Advantages of the use of group writing in improving writing skill of high school students .... 11 CHAPTERII: SUGGESTED TECHNIQUES FOR USING GROUP WRITING-SOME SUITABLE ACTIVITIES FOR GRO
Reasons for choosing the study
Every teacher strives for strong results in the teaching process, but achieving those outcomes is not always easy It requires more than motivation; it demands a combination of solid teacher qualities, deep subject knowledge, and the right instructional methods to apply in the classroom By aligning professional strengths with evidence-based teaching strategies and ongoing reflection, educators can enhance student learning, engagement, and achievement.
By the late 20th century, linguists, teachers, and learners witnessed the emergence of a popular approach to foreign language instruction—Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) This method centers on developing the four core language skills—listening, speaking, reading, and writing—emphasizing meaningful communication Among these, writing has attracted growing attention due to its practical significance in real-world contexts Mastery of writing helps learners craft compelling CVs for job opportunities and to manage professional communications, including drafting contracts and agreements.
Realizing this, teachers should conduct more research to improve writing skills for learners, especially high school students Traditionally, teachers often have students work independently or in pairs, a practice that yields both benefits and drawbacks The benefits include greater student independence in expressing ideas and knowledge, while the drawbacks include frequent writing errors that make the results unsatisfactory To elevate writing outcomes, educators can adopt evidence-based instructional strategies, provide targeted feedback, and promote structured practice that combines independence with constructive guidance.
The topic emerged somewhat by chance and answers the question: apart from individual and pair work, what other effective methods can improve high school students' writing skills? Beyond solo practice and two-person collaboration, structured group projects, collaborative drafting, and teacher-guided writing cycles provide systematic opportunities to strengthen coherence, argumentation, and style Effective strategies include cross-curricular writing tasks, explicit instruction in genres and rhetorical moves, and regular practice with feedback guided by clear rubrics, paired with iterative revision Incorporating peer review, modeling expert writing, and reflective journaling helps students internalize conventional structures and vocabulary while building confidence When these methods are applied consistently with clear goals and assessments, high school writers show deeper engagement and measurable growth in writing proficiency.
This thesis seeks to empower teachers to develop innovative methods for teaching writing skills and to help students learn writing more effectively Integrating group work increases student engagement and provides practical opportunities to practice a foreign language within collaborative tasks The primary motivations for this study are to improve writing instruction through creative pedagogy and to enhance learners' overall language development through collaborative learning.
“The use of group writing in improving writing skill of high school students”.
Aims of the study
This thesis aims to contribute to the improvement of teaching writing and to identify effective group writing activities that enhance the writing skills of high school students It also opens up opportunities for further study and research in this area.
Scope of the study
The thesis is about the use of group writing to improve writing skill of high school students.
Methods of the study
With the aims above, in the course of writing this paper, we have followed the procedure below:
- Describing stages to carry out group writing activities
- Analyzing collected data from two Survey Questionnaires to investigate the real situation of using group writing in improving writing skill of high school students.
Design of the study
The thesis consists of three main parts:
Part A entitled “Introduction” outlines reasons for choosing the study, the aims, the scope, the methods and the design of the study
Part B, titled Development, comprises three chapters Chapter I, Theoretical Background, provides the theoretical foundation for the study Chapter II, “Suggested Techniques for Group Writing—Some Suitable Activities for Group Writing and Particular Examples,” forms the core of the work by detailing practical group-writing techniques, activities, and concrete examples Chapter III addresses the real-world use of group writing, analyzes survey data, and offers recommendations for more effective usage.
Part C entitled “Conclusion” which expresses a brief overview on the achievements of the thesis and some suggestions for futher studies
The last pages of the thesis are “References” with list of material sources and an “Appendix”
THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
What is writing?
Writing is a complex process that helps writers explore thoughts and ideas and turn them into visible, concrete forms It fosters thinking and learning by motivating communication and making ideas available for reflection When thoughts are written down, ideas can be examined, reconsidered, added to, rearranged, and revised.
What is Group work?
According to Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied linguistics
Group work is a collaborative learning activity that involves a small group of learners working together to achieve a common goal The group may tackle a single task or divide a large task into parts, with members contributing to different components as needed Often, the tasks and roles are selected by the group members themselves, shaping how the work is shared, coordinated, and completed.
Harmer (1996) states that group work is a generic term covering a multiplicity of techniques in which two or more students are assigned a task that involves collaboration and self- initiated language.
What is Group writing?
In 1991, Nunan states that group writing is a term referring to the way the teacher divides the students into groups to accomplish a writing task together
Greenall (1984) suggests that group writing means a kind of cooperation among members of the class, who are divided into convenient – sized groups for the purpose of completing a writing task.
Advantages of the use of group writing in improving writing skill of high school students
There are several good reasons for getting students to work in groups that were presented by Fries (1945:49) Let us consider some of the following reasons
During whole-class activities, a few students often dominate while others tune out, and teachers can’t monitor every learner at once Dividing the class into small groups is an effective solution because group work boosts participation and focus as students collaborate on the task In a group writing activity, every member must contribute, leaving little room for inactivity and ensuring that quieter students stay engaged Group writing also increases students’ investment in the task and helps develop responsibility and autonomy, making collaborative writing a powerful approach to learning.
Group writing is an effective solution to the problems that arise when students work individually or in pairs, since mistakes in grammar, spelling, and word choice often go unnoticed by learners themselves In collaborative writing, group members can spot errors and provide each other with peer feedback, helping everyone learn from one another’s mistakes and strengthen their writing skills Moreover, ideas and knowledge tend to flow more freely when exchanged, making the writing process more productive in group settings Small-group work also gives students more opportunities to share and refine their opinions on the given topics or tasks.
1.4.3 The teacher has more time to satisfy students’ requirements
In the classroom, the teacher often acts as an instructor, controller, and corrector When students work in groups, she steps away from these traditional roles, circulating around the room to observe individual performance and offer help as needed In challenging moments, the teacher can join any group to facilitate activities and keep the work on track, ensuring smooth collaboration and effective learning.
Disadvantages of group writing
Besides advantages of group writing, Fries also stated three problems arising when students work in groups as follow
1.5.1 Students tend to use their mother tongue
Small-group writing activities often reveal that some students struggle to express ideas in English, which can cause groups to stall and hamper progress Without consistent teacher supervision, others lapse into their native language, reducing opportunities for English practice and collaborative learning in the classroom.
Teachers should promptly recognize problems and pursue timely solutions, while students should clearly understand that group writing time provides an essential chance to practice the target language effectively.
1.5.2 Students are easy to make noise
Noise in student group work is natural as learners freely share ideas during writing tasks When the teacher’s supervision isn’t present, groups may chat and lose concentration, hindering task progress Constructive noise arises when some students speak more loudly to demonstrate their understanding or knowledge, or to draw the teacher’s attention, turning discussion into an engaging and productive learning activity.
1.5.1 The teacher is difficult to control all groups at once
Group work requires all students to stay focused on the task When the teacher spends time explaining for some groups or gives extra help to slower students, they cannot fully monitor what other groups are doing, and some students may become off-task How should the teacher handle a group that finishes early or students who do not participate in English activities? These challenges hinder the teacher's ability to manage the whole class, and monitoring the success of group work is not easy.
1.6 Solutions to overcome the disadvantages of using group writing
Fries not only stated the disadvantages of group writing but also gave following solutions in order to help teachers deal with the above problems
During group work, teachers should circulate among groups to monitor student performance, remind students not to lapse into their native language, and keep noise levels to a minimum They should also provide constructive feedback and practical suggestions to guide learning and improve outcomes.
The teacher should begin by delivering clear, group-focused instructions for the activities to ensure every member knows exactly what to do, when to start, and when to stop Clear upfront guidance improves classroom management, aligns roles, and prevents confusion during group work Teachers often include step-by-step directions, defined roles, shared timers, and explicit outcomes to help groups stay on task Quick checks for understanding and brief demonstrations can confirm that all students grasp the tasks and timing, making collaborative learning more efficient and productive.
Relaying instruction, writing reports, and writing games are classroom activities that encourage student collaboration Students begin working together, while the teacher sets and communicates the time limit for each task The duration of these activities typically ranges from five to ten minutes, depending on their level of difficulty.
Organization of groups
To form student groups effectively, the teacher should have alternate rows turn and face the desks behind them The number of groups is determined by how many students occupy each bench For example, in a class of 40 students with 10 benches, the arrangement creates 10 groups, with each group comprising four students.
Each group should designate one leader or secretary to streamline classroom management The teacher should let groups elect their own leaders to promote equality and responsibility among members, with guidance provided as needed If a group cannot appoint a leader, the teacher can select the most capable student to fill the role It is important that students know who leads their group and that the teacher clearly communicates who to work with, while ensuring everyone has a partner.
Initially, teachers may use the mother tongue for instructions, but students quickly learn to recognize and follow commands as a pattern, for example: “First row, turn and face the second; Third row, turn and face the fourth, please now work in groups.”
( David Cross – A Practical Handbook Of Language Teaching , page 51 )
The teacher may follow this plan to organize groups:
Approaches to teaching writing…
There are several approaches to teaching writing that are presented by Jaime (1983) as follows:
1.8.1 The Controlled - to – Free Approach
During the 1950s and early 1960s, the Audio-Lingual method dominated second-language learning, focusing on speech and writing as channels to master grammar and syntactic forms To support this aim, teachers developed techniques that promote pattern-based practice and automaticity The Controlled-to-Free approach is designed in sequence: learners begin with sentence-level exercises, then progress to copying or manipulating paragraphs, such as turning questions into statements, converting present to past, or changing singular to plural; they may also substitute words to create clauses or combine sentences With these highly controlled compositions, students write with relative ease and make fewer errors, facilitating straightforward error correction Only after reaching an intermediate level do learners attempt free composition, reflecting the approach’s emphasis on grammar, syntax, and mechanics and its preference for accuracy over fluency or originality.
This approach stresses writing quantity rather than quality Teachers who use this approach assign vast amounts of free writing on given topics with only minimal correction The emphasis in this approach is on content and fluency rather than on accuracy and form Once ideas are down on the page, grammatical accuracy and organization follow Thus, teachers may begin their classes by asking students to write freely on any topic without worrying about grammar and spelling for five or ten minutes The teacher does not correct these pieces of free writing They simply read them and may comment on the ideas the writer expressed Alternatively, some students may volunteer to read their own writing aloud to the class Concern for “audience” and “content” to be seen as important in this approach
In stead of accuracy of grammar or fluency of content, the Paragraph – Pattern - Approach stresses on organization Students copy paragraphs and imitate model passages They put scrambled sentences into paragraph order They identify general and specific statements and choose to invent an appropriate topic sentence or insert or delete sentences This approach is based on the principle that in different cultures people construct and organize communication with each other in different ways
1.8.4 The Grammar - Syntax – Organization Approach
An integrated approach to writing instruction emphasizes the simultaneous development of multiple composition features rather than teaching skills in a linear sequence Proponents argue that writing cannot be treated as a set of isolated skills learned one after another, and that students should develop organizational awareness while strengthening grammar and syntax at the same time By linking the purpose of writing to the appropriate linguistic forms, this method helps learners convey their messages more effectively and efficiently.
This approach emphasizes the purpose of writing and the audience, guiding instruction to focus on why we write and who we write for Students are encouraged to behave like writers in real life and to ask crucial questions about purpose and audience, such as: What is my goal? Who is my reader? What does the audience need to know, believe, or do? By centering purpose and audience, learners plan their content, tailor messages for specific readers, and produce clearer, more engaging writing that connects with the right audience across relevant channels.
Traditionally, student writing targeted the teacher as the sole audience, but many educators believe writing is most effective when it’s a genuine communicative act aimed at a real reader By expanding the readership to include classmates, pen pals, and other readers, students can craft clearer, more engaging, and more purposeful work.
Recently, the teaching of writing has moved away from a concentration on written product to an emphasis on the process of writing Thus, writers ask themselves:
Under the writing process approach, students are taught to generate ideas, clarify purpose and audience, and write through multiple drafts so their final products communicate their ideas effectively Teachers allocate time for brainstorming, testing ideas, and providing feedback on content and organization, making writing a learning journey of discovery as students uncover new ideas and language forms This developmental view of writing encourages students to write like professional authors, selecting their own topics and genres and drawing on personal experiences or observations The approach also transfers responsibility to students, who make decisions about genre and topics and often collaborate with peers to refine their writing.
During the writing process, students engage in pre-writing, planning, drafting, and post-writing activities Because the process is recursive by nature, they often revisit and revise earlier stages rather than moving through them in a strict linear order This non-linear, iterative approach means ideas developed during pre-writing can be reshaped during drafting, plans can shift as writing progresses, and feedback from post-writing can feed back into future iterations.
This chapter presents the background information and theoretical preliminaries of group writing, establishing the foundational concepts that underpin collaborative writing The material discussed here serves as the basis for further study in the following chapters, guiding readers as they explore the theoretical framework and its applications to group writing.
SUGGESTED TECHNIQUES FOR GROUP WRITING - SOME SUITABLE ACTIVITIES FOR GROUP WRITING
REAL SITUATION OF USING GROUP WRITING
Real situation of using group writing at high school
During a two-month pedagogical practice from February 25 to April 19, 2008 at Phạm Hồng Thái High School, we investigated the real use of group writing in the school The study examined how students collaborate on writing tasks, how group roles are distributed, and which instructional strategies teachers employ to support group writing in this setting Through classroom observations and analysis of student work, we identified the benefits and challenges of group writing, the conditions that influence its effectiveness, and opportunities for improvement The findings offer practical insights for teachers seeking to optimize cooperative writing activities in high school contexts and suggest concrete recommendations to enhance group writing practices at Phạm Hồng Thái High School.
Pham Hong Thai High School, located in Hung Chau Commune, Hung Nguyen District, about 8 km from Vinh City, has a long-standing tradition of strong teaching and learning; however, English remains a subject where most students are not very interested, highlighting a gap between the school's educational strengths and student engagement in language learning.
Based on two months of pedagogical practice at Phạm Hồng Thái High School and data from surveys, we conclude that group writing has not yet proven truly effective Consequently, students' writing skills show only limited improvement Writing is still taught mainly through traditional methods, with each student working alone at his or her seat on writing tasks As a result, there are few opportunities for students to exchange ideas and opinions, and the written work does not meet teachers’ expectations.
High school teachers are seeking new group writing activities to boost students' writing skills because the current methods no longer engage students or meet quality expectations The traditional group tasks are seen as uninteresting, and students aren’t excited to participate in them By introducing innovative, varied, and collaborative writing approaches, teachers aim to make group writing more engaging, improve outcomes, and sustain student motivation.
During our pedagogical practice at Phạm Hồng Thái School, we used group writing activities to teach writing Students showed high engagement and put in strong effort during these sessions, and most responded positively to this collaborative approach This experience demonstrated that group-based writing activities can motivate learners and improve participation We foresee more opportunities to incorporate group work into writing instruction in the future, with the aim of further enhancing students' writing skills through collaborative practice.
Survey analysis
In order to investigate the real situation of using group writing at high school, we carried two surveys to students and teachers
Survey Questionnaire 1, completed by the students, consists of ten closed questions Statistically, 69% of students reported feeling very excited about group writing, with several reasons suggested for this enthusiasm.
-They are more involved in writing
-They can help each other
- The work is finished more quickly with better result
Only 6.6% of them found that when working in groups the class is very noisy and they often use their mother tongue instead of English Therefore, they have not many opportunities to practice English
Being asked about the result of group writing, 66% of the students said that their writing skill has been improved while 34% of them were unsatisfied with their writing skill
Survey Questionnaire 2, completed by teachers, consisted of eight closed questions and two open-ended questions Among respondents, 67% indicated that group writing was not very effective, concluding that its drawbacks substantially exceed its benefits.
Data from two surveys indicate that the use of group writing in high schools has not been as effective as hoped The findings show inconsistent learning gains and raise questions about how group writing is implemented in classrooms To address this issue, teachers should adopt targeted solutions, such as clarifying assignments, defining roles within groups, using structured rubrics, and providing formative feedback on both group processes and individual contributions Ongoing professional development and iterative assessment are needed to refine group-writing practices and maximize their impact in high school settings.
Some suggestions for its more effective usage
Realizing that fact, the teachers should consider the advantages that the use of group writing brings for writing teaching The teacher should then:
Choose suitable activities in the form of group to improve writing skill of students
Find effective ways to control groups while they are working together
Remain sensitive to the atmosphere and pace of the groups and noting persistent errors for remedial teaching
Encourage the students‟ responsibility and autonomy during group writing time by explaining its significances or advantages
This chapter analyzes real-world use of group writing in high school settings and includes survey analysis to illuminate current practices It then offers practical recommendations to enhance effectiveness, such as clear task design, defined roles, structured collaboration routines, and targeted feedback to improve student engagement and learning outcomes in collaborative writing.
Among the four skills in the English teaching–learning process, writing is often the most challenging because it requires precise grammar and careful word choice Yet it is a complex process that lets students explore their thoughts and ideas and transform them into visible, concrete expressions on the page.
This thesis shows how teachers can reduce learners' writing difficulties while boosting their writing skills, and presents group writing as a new, effective method for improving the writing abilities of high school students Through group writing, learners exchange information, share knowledge and ideas, and help each other in a natural and creative way, fostering collaborative learning and leading to stronger writing outcomes.
Organizing group work in high school English classes is not easy due to the problems outlined in Chapter I Nevertheless, the techniques, activities, and concrete examples discussed in Chapter II offer significant advantages for teachers aiming to improve students' writing skills, which is the main goal of this study We also examine the current use of group writing in high schools and provide recommendations for more effective practice in Chapter III The Survey Questionnaire 1 and Survey Questionnaire 2 completed by students and teachers at the high school level supplied valuable data that informed this thesis.
Because of limited data and experience, this study cannot address every aspect of the topic Still, we hope the findings presented in this paper offer useful information for educators, researchers, and anyone interested in improving high school students' writing skills.
This thesis presents a new method for teaching writing that helps teachers enhance the writing skills of high school students It demonstrates how educators can access an innovative approach to instruction that improves student writing performance Moreover, we recommend that future studies explore additional aspects to uncover practical and interesting methods to improve the writing skills of first-year and second-year university students.
1 Byrne, D (1988) Teaching Writing Skills , Longman Group Ltd
2 David, C (1982) A Practical Handbook of Language Teaching ,
3 Fries, C (1945) Teaching and Learning English as a Foreign Language , University of Michigan Press
4 Greenall, S (1984) Language Games and Activities , Hulton
5 Hadfied & J Hadfied (1983) Writing Games , Nelson (Hong Kong)
6 Harmer, A (1996) The Practice of English Language Teaching ,
7 Hoàng Văn Vân, Hoàng Thị Xuân Hòa, Đỗ Tuấn Minh (2006)
8 Ngô Đình Phương, Nguyễn Thị Vân Lam (2007) English Teaching Methodology , Vinh University –Foreign Languages Department
9 Nunan, D (1991) Language Teaching Methodology – A textbook for teachers , Prentice Hall
10 Penny, Ur (1995) A Course in Language Teaching Practice and Theory , Cambridge University Press
11 Richards, J., et.al (1993) Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics , Longman Group UK Ltd
12 http://www.funnystorypictures.uk/cfe
13 http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/try/writetry appendix
2 What form are you in?
3 Which skill is important in learning English?
4 What do you think about the importance of writing?
5 Which way do you like to do writing exercises at class?
6 How often does the teacher ask you to work in groups to write?
7 How do you feel when writing in groups?
8 Which advantages that group writing brings you?
B) You can help each other
C) The work is finished more quickly with better result
9 What are the disadvantages of group writing?
A) The class is very noisy
B) You use Vietnamese much instead of English
10 Have your writing skill been improved much in group writing time?
2 How long have you been teaching English?
3 Which skill do you think is the most important in teaching English?
E) All of them are equally important
4 Which way do you often use in teaching writing?
5 How often do you use group writing activities?
7 Which advantages that group writing brings you?
B) You have more time to access students‟ demands
A) You can not monitor all groups at once
9 Do you think that the advantages of group writing are much far from its disadvantages?
10 Can you give any suggestions to use group writing creatively and effectively?