VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY - HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATES STUDIES
***********

LÊ THỊ THÁI

A STUDY ON TEACHER’S DIFFICULTIES IN
TEACHING WRITING SKILL TO THE 11TH GRADE AT
A SCHOOL IN BAC GIANG
NGHIÊN CỨU NHỮNG KHÓ KHĂN CỦA GIÁO VIÊN
TRONG VIỆC DẠY KĨ NĂNG VIẾT CHO HỌC SINH LỚP 11 TẠI MỘT
TRƯỜNG THPT Ở BẮC GIANG

M.A. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology
Code: 60.14.10

Hanoi - 2013


VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY - HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATES STUDIES
***********

LÊ THỊ THÁI

A STUDY ON TEACHER’S DIFFICULTIES IN
TEACHING WRITING SKILL TO THE 11TH GRADE AT

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

On the completion of this work, first of all, I would like to express my deep gratitude to all
those who gave me the possibility and encouragement without which my research would be
far from finished .
I would like to acknowledge with great gratitude the precious advice, enlightening
guidance and especially invaluable critical feedback which I have received from my
supervisor, Dr. Hà Cẩm Tâm.
I would also like to send my sincere thanks to the principal, the teachers of English groups
at Ly Thuong Kiet high school , who have helped me in providing the teaching materials,
giving me chance to attend their lessons, willing to take part in the interviews and making
constructive and insightful comments for this study.
My special thanks also go to Mrs. Lê Thu Hà, the librarian at the Resource center, who
introduced and lent me a numerous of interesting books and valuable materials for my
thesis.
Last but not least, I would like to express my heart-felt thanks to my beloved people, my
parents, my husband whose support and continual encouragement have been indispensable
for the fulfillment of this challenging work.

Hanoi, September, 2013
Lê Thị Thái
ii


ABSTRACT
In an attempt to investigate teachers’ problems in teaching writing skills to 11graders at a
high school in Bac Giang, the study was aimed at finding out: (1) the problems the
teachers might encounter in the teaching process of the skills; (2) factors causing their
difficulties.
The study has been conducted in the form of a survey research, with the subjects were 6

1.1.2.2. Free writing approach ............................................................................. 6
1.1.2.3. The paragraph-pattern approach ............................................................. 6
1.1.2.4. The grammar syntax organization approach ........................................... 6
1.1.2.5. The communicative approach ................................................................. 7
1.1.2.6. The process approach …………………………………………………..7
1.1.3. Writing teaching procedures ................................................................................ 8
1.1.3.1. Activities in teaching writing…………………………………………..8
1.1.3.2. Stages in teaching writing……………………………………………...9
1.1.3.2.1. Pre- writing ........................................................................... 10
Brainstorming ........................................................................ 10
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Planning ................................................................................. 10
Debating ................................................................................. 10
Interviewing ........................................................................... 11
1.1.3.2.2. While- writing ........................................................................ 11
1.1.3.2.3. Post- writing ........................................................................... 11
1.1.4. Principles for teaching writing ........................................................................... 11
1.1.5. Review of previous studies on teaching writing ................................................ 14
CHAPTER 2. THE STUDY ...................................................................................... 18
2.1. Research question ................................................................................................. 18
2.2. Research design..................................................................................................... 18
2.2.1. Participants ................................................................................................. 18
2.2.2. Data collection instruments ........................................................................ 19
2.2.3. Data collection procedures ......................................................................... 22
2.3. Data analysis and discussion ................................................................................. 22
2.3.1. Classroom observation ......................................................................... 22
2.3.2. Interviews .............................................................................................. 29
2.3.3. Teachers’ difficulties in teaching writing to the 11th grade students .... 34

and writing have been focused. Among these, writing seems to be a rather difficult and
boring skill as students do not find the lessons given by teachers interesting and attractive
enough to take part in and therefore, students do not work with high motivation, they are
in class but their mind are absent.
Being an English teacher at a high school for over ten years, I have been deeply aware of
challenges in dealing with the interest but demanding subject of English, especially with
writing skill, it has urged me to seek for a suitable teaching writing method to help my
students overcome the problem of lacking “inspiration” in learning writing and create
something for them to write. Besides, not many researchers have been studied the
difficulties of teachers in teaching writing at high schools. Hence, it is an urgent need for
me to take a serious look at such issue and find a place for writing skills in teaching and
learning among teachers and students.
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For all the above-mentioned reasons, I would like to devote my time researching the topic
in my thesis: “ A study on teacher’s difficulties in teaching writing skill to the 11 th grade at
a school in Bac Giang”. I hope that my work can help teachers of English have a better
look on teaching writing skills and consult some recommendations in order to improve the
quality of teaching and learning writing skills at my school and elsewhere.
2. Aims of the study
This research is designed to have an insight into the English writing lessons for the 11th
form students at a high school in Bac Giang province for continual improvement. Within
this purpose, the specific objectives of the study are:
 To identify the teachers’ major difficulties in teaching writing skills
 To examine the causes of their difficulties
3. Scope of the study
The study is mainly focus on the difficulties that teachers confronted in teaching writing
skills to 11 grade students in the classroom setting at a high school. The study of
difficulties of other skills thus would be beyond of the scope. The study involves the

PART TWO : DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 1. Literature Review
1.1. An Overview on Writing
1.1.1. Roles of writing in language program
Writing, like speaking, is the productive skill in the written mode and it is more
complicated than it seems at first and involves more than just using words.
In the process of learning a foreign language, writing is considered an integrated skill
approaching to language learning, especially, writing serves a variety of pedagogical
purposes in the early stages towards oral proficiency, Byrne (1979:7) points out that:
(i) Some learners, especially those who do not learn easily through oral
practice alone, feel more secure if they are allowed to read and write in the
language.
(ii)Written work serves to provide the learners with some tangible evidence
that they are making progress in the language.
(iii) Writing also provides variety in classroom activities, serving as a break
from oral work, and increases the amount of language contact through work
that can be set out of class.
(iv) Writing is often needed for formal and informal testing.
Teaching and learning writing is of great importance in classroom, White (1981, p.1) states
that learners expose their success in examination through their ability to write. Moreover,
writing has high “face validity” because it is tangible so parents and learners can see what
has been done.

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In second language learning, the teaching of writing also aims at correctness of form over
function. According to Nunan (2003:89), “writing was used to show that students had
mastered a particular grammatical rule, rather than had a good idea about the subject
matter. In fact, correct spelling, grammar, and overall organization were the most important

Concern for “audience” and “content” are seen as important in this approach, students are
encouraged to write without worrying about grammar and spelling. This approach
emphasizes more on content and fluency than accuracy, the teachers do not correct these
short pieces of free writing; they simply read them and perhaps comment on the ideas the
writer express. Writing a journal or a diary might be useful in this approach.
1.1.2.3. The Paragraph-Pattern Approach
The Paragraph-Pattern approach stresses on paragraph organization. Students copy a model
paragraph, analyze its form and imitate model passages. Students need to invest time to
organize their ideas such as scrambles sentences are put into a paragraph, general and
specific statements are identified, topic sentence is invented or sentences inserting or
deleting.
1.1.2.4. The Grammar-Syntax-Organization Approach
Unlike the Paragraph-Pattern Approach focusing mainly on organization, the GrammarSyntax-Organization Approach stresses on both simultaneous work and on organization of
an essay. Students learn writing which can not be seen as composed of separate skills,
therefore, the teachers have to devise writing tasks that lead students to take notice of
organization while they also work on the necessary grammar and syntax. For instance, to
write a clear set of instructions on how to operate a TV set by a remote control, what the
writer needs is not just appropriate vocabulary but the simple forms of verbs, an
organizational plan based on chronology, sequence words like first, second, next, then,
etc. The teachers review and teach these vocabulary and structures in the preparatory stages
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and in short, this approach is the connection between the purpose and the form of the
writing.
1.1.2.5. The Communicative Approach
This approach emphasizes the communicative role of writing, students have to focus on the
purpose of a piece of writing (Why am I writing this?) and the audience for it (Who will
read it?). They are also encouraged to write through real life situation and to make the
writers do their best, the audience is not only the teachers but the students also become the

single best way to teach writing skill .Thus teachers have to take into consideration many
factors before deciding which approach can be used to suit teaching setting best.
1.1.3. Writing teaching procedures
1.1.3.1. Activities in teaching writing
Generally, we conduct three practical writing activities in teaching a foreign language:
Controlled writing, Guided writing and Free writing
(i)

Controlled writing teaching

According to Byrn D (1979), controlled writing activities, at one end of the scale, are
where the learners are given all or most of the language which they have to use. For
example, they may be asked to arrange sentences to form a text or to complete sentences.
Further along the scale, they may be asked to do activities for which they are given help in
the form of “ideas”, for example, through oral discussion, through reading or through
visual materials.
With this type of writing it focuses on practising precisely a certain vocabulary and
structures. The learners are expected to learn how to write correctly by being obliged to
write correctly. Activities can be supported are transformation, filling in the gaps or
sentence completing…etc.
(ii)

Guided writing teaching

Guided writing activities are made by the teacher’s attempt to isolate the various
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difficulties involved in the production of a text and to present these gradually to the
learners in a systematic way. They do not place so much stress on the production of correct

students something to write.
Tribble (1996) states that pre-writing can be defined as any structural experience that
influence active students’ participation in thinking, talking and working on the topic under
the focus in a writing lesson. In other words, it is the “information-gathering phase in the
process of writing” ( Scarcella & Oxford, 1992, p.125).
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 (Gu
Yue Gou, 1990, p.170).
White and Adrnt (1991) briefly categorized pre-writing activities into three types:
generating, focusing and structuring activities.
In the view of Bryne (1988), pre-writing activities like brainstorming, outlining, debating,
interviewing, etc. help students generate ideas and develop fluency
 Brainstorming
Raimes (1983) states that brainstorming, a technique with its purpose is to initiate some
sort of thinking process. The writing assignment is mainly based on – a reading, picture,
textbook topic, personal experience…- it can be preceded by student talk, especially by
brainstorming activity which produces vocabulary, structures and gives chance for students
to ask questions, make associations freely in a short time.
 Planning
According to 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. Students spend time
organizing, focusing ideas and outlining their writings in groups in this stage.


Debating

This activity involves oral debates where students discuss in groups and argue in two sides
of topic. In this stage, oral debates not only provide the opportunity to improve some
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writing because when the teacher’s goals do not match the students’, which will cause the
great dissatisfaction. Second, teachers should provide opportunities for students to write
since writing is in part a physical activities and it requires lots of practice to improve.
Third, teachers have to make feedback helpful and meaningful, this means that teachers
should be cautious about the tone of their comments and make sure they understand the
vocabulary or symbols. Last, teachers should show how students’ writings will be
evaluated.
Byrne D (1979) mentions some principles for teaching writing and the author focuses on
the needs of the learners:
(1) The learners have to be taught how to write, the ability to write is all too
often assumed, especially if the learners are mature.
(2) The learners have to be exposed to the written form of the language and to
appropriate varieties. Writing has to be preceded and accompanied by wide
exposure to appropriate models of written language
(3)The learners have to be shown how writing functions as a system of
communication. They need to be shown that any piece of writing, whether or
not it is addressed to a specific reader, has a communicative purpose.
(4)The learners have to be taught how to write texts because writing involves
the ability to organize sentences into a coherent whole or text.
(5)The learners have to be taught how to write different kinds of texts.
(6)The learners have to be set realistic writing tasks
(7)The learners have to be supported in their writing tasks
(8)The learners’ efforts need to be viewed sympathetically
Various approaches to teaching writing have been mentioned and no single method is the
best way to teach writing skills. It depends on many factors such as the school system, the
text or the students’ types. Here are the two most popular approaches used in ESL/EFL
classroom, namely Product Approach and Process Approach.
(i)


(8) encourage feedback from both the instructor and peers
(9) include individual conferences between teacher and students during the
process of composition.
When teaching, teachers normally use techniques drawn from other approaches as those
techniques are useful in the context of the class. The writing lessons in new English 11
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textbook were combined both Product Approach and Process Approach. This Combined
Product Process Approach is found to be more popular, appropriate and effective. The
outline suggestions for a writing lesson of this approach may be :
Stage 1: Teacher gives a model
Stage 2: The model is exploited through its typical features, language and structures
are used
Stage 3: Students produce an outline after working to find out the ideas for the
writing topic
Stage 4: Students write the first draft individually/in pairs/in groups. The model is
used for comparison
Stage 5: Students exchange and read and comment on each other’s work
Stage 6: Drafts are returned and improvement are made based upon peer feedback
Stage 7: A final draft is written
Stage 8: Final draft are exchanged once more; students give responses or reply to
each other
Stage 9: Teacher gives feedback
1.1.5. Review of Previous Studies on Teaching Writing
Many teachers take the view that teaching writing skill is often fraught with difficulties.
Writing, in fact, can be time-consuming, difficult to teach and a great number of English
teachers feel themselves not qualified to teach writing as they have not received enough
specific training in the teaching of writing. The problem is compounded by the fact that so
many prospective teachers lack confidence in their own writings, they often avoid teaching

teacher feedback which is helpful to students in improving their composition. However,
traditional way in which teachers make comments on the students’ drafts is not effective in
improving students’ writing. Paul Rollinson has taken this problem into consideration.
According to the author, teachers should choose to use peer feedback in the ESL writing
classroom because peer readers can provide useful feedback and revise effectively on the
basis of comments. It also “fosters a myriad of communicative behaviors” (Villamil and de
Guerrero 1996). Peer response operates on a more informal level than teacher response,
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this may encourage or motivate writers and the writer receiving comments from peers
retains the right to reject comments. However, using peer feed back which gets time
constraints as the peer response itself is a lengthy one due to reading a draft, making notes
etc. will consume a significant amount of time. With the same concern, Wang Xiang finds
that the technique of self-monitoring, by giving students control over the feedback they
receive, enables teachers to provide effective feedback. The results show that students can
be trained to use self-monitoring in their writing, which is an effective way for students to
improve the organization of their compositions and is especially helpful to higherproficiency learners as students annotate their texts with any doubts they have during the
writing process so that the teacher can give feedback not only on the finished draft but also
on the queries which emerged during the writing process. In addition, it encourages
students to look critically and analytically at their writing and to place themselves in the
position of readers.
Among difficulties EFL teachers usually put up with, the problem of providing adequate
resources to simulate students in learning writing skill cannot be out of intention. With
much concern about enhancing students’ enjoyment of the writing tasks, while Taylor M.E
in the article titled “ Using collateral material to improve writing performance” proves that
the provision of selected collateral material can improve students’ writing performance.
The enrichment material may be books, magazines, newspapers, or materials created by the
teacher for the purpose of enriching the main materials of instruction. Shin, S.J finds the
use of journals will improve not only teachers’ work but also students’ writing. Taylor,

form and interview questionnaire is also included. Research design also touches with data
collection procedures which introduce how the data collection has been carried out. The
data are analyzed and discussed thoroughly from classroom observation and the questions
for interview in order to find out the difficulties teachers encounter in teaching writing skill
to support research questions.
Both quantitative and qualitative methods are employed to carry out the study. With the
aims of increasing validity and reliability of the data collected, the teachers’ lessons are
observed to help researcher have real insight into the current situation of teaching writing
skill. Informal interviews with teachers are also conducted to confirm the data collection.
2.1. Research question
What are teacher’s difficulties in teaching writing skill to the 11th grade? And why?
2.2. Research design
2.2.1. Participants
This study was conducted at a school where English is compulsory subject. The school has
been founded for 11 years and in school year 2013-2014, there are eight 11th grade classes.
The participants chosen for the study are 270 students from six eleven-forms groups
(11A1, A2, A3, A4, A6 A8). Most of 11th grade students at aged from 16 to 17, both male
and female, have learnt English at least 6 or 7 years but in different levels, some students
are good, and many are not. They have the similar background, that is, they all come from
countryside. At the time of the study, they were in the first term of the school year 20132014.
18