VIET NAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY-HA NOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST  GRADUATE STUDIES
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METHODS TO INCREASE THE ENGLISH
MAGAZINE PROJECT POWER IN THE STUDY OF
THE ENGLISH WRITTEN LANGUAGE FOR
ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS AT FACULTY OF
FOREIGN LANGUAGES, THAINGUYEN
UNIVERSITY

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M.A. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field : English Teaching Methodology
Code : 601410

HANOI-2011
VIET NAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY-HA NOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST  GRADUATE STUDIES
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) M.A. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS
Field : English Teaching Methodology
Code : 601410

Supervisor: Phm Th Hnh, M.A. HANOI-2011


CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY
2.1 Rationale for the use of an action research………………………………
2.2 Background of the study…………………………………………………
2.3 Instruments………………………………………………………………
2.4 Research program……………………………………………………….

(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(v)

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APPENDICES …………………………………………………………
1. Questionnaire …………………………………………………………
2. Interview ……………………………………………………… ……
3. Overview of the research program …………………………… ……
4. Group action plans …………………………………………… ……
5. Writing collections …………………………………………… …… 25
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35 1 Part A: INTRODUCTION

This part will briefly state the background of the study, the problem initiating the study,

in implementing projects in general and EMA project in particular needs further
investigation.
English Magazine project has been applied as a part of the curriculum at Foreign
Languages Faculty, Thai Nguyen University (FLF-TNU) for approximately five years. The
project was developed from the cooperation between Vietnam and Netherland in
Education. Eight selected universities in Vietnam have been taking part in the Profession-
Oriented Higher Education (POHE) since 2005. The FLF-TNU was the first experiment of
this Project. It aimed at delivering better-trained graduates with a professional attitude.
Different from the old methods, this project focuses on students‟ competencies needed at
workplace and takes them to be center of learning. Therefore, it will provide students with
a professional higher education necessary for their career.
During the time of taking part in the project, the students have to do various
compulsory projects in which they role-play different careers, such as actors, journalists,
advisers, tour guides, and master of ceremony. These projects help them improve their
linguistic skills and the ability to produce English in real life. The students are free to
choose one of the obligatory projects to finish within a term or a school-year. Beside some
necessary skills, working-in-group competence was appreciated. The teachers play as
supervisors, observers and evaluators of the students‟ process and products. At the end of
the year, the students have to make presentations to introduce and convince the audience of
their products.
EMA is one of the projects aiming at developing students‟ writing competence in
English. It has been officially included in the training program and students can register to
take part in the course. The prerequisite of the course is that students have completed their
course in English Written Proficiency at intermediate level. EMA is conducted at the same
time with students‟ course in Advanced Writing.
The Project is done on registered groups of students within one semester of 15 weeks.
During the first two weeks, teachers will guide students to work together to decide on the
themes and main content of the magazine as well as break down their work into weeks.
(See Appendix 3)
During the following weeks, students work in their group to write the magazine

Languages, Thai Nguyen University: An action reseach” was carried out with a view to:
- Finding out the main obstacles toward the empowerment of the project for both teachers
and students.
- Bringing the effective intervention to help improve students’ performance in the project.
4 The research focused on the following research questions:
1. What problems do teachers and students face when working with the project?
2. What changes that might help enhancing the project revealed from the problems?
3. Can the teacher‟s interventions help save her time and improve students‟ performance in
EMA project? If yes, to what extend?

4. Methodology
4.1. Participants
The subjects of the study were 30 students of English major at Faculty of Foreign
Languages, Thai Nguyen University. They have all achieved the intermediate proficiency
level after their two years at the college. These 30 students were in the same class and the
researcher was the guide of the group during the project work.
During the study, the researcher acts as a participant observer and other teachers
cooperate with the researcher in the study.

4.2. Procedures
* Data collection:
The full period of data collection covered the whole term. The effect of interventions is
viewed via the following instruments:
- Classroom observation
- Students‟ journals
- A questionnaire
- Informal interviews with students and teachers


6. Significance of the study
The results of the study will bring about a successful implementation to the EMA
project from which students could have their clear and logical plan for work, build up team
spirit and group work skills and of course improve their writing competence. Moreover, if
the changes take positive effects, teacher‟s time work could be reduced and EMA project
will be a truly interesting and practical field for students to practice.

7. Structure of the study
This study consists of three parts
Part A: Introduction
This part provides an overview of the study, including the background, aims, the
methodology, the scope, the significance, the structure of the study and the definitions of
terms related to the research.
6
Part B: Development
This parts includes three chapters:
Chapter 1: Literature Review
This chapter presents the literature of Project Based Learning such as types of
projects in learning written language, English Magazine Project, merits and the possible
challenges of PBL and issues related to the implementation of portfolios in ELT.

Chapter 2: Methodology
This chapter is a detailed discussion of the method used in the study. It presents a
thorough justification for choice of an action research and gives a thorough description of
the research‟s components, as well as the research program.


Part A has provided an overview of the study, including the background
information of the study, the aims of the study, methodology of the study, its scope, its
significance and the structure of the study paper. The next chapter, chapter 2, is a literature
review in which the researcher would like to discuss some features of project-based
learning, EMA project as well as the use of portfolios and group-editing in teaching
writing from the literature of methodology and language teaching. 8 Part B: DEVELOPMENT

based learning as an approach which moves the classroom out in to the world by creating
internal motivation and giving students products to develop. The approach, therefore, helps
9 shorten the gap between the classroom language and the lively language in the real world
which is needed for their future work.
1.1.2 Advantages of project-based learning
Booth (1997) appreciated the benefits of PBL in terms of its practical effect as to help
bridge the gap between the language the students are taught and the language they in fact
require. Mean while, Thomas et al (1999) emphasized that PBL could meet the demands of
learners who own diversified skill levels and learning styles.
Gallacher (n.d.) stated ten advantages of project-based learning as follows:
Increased motivation. Learners become personally involved in the project.
All four skills. Reading, writing, listening and speaking are integrated.
Autonomous learning is promoted as learners become more responsible for their
own learning.
There are learning outcomes. Learners have an end product.
Authentic tasks and therefore the language inputs are more authentic.
Interpersonal relations are develop through working as a group.
Content and methodology can be decided between the learners and the teacher
and within the group themselves so it is more learner-centered.
Learners often get help from parents for project work thus involving the parents
more in the child‟s learning. If the project is also displayed, parents can see it at open days
or when they pick the child from school.
A break from routine and the chance to do something different.
A context is established which balances the need for fluency and accuracy.
(Haines, 1989).
1.1.3. Steps in project work
In order to have a good product, a project needs to follow a number of steps. Stoller

categorizing, making comparisons or using graphic organizer to perform their information.
Step 7: Students compile and analyze information
Working in groups, students organize information and discuss the value of data that
they have collected. They can decide to keep some and reject others. The information must
be useful for their goal of project.
Step 8: Instructor prepares students for the language demands of the final
activities
At this step, the instructor designs some language activities for the students to help
them successfully present the final outcome of the project. Those activities may focus on
oral language skills, written language skills, editing or persuasive skills.
Step 9: Students present the final product
In groups, students present the final outcome of their planned project.
Step 10: Students evaluate their project
At this last step, students must have a reflection on their work: what is good? What
could be better? They also need the instructor‟s feedback about their language and
content learning so that they can succeed in similar projects in the future.
11 Although there may be various way to carry out a project due to the distinctive
features of each subject, these ten steps of project work are preferred by most students and
have been considered to be the ten basic and most effective steps in doing project.
1.2. Different types of project in learning written language.
Project is a kind of creative work. Therefore, each instructor is free to design his
own class project so long as his projects are suitable for the students and the framework of
the course. However, all projects have to reach some criteria (Foss and Carney, 2006):
1. Encourage the development of four English skills
2. Encourage the building of educational technology skills
3. Be focused on the relationship between science and ethics.
Following are the descriptions of two different types of projects that I myself have

project. Therefore, students who like outdoor activities will probably be bored with this
kind of project. Another disadvantage of this project is that it does not demand high
technological skills. Students just need to know some basic skills and the way to use
Microsoft Word to produce their writing.
After choosing their topics, it is important to search for materials on the Internet or
the library. This work requires patience because students can find a huge number of
references online or in the library. However, they need a lucid mind when choosing for
themselves reliable resources. In addition, reading and understanding the novel also take
students a lot of time. Nonetheless, when doing this project, students are free to show their
personal ideas and criticism about the novel they have chosen. That may be a new
discovery, personal feelings, ideas or even the ideas of some famous critics published long
before. Finally, they build their own writings using writing skills that the instructor or their
teachers have prepared for them.

1.3. The necessity of English Magazine Project to the study of written language.
Learning written language is generally considered the most difficult and boring skill for
the learner to master, especially the written foreign language. It is the traditional methods
which have been used in teaching language for a long time that make most learners feel
unmotivated and bored. A severe request of the accuracy in grammar, sentence structure
and vocabulary makes the learners frustrated. Specially, to produce writing, students need
to process many complicated stages which lead to confusion easily. Thus, it is important to
require a new interesting method that helps the learner feel excited about learning written
language.
Lack of motivation and interest is a common problem for learning written
language. Thus, although written language plays an important part in learners‟ future
careers, they still tend to give it up. It is generally agreed that motivation must originate
from students‟ interest and needs. Many researchers demonstrate the benefit of focusing on
students‟ needs and interest in developing language lessons because they will probably
stimulate their motivation and interest in learning (Kendir, 2005).
13

factors.
1. Challenges encountered by students
Thomas reviewed the studies by Krajcik, Bluemenfeld, Marx, Bass, Fredrick and
Soloway (1998) and Edelson, Pea and Gordon (1999), in which the commonly reported
challenges for students were skills to conduct a scientific study such as generating
meaningful scientific questions, managing complexity and time, transforming data, and
14 developing a logical argument to support claims. Other problems found in those studies
include access to technology necessary for the accomplishment of the project and failure to
work in a team.
2. Challenges encountered by teachers.
Marx et al. (1997) described teachers‟ problems in the implementation of project-based
learning as follows:
* Time. Projects often take longer than anticipated. In addition, teachers have to
compromise the official requirements of the schools, or curriculum with the time to carry
out in-depth approaches such as Project-Based Learning.
* Classroom management. In order for students to work productively, teachers
must balance the need to allow students to work on their own with the need to maintain
order.
* Control. Teachers often feel the need to control the flow of information while at
the same time believing that students‟ understanding requires that they build their own
understanding.
* Support of students’ learning. Teachers have difficulty scaffolding students‟
activities, sometimes give them too much independence or too little modeling and
feedback.
* Technology use. Teachers have difficulty incorporating technology in the
classroom, especially as a cognitive tool.
* Assessment. Teachers have difficulty designing assessments that require students

as “a collection of materials assembled by students to demonstrate achievement.”
Much broader in scope, other definitions suggested that portfolios should be a
comprehensive, self-reflective record of a student‟s strengths and weaknesses.
Within the scope of our study, we would like to offer a definition for our students‟
writing portfolios that is a collection of students’ work in which their efforts and process in
learning can be seen. The portfolios includes the group‟s first draft of one or more
magazine column(s), an article of the similar type to the column, comments and error
corrections from other group members and students‟ final draft of the magazine column.
Portfolios will be collected on a weekly basis.
1.5.2. The content of portfolios
A number of researchers have discussed the instance of portfolio content.
However, it should be noted that the actual content of portfolios depends on certain
classroom context as well as the intended purposes which are normally initiated teachers.
On discussing generic portfolios, Freeman and Lewis (1998) included completed
assignments, copies of learning contracts, notes, drawings, diaries, project reports, charts,
posters, software, certificates and students self-assessment in their list of assemble
materials. Karoly (1996) listed on her case study not only drafts of essays, stories and
research projects, written and illustrated book reports, photograph displays, quizzes and
16 exams but also a variety of constructed items such as pyramid, stool, Indian village and
weathervane accompanied by written narratives on their construction.
In 2001, Bailey and Guskey suggested that the content of portfolios should have
relationships with students‟ selection of portfolios contents and student self-reflection.
Students were involved in identifying strengths in their work, tracing the process they
experienced, identifying the feedback they received, and identifying the distinctive
qualities of their work.
Nunes (2004) listed the five categories of portfolios which include found samples,
processed samples, revision of samples, reflections and portfolio projects.

researcher‟s methodology. Firstly, the justification for the use of an action research will be
presented.
2.1 Rationale for the use of an action research
Teachers in general and teachers of English in particular actually carry out action
research for most of their time. Whenever s/he identifies a problem which is happening in
the class, it is his/her task to find ways to solve that problem. Therefore, action research is
inevitably a very common practice.
As defined by Kemmis & McTaggart (1988) “action research is deliberate,
solution oriented investigation that is group or personally owned and conducted. It is
characterized by spiraling cycles of problem identification, systematic data collection,
reflection, analysis, data-driven action taken, and, finally, problem redefinition.” The
linking of the terms "action" and "research" highlights the essential features of this method:
trying out ideas in practice as a means of increasing knowledge about and/or improving
curriculum, teaching, and learning.
Mettetal. G. stated that “Classroom Action Research is research designed to help a
teacher find out what is happening in his or her classroom, and to use that information to
make wise decisions for the future. Methods can be qualitative or quantitative, descriptive
or experimental.
Nunan (1992) defines the framework of a research as consisting of seven steps:
 Step 1: Initiation (Identify the problem)
 Step 2: Preliminary investigation (Collect data through a variety of means)
 Step 3: Hypothesis (Develop research questions)
 Step 4: Intervention (Devise strategies and innovation to be implemented)
 Step 5: Evaluation (Collect data again and analyze it to work out the findings)
 Step 6: Dissemination (Report the result by running workshops or issuing a paper)
 Step 7: Follow-up (Find alternative methods to solve the same problem)
Action research is conducted widely due to its advantages that cannot be denied. When
comparing it with other kinds of research, we can see its advantages more clearly.
Table 1: Differences between Action Research and Formal Research
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Research design
Rigorous control, long time
frame
Looser procedures, change
during study; quick time
frame; control through
triangulation
Measurement procedures
Evaluate and pretest
measures
Convenient measures or
standardized tests
Data analysis
Statistical tests; qualitative
techniques
Focus on practical, not
statistical significance;
present raw data
Application of results
Emphasis on theoretical
significance
Emphasis on practical
significance
(
One of the most significant features of an action research is it is very situational,
which means it appears to provide specific solutions to specific problems in each context.
While other types of researches focus on experimenting or testing a pre-assumed theory or
concept, action research aims at “improving the situation”. Therefore, it is very beneficial
to the teaching and learning process.
19

class, the result may not be effective as expected. In other words, action research lacks
generalization.
However, the reality is that this action research is very applicable in a wide range of
classes. This is explainable by two reasons. Firstly, students at the FLF were sorted in
20 different classes randomly. There were no categories to classify them into different classes,
such as basing on their hometowns, or the marks acquired at the entrance university exam.
Therefore, each class consists of students coming from many parts all over the country.
This also means students who learned in the same high schools may be scattered over a
number of classes at the department. In addition, due to random sorting, it can be assumed
that there is an equal division of students‟ level of English proficiency in different classes.
Obviously, there may be the possibility that some classes may have more students whose
English is better than others. However, this is the common practice in any language
classes. Therefore, it should not be treated as a major cause for the impossibility of
generalization.
2.2 Background of the study
2.2.1 Participants
The participants of the research were selected on the basis of cluster sampling. The
researcher, who is also a teacher, was in charge of an EMA class during the first semester
of the school year 2010-2011. Naturally, they became ideal samples for the research.
With the method of cluster sampling, the research ensures the variety of the
students‟ background, which varies from one to another as the group was chosen by
chance. This also enables for a wider range of application to other classes, which, to some
extent, shorten the limitation of an action research.
The researcher reached the final number of 30 students whose performance would
be appropriate data provider for the research. They were the one who participated
thoroughly in the research from the beginning to the end.
Further observation, investigation and talks with the students revealed more