simple and some more complex grammatical forms used, and although there are errors,

impede communication (a

huge damage; People can’t imagine their living without cars; one of disadvantage; in not less danger situation)

QUESTION 2

CANDIDATE B:

“Life of Buddha”: A Book Review

What would you do if you were born as a prince with all the exclusive facilities to enjoy this material world? Yes, most of people will celebrate and enjoy every single right that they have as a son of a king Beautiful women, money, parties and all senses’ gratification stuff Surprisingly, it didn’t work that way for little Gautama who in the future would be a Buddha

In the book “Life of Buddha”, it is told that Gautama was born as a prince He got all the facilities to make him being comfortable staying in the palace The king didn’t allow him to get out from the palace for outside of the palace is the place of real life happened

One day, the king asked him to get married but the prince rejected it and decided to leave the palace instead There, he started his spiritual journey and later on had self-realization and became a Buddha

This book is suitable for you who like to read about someone’s autobiography and life’s lesson As a reader I can say that I learn a lot from this book High recommended as something to read before going to bed!

The review gives details about a book which contains a character who does something surprising

(Gautama was born as a

prince; (he) decided to leave the palace instead; (he) had self-realization and became a Buddha)

The candidate recommends the book by explaining what they liked about it and saying who would find it enjoyable

Communicative

The review uses the conventions of the communicative task to hold the reader’s attention The candidate introduces the topic of the book and the subject matter in an engaging way, using a rhetorical question, then summarizes some of the

events in the narrative (In

the book; it is told that; One day; the king; later on)

Straightforward ideas are communicated

Information is given about some of the characters and

main events, and the writer concludes with their

opinions of the book (This

book is suitable for; I can say that; High recommended as …).

The text is generally well organized and coherent It moves from general information in the introduction, to more specific details about the story in the next two paragraphs and concludes with an appropriate summary and opinion about the book A variety

of linking words and cohesive devices are used

in the text, including reference pronouns (it

didn’t work that way for little Gautama; he; him; One day; and; there; later on; This book).

A range of everyday vocabulary is used appropriately, and although there are some errors (facilities; all senses’ gratification stuff)

there is also some good use

of less common lexis

(started his spiritual journey)

Both simple and more complex grammatical forms are used with a good

degree of control (What

would you do if you were born; who in the future would be a Buddha; before

going to bed) Errors do

not impede

QUESTION 3

CANDIDATE C

The most useful thing I have ever learned

The most useful thing i have learned is surely speaking English I’ve been studing English for nine years till now I used to take regular classes in these language which

i found very interesting Also, i learn English in school, my teacher is awesome but strict, so i have to study constantly But most of all, i learn English, watching movies, TV shows Allso cartoons when i was younger When i came across a movie which was subtitled i turned the subtitle off I enjoy wathing TV and movies on English

English is the most spoken language across the world It is studied all over the world

In order to get in a conversation with a stranger from other country, you need to speak English I’m a swimmer, so i go on competissions in many countries, and in all of those countries i speak English I want to study abroad when I fnish highschool, so i’ll defenetly need English

All in all, i enjoy speaking it, writing it, and I’m very glad I got to learn it, i fnd it

The article describes the most useful thing which the writer has learned:

speaking English, and explains why it is useful

(English is the most spoken

language across the world

i go on competissions in many countries … in all of those countries, i speak English)

The second aspect of the task is discussed in detail and various methods of

learning are described (I

used to take regular classes; i learn English in school; watching movies,

TV shows Allso cartoons).

Communicative

The conventions of writing

an article are used appropriately to hold the reader’s attention The tone is friendly and informative and the topic

is clearly introduced and developed through the paragraphs The subject is

the English website and straightforward ideas are communicated The conclusion summarizes the candidate’s opinions and rounds off the article, re-stating the main points

of the question (All in all

… I’m very glad I got to learn it, i fnd it very useful).

The text is generally well organized and coherent There is a clear structure to the whole text, an introduction of the topic, paragraphs dealing with

different aspects, and a

There are a variety of linking words and cohesive devices used to connect ideas across sentences and paragraphs

(which

i found; Also; so; But most

of all; It is studied; In order to; those countries; All in all).

A range of everyday vocabulary is used appropriately and some attempts are made to use less common lexis

(awesome

but strict; study constantly; came across; subtitle)

The writer uses both simple and some more complex grammatical forms with a good degree

spelling (studing; Allso;

many ideas what I can show them and tell about

In my opinion the best way to travel around will be by bike because of small distances between the places and views are amazing

My area includes also beautiful Baltic Sea which many tourist visit especially in summer Your friends could sunbath or swim if they would like but the water is quite cold in this season Beautiful sightseeing of sunrise is the best memorise!

You wrote that they are intrested in history of my local area That’s great! We have museum of our local history where I can go with them Tickets are not so expensive and I can think about some discount

What do you think about it? Would you mind send me some your ideas?

I look forward to hearing from you soon

The candidate responds to the questions that have been asked and gives details about the places David’s friends can visit

(Baltic Sea; museum of

our local history)

The email explains that the best mode of transport

distances between the places and views are amazing.

Communicative

The conventions of the task are used to hold the reader’s attention The response is written in an informal, friendly but polite tone, which is appropriate for the task The conventions for opening and closing an email of this type are used appropriately, as well as standard phrases for communication to a friend

(You wrote that; What do

you think about it; I look forward to hearing from you soon; Best wishes)

Straightforward ideas are communicated

Information and advice are given and the overall tone is enthusiastic and positive

The text is well organized and coherent and uses the input email well to

structure the response (I’m

glad your friends are visiting; I have many ideas; In my opinion; My area includes also; which many; Your friends could; You wrote that; That’s great)

A variety of linking words

(because of) and cohesive

devices, such as substitution and referencing, are used across some

sentences and to connect simple ideas.

There is a range of everyday vocabulary used which is relevant to the

topic (beautiful Baltic

Sea; many tourist visit; in this

season; Tickets are not so expensive)

There is a range of simple and some complex

grammatical forms used with a good degree of control, e.g modals, present

and past forms of verbs

There are some errors (My

area includes also; send

me some your ideas) and

some spelling mistakes

(sunbath; memorise;

intrested) but these do not

impede communication

_THE END _

UNIT 1:

WRITING INFORMAL LETTERS (periods 3-6) OBJECTIVES

At the end of this unit, students will be able to:

 understand what an informal letter is, to whom it is written and for what situation it is written

 realize the differences between formal and informal writings in terms of grammar, vocabulary, and vocabulary

 have the first-hand understanding of some commonly found informal letters

in FCE

 recognize the main parts of an informal letter, its language use from the sample letters in order that later they can produce the similar informal letters independently successfully without any difficulties

THEME COVERS: FILMS

I WARM-UP (PAIRWORK)

Look at the pictures in pairs, ask and answer the following questions

 Have you seen any of these films? Did you enjoy them?

 What do you think the ones you haven’t seen are about?

 What’s your favourite film? Why?

II DEVELOP YOUR WRITING SKILLS

B Formal/ informal

I would be extremely grateful if you could let me know how long I will have to wait

from the date of my order until the satellite dish and programme decoder are

installed

C Formal/ informal

Although there may well be some kind of connection between violence on TV and

violence in society It’s not really clear what that connection is It certainly is not

the case that the majority of people, after watching a violent film, feel an increased

need to commit violent act In fact, possibly quite opposite

D Formal/ informal

As requested I have visited the three outdoor cinemas currently taking part in the

film festival I have compared them in terms of ticket pricing, facilities, comforts,

sound quality and picture quality My findings are outlined below

E Formal/ informal

To conclude, cinema appears to be increasing in popularity amongst younger age groups, despite the availability of high-quality video and DVD The evidence suggests that this is due partly to the social element involved in going to the cinema, and partly to the benefits of a large screen and state-of-the-art sound system

F Kyle’s language Formal/ informal

The writer’s language Formal/ informal

“Oh, I really don’t fancy going to the cinema tonight Can’t we just stay in and

watch a movie on TV or something?” Said Kyle His tone of voice revealed that he was hiding his real reasons for wanting to remain at home

G Formal/ informal

Furthermore, your advertisement stated that the DVD contains interviews with the stars and the director The copy which I received unfortunately contains the film and nothing more

H Formal/ informal

As you will see from my CV (attached), I have worked as an extra on a number of

films I believe that my references from those films demonstrate that I am professional, reliable and hardworking

Vocabulary:

Fab (adj): Fabulous: Phi thường, thần

kỳ, xuất sắc

As usual (Expr): Như thường lệ

Cool (Adj): Xuất sắc

Loads of (Expr): nhiều

Satellite dish (NP): Đĩa vệ tinh

Decoder (N): Máy đọc mật mã

Fancy + V-ing: tưởng tượng, hình

dung

Extra (N): Vai phụ, vai cho có mặt

Age group (NP): Nhóm tuổi

Be partly due to + NP (Expr): Một phần là do

State-of-the-art (Adj): Đỉnh cao công nghệ

In terms of (Expr): Về phương diện Commit violent act (V-NP): Pham tội

ác Connection (N): Mối liên hệ

B HOW DID YOU KNOW?

Look again at extracts A, B and C

Write a word or a short phrase from the extracts on the lines provided

Extract A

1 Find two examples of informal grammar

2 Find an example of informal verb

3 Find an example of informal punctuation

4 Find a sentence without a verb

5 Find an example of VERY informal spelling _

6 Which word is short for “fabulous”? _

7 Which phrase means “many”?

Extract B

1 Which phrase means “Please tell me…….? _

2 Find one example of the passive _

Extract C

1 Find one example of formal grammar _

2 Find one example of informal grammar _

3 Find a more formal phrase for “It’s not true at all… ”

4 Find a more formal phrase for “most” _

C MATCH THE TEXT TYPES

Now look at all the extracts again Match each extract with a text type below, by writing A-H on the lines provided

1 Letter of application

3 Letter requesting information

4 Letter to a pen friend

5 Composition for your teacher

6 Article for a young people’s magazine

D DISCUSS (PAIRWORK)

Discuss your answer Do you agree on the text types?

E WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Write T for true and F for false next to these statements about writing

1 In an article for a young people’s magazine, you shouldn’t use contractions (don’t, can’t, it’s, etc.) at all

2 In a composition for your teacher, you should avoid using contractions

3 Only grammar is formal or informal, vocabulary isn’t

4 Phrasal verbs are usually (but not always) informal

5 When you write a piece of writing, the level of formality depends on who your readers are

6 You only need to have paragraphs in a formal piece of writing

7 You can be quite chatty and conversational in a letter of application

8 A composition for your teacher is more formal than an article for a young person’s magazine

9 An article for a young person’s magazine is the same level of formality as a letter

to a pen friend

F STUDY THE MODEL

Quickly read model composition below and find informal words and phrases that mean the same as these more formal words and phrases

MODEL COMPOSITION 1: INFORMAL LETTER This is part of a letter you received from an English friend

By the way, in your last letter you said you were going to buy either a video camera

or a games machine Which did you buy and why? I’d love to hear all about it

Write your letter, answering your friend’s questions and giving relevant details Do

not write any addresses

The camera I got is really cool, and it was actually quite a bit cheaper than the others I looked at (so I’ve still got some money for when you come over in the summer!) It’s not a digital one, but it’s got this great little screen where you can see what you’ve just filmed The problem is, though, that my dad loves it too, so I don’t get much of a chance to use it

Anyway, I’d better go now as I’ve got to study for a history test tomorrow (unfortunately!)

Write back soon!

Love, Andy

Quickly read the model letter above and find informal words and phrases that mean the same as these more formal words and phrases

1 Thank you very much

B A FORMAT OF AN INFORMAL LETTER

An informal letter normally consists of the following stages: Salutation, Openings, Body development, closing, closing statements, signature Below are some detailed explanations

01 Salutations/ Greetings: Start with Dear followed by the first name of the person to whom you are writing In emails, you can also start with Hi (and the

person's name) Here are some examples

Dear Tim,

Hi Tim,

02 Openings: State the reasons for your writing: When you write an informal letter,

you are usually replying to another letter You would normally start with a greeting, then acknowledging the letter to which you are replying It is often a good idea to acknowledge some key information given in the original letter too You can also make a comment on your own reply

 Here are some useful phrases for openings (teacher introduces some expressions; the rest learnt by students at home)

a How are you? / How have the family been? / I hope you are well

b Thanks for your email/ many thanks for your (recent/last) letter/email/ postcard

c It was great/ nice/good to hear from you again

d I was surprised to hear that ………

e It’s been ages since I heard from you I hope you are well/ you and your family are well

f How are things? / How are you? / How’s it going?

 Other useful phrases

 To advise & suggest

a Why don’t you ………?

b If I were you, I would/ wouldn’t ………

c I recommend + Gerund phrases/ that you should ………

d I suggest + Gerund phrases/ that you should ………

e I think you should ………

f You could try ………

g You ought to ………

h It might be a good idea to ………

 Referring to the news

a Great news about ………

b Glad to hear that ………

c Sorry to hear about ………

 To request and give information

a By the way, have you heard about/ did you know that ………?

b Let me tell you about ………

c Could you let me know ………?

d I need to know ………

e Listen, did I tell you that ………? You will never believe what ………?

f Oh, and another thing ………

g This is just to let you know that ………

h I thought you might be interested to hear about/ to know that ………

 Apologies

 I’m writing to apologize for missing your party, but I’m afraid I was with flu

 I’m really sorry that I forgot sending you a birthday card but I was busy with

 I was wondering if you’d like to go to the theatre / come on holiday with us

 Could you let me / us know if you can come / you’d like to join us?

 Thank you very much for your invitation I’d love to come

 Thank you for asking / inviting me to … but I’m afraid I won’t be able to

 Thank you / Congratulations / Good Luck

 I’m writing to thank you for your hospitality / the wonderful present

 It was so kind of you to invite me to stay with you

 I really appreciated all your help / advice

 Congratulations on passing your exams / your excellent exam results!

 I wish you good luck / Good luck in / with your exams / your driving test / your interview

 Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll do well / pass

 Do be on time, won’t you, and don’t forget to ………

 Requests

 I’m writing to ask for your help / you (if you could do me) a favor

 I wonder if / I was wondering if you could help me / do me a favor

 I hope you don’t mind me asking but could you (possibly) …?

 I’d be very / really / terribly grateful if you could ………

 Making suggestions and recommendations

 Why don’t you …? / Maybe you could …? / How about …?

 You can’t leave New York without ( doing something)

 I’m sure you will enjoy ( doing something) If you like, we can …

 Do visit / Don’t forget to

03 Body Development: Here are the main messages of the letter Write the main

features that you want the listeners/readers to read your letters Divide them into paragraph for the readers to easily read your message

04 Closings: The end of your letter is as important as the beginning There are some standard ways of finishing an informal letter or email (Teacher introduces some expressions; the rest learnt by students at home)

 Give a reason why you're ending the letter: Anyway, I must go and get on

with my work! / I guess it's time I got on with that studying I've been avoiding

 Send greetings and/or make reference for future contact: Give my love /

regards to / Say hello to /anyway, don't forget to let me know the dates

of the party / I'll try and phone you at the weekend to check the times / We must try and meet up soon / I can't wait to hear from you / Look forward to seeing you again / Hope to hear from you soon / See you soon / Write soon

 Closing statement such as Love, Lots of love, All the best, Take care, Best wishes, should be written on a new line If you used a comma after the

opening greeting, use a comma here too

 Signing off: Your first name then follows on another new line

 Other useful expressions (teacher introduces some expressions; the rest learnt by students at home)

 Hope to hear from you soon

 Thanks for everything

1 Read this composition question and do the exercises that follow

You saw an interesting film at the cinema last night Write a letter to your pen friend explaining why you enjoyed the film so much and recommending that they see it

Write your letter

 What will you refer to from their last letter or what will you ask them, BEFORE you mention the film?

 Who did you go to the cinema with?

 What was the name of the film you saw?

 What kind of the film is it?

 Who is in it?

 What is it about? _

 Why did you particularly enjoy it?

 Why do you think your friend will enjoy it? _

 What reason will you give for ending your letter? _

2 THINK ABOUT FORMALITY

Circle the sentences which would be appropriate for this kind of letter

There might be more than one sentence in each group which is appropriate

Paragraph 1

a I am writing to thank you for your letter

b Thanks a lot for your last letter

c I am writing to thank you for your last letter

Paragraph 2

a Anyway, a bunch of us went to the cinema last night

b My news- I went to the movies last night with Darren and Angie

c I would like to describe an interesting film I saw at the cinema last night

Paragraph 3

a Bruce Willis was great as the baddie!

b Furthermore, we were all extremely impressed by both the quality of the acting and the direction

c I’d therefore recommend that you see it as soon as you get the chance

d Go and see it if you get the chance- I think you will love it!

e I would strongly suggest that you go and see this movie