i

DECLARATION

I hereby state that, this thesis is the result of my own research and that it has
not been submitted for any degree to any other universities or institutions. Where
other sources of information have been used, they have been identified and
acknowledged.

Signature

Dao Thi Thuy Chung
and International Studies, Ha Noi National University, and the thesis has not been
submitted for any degree at any other university or tertiary institution.

Signature:
Dao Thi Thuy Chung Date:


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ABSTRACT

Nowadays, teaching English has received increasing attention as English has
become the language for global communication. In order to meet the future job
requirements, students in general and students of Namdinh Industrial College in
particular need to enhance their skills of English, especially the writing skill.
However, there exists a problematic matter in teaching and learning English
at colleges and universities resulting from unsuitable teaching materials and
instructional techniques. The popular teaching approach applied in English lessons
at most of universities and colleges is teacher-centered and lecture-oriented, which
normally results in learning passivity and non-involvement in language skills in
general and in writing activities in particular. Nowadays, teachers and students are
deeply unhappy with the present test-driven situation. Therefore, it is the high time

1.5. Scope of the research 3
1.6. Methods of the research 3
1.7. Design of the research 3
PART B: DEVELOPMENT 5
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 5
2.1. Definitions of writing 5
2.2. Writing in language learning and teaching 6
2.2.1. The role of writing 6
2.2.2. Writing in language classroom 6
2.3 Writing and other language skills 7
2.3.1 Writing and speaking 7
2.3.2 Writing and reading 8
2.3.3 Writing and listening 8
2.4 Approaches to teaching writing 9
2.4.1 Product approach 9
2.4.2 Process approach 10
2.4.3 Product approach verse Process approach 11
2.5 Task-based language teaching 12
2.5.1 Theoretical basis of the TBLT approach 13
2.5.2 Methodology of the TBLT approach 14
2.5.3 Principles of the TBLT approach 14
2.6 Definitions of task 15
2.6.1 Classification of task 15
2.6.2 The TBLT approach in writing class 16
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 17 vi
3.1 The context for the research 17
3.1.1 The teachers 17

APPENDIXES
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LIST OF TABLES & CHARTS
Page
Table 1: Product and process writing: A comparison (Steel) 12
Table 2: Teachers’ understanding of TBLT 21
Table 3: Teachers’ perception of TBLT in teaching writing 26
Table 4: Teachers’ perception of the difficulties of applying TBLT in teaching
writing 30
Chart 1: The students’ perception of the importance of writing skill 23
Chart 2: The students’ perception of the difficulty of writing skill 23
Chart 3: The students’ perception of the importance of teaching approach in the
writing lessons 24
Chart 4a: Frequency of writing task assignment 25
Chart 4b: Frequency of writing task fulfillment 25
Chart 5: The activities used to perform the tasks 24
Chart 6: The students’ perception of the benefits of applying TBLT in writing
lessons 29
Chart 7: The students’ perception of the writing improvement thanks to constantly
writing task fulfillment 29
Chart 8: The students’ perception of the difficulties of applying TBLT in the
writing lessons 33
English has helped enhance the cooperation growth especially in higher education with
many oversea courses for undergraduates and graduates. English has been widely used not
only in education but also in daily-life activities. Therefore, English has been favorable by
both learners and policy-makers and its role was reconfirmed by an Order, signed by the
Prime Minister (August 15, 1994), in which government officials would be required to
study foreign languages, mainly and favorably English.
We have no doubt about the importance of foreign languages, especially English.
However, English users are on the way to find out a perfect way of acquiring English
because the education quality has not met the society’s expectation and mostly high-
school graduates cannot communicate in English effectively in both oral and written
forms. (Trang and Baldoff (2007).
Writing is an important skill in both the mother tongue and second language. It is a
tool of expressing ideas in a structured way. However, due to its complexity and high
requirement of linguistic means, it is considered the most difficult language skill to have a
good command of. Although there are many actions paid attention to on the improvement
of writing learning and teaching, it still tends to be a neglected area in English language
teaching in Vietnam. The reason for this negligence may be the fact that most
examinations in English mainly examine the students’ grammar.
Being a teacher at Namdinh Industrial College, the researcher finds teaching
writing skill the most challenge work and it is often evaded by many English teachers,
especially in teaching festivals because of its difficulties. However, being aware of the
importance of teaching writing skill and being afraid of those students can not ensure their
success in their lives without mastering writing skill, the researcher, to the best

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knowledge, hopes to supply them with appropriate guide and support. The researcher
intends to enable students to fulfill the writing tasks in order to give them the inspiring
experience of learning to write in English and the satisfaction of successfully expressing
their ideas in written form of English language. Therefore, I try to do this research
“Application of Task-based language teaching in teaching writing to non-major English

perceptions of using the TBLT approach in writing lessons?
+ What are the benefits and difficulties of using the TBLT approach in writing
lessons?
4. The significance of the research
The research provides the English teacher with the understanding of Task-based
language teaching and the advantage as well as disadvantage when applying it. The result
of the research may help teachers to make their writing lessons more effective and help
their students develop writing skill.
5. Scope of the research
The study focuses on investigating the effectiveness of application of task-based
language teaching in teaching writing to non-major English students at Nam dinh
Industrial College. Other approaches to teaching writing intended for students at other
levels of English language proficiency or teaching other skills would be beyond the scope
of this study.
6. Methods of the research
To achieve the aims stated, both qualitative and quantitative methods were used.
The interviews, questionnaires and class observation will be used to collect data for the
analysis of the research.
7. Design of the research
The study is expected to consist of three main parts:
Part A includes chapter 1 with discussions of the rationales, aims, significance, scope, and
methods of the study.
Part B includes 3 chapters
Chapter 2 deals with definitions of writing, the differences between writing and other
skills, the importance of writing in language classes and approaches to teaching writing.
Chapter 3 discusses the methodology of the study, i.e. describes the study context,
participants, and instruments. Besides, the introduction of the course book New Headway
Pre-Intermediate is elaborated.
Chapter 4 is about the data analysis and findings. It describes how collected data is
analyzed and presented.

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PART B: DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
This chapter is concerned with the theoretical background of the research which
includes an overview of writing skill and Task-based Language Teaching.
2. 1. Definitions of writing
Writing is a very crucial area in language learning and teaching so there is a variety
of definitions about it. According to Klein (1985) “writing is the ability to put pen and
paper to express ideas through symbols”. By this way, representations on the paper will
have meaning and content that could be communicated to other people by the writer. Donn
Byrne (l998:1) stated that writing can be regarded as the "act of forming graphic symbols"
or the "making marks on the flat surface of some kinds''.
However, some authors agreed that writing is not simply connecting symbols or
letter, they had intention of focusing on the linguistics features, for instance, Brannon,
Knight and Neverow-Turk (1982, p. 2) defined that “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.” The researchers
considered writing as ability and an art, and the writers are considered as an artist. In order
to become an artist, of course, it takes much time and challenges.
From another view of writing, Murray (1978:29) and Perl (1979:43) described
writing as “a creative discovery procedure characterized by the dynamic interplay of
content and language: the use of language to explore beyond the known content.” and
Anaïs Nin shared the view “the role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what
we are unable to say”. I am interested in this view because it indicates the significance of

2.2.2 Writing in language classroom
Clearly, although all students are aware of the importance of it as an essential job
skill in their future, students are perhaps reluctant to learn how to write in it because
“writing is the most problematic skill”. (Hess,2001: 77). By the same token, language
teachers should be very clear about the purpose of teaching writing.
In this respect, Byrne pointed out a number of purposes which teaching writing
aims at:*Written work helps learners who do not learn easily through oral practice alone
with an aid to retention.
*Written work serves to provide the learners with some tangible evidence
that they are making progress in the language.
*Written work means final product with other properly-integrated skills.

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*Written work provides variety in classroom activities and it increases the
amount of language contact through work.
*Written work is often needed for formal and informal testing.
(Byrne, 1988:11)
Writing is an academic job that makes students improve their ability in proposing a
research and exploring new findings. In his point of view, David (1998:25) defined that
learning how to write in English is essential to many language learners, particularly those
who are studying at colleges and universities. Writing is essentially a creative process and
good writers must learn to communicate their ideas clearly to an unseen audience. Besides,
Troyka (1987:3) suggested that writing gives students unique opportunities to explore
ideas and acquire information. By writing, students come to know the other fields well and
make them their own. As a result, writing helps them learn and gain authority over
knowledge. Moreover, according to Harris (1993), it is common true that “much of our
learning, in the most general sense, acquired through written language and that our
perceptions of experience are, in turn, influenced by inherent literacy in mother tongue”.
Needless to say, students will actively construct their points of view, belief and attitudes
through language

hand, they focused more on content and validation of the text-worlds they were
developing. The reading is verbal process in which readers use mouths and brains
simultaneously while writing involves the use of perceptual skills along with hands. When
reading people have to estimate, memorize, understand and pronounce, on the other hand,
in writing people add all above-mentioned with writing skills. As far as it is noted that
both reading and writing are deeply related activities of languages thought that are shaped
through use.
While it is clear that there are many similarities between writing and reading. It is
useful to aware of different characteristics between them so that the English users keep in
mind that “the two domains do have an impact upon one another, with implications for
enhancing learning. It also suggested a need to better understand the underlying processes
of writing and reading and how they relate to one another” (Dyson, 1989).
2.3.3 Writing and listening
Listening skills enable students to acquire insights and knowledge as well as
achieve success in conversing with other individuals. Similarly, writing process aims at
communicating with others. Nevertheless, listening skills allow one to make sense of and
understand what another person is saying. In other words, listening skills allow listener to
understand what someone is "talking about". In the contrast to listening, writing means

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writers themselves “talking about something” . It seems that the writers play many roles:
listener, writers and reader as well.
In short, speaking, reading and listening are important skills and in language area.
An individual may falter in one category while succeeding in another. Through education
and practice, these skills can be strengthened and mastered, thus increasing literacy levels.
Further, these skills are all interdependent for one another. Increasing the strength of the
skills will help an individual better express his/her ideas. To increase the strength of these
skills, practices should be incorporated into the classroom or daily routine.
Admittedly, each skill has its own shape as well as function in literacy. It is
concluded that writing is a hard area for English users to achieve although the mastery of

highlighted.
*Stage 2: This stage consists of controlled practice of the highlighted features,
usually individually.
*Stage 3: This is the most important stage where the ideas are organized.
*Stage 4: This is end of product of the learning process
Admittedly, this approach can be used successfully in teaching writing for
beginners. All learners can not write well as soon as they begin the course but make
improvement gradually with estimation and repetition from the sample texts or the
teachers. Moreover, teachers can clearly introduce grammatical structures, word choices,
cohesive device uses, how to vary the content, how to organize the essay in order to make
students’ progress in the process.
However, the backward of this approach “is exposed in its own nature”. Using this
approach often leads to a rather simplistic copying of the model text by only changing
certain words from the original text to produce a new text. It makes learners passive,
relying on teacher and samples in stead of creating and being ready for new topics out of
samples.
2.4.2. Process approach
Process approach has been advocated in contrast with the product approach.
According to Graham Stanley, “the process approach treats all writing as a creative act
which requires tie and positive feedback to be done well”. Unlike the product approach
which is more interested in the written outcome, the process approach focuses on the
thinking processes that are involved with writing. Furthermore, Nunan (1991) clearly
stated that the process approach focuses on the steps involved in creating a piece of work
and the process writing allows for the fact that no text can be perfect, but that a writer will
get closer to perfection by producing, reflecting on, discussing and reworking successive

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draft of a text. This refers that students are not expected to submit a complete writing
piece, that the better expression is paid more attention.
Hence a process approach tends to focus more on varied classroom activities which


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Ideas as starting point
Organization of ideas are more important than ideas
themselves
More than one draft
One draft
More global, focused on purpose, them,
text type
Features highlighted including controlled practice
of those features.
Collaborative
Individual
Emphasis on creative process
Emphasis on end product
Table 1: Product and process writing: A comparison (Steele:2004,1)
The clear analysis of similarities and difficulties is showed as above-mentioned.
The balancing two approaches is all language teachers’ expectation. Which approach is to
be used will definitely depend on teachers, on students and on the genre of the text.
Arguably, each approach has its own strong point. For instance, while teaching business
report writing, teachers and students feel more comfortable in product approach as the task
consists of the fixed layout, style and organization. On the contrary, in case of teaching
narrative, process one proved to be the first choice. As a result, both processes are
significant in teaching writing. Process approach is really significant to let students
generate their ideas. It helps students organize ideas in a systematic way enabling students
to write fluently. On the other hand, the latter is also helpful for students to recognize the
competence level students are required to meet. Therefore, the balancing two approaches,
the using both is a fair argument in teaching writing.
2.5. Task-based language teaching
Task-based language teaching (TBLT) is a communicative approach to language

learning language knowledge and training skills in the process of completing tasks.
Through this approach, learners will learn how to make full use of their own
communicative abilities to transfer from Vietnamese to English. Moreover, it provides an
opportunity for learners to mobilize their potential abilities to use and handle English
skillfully. Its functions and value in building learner-centered classrooms and language
learning environments, providing learners with chances to communicate and interact and
developing learners’ ability to use the target language and solve communicative problems
were highly appreciated and recognized by experts and scholars in the field of language
teaching.
Since the 1980s, task-based approach has drawn more and more attention in the
foreign language teaching field It is a learner-centered approach, which considers
language as a communicative tool. It is in accordance with the movement of English
teaching reform in Vietnam. Task-based approach aims at providing opportunities for

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learners to learn language both in speaking and writing through learning activities which
are designed to engage learners in the authentic, practical and functional use of language
for meaningful purpose
2.5.2. Methodology of the TBLT approach
As a teaching approach, it is not persuasive when it only stops at the theoretical
level; the key factor is the way teachers put it into practice. There are many researchers
mature with this point. The following is the teaching pattern of task-based approach under
Willis’s framework. Teaching framework can be divided into three stages: pre-task (topics
and tasks are introduced, teachers present necessary knowledge, explain the requirements
and procedures of the task), task cycle (task cycle can be divided into three parts: task,
planning and report- learners are given many chances to express ideas in target language
with the emphasis on fluency, learners have to prepare to report under teachers’ suggestion
and correction, afterwards learners’ reports are presented) and language focus (learners
can learn grammar, vocabulary and language forms with the analysis and practice
onwards). The author put the language focus in the last stage. This point is different from

language meaning. In Nunan’s opinion, a task is “a piece of classroom work which
involves learners in comprehending, manipulating, producing or interacting in the target
language; while their attention is principally focused on the meaning rather on form. The
task should have a sense of completeness, being also to stand alone as a communicative
act in its own right” (Nunan: 1989, 15). The author considered all the classroom activities
that are helpful to achieve the language learning goals as tasks, including those small
grammar exercises or complicated time-consuming activities. Many definitions can be
summarized from the above review. Tasks are a series of correlative and purposeful
activities in which learners perform when learning a language, absorbing information,
solving problems and achieving goals with target language as they do in real world.
Tasks in task-based approach are not as simple and isolated as in-class or after-
class teaching activities. It can not be used and combined at random. Task is an essential
part of the whole course that leads to fluency in speaking the target language. The good
task should have a specific purpose not purely practice and a language environment. The
good task should attract attention to learners’ participation so that learners can promote
their background knowledge and upgrade basic language skills.
2.6.1. Classification of task
The task in task-based approach is similar to the tasks in real life in many aspects.
Basing on the differences and the similarities of the tasks, Nunan divided tasks into two
categories. They are real-world tasks or target tasks and pedagogical tasks. Pedagogical
tasks are derived from the tasks in real life and could be sub-tasks in real life. Pedagogical

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tasks are not apparently similar to the real life and mainly apply to class teaching.
Teachers should select real life tasks subject to learners’ practical needs concerning the
purpose for which learners use the target language.
2.6.2 The TBLT approach in writing class
It is common knowledge that writing skill is a burden for both teachers and
students despite its significance. To help students meet the career’s demand in
communicating in English in general, in English writing in particular is the desire of any

crucial role in learning and teaching. In this part, the teachers and students’ profiles and
their language proficiency as well as the course book used at Namdinh Industrial College
will be discussed. The instruments to collect data for analysis will be described.
3.1. The context for the research
3.1.1 The teachers
There are 10 teachers of English in the English group aged from 28 to 51. Their
interests in teaching are different, not all of them are really motivated to their teaching job.
Only two teachers graduated from English Department, University of Languages and
International Studies. The others graduated from the in-service center in Namdinh city.
Most of teachers were trained under the traditional teaching methods, they prefer
conventional teaching with teacher-centered approach when they teach writing. Only some
young ones were trained basing on communicative-oriented and student-centered
approach. They are willing to explore new methodology and flexible in using different
teaching strategies in their writing lessons.
3.1.2 The students
Students at Namdinh Industrial College come from different areas nationwide.
Some have been learning English for many years, some have never studied English before.
It can be said that students’ competence of English is not equal that is one of reasons
causing the trouble for the teaching in writing lessons. Additionally, they are used to the
traditional methods. They are completely dependent on their teachers who applied
“grammar focus” and “rote learning” in their lessons. The teachers often gave samples of
texts and structures, the students imitate and learn by heart the given structures. As a
result, the students become passive, they rarely work in pairs, groups or participate in
some activities such as discussions or presentations. Moreover, their majors are not
English but Economics, Garment Industry, Mechanics… They do not pay enough attention
to English, they only learn English in order to “pass the exams”. In the English lessons in
general and in the writing lessons in particular, they are eager for whether the language
focus will be examined or not. Therefore, the students’ motivation and the students’
English competence are obstacles for teaching English at Namdinh Industrial College.