SÁNG KIẾN KINH NGHIỆM

ĐỀ TÀI:
"CÁCH VIẾT MỘT SỐ DẠNG BÀI LUẬN TIẾNG ANH"

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PHẦN MỞ ĐẦU
I. LÝ DO CHỌN ĐỀ TÀI:
1. Cơ sở lý luận:
Ngay từ khi bắt đầu học tiếng Anh, các em học sinh đã được tiếp xúc với bốn kỹ năng cơ
bản của ngôn ngữ, đó là: nghe, nói, đọc, và viết. Đây là những kỹ năng quan trọng của
người thầy trong việc truyền thụ kiến thức cho học sinh. Trong đó viết là một kỹ năng
khó cho người học, nó đòi hỏi người dạy phải nắm được phương pháp giảng dạy hiệu quả
và thực hiện tốt nguyên lý “Học đi đôi với hành”.
Xuất phát từ quan điểm "lấy người học làm trung tâm’’, phương pháp dạy và học đã có
những thay đổi căn bản. Người dạy không phải là người duy nhất nắm giữ kiến thức và
truyền đạt kiến thức mà chỉ là người hướng dẫn, người hỗ trợ, người cố vấn, người kiểm
tra..Người học không còn là người thụ động tiếp thu kiến thức mà là trung tâm của quá
trình dạy học, chủ động sáng tạo trong quá trình học tập nhằm đạt được kết quả cao trong
học tập và biết vận dụng vào thực tế cuộc sống.
Dạy ngoại ngữ nói chung, dạy tiếng Anh nói riêng việc đổi mới phương pháp dạy
học là rất quan trọng.Ngoài việc nắm vững kiến thức ngôn ngữ ,thực hiện tốt kĩ năng
nghe, nói, đọc thì kỹ năng viết cũng đóng một vai trò quan trọng không kém. Dạy viết là
một trong những nội dung cơ bản và thực sự là sự kết hợp tinh tế của việc giảng các kỹ
năng ngôn ngữ khác.
Từ những luận điểm trên việc áp dụng các phương pháp dạy viết như thế nào để
giúp học sinh thực hiện một bài viết Tiếng Anh tốt, nghĩa là đảm bảo chính xác về yêu
cầu bài viết, ngữ pháp, tính sáng tạo trong bài viết là rất quan trọng.
2. Cơ sở thực tiễn:

chương trình Tiếng Anh THCS
- Về thời gian: Khảo sát từ tháng 8 năm 2010 đến nay.
IV. PHƯƠNG PHÁP NGHIÊN CỨU:
- Dựa trên đặc trưng bộ môn Tiếng Anh, theo phương pháp đổi mới dạy học cấp
THCS.
- Dự giờ đồng nghiệp để tìm hiểu thực trạng kĩ năng viết ở trường THCS
- Áp dụng các hình thức viết khác nhau như bài viết có hướng dẫn hay bài tập viết
sáng tạo.
- Tham khảo kĩ năng dạy viết qua sách, báo, những thông tin liên quan trên mạng
Internet.
- Tiếp thu các ý kiến của đồng nghiệp để rút kinh nghiệm, chắt lọc các phương
pháp hay để áp dụng cho phù hợp.
V. PHẠM VI VÀ THỜI GIAN NGHIÊN CỨU:
1- Phạm vi nghiên cứu:

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Nghiên cứu sách giáo khoa, khai thác các thông tin trên Internet, các tài liệu có liên
quan, xác định thể loại và dạng bài viết để xây dựng tiết dạy bồi dưỡng cho phù hợp.
Thực nghiệm các học sinh tham gia đội tuyển khối lớp 9 trong trường THCS Đại Tự.
2- Thời gian nghiên cứu:
Trong các năm học 2010-2011, 2011-2012 và 2012-2013
PHẦN NỘI DUNG
I. Describing people:
1. Introduction: Who the person is/ When and how you first met or saw him/her.
2. Main body:
+ Physical appearance: height/build, age, facial features, hair, clothing
( From the most general aspects to the most specific detail)
Eg: Bill, who is in his early twenties, is quite tall and well-built, with thick black hair and

She is so beautiful that she looks like a film star.
- Addition: in addition to, as well as/ besides, moreover, furthermore, not only... but
also...,etc.
He is very tall, in addition to being very thin.
My grandmother has deep wrinkles, as well as thin grey hair.
He is not only artistic, but also a successful businessman.
- Contrast: but/yet/However/Nonetheless/Even so + Clause
Although/(Even) though/ While + Clause
In spite of/ Despite + -ing form/noun/the fact that
He is temperamental, but/yet he is a loyal friend.
He looks as through he's an old man. However, he is only 35.
Although he has a huge, powerful body, he's a very gentle person.
In spite of being very busy, she always has time for her children.
- Linking cause and effect:
She is open and friend.(cause)
Because/as/since
As a result/consequence of

She is popular.(effect)

owing to/due to(+-ing/noun/the fact that)...
A/the result of ...is... ; as a result,...

She is popular because she is open and friendly.
She is popular due to being/due to the fact that she is open and friendly.

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A result of her being open is that she is popular.

exchange trip to Calais, France. I asked him the way to the library and we started talking.
We've been friends ever since.
Jacques is quite good-looking. He's tall and slim, with olive skin and curly dark
hair. Like many French people, he has a great sense of style, so he always looks welldressed even in casual clothes.
Jacques is very outgoing. He is always friendly and loves to have fun. He's got a
fantastic sense of humour and he always makes me laugh. However, he can be a bit
immature at times. For example, when he doesn't get what he wants, he acts childishly
and stamps his feet.

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Jacques is very keen on water sports. He likes sailing and he spends a lot of time on
his boat. He enjoys scuba diving, too, and loves exploring life under sea.
All in all, I'm glad to have Hacques as my friend. It's a pleasure to be with him and
I really enhoy his company. I'm sure we'll always be close friends.
II. Descibing places/ Buildings
1. Introduction: name/ location/ population of the place, reason for choosing the place.
+ Factual information such as age, size, colour, material, etc.
Eg: The temple, with 10-meter tall marble columns, was built in 800BC
+ Details relating to the senses ( sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste) to suggest mood and
atmosphere
Eg: Visitors' footsteps on the wom stone floors echo through the cool, dark corridors,
disturbing the tranquil silence
2. Main body: general features and particular details
+ Place: surroundings, sights, facilities, free-time activities
+ Building: surroundings, detailed description of exterior/ interior.
3. Conclusion:
Comments/ feelings or a recommendation
* Notice:

* Useful language: Explaining Impression
The most noticeable/outstanding feature of the place is its golden garden
A huge statue of a lion is the first thing one notices upon entering the temple
Without doubt, the most impressive thing about San Francisco is the Golden Gate Bridge.
The thing which makes the strongest/most enduring impression is the hospitality of the
locals.
The first thing one notices about the house is its overgrown garden.
The reason that the area is so depressing is that there are so may derelict buildings
* Making comparisons:
To compare places or building you can use
- (just/nearly) as ... (positive degree) ... as
Eg: In those days the main streets were just as congested as they are today
- The same as
Eg: The cottage was the same as it had been fifty years before.
- (relatively/considerably) less ... (positive degree) ... than
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Eg: The new buildings are considerably less ornate than the old ones.
- (much/far/considerably) more + adjective/ adverbs + than
Eg: The northern area is more picturesque than the eastern area.
- (by far) the most + adjective
Eg: Hill Manor is by far the most elegant hotel in the region.
- comparative + and + comparative
Eg: The streets are becoming dirtier and dirtier.
- the comparative ..., the + comparative
Eg: The further south you travel, the warmer it becomes.
Topic: Describe your school
I study in XYZ Secondary School. It is one of the best schools in Singapore. It
consists of several Roman style buildings. Our school has all the facilities of a

Our teachers are also very strict. They teach us with the utmost care, guide us with
our assessments and other preparations and help us in times of need.
I like my school very much and am proud to be a student of that school.
III. Describing festivals/ events/ ceremonies:
1. Introduction: Set the scene ( name,time/date, place of event, reason(s) for celebrating)
2. Main body: Preparations( decorations, rehearse,etc.)
Description of actual event (costumes, food, atmosphere, activities,etc.)
3. Conclusion: feelings, comments, thoughts
* Notice:
When you describe annual events( a celebration/festival which takes place every year),
present tenses are used and the style is formal. However, when giving a personal account
of an event which you witnessed or took part in, past tenses are used and the style may be
less formal. The passive is frequently used to describe preparations/ activities which take
place.
Eg: Pumpkins are carved and placed in windows and costumes are designed
Topic: Indian Festival
The Milwaukee Native American Indian Festival is truly and amazing event. For
three days in September every year, thousands gather in Milwaukee, USA, to celebrate
Indian culture. Last year, I was lucky enough to attend the festival and experience it for
myself.
The preparations take months. Dance teams from all over the country practise to
compete in the tribal Pow Wow dance contest. Indian craftsmen work to produce the
many traditional items on display. Then, in the week before the festival, the stalls are put
up and the food is prepared, so that everything will be ready for the big day.
The celebrations began at 4pm and there was plenty to see and do. I visited a
traditional Indian village, watched skilled craftsmen carve totem poles, and even learned
how to do tribal Indian dancing. It was also a great opportunity to sample some
traditional native dishes, like corn bread and buffalo burgers.
The festival was fun, entertaining and educational. It was a wonderful way to learn
about Native American culture and celebrate the end of summer.

+ referring to feelings or moods
+ addressing the reader directly
- You can end your story by:
+ using direct speech
+ referring to feelings or moods
+ describing people's reactions to the events developed in the main body.
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+ creating mystery or suspense
+ asking a rhetorical question.
* Past tenses and time words:
- Past habits are not described using Past Continuous. In stead, use Past Simple, "used to"
or "would", with an appropriate adverb of frequency.
Eg: When I was child, my father often told me/ sometimes used to tell/ would always tell
me stories to get me to fall asleep.
( Adverbs of frequency: always, usually, frequently/often, sometimes/occasionally,
seldom/rarely, never)
- Past continuous:
Eg: I was watching TV while he was trying to phone/when there was a knock on the
door/ at 3 o'clock yesterday.
Time words/phrases: (at the same time) as , meanwhile, when, while
- Past perfect:
Eg: By the time I arrived, my friends had already left.
Time words/phrases: after, as soon as, before, by the time, no sooner, not until, once,
(only) when.
- Inversion:
+ Some words, especially adverbs of frequency and time words/phrasals, are followed by
inversion when they are used at the beginning of a sentence.
Eg: Never Tom had imagined that he would find himself in such a situation.

took me to Da Lat. Due to this attack in my early age, I became very weak and I still had
not been able to recover my health.
Another thing I still remember is my swimming accident. It was on a Sunday that I
went with my friends for a picnic at Vung Tau beach. Some of us were expert swimmers
but unfortunately I did not know much about swimming. My friends plunged into the sea
in order to swim and persuaded me to do the same. Soon I was caught by the swift
current in the water and was carried away. My scream of panic was heard by my friends
who rescued me from drowning. I was really very grateful to them for saving my life.
It is this period of childhood which has been described by poets and writers. To
recollect the past is to plunge ourselves in a state of nostalgia. Wordsworth, the immortal
poet of England, and a great worshipper of nature, describes in his poems his childhood
period, which, to him, was full of pleasant memories. I too miss those good old days
which had flown by so quickly.
V. Discursive Essays:
There are three main types of discursive essays

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1. For and against essays:
Present both sides of an issue, discussing points in favour of a particular topic as well as
those against or the advantages and disadvantages of a particular question. Each point
should be supported by justifications, examples, and/or reasons. The writer's own
opinion should be presented only in the final paragraph.
* Useful expressions and linking words/phrases:
- To list points:
Firstly, First of all, In the first place, To begin/start with
Secondly, Thirdly, ..., Finally
- To list advantages:
One/Another/A further/ An additional(major) advantage of ... is ...

advocate ( +ing/noun)/support the view that ...

scientists/sceptics/

oppose the view that

critics
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in favour of/against ...
all

0f the opinion that/convinced that ...
opposed to ...

- To add more points to the same topic:
In addition (to this), furthermore, moreover, besides, apart from, what is more, as well as,
not to mention ( the fact) that, also, not only ... but also/as well, both ... and. There i s
another side to the issue/question/argument of ...
- To make constrasting points:
on the other hand, it may be said/argued/claimed that, ...
however, still, yet, but,
Others/
Oppose this viewpoint
many peole ( strongly) disagree ...,
Claim/feel/believe this argument is
incorrect/misguided
Although, though, even though, while, whilst, whereas, despite/in spite of (the fact that),
regardless of the fact that


it seems/appears that ...

All things considered,

it would seem that ...

Taking everything into it is likely/unlikely/possible/foreseeable that ...
account/consideration,
it is clear/obvious that ...
To conclude,
there is no/little doubt that ...
To sum up,

the best course of action would be to ...

All in all,

achieving a balance between ... would be ...

Finally/Lastly,

it is true to say that
although it must be said that ...
it may be concluded/said that ...

All things considered, the obvious conclusion to be drawn is that .../
There is no absolute answer to the question of ...,
In the light of this evidence, it is clear/obvious/etc that ...
In conclusion,

To conclude,
I am inclined to believe that ...
To sum up,

I (do not) agree that/with ...

All in all,
Finally/Lastly,
Taking everything into account, I therefore conclude/feel/believe (that) ...
For the above - mentioned reasons, therefore, I (firmly) believe that ...
Topic: Should teachers give pupils too much homework? Discuss.
Many people now think that teachers give pupils too much homework. They say
that it is unnecessary for children to work at home in their free time. Moreover, they
argue that most teachers do not properly plan the homework tasks they give to pupils.
The result is that pupils have to repeat tasks which they have already done at school.
Recently many parents complained about the difficult homework which teachers
gave to their children. The parents said that most of the homework was a waste of time,
and they wanted to stop it. Spain and Turkey are two countries which stopped homework
recently. In Denmark, West Germany and several other countries in Europe, teachers
cannot set homework at weekends. In Holland, teachers allow pupils to stay at school to
do their homework. The children are free to help one another. Similar arrangements also
exist in some British schools.
Most people agree that homework is unfair. A pupil who can do his homework in a
quiet and comfortable room is in a much better position than a pupil who does his
homework in a small, noisy room with the television on. Some parents help their children
with their homework. Other parents take no interest at all in their children’s homework.

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students. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your
answer.
Maybe someone will choose to study with a group of students, and they can give you
sound reasons for their choice. I prefer to study alone because I am sure that study alone
will profer you with silence, freedom and enough choice, which is indespensible for a
student, but regretly, group study cannot offer.
First, when you study alone, you will not be abstracted by the sound made by other
students from your study. It is fretful that when you want to study hard but others drone
beside your ears like bees. And always you will be angry enough to begin to quarrel with
them. That will certainly lead to an unfruitful study.
Second, many people have their own study styles. Some want to have something to eat
when he is studying, some want to lie down with a book in his hand, while still some
want to study without anything doing. And when you study alone, you can take your
favorite way and needn't regard what others feel.
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Third, studying alone profer you with enough choice as you want to do. You can have
your media playing, you can open the window, also, you can sing your song when you are
in a high spirit. That is great. I always sing a good song when I solve a difficult problem
and to think that nobody will criticise you for making noise is a lovely experience.
So, may there some problems for studying alone, I'll prefer to study alone.
3. Essay suggesting solutions to problems:
In which the problems associated with a particular issue or situation are analysed and
possible solutions are put forward, together with any expected results/ consequences. The
writer's opinion may be mentioned, directly or indirectly, in the introduction and/or
conclusion.
* Notice:
- Present each point in a separate paragraph
- Well-known quotations or though-provoking statements are useful devices to make your


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to
Serious attempts to halt/prevent/solve ... must be made.
One (possible)
Another

way to

An alternative

solve/overcome

this problem

combat/deal
with

the
(of) ...

Would be/

problem is ...

eradicate

People

The

effect/consequence
outcome/result

Of (+noun/ing)

would
might

be

Topic: The difficulties in learning English and how to overcome them
Beginners of foreign language always meet difficulties from the outset. For me, I
had to overcome these problems when I started learning English.
English pronunciation is my first obstacle. The pronunciation in English puzzles
me a lot because the same letter has different sounds. For example the letter “a” in “bath”
is not pronounced in the same way of that in “bathe”. The “ou” in “South” is also

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different from “ou” in “Southern”. Generally verbs and nouns are pronounced differently
although they are written the same. Record is a good example to illustrate it.
In order to solve this puzzling question I carefully study The A.P.A (The
International Phonetic Alphabets) which helps me pronounce English words correctly. In
order to have an accent just like the native speakers, I often listen to tapes and repeat after
them, trying to imitate them. Moreover, my everyday conversation with the foreigners I
meet in the street will enable me to acquire a proper accent.
Compared with French, English grammar is much easier. However, this does not

Main Body

Main Body

Main Body

Arguments for & Viewpoints
& Suggestions & results
justifications,
reasons/ examples
examples or reasons
Conclusion
Balanced
consideration

Conclusion
Summarise/
or your opinion

Conclusion
restate Summarise
opinion

your

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opinion
* Formal style:

with this opinion?
- Discuss both of the views. Which do you agree FOR
with?
AGAINST

AND

- Present arguments for and against the above
opinion. Which one do you agree with?
- To what extent do you agree or disagree?
- What do you think ( of this statement)?
- What is you opinion about ...?
- Is it a good idea to ...?

OPINION

- Which of the views do you agree with?
- Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree
with the given statement.
- What do you think are some of the problems facing
a mordern city?
- What in your opinion can be done to help the poor
improve their situation/
SOLUTIONS
- Discuss the reasons why people move to live in PROBLEMS
cities

TO

- Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using

kết quả cao hơn.
II. KIẾN NGHỊ:
1- Về học sinh:
- Cần chuẩn bị bài chu đáo trước khi đến lớp, trong khi học phải thật chú ý lắng
nghe bài giảng, tích cực phát biểu đưa ra những ý tưởng, tình huống hay để áp dụng vào
bài viết.
- Tránh rụt rè, nhút nhát phải tự tin vào chính mình.
- Khai thác triệt để thông tin từ Internet, từ đó có các thông tin hay để viết bài luận
2- Về giáo viên:
- Chuẩn bị bài dạy một cách công phu, tỉ mỉ, lời hướng dẫn rõ ràng, hệ thống câu
hỏi đơn giản, các dạng bài tập phù hợp với mọi đối tượng học sinh.

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- Cần kiểm tra và đánh giá kết quả bài viết của học sinh một cách khoa học, chính
xác.
- Tạo không khí cởi mở, chân thành trong giờ học giúp học sinh say mê, yêu thích
môn học.
- Giới thiệu những quyển sách hay cho học sinh tham khảo.
3- Về nhà trường:
- Đầu tư thêm các đầu sách tham khảo cho môn viết.
- Tạo sân chơi bổ ích cho việc học Tiếng Anh.
4- Về phòng giáo dục:
- Thường xuyên có các lớp bồi dưỡng dạy kĩ năng dạy viết cho giáo viên, đặc biệt
là bồi dưỡng cho giáo viên dạy đội tuyển lớp 9.
- Hàng năm Phòng nên cho phần viết luận vào đề thi của tất cả các khối.

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