Some effective ways in teaching writing – Grade12

SOME EFFECTIVE WAYS IN TEACHING WRITING-GRADE 12
PART A: REASONS FOR CHOOSING THE RESEARCH
In learning English, writing is considered one of the most difficult skills
learners are expected to master. When students write English for a genuine purpose,
they need to write more than good sentences; they need to write a whole text that will
convey what they mean successfully.
Since writing is a productive skill, it is not easy for teachers to teach and for
students to master. It is the fact high school students are very weak at writing. Most of
the students not only have limitation of English vocabulary and grammar but lack
ideas and social knowledge to write. With the hope that teachers can help their
students to write better, I suggest some appropriate teaching strategies and useful
activities .
I hope that the topic "Some effective ways in teaching Writing" of Grade 12 –
will be interesting in order to attract students' excitement during writing periods. That
is the reason why I choose the topic.
PART B: REAL SITUATION BEFORE THESE SOLUTIONS ARE CARRIED
OUT
1. Advantageous conditions
- High school students have learnt how to build a paragraph, how to make outlines,
how to organize ideas etc. in their Vietnamese Literature classes.
- English is one of core subjects, which are compulsory in GCSE. This will
encourage students to spend more time learning and practising English.
2. Difficulties
- Most of high school students are lack of language knowledge such as grammar,
vocabulary and structures. Besides, they do not have writing techniques.

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Van



School education system
Higher education
Future jobs
Life in the future
Endangered species

paragraph
Describing school education system in Vietnam
Writing a letter of request
Writing a formal letter of job application
Describing the world you would like to live
Writing about measures to protect endangered

11
12
13
14

Books
Water sports
The 22nd SEA GAMES
International

species and possible results
Describing a book
Giving instructions
Describing a sporting event
Writing a short description of an international


overcome difficulties in teaching, therefore help students improve writing skill. To
implement effective writing lessons, I have conducted the following stages:
- Warm-up
- Pre- writing
- While- writing
- Post- writing
I. WARM-UP
Most classes should start with a “warm-up” activity to help the students relax and
increase their motivation in the lessons. The warm-up is often a game, listening to
songs, watching a video clip, etc… just to start things on a “fun and relaxed” level.
 CHARADES GAME:
- Students work in small groups of 6.
- Teacher asks the students to think of one thing they are allowed or not allowed to do
at school and write it on a piece of paper.
- Representatives take turn to act out thing they are allowed or not allowed to do at
school with gesture (without speaking or writing).The others in the class try to guess
what thing it is.
- Each correct answer gets 1 point.
 Unit 1: HOMELIFE – Part D: Writing
Ex: We are not allowed to smoke.
• Illustration (CD included)
- Teacher leads to the new lesson: Today, you will write about your home rule: What
you are allowed to do, what you aren’t permitted to do.
 CUT-UP SENTENCE KABADI GAME
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Nguyen Ngoc Khanh

1. Write the name of your school.
2. The age when you started to go to school.
3. Write 3 core subjects.
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Nguyen Ngoc Khanh


Some effective ways in teaching writing – Grade12

4. Double your age and write the result.
5. Draw a big circle
6. Put a small square in the circle.
7. If it is Monday, write X; if not, write the letter X in the English alphabet.
Expected answers:
1. Nguyen Huu Canh
2. 6
3. Maths, Literature, English
4. 34
5.

6.

7. x
- Teacher leads to the new lesson: Today, you will write a paragraph about education
system in Vietnam.
 PICTURE GUESSING GAME

• Illustration : (CD included)
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Nguyen Ngoc Khanh


Some effective ways in teaching writing – Grade12

- Teacher leads to the new lesson: Today, you will write a paragraph about the
world you imagine in the future.
 MIMING GAME
- Teacher gets one student to the board. The teacher gives him/her list of words.
- The student uses actions to describe the words. He/she cannot speak or spell the
word in the air.
- The other students watch their classmate and try to guess the words.
 Unit 13: THE 22ND SEA GAMES– Part D: Writing
Ex: A student uses actions to describe some sports. He/she cannot speak or spell
the word in the air. The other students watch their classmate and try to guess the
words.
• Illustration : (CD included)
- Teacher leads to the new lesson: + Which of the sports above you enjoy watching
most?
Expected answer: football
+ Do you ever watch a football match?
Expected answer: yes
- Teacher : Today, we’ll learn how to describe a football match.
 TREASURE HUNT GAME


A

U

E

The fourth letter is next to the rabbit.

The last letter is on the left of the treasure chest.

E
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T

Y
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Nguyen Ngoc Khanh


Some effective ways in teaching writing – Grade12

Expected answer: Chart
- Teacher leads to the new lesson: Today we will learn how to write a chart
description.
II. PRE- WRITING
Pre- writing stage is the time for students to think and develop ideas about a


475 Le Thanh Ton St, District 1
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
September 15th, 2012
Mr Micheal Swazz - The University of Birmingham
Edgbaston ,Birmingham B15 2TT
United Kingdom
Dear Sir,
I am interested in applying to an undergraduate course in Computer
Science at the University of Birmingham in England so I am writing this
letter to ask what the requirements are to be eligible for the course.
I would be very grateful if you could send me information about tuition
fee, accommodation and exams.
Now I am in the last year of the high school and will finish secondary
education in 9 months. And I have got 7.5 for the last IELTS test.
Could you please send me information as soon as possible so that I can
start the course next year?
I look forward to hearing from you soon,
Yours faithfully,
Nguyen Nhi

• Expected format:
1. Heading
- Writer’s address
- Date of writing
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- I am writing to you because I need ……………………………………………………
- I am interested in applying to a course in …………. at ……………..… university
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Some effective ways in teaching writing – Grade12

- I would like to apply ……………………………..……………………….……………
b. Request
- I would be grateful if you would provide me information about ……………………
- I wonder whether you could give me some information about …………………..…
- I should be very grateful if you let me have the following information ……………
- I should be very much obliged if you could let me have full details of ……………
c. Further information
- I have recently graduated ………………………
- I am in the last year of the ………………………
- I have a good command of English.
- I believe that my academic background and language skills would help me………
d. Conclusion
- I look forward to hearing from you
- Would you please let me know as soon as possible whether …

Nguyen Huu Canh high school
Van


chart.
week
doing
houseworkINwhereas
this –Describing
number is aonly
20 hours for men.
are quitetodifferent
house.
In families,
-However,
Teacherthings
asks students
read the when
modelchildren
carefullyenter
and the
work
out the
of one based
or twoon
children,
men maintain approximately the same number of time
format
the model.
doing housework as in childless households, but women’s number of time
doing housework as in 50 per week because it takes them more time to take
care of their children.
With families that have three or more children, women have to work
harder. They spend 55 hours a week doing housework while their husbands

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Nguyen Ngoc Khanh


Some effective ways in teaching writing – Grade12

- Topic sentence 1.
It is clear from the chart that….
It is noticeable that….
As can be seen in the chart,….
- Supporting ideas.
Giving numbers + comparison

- Topic sentence 2.
It is clear from the chart that….
It is noticeable that….
As can be seen in the chart,….
- Supporting ideas.
Giving numbers + comparison

….
III. Conclusion
- Giving opinion.
- Teacher can supply language input.
+ The chart represents/illustrates/shows………….
+ The chart indicates the average hours of housework per week done by married


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Some effective ways in teaching writing – Grade12

To celebrate the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union’s Foundation
Day, our school’s sports club recently played a friendly football match with
Nam Ha High school’s Football team. The match was held at 2.30 pm on 24th
March on our school’s playground.
The match took place in cool weather, which was good for both teams.
From the beginning, two teams played very excitingly. In the 1st half, we always
kept the ball away from our goal and led the ball towards our neighboring team.
However, after 30 minutes, the opponents scored a goal. The goal was so fine
that all of the audience jumped up and cheered. From then on, the match became
more exciting. In the second half, our team played in greater determination. One
of our excellent defenders, Hung, took the ball and passed it skillfully to our
striker, Lam, who gave a final kick into the goal. The stadium was “broken”
again in the shouts and the whistles of the spectators. It was one against one.
The atmosphere at the stadium made the match became tenser and tenser. Both
teams tried to win. Many good chances to make more scores were missed.
Everyone had tried their best but no more score was given.
The match ended in a draw but all of us were very happy. I felt very proud
of my school’s football team. They had shown a wonderful way of playing, a
sportsmanlike style-young, fair and impartial.

Useful expressions:
+ To celebrate the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union’s Foundation Day,…
+ To celebrate the Teachers’ Day,…
+ a friendly football match between …and … football team.
+ The match was held at … on … on …..
- Teacher can provide the checklist.

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Some effective ways in teaching writing – Grade12

Checklist
 The description has 3 parts.
 There is the climax
 The writer expresses his/her impression about the match.
 Transitional words (First, next, then,and,….)
 All sentences begin with capital letters.
 There is a punctuation mark at the end of each sentence.
 All words are spelled correctly.
 The verbs are in past tenses.
Teacher can also conduct an oral preparation. Teacher generates ideas by
brainstorming, discussing and listing. Teacher uses ideas from the different groups.
Students draft theirs writing thanks to the checklist and the format provided by
teacher. Teacher can help students by giving a set of guiding questions. By answering

prepare meals when my mother is
out.
scrub the toilet three times a week.

to come home late after 9:30 p.m
to go out with friends at night.
I am not allowed…

to listen to loud music after 9 p.m.

to watch TV after 10 p.m.
• Expected format:
1. Heading
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Some effective ways in teaching writing – Grade12

- Writer’s address
- Date of writing
- Receiver’s address
2. Greeting
3. Body
4. Closing
5. Signature

 The letter has 5 parts.
 Your address is at the top of the right hand side of the page.
 Their address is on the left hand side of the page.
 The date is on the right hand side of the page, underneath your address.
 Paragraph to explain why you are writing.
 It begins and ends in appropriate ways.
Ex:
Dear Mai, => Love, Yours sincerely,
 Connectors: Firstly, secondly, next, then, at last,… .
 All sentences begin with capital letters.
 There is a punctuation mark at the end of each sentence.
 All words are spelled correctly.
 The verbs are in correct tenses.
 Your signature

 Unit 4: SCHOOL EDUCATION SYSTEM – Describing school education
system in Vietnam.

SCHOOL EDUCATION
SYSTEM
VIETNAM
- Students work in pairs
to askIN
and
answer questions about school education
system in Vietnam, using the information shown in the following diagram.

Primary education (5 years)

Secondary education

3. How long does it take to finish the lower secondary education/ upper secondary
education?
4. When do children start to go to primary school?
5. How many weeks are there in the academic year?
6. How many terms are there in a school year? When are they?
7. When can students take the national examination for GCSE?
- Teacher has the students write the outline, teacher can supply language input.
• Expected outline
1. Education system in Vietnam :
+ two levels: Primary education and secondary education
2. Primary education: compulsory
+ Start grade 1 at …….years old.
+ 5 years to complete primary education
3. Secondary education:
+ lower secondary education: compulsory - four grades from grade 6 to grade 9
+ upper secondary education: three grades from grade 10 to grade 12
- GCSE
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Some effective ways in teaching writing – Grade12

4. A school year:
+ two terms: term 1 (Sep-Dec), term 2 (Jan-May)
- Teacher can provide the checklist.


Nguyen Ngoc Khanh


Some effective ways in teaching writing – Grade12

+ People
….
- Teacher asks student to give the format of the letter.
• Expected format:
1. Heading
- Writer’s address
- Date of writing
- Receiver’s address
2. Greeting
3. Body
4. Closing
5. Signature
- Teacher has the students outline the required letter.
• Expected outline of an informal letter
1. Heading
- Writer’s address
- Date of writing
- Receiver’s address
2. Greeting
Dear Ann,/ David,
3. Body
- Introduction of place
- Location
- Natural features