NGA SON DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
NGA TAN SECONDARY SCHOOL

A RESEARCH PAPER FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL
TEACHERS OF ENGLISH

TITLE: “IMPROVING WRITING SKILL FOR 9TH GIFTED
STUDENTS AT NGA TAN SECONDARY SCHOOL BY
PRACTICING SOME DIFFERENT TYPES OF ENGLISH
ESSAY WRITING”

The writer: Trinh Thi Ha
Position: Teacher
Work Unit: Nga Tan secondary school
Experience initiative: English

THANH HOA - 2016
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SỞ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO THANH HOÁ

PHÒNG GD&ĐT

SÁNG KIẾN KINH NGHIỆM

ÁP DỤNG CÓ HIỆU QUẢ MỘT SỐ DẠNG BÀI VIẾT LUẬN
TIẾNG ANH CHO HỌC SINH GIỎI LỚP 9
-TRƯỜNG THCS NGA TÂN

Người thực hiện: Trịnh Thị Hà

2
1. Theoretical background
2
2. Practical background.
3
3. The sollutions
3
3.1. The steps made in writing a paragraph
or anKINH
essay writing.
SÁNG KIẾN
NGHIỆM 3
3.2. Some steps of essay writing and the methods to practise 4
them
ÁP DỤNG CÓ HIỆU QUẢ MỘT SỐ DẠNG BÀI VIẾT
3.2.1.Describing peopleTIẾNG ANH CHO HỌC SINH GIỎI
4 LỚP 9
3.2..2.Descibing places/ Buildings
-TRƯỜNG THCS NGA TÂN
5
3.2.3.Descibing places/ Buildings
7
3.2.4.Narratives
7
3.2.5.Discursive Essays
8
4. The discussion
4.1. Results
4.2. The discussion


communication, especially in the period of the current international integration.
So English has an important position like other subjects in school. The teaching
of English is required today as increasing not only the knowledge but also the
concern of every teacher to teach this course in Vietnam.
Since Vietnam has started its open door to the world and to foreign
investment, the English language has gained more significance. At the Central
Party Committee meeting on education in December 1996, English was
confirmed as the first language to be taught at schools in Vietnam. The
government of Vietnam has stressed the importance of English as it is considered
to play a significant role on the country’s path of modernization and
industrialization. The command of English may offer learners an entrance to the
world of academy, trade, aviation, music and sport.
The English language has rapidly become the most popular first foreign
language among Vietnamese people, especially at schools, colleges and
universities. For learners of English, the English language surely brings about a
better career prospect. Needles to say, writing is amongst the most prominent
skills that language learners need to learn as an essential component of their
academic practice and later on in their professional life, which partially explains
why teaching writing has prompted a good deal of research that covers various
aspects of its broad instructional contexts. Teaching/learning how to write
successfully gets even more complicated and challenging for both language
teachers and students For many Vietnamese students, especially 9-grade tallent
students of secondary school, presenting written work is a substantial challenge.
They may have little experience of writing and may be very anxious about
having to write essays in a test. There is no doubt that having one’s work
assessed by another is a daunting experience, but there are techniques, which can
be adopted and make this skill easier. Over the months applying innovative
methods in teaching English in Nga Tan secondary school I have seen that
students confused not knowing what to write style; how to express ideas in
paragraph, essay; how to use structures for reasonable questions .... So I boldly

- Refer to teach writing skills through books, newspapers and related information
on the Internet.
- Acquiring the opinions of colleagues to learn from experience, refine the
methods or to apply accordingly.
II. CONTENT
1. Theoretical background
Right from the beginning to learn English, the students were exposed to
four basic skills of language, they are: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
These are important skills of teachers in the transmission of knowledge to
students. And writing is a skill that is difficult to learn, it requires teachers to
understand the effectiveness of teaching methods and implement the principle of
"learning with practice."
Stemming from the "learner-centered '', methods of teaching and learning
has changed fundamentally. The teacher is not the only one who holds the
knowledge and impart knowledge that only the user lead, facilitators, mentors,
moderators no longer a passive acquisition of knowledge which is the center of
the teaching process, initiatives and creativity in the learning process in order to
achieve high results in learning and know how to apply to real life.
General language teaching, teaching English in particular the renewal of
teaching methods is very important. Besides mastering language knowledge,
make good listening skills, speaking, reading and writing skills they also play a
role equally important role. Teaching writing is one of the basic content is the
subtle combination of clarifying the different language skills.
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From the arguments on the application of the method of teaching writing
and how to help students make a good article in English, means ensuring the
required precision articles, grammar, creativity in the article is very important.
2. Practical background.

student's mistakes rather than speaking. Writing operation is a very important
part of the process of teaching and learning English. Especially for those gifted
students, at each level of competition they regularly encounter the article.
3. 1. The steps made in writing a paragraph or an essay in English
Structures and how to implement a paragraph or an essay in English in written
exam for good student in grade 9
To write a paragraph or an essay, first, students need to understand how to
arrange the layout and details in a paragraph or an essay.
* Guide students to write under 6 following steps:
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1 - Write the topic sentence (Note: Make sure to thoroughly take advantage of all
threads to write a topic sentence).
2 - Check to make sure the topic sentence in your topic sentence topic and
controlling idea.
3 - Look for reviews to prove / interpreting main idea by asking questions
prefaced with a question word.
(Note: Due to the length of the passage is controlled, so you just put about 5
questions that are. Remember that these questions should be relevant to the
topic).
4 - Assemble the answers to your questions (supporting sentences) into a
complete text. The key to remember is that you must step sure what use order to
articulate supporting sentences.
5- Consider whether or not the written statement. If unsure, skip this step.
6 - Check your spelling errors, grammatical errors can be found in each of your
sentence.
This can only be done once you master the basic theory of how to write a
paragraph (paragraph) or an essay (composition).
In this article, we will look at the steps necessary to implement a subject into a

* Linking words and structures: Writing which contains a series of short
sentences or the same simple linking words(such as"and") soon becomes boring
and repetitive. To avoid this, you should use a wide range of linking words and
structures
- with: She is tall and striking, with long blonde hair
- Relative Clauses: who/which/whose
My neighbour, who is slightly eccentric, has dozens of filthy cats
- Result: so/such (a)...(that)
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.
Eg: He is very tall, in addition to being very thin.
- Contrast: but/yet/However/Nonetheless/Even so + Clause
Although/(Even) though/ While + Clause
In spite of/ Despite + -ing form/noun/the fact that
Eg: He is temperamental, but/yet he is a loyal friend.
- Linking cause and effect:
She is open and friend (cause)
She is popular (effect)
Because/as/since/owing to/due to(+-ing/noun/the fact that)...
As a result/consequence of….; A/the result of ...is... ; as a result,...
Eg: A result of her being open is that she is popular.
..., so...; therefore/for this reason...; The reason(that/why)...is...
Eg: She is open and friendly, therefore she is popular.
* Impressions, Opinions and Reactions:
I think/feel/etc (that)….; It seems to me that …; To me/To my mind
As far as I'm concerned…; In my opinion/view/eyes…; Sb seems/ appear to be...;
I/ people/etc find/ consider sb to be...; I think of/ see/ regard sb as being...
* Compoud Adjectives: Compound adjectives are formed with
- present participles: a hard-working student

* Expressing Impression & Reactions
- You can express positive impressions of a place by:
+ using a variety of adjectives such as: breathtaking, delightedful, eyecatching,
outstanding, picturesque, etc.
+ using a variety of present or past participle from such verbs as: astound, amaze,
astonish, impress, refresh,etc.
Eg: I was/felt astounded at how beautiful Florida is in winter.
+ using a variety of nouns in expressions such as: to my amazement/
astonishment/ delight/ surprise/etc.
Eg: To my delight, the place had kept its character.
- You can express negative impressions of a place by
+ using a variety of adjectives such as: disreputable, inhospitable, neglected
+ using a variety of present or past participles from such verbs as: disappoint,
shock,etc.
Eg: ... the disappointing view of the unsightly housing.
+Using a variety of nouns in expressions such as: to my
isappointment/surprise/etc.
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.
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The reason that the area is so depressing is that there are so may derelict
buildings

1. Introduction: Set the scene ( Who/what/when/where)
Sets the scene (place, time, character(s), etc.), creates an intersting mood/
atmosphere to make the reader want to continue reading, and/or begins
dramatically to capture the reader's attention.
2. Main body: Develope the story ( Describe incidents leading up to the main
events and the event itself in detail. Describe people/ place/ emotions/
actions/etc)
3. Conclusion: End the story (complete the plot; describe feelings/ reactions;
explain the conspuences)
* Techniques for beginning or ending stories:
- You can start your story by
- You can end your story by:
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+ describing the weather, place, + addressing the reader directly
people, etc, using senses
+ using direct speech
+ using direct speech
+ referring to feelings or moods
+ asking a rhetorical question
+ describing people's reactions to the
+ creating mystery or suspense
events developed in the main body.
+ creating mystery or suspense
+ asking a rhetorical question.
* Techniques for beginning or ending stories
* 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.

reasons. The writer's own opinion should be presented only in the final
paragraph.
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* 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 ...
The main/greatest/first advantage of ... is ...
- To list disadvantages:
One/Another/A further/ An additional(major) disadvantage/drawback of ...
The main/greatest/most serious/first disadvantage/drawback of ...
Another nagative aspect of ...
- To introduce points/arguments for or against
One (very convincing) point/argument in favour of ... / against ...
A further common criticism of ... / It could be argued that ...,
Often
claimed/suggested
It is
Widely
argued/maintaine That
d
Generally
felt/believed/held
claim/suggeste/argue/feel that ...
Some/many/
maintain/believe/point/agree/hold that ...



This is (clearly) illustrated/shown by the fact that...;The fact that ...
shows/illustrates that ...
- To emphasis a point
Clearly, obviously, it is obvious, naturally, of course, needless to say, indeed
- To express reality:
In fact, the fact (of the matter) is, actually, in practice, it is a fact that, in effect
- To make general statements
As a (general) rule, generally, in general, on the whole, by and large, in most
cases
- To make partially correct statements:
To a certain extent/ degree, to some extent/degree, in a way/sense, this is partly
true (but), to a limited extent, there is some truth in (ths), in some cases, up to a
point
- To explain/clarify a point
In other words, that is to say, this/which means that
- Conclusion expressing balanced considerations/opinion indirectly
In conclusion,
it can/must be said/claimed that ...
On balance,
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,

I am convinced that ...
To sum up,
I am inclined to believe that ...
All in all,
I (do not) agree that/with ...
Finally/Lastly,
Taking everything into account, I therefore conclude/feel/believe (that) ...
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For the above - mentioned reasons, therefore, I (firmly) believe that ...
2. Opinion essays
Present the writer's personal opinion concerning the topic, clearly stated and
supported by reasons and/or examples. The opposing viewpoint and reason
should be included in a separate paragraph before the closing one, together with
an argument that shows it is an unconvincing viewpoint. The writer's opinion
should be included in the introduction, and summarised/ restated in the
conclusion.
- Useful Expressions for giving Opinions
To my mind/To my way of thinking…;It is my
(firm)belief/opinion/view/conviction (that) ...;In my opinion/view ...; My opinion
is that,…; It seems/appears to me ...; It strikes me that ...; As far as I am
concerned, ...; 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:

for my 9-grade gifted students the result as follows:

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* Result table:
Full name
Nguyen Van Tu
Nguyen Thi Bich Hang
Trinh Xuan Hieu
Dao Van Linh
Total
4 pupils

Good
1 (25%)

Mark
5.0
7.0
6.5
6.0
Quite good
0 (0%)

Average
3 (75%)


Total
Good
Quite good
Average
4 pupils
1 (25%)
3 (75%)
0 (0%)
Table 2: Students’ results after teacher use the new methods of teaching
writing esay at the end of the first term.
4.2. The discussion
It can be seen from table 2 that using those methods of teaching essay
writing has helped my gifted students a lot. Students’ writing has improved in
several different ways. One remarkable area of progress is that now all of their
writings are quite good. At the beginning of the school year, when a writing
assignment was carried out 75 % of my gifted students’ writing were average, 25
% good and 0% quite good. However, at the end of the term, all my gifted
students in English District Team had a good command of writing a passage
100% above average, and all of them got good grades and high prizes at the
contest, especially student Nguyen Van Tu won the third prize at the provincal
English contest.
III. CONCLUSION
1. Limitations of the study
With the basis of a qualitative research, it is safe to say that the answers to
the research questions are satisfactory. However, the limitations of the present
study should be mentioned
The time of the current study might not be long enough for conducting the
research to cover all students. Here, the researcher only concentrate on some
gifted students. This also contributed to the researcher’s failure to see the

Nga Tan, April 2, 2016
Confirmation of the Head–
STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP
I hereby acknowledge that this study is mine.
Master of Nga Tan
secondary school
The date and findings discussed in the thesis are
true, used with permission from associates and
have not been published elsewhere.
Author:
Nguyen Van Chieu
Trinh Thi Ha

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IV. REFERENCES
1. Writing Academic English - Alice Oshima and Ann Hogue
2. Real Writing - Roger Gower
3. 220 English Essays - Renee Gehman, Almos Masksay and Laura Kristoffersen
4. Successful Writing (Proficiency) - Virginia Evans
5. Answer to All TOEFL Essay Questions
6. Some websites
/> /> /> /> /> />7. 15 days’ practice for IELTS writing.

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V. APPENDICES
The way I often mark my gifted students’ writing.