DECLARATION
I hereby certify that this minor thesis is the result of my own work submitted in partial
fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts, except where reference is
made in the text of the thesis and that the thesis in whole or in part has not been submitted
for a higher degree in any other tertiary institution.
Pham Thuy Trinh
2009, September
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
On the completion of this work, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my
supervisor, Mr. Khoa Anh Viet, MA for his precious advice, instructions, suggestions, and
especially, invaluable critical feedback and correction as well as his invaluable
encouragement.
My special thanks go to Dr. Le Hung Tien and all the lecturers who have been teaching
K15 MA course in Viet Nam National University - College of Foreign Languages, and to
the post- graduate staff for their legitimate contributions to the success of the course.
I also wish to acknowledge the great support and precious help with the data collection and
analysis of the leaders, colleagues, and students of five classes at Tran Nguyen Han high
school. Without them, I could not have finished my thesis.
Last but not least, my heart-felt thanks are due to my family and other individuals who
always stand by me for their love and understanding and encouragement, material and
spiritual support throughout this thesis.
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ABSTRACT
It is a common knowledge that writing is an important language skill. However, in the
reality, the teaching and learning writing are still far from satisfaction.
The study focuses on the teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards writing skill as well as
the analysis of the present teaching and learning to write English.
The subject involved in the study were 100 students from five classes ( 11A
1,
11A

Figure 7: The main source of feedback on students’ writing Error: Reference source not
found
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PART A. INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale
In the process of globalization, English plays an important role in enhancing
economy, politics, culture and international relations between many countries. Therefore,
there is a great demand for teaching and learning English in the world as well as in Viet
Nam. English users today focus more on the ability to communicate in spoken and written
languages. However, according to Trang and Baldoff (2007), the education quality has not
met the society’s expectation because mostly high-school graduates cannot communicate
in English effectively in both oral and written forms. Under the urgent demand of
improving the quality, Vietnam’s English language teaching has recently undergone a
comprehensive reform. Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training has issued a new
set of textbook for high school students in order to develop students’ communicative
competence. The new textbook displays two new teaching approaches. They are learner-
centered and communicative approaches. However, regarding Vietnam’s context, the
change will create a lot of difficulties to teachers of English who are too familiar to the old
teaching methods, especially in teaching writing skill, which seems to be the most difficult
work in teaching English.
At Tran Nguyen Han high school, teaching writing skills is really a big challenge.
For the teachers, they used to teach the old textbooks in which writing has no place.
Therefore, they have no experiences in teaching theme-based writing. Another problem
is the students’ low level of English proficiency. That is why they find it difficult to
write. Moreover, lack of motivation also faces the students. They often get bored and
indifferent in the writing lessons. In my opinion, the current problem must be worked
out and appropriate teaching techniques should be made. Up to present, a few
researches have been carried out on the teaching of writing for students in Hai Phong.
Most of the researchers have studied others problems concerning teaching other skills
in Hai Phong.

6. Design of the study
The study is expected to consist of three main parts:
Part A includes the rationales, aims, significance, scope, and methods of the study.
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Part B includes 3 chapters
Chapter 1 deals with definitions of writing, the differences between writing and
speaking, writing difficulties, approaches to writing and writing in the communicative
classes.
Chapter 2 discusses the methodology of the study, i.e. describes the study context,
participants, and instruments. Besides, the introduction of the new “Tieng Anh 11”
textbook is elaborated.
Chapter3 is about the data analysis and findings. It describes how collected data is
analyzed and presented.
Chapter 4 provides recommendations for better teaching and learning English writing skill.
Part C is the conclusion which summarizes the thesis and offers some suggestions for
further research. Besides, the limitations of the thesis are also pointed out.
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PART B. DEVELOPMENT
Chapter 1. Literature Review
1.1. Definitions of writing
There are a lot of definitions of writing. According to Byrne (1991), writing can be
defined as the act of forming graphic symbols. When we write, we use graphic symbol
(alphabet, grammar, and structures) to make visual meaningful utterances. Therefore, on
one level, writing can be said to be the act of making marks on flat surface of some kinds.
However, writing is not just simply putting words, sentences together. Many researchers
tended to focus on the nature of writing as an entity of linguistic creation. For example,
Brannon, Knight and Neverow-Turk (1982, p. 2) pointed out “ writing is a creative art, not
as assembly line operation of locking words together into sentence and bolting sentences
together into paragraphs in accordance with a predefined plan.”
Other researchers considered writing as a communicative process with purposeful

with “known” audience, which are supposedly available to the speaker (p. 161). Harmer
(2004) also point out the two features of face-to-face interaction which writing is devoid
of, i.e. immediate verbal or non-verbal reactions and frequent role swapping between the
addresser and the addressee (p. 8). Consequently, the writers tend to encounter common
difficulties in defining audience (Brown, 1994, p. 326) and receiving feedback from
readers (White, 1981).
To conclude, regarding the three criteria investigated in previous studies, i.e.
linguistic feature, producing process and interaction, writing and speaking, by nature, are
two different stories. This sheds more light on the characteristics of writing.
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1.3. Writing Difficulties
According to Byrne (1979), there are three difficulties that a writer must face up
while composing a text, i.e. psychological problems, linguistics problems and cognitive
ones.
In terms of psychological problems, speech takes place with the interaction of both
speaker and the listener. Writing, on the other hand, is solitary without the possibility of
interaction or the benefit of feedback, which makes the act of writing psychologically difficult
for writers.
With regard to linguistics problems, writers encounter the restricted use of means of
expression. Speech is spontaneous. We have little time to pay attention either to organizing
our sentence structure or to connecting our sentences. We repeat, backtrack, expand and so
on, depending on how people react to what we say, while incomplete and even
ungrammatical utterances are tolerated. Speakers have a considerable range of devices to
help get their meaning across, while writers can only resorts to their own efforts and their
choice of sentence structures as well as sentence linking to ensure that their text can be
interpreted on its own.
Furthermore, writing also requires us to master the written form of the language for
effective communication in writing and the methods of organizing ideas in a logical and
comprehensible way that can be understood by not present readers or unknown ones.
In conclusion, writing not only imposes on us a psychological effect but also causes

based on the principle that in different cultures people construct and organize
communication with each other in different ways. Therefore, students should invest time in
learning to organize their ideas well in the target language.
1.4.4 The Grammar- Syntax-Organization Approach
Adding some improvements to the Paragraph-Pattern Approach, this approach
stresses on simultaneous work more than only on organization of an essay.
Teacher adopting this approach often devises writing tasks which draw their
students’ attention to organization while working on grammar and syntax. For example, to
write a clear set of instructions on how to operate a calculator, the writer needs more than
the appropriate vocabulary. He needs the simple forms of verbs, an organizational plan
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based on chronology; sequence words like first, then, next, etc. In the preparatory stage,
these vocabulary and structures are reviewed and taught. In short, this approach is the
combination of the purpose and the form of the writing.
1.4.5. The Communicative Approach
The communicative approach emphasizes the audience and purpose of a piece of
writing. In writing classes adopting this approach, students are encouraged to ask two
questions as if they wrote in real life:
- Why am I writing this?
- Who will read it?
The traditional audience for student writing is the teacher, but since some
methodologists argue that that writers do their best when they write for a real audience,
teacher have extended the readership to other students in the class, who will do the work of
responding and commenting, not correcting their classmate’s work. Therefore, one topic like
“describe your dearest friend” can take on new dimensions when the teacher sets a new
audience to it:
• You are writing to a pen pal in London telling him or her about your dearest friend.
You love your friend very much, so what you want to make the description as beautiful as
possible.
• You are writing to your pen pal’s mother in London, telling her about your dearest

writing lesson (Tribble, 1996). On other words, pre-writing stage is the “information-
gathering phase in the process of writing” ( Scarcella & Ofxord ,1992, p. 125 ).
According to Gu Yue Gou (1990, p. 170), pre-writing is a very important stage of the
whole writing process, and the task at this stage may include deciding on the purpose, the
audience, the content, and the general outline.
White and Adrnt (1991) briefly categorized prewriting activities into three types:
generating, focusing and structuring activities.
In the view of Bryne (1988), students generate ideas and also develop fluency in this
stage. Pre-writing involves activities like brainstorming, outlining, debating, interviewing, etc.
1.4.6.1.1. Brainstorming
According to Raimes (1983), brainstorming is a technique whose purpose is to
initiate some sort of thinking process. Whatever the writing assignment is based on- a
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reading, a picture, a textbook topic, personal experience…- it can be preceded by student
talk, especially by a brainstorming activity, with students producing relevant vocabulary,
making comments, asking questions and making associations as freely as they can in a
short time. After brainstorming orally together, students can then do the same on paper,
writing down as many ideas as they can without worrying about grammar, spelling,
organization, or the quality of the ideas.
1.4.6.1.2. Planning
In this stage, groups of students spend time organizing and focusing ideas and
outlining their writings (Coffin et al., 2003). Planning is an orientation for students to have
logical sets of ideas that would be later employed in their pieces of writing.
1.4.6.1.3. Debating
This is an activity in which groups students orally present two sides of an argument.
Oral debates provide the opportunity to develop some writing skills such as planning,
selecting, marshalling, and organizing ideas. Debating helps students make judgments
about the relevance and logicality of their ideas and make wise choice of which ideas to be
used to compose a text.
1.4.6.1.4. Interviewing

The specific nature of a writing task in a communicative class is formed by a
combination of factors in which the purpose, form, and readership are of crucial importance.
Purpose here is used to indicate “the writer’s communicative intentions” (Harris,
1993, p.18). Purpose, according to him, falls into types:
• Instrumental purpose: Writing is considered a means of practicing the grammar,
vocabulary, discourse structures of the target language.
• Personal purpose: Writing is a way of expressing the self and discovering though
the act of writing something more of one’s individuality and social identity.
Some consider the purpose of the text as its communicative function. Therefore, texts
can be grouped, for example, according to whether they are intended to entertain, inform,
instruct, persuade, explain, argue a case, present argument, and so on.
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Feist thinks that defining your purpose helps you choose the information you need
before start writing: “…what you say about topic largely depends upon your purpose for
writing” (1996, p. 24). He also states that one’s specific purpose is likely to fall into one of
five categories:
• To explain something: you might write a paragraph to explain why certain dresses
are in fashion this spring.
• To persuade your reader to do or think something: you might write a paragraph to
persuade your customers to purchase new dresses in a fashion line.
• To compare two things: you might compare this spring’s fashion with the last spring’s
fashion.
• To describe something: you might simply want to describe what this spring’s
fashion look like.
• To give your opinion about something: you might write about why you like or
dislike this spring’s fashion.
Other authors believe that most good writing fulfills one of the four purposes: i. to
express oneself, ii. to inform, iii. to persuade, iv. to entertain (Troyka & Nudelmen, 1994,
p. 22). They state that once writers have a specific purpose for a piece of writing, it will
help them to select the most appropriate ideas for their topics and to determine the most

Pupil to examiner
(iii) Wider audience (known)
Expert to known laymen
Child to peer group
Group member to working group (known audience which may include teacher)
(iv) Unknown audience
Writer to his readers (or his public)
(v) Additional categories
Virtual named audience
No discernible audience
1.5.2.3. Readership
When writers set about a task, what they need to know is the nature of their
readership. There are, obviously, many writing tasks for which there is a clear and
unambiguous reader or readership. A personal letter is written to an individual known to
the writer, an office memo is written to a known group of colleagues or an individual.
Sometimes, the reader is not known personally but by reason of his or her status – the head
of a complaints department of a company, for instance. In real world, there are many
writing tasks for which the writer can have only a very generalized sense of the readership.
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In order for communication to be successful, writers need to know as much as possible
about a target audience. Harris (1993, p. 23) thinks that four factors need to be taken into
account:
- The formality or informality of the relationship between reader and writer.
- The expertise of the readership – what degree of prior knowledge and
understanding can be assumed?
- Cultural assumption – how far is it likely that the readers will share a common
cultural background with each other and with the writer?
- Attitudinal assumptions – are the readers likely to hold attitudes in common with
the writer or does the writer have to explain and justify his or her attitudes?
The writer’s awareness of each of these factors will influence a whole range of

Comments on students’ papers that take a form of a paraphrase of the ideas expressed,
praise, questions, or suggestions are more productive than an end comment like “Only fair”,
“Good”, or “Need more word”. Instead of filling students’ papers with all the red marks of
correction, teachers should communicate with students through the writing in order to
improve them.
1.5.5.2. Talking about the paper
One of the best ways to help a student revise a paper is to discuss it with the student
in person. One-to-one conferences are extremely time-consuming and, in some teaching
situations, just not practical. Often, however, a conference of just a few minutes can be so
productive that some teachers hold very short conferences before and after and even during
class while other students are writing or working together in groups. The virtue of the
individual conference, however short it is, is that a real discussion takes place.
1.5.5.3. Students’ responses to students’ writing (peer feedback, peer correction,
or peer review)
To reduce teachers’ work load, students should be given the chance to give feedback
to their peers. In this way, they exchange papers and give written comments or even
individual talk to one another about the writings as the teacher does. Through this
procedure, students learn a lot from each other and at the same time get to know each other
better. Ur stated “Peer correction can be a time-saving and useful technique; also, critical
reading for style, content and language accuracy is a valuable exercise in itself. This can be
a substitute for first-draft reading. Student can work together on their first drafts, giving
each other feedback on content, language, and organization, they then rewrite and give in
the final version to the teacher” (1996, pp. 171-172).
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By doing this, peer feedback also helps students gain awareness of audience.
However, teachers should give them the framework to keep the activity under control.
1.6. Summary
In short, this chapter conceptualizes the discussion of issues and aspects concerning
topic of the study. First, it concerns the concepts and ideas of teaching writing, the
differences between speaking and writing and the differences approaches used in teaching

communication. For grade 11 students, the objective is to develop students’ abilities to
provide 100 - 130 word paragraphs on familiar topics.
2.2.2. Writing lessons
In the textbook, reading, speaking and listening lesson are divided into three parts:
pre-task, while-task, post-task. In contrast, 30% of the writing units consist of one topic
and some prompts.
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In order to realize the course objective, the writing section focuses on daily and
popular topics. The required competences and objectives of the writing lesson in each unit
are detailed in the following table:
Units Required tasks
1. Friendship Writing about a friend
2. Personal experiences Writing a personal letter to describe a past experience
3. A Party Writing an informal letter of invitation
4. Volunteer work Writing a formal letter expressing gratitude
5. Illiteracy Describing information in a table
6. Competitions Writing a letter of reply
7. World Population Interpreting statistics on population from a chart
8. Celebrations Describing a celebration’s activities
9. The Post Office Writing a formal letter to express satisfaction or dissatisfaction
10. Nature in danger Describing a location
11. Sources of energy Describing information from a chart
12. The Asian Games Describing the preparations for the coming Asian Games
13. Hobbies Writing about a collection
14. Recreation Describing a camping holiday
15. Space Conquest Writing a biography
16. The Wonders of the
world
Writing a report on a man- made place
Table 1: Checklist of writing tasks in English 11 textbook _++_thth

2.6. Summary
To conclude, this chapter presents the methodology of the study. In other words, it
describes the aims, context, participants, instruments of the study and introduces the new
“ Tieng Anh 11” textbook. Given the collected data, Chapter 3 will depict the data
analysis and the study results.
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CHAPTER 3. DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS
3.1 Data analysis
This part of the thesis is the treatment of all the data collected from the survey
questionnaires conducted on 10 teachers and 100 students.
3.1.1. Data analysis from teachers’ survey questionnaire
• Teachers’ personal information
Among the ten teachers taking part in the study, there are 1 male and nine females.
The teachers’ ages ranges from 24 to 46. There are 4 young teachers teaching English at
high school for fewer than 5 years, 4 teachers with 5 - 10 years of experiences, 2 teachers
with 10 - 20 years experiences, no teacher who has more than 20 years of English teaching
experiences.
They have spent from one to three years teaching writing skill to high school
students.
• The importance of writing as perceived by 11th form students and the
teachers
Figure 1: The importance of writing as
perceived by 11th form students
Figure 2: The importance of writing as
perceived by the teachers
As can be seen from the figures, 18 percent of the students took writing the first
priority. For the teachers, 20 percent of them considered writing the most important. 20
percent of the teachers ranked writing at the second position.
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