THANH HOA EDUCATION AND TRAINING DEPARTMENT
Lam Son Gifted High school

TEACHING EXPERIENCE INITIATIVE

Using some brainstorming techniques And
Outlining to improve writing skills for 12th
form non - English majors at Lam Son Gifted
high school

Writer : Nguyen Thi Huong
Position: Teacher
Subject : English

THANH HOA - 2016

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART A. INTRODUCTION..................................................................
I. Reasons for choosing the topic..............................................................
II. Aims of the study.................................................................................
III. Participants and applying scope of the study......................................
IV. Method of study..................................................................................
PART B: DEVELOPMENT..................................................................
I. Overview of writing...............................................................................
1.1. Definitions of writing.........................................................................
1.2. Approaches to teaching writing skills in foreign language teaching

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PART C: CONCLUSION......................................................................

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PART A. INTRODUCTION
I. Reasons for choosing the topic
In the process of globalization, English plays an important role in enhancing
economy, politics, culture and international relations between many countries.
Therefore, there is a great demand for teaching and learning English in the world as
well as in Viet Nam. English users today focus more on the ability to communicate
in spoken and written languages. However, the education quality has not met the
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society’s expectation because mostly high-school graduates cannot communicate in
English effectively in both oral and written forms. Under the urgent demand of
improving the quality, Vietnam’s English language teaching has recently undergone
a comprehensive reform. Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training has
continually updated a new set of textbook for high school students in order to
develop students’ communicative competence. Moreover, in September 2014,
Education Ministry decided to merge the two current exams into one national exam
that is required the writing ability of students. However, regarding Vietnam’s
context, the change will create many difficulties to not only teachers but also
learners of English who are too familiar to the old teaching methods, especially in
teaching writing skill, which seems to be the most difficult work in teaching and
studying English nowadays.
At Lam Son Gifted high school, writing skills is really a big challenge for
non-English majors. For students, they used to learn in the way which writing

The brainstorming techniques and outlining methods of teaching writing
skills were carried out at Lam Son Gifted high school with the participation of
students whose majors are Physics, Biology, Information Technology and Literature
in grade 12th. To those students, English was not their majors but a compulsory
subject in the courses. All of them have learnt English for at least four years at
secondary schools, especially some of them have learnt English for nine years.
Most of them can do grammar very well but have difficulties in mastering four
skills, especially writing skills which students find most challenging and boring.
I mainly concentrate on effectiveness and difficulties of applying some
brainstorm techniques and outlining in teaching writing to the 12 th form nonEnglish majors at Lam Son Gifted high school
The examples given in this assignment are based on the textbook of English 12.
IV. Method of study
To conduct the study, many methods are used. However, the main ones are
descriptive statistics, observation and analytical method.

PART B: DEVELOPMENT
I. Overview of writing
1.1. Definitions of writing
There are many definitions of writing. According to Byrne (1991), writing
can be defined as the act of forming graphic symbols. When we write, we use
graphic symbols: alphabet, grammar, and structures to make visual meaningful
utterances. Other researchers considered writing as a communicative process with
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purposeful interaction between the participants. For example, NuNan (2003, p.
100) stated, “Writing is not a solitary act; rather, it is the result of the interaction
among people, contexts, and texts.”
Writing is characterized with some basic features, such as being linguistics,
creative, progressive and interactive. Besides, the word “writing” itself may imply

ideas on paper without worrying too much
- Emphasize grammar exercises and about correctness.
correctness.
- Focus on the various forms of classroom
- Focus on the end result of the activities which promote the development
writing process: the writing paper of of language use.
the learners.
- The final draft is the result of a long and
painful process of writing successive
- Learners only produce one final drafts.
draft.
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Table 1: Approaches to teaching writing skills
While “The product approach to writing usually involves the presentation of
a model text, which is analyzed and then forms the basis of a task that leads to the
writing of an exactly similar or a parallel text” ( Evan and St John, 1998: 116), the
process approach focuses on thinking and writing processes. Nevertheless, the
product approach sees the language learners as creators of language, decision
makers of the message and content. In the view of Hedge (1990), the process
contains a lot of stages which can be illustrated as follows: "being motivated to
write - getting ideas together - planning and outlining – making notes - making a
first draft - revising. replanning. redrafting - editing and getting ready for
publication." There are three essential steps: pre-writing, planning (outlining),
writing, and revising drafts. Each step involves certain kinds of task that the writers
have to fulfill in order to construct a good piece of work.
The most important is pre-writing that is any classroom activity that
encourages the learners to get ready to write. It may include understanding the
purpose of writing, discovering the topic, thinking about the audience, gathering

recognize the link between them.
Preparation: A teacher should prepare a little in advance: pictures, cards, word
square, quiz, questions, clear instructions and so on.
Role of the teacher: Teacher plays the role of an instructor and counselor during
the game or brainstorming activity.
Time limit: Each game or activity in pre- writing stage takes from 5 to 8 minutes.
Before starting, time limit should be given to students and teacher should stop them
whether they have finished or not.
2. 3. Some suitable and useful activities for applying brainstorming techniques
in pre- writing.
There are many suitable activities that I have adapted in each writing lesson.
a. Building up sentences
- Divide the students into groups. The size of group may vary depending on
total number of the class.
- Give words making up meaningful sentences in a wrong order and explain
the sentences to students.
- Ask the students to write out sentences correctly, read out the sentences and
then write on the board.
b. Writing consequences
This is a fun activity to create a group story. Each student needs a blank sheet
of paper and a pen. If possible, sit in a circle to play. Each student adds one stage to
the story then folds the paper to cover the information and passes the paper to the
student on the right.
- The teacher asks the students to get into groups of six or seven.
- The teacher reads aloud to provide the students with the following
instruction:
- Write the name of a man. It can be a famous man or a man everyone in the
class know. (Depending on the group, allow them to put the names of classmates).
- Write the name of a woman. It can be a famous woman or a woman
everyone in the class knows. (Depending on the group, allow them to put the names

- Students are divided in to small groups. Each group is given an
advertisement
- The groups are told to imagine they have bought the item that is advertised
but are not satisfied with it for some reasons.
- The letters are then given to different groups. The new group has to study
the letter of complaint and decide what to do about it. When the decision has been
reached they can write a reply to the original letter.
- The letters are then returned to the original group who read them and
discuss what they have been sent.
e. Writing games
As for games, they are enjoyable and lively at all levels. This means that
students should not be too much inhibited by the fear of making mistakes.
Students write the description of people or places and the rest of the class
have to guess who the people are what the places are.
- The teacher divides the class into 2 groups.
- The students are all instructed to write a description of famous person or a
member of the class, without mentioning that person’s name.
- A member of one of the group reads his description. If someone from the
opposing team can identify the person, the group scores a point from the group
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reading the description if the information about the person in wrong or the English
is totally unpredictable.
f. Role playwriting
Writing can be much more motivating if the teacher gives students a chance
to play a role. In this activity, the students will have the chance to write to an
imaginary romantic partner.
- Prepare the role cards for the students.
- Read the situation from the role-play.

paper in order to persuade, entertain, enlighten, or something else? Just make sure
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that the purpose is in line with what the assignment asks them to do. Look for key
words in the assignment guidelines to help figure out what their purpose should be.
d. Identify the audience.
Identify the needs and expectations of their audience by considering what they do
and do not know about the topic. Anticipate their reactions as well. How they might
react to the information that you will be sharing with them? Will they be angry, sad,
amused, or something else?
e. Develop the thesis.
Once you have developed your ideas and considered your purpose and audience,
you should be ready to write a thesis statement. Effective thesis statements express
the main focus of a paper and state an arguable claim. A thesis should not be more
than one sentence in length. Make sure your thesis is arguable. Do not state facts or
matters of taste.
Make sure your thesis provides enough detail. How many main ideas you intend to
express and remember to give detail and relevant information.
f. Identify the linking words and go on in the right types of writing paragraph.
According to Keith S. Folse, 2010 , types of writing paragraph consists of
descriptive, comparison, cause- effect and classification paragraphs. So make sure
that student know to develop its right outline. Further more, using suitable and
effective linking words can make the writing more unity and coherence.
II. The actual teaching and learning context at Lam Son Gifted high school
Although, English is a compulsory subject at Secondary Schools, many pupils
are not interested in learning English, they are only interested in their major
subjects which they are supposed to perform in the university examinations or
specialized in. The primary concern of the pupils is to get good marks at written
achievement tests. Besides, a small number of pupils make efforts to learn English

Units
Required tasks
1. Home Life
Writing about family rules
2. Cultural Diversity
Describing typical features of a Vietnamese conical
leaf hat
3. Ways of Socializing
Writing about advantages and disadvantages of the
mass media ( changed requirement)
4. School education system Describing school education system in Vietnam
5. Higher education
Writing a letter of request
6. Future Jobs
Writing a formal letter of job application
7. Economic Reforms
Writing a report based on given information
8. Life in the Future
Describing the world you would like to live in the
future
9. Deserts
Describing main features of a desert
10. Endangered Species
Writing about measures to protect endangered
species and possible results
11. Books
Describing a book
12. Water Sports
Giving instructions
nd

Matching column A with column B
1. Do your parents often let you go out A. No, because my parents are strict. I only
in the evening?
watch T.V from 7p.m to 8 p.m.
2. Who do you share your feeling with? B. My parents don’t let me come home late.
3. Are you allowed to come home late ? C. I often share my feeling with my parents.
4. Are you allowed to use your family D. I am allowed to use the family motorbike
motorbike?
when it is needed, not to talk on the phone
during the meal.
5. Who has to do the household chores? E. I have to attempt to win a place at university.
6. Do they let you watch T.V whenever F. We are allowed to go out with friends only
you like?
on some special occasions
7. What do you have to do in this year? G. None of us is allowed to go out at night
8. when are you allowed to go out with H. Everybody in the family has to do the
friends?
household chores.
- Ask each group to make sentences with their own words and some of the
sentences above
2. “Web map vocabulary” in unit 2: Cultural Diversity
Topic: Write a paragraph about factors of your ideal marriage (or future partner).
“Web map vocabulary is used in pre- writing stage:
I used the blackboard and asked the whole class one by one to give as many words
as possible.

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Sacrifice

Exchanging information
anytime and anywhere
quickly

Many kinds to choose
basing on hobby and
ability about money.
(anyone also can buy one)
SMS is cheap
Limiting the number of
people in street

Electromagnetic wave is not
good for health

Surfing internet, using for
entertainment

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Small => Easy to
lose
Many people don’t use it
with right purposes (only use
because of honour/ face,
listening to music, playing
games)
Many people are too young to
use , especially pupils)

O
R
M
A
T
I
O
N
2,
T

3,
4,

U

I

T

I

O

N

F

E


A

M

I

N

A

T

I

O

N

O

N

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Transition: Writing a letter of request to the USCA.
b. Building up sentences
- Ask Ss to work in pair and complete the following sentences to make a reply to
the complaint about the poor quality of the service at the above English Centre.
Dear Duc,

fluently

Level of
education

Appearance
(good-looking, well
-built body)

Transition: Writing a letter of application for a job as a tour guide
b. Student - selected grouping in using role playwriting
The teacher divides the class into 4 random groups then give the following cards
and ask students to categorize into 2 column which ones used in the Beginnings
and which ones used in Closings.
- The group having the correct answers the soonest will be the winner.
Look at the following expressions which are used when we write letters.
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Make a list under each heading:
- Thanks for your letter.
- Thank you for sending me your brochure.
- Sorry for not writing for so long.
- I must apologise for not contacting you
sooner.
- I'm writing to ask you a favour.
- Write again soon!
- Bye for now.
Beginnings


R
T
R
U
U
A
E
I
S

E
W
B
A
Y
T
E
L
N
S
N
E

V
R
E
S
O
H
L

envision that each point is a separate paragraph (or in a long paper, each point
might be a section). In each paragraph students should introduce your point and
explain their point, give supporting evidence (this is where quotes go!) and explain
how the point and evidence relate to your thesis
+ The concluding paragraph :
A summary repeats the main points of the composition.
A prediction discusses what will happen in the future.
An evaluation compares the main points and states what is best.
Topic 1: Measures to protect our environment.
Aks the whole class to build up an outline.
Introduction: Role of environment/ danger/ protection.
Body
: Main idea 1: Raise people’s awareness of the need of saving our
environment. ( extra-curricular activities/ do volunteer/ campaigns/
propagandize )
Main idea 2: Apply slogan “reduce / reuse and recycle. ( trash/ air
pollution/ bottles/ cans/ wood and papers/ renewable sources of
energy/ global warming/ green house effects)
Main idea 3: raise fund to protect endangered animals and plants.
( red list/ be driven to the verge of extinction/ plant more green
trees/ biodiversity/ soil erosion)
Main idea 4: pass and enact the laws ( illegal hunting/ releasing
chemical pollutants / wild products/ living conditions)
Conclusion: sense of responsibility/ our survivals/ our descendants.
Notes: - Linking words.
- vocabularies: environment/ surroundings/ atmosphere/ natural habitats/
protect/ take care/ save/ preserve/ conserve
Topic 2: Book report
Name what you should mention in a book report:
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Who is the author?
What the type of book is it?
Summary of the book’s content
Where is the book set?
What is the main theme of the book?
Who are the main characters?
What is the plot of the story?
Conclusion
What was your opinion of the book?
Would you recommend the book?
Writing according to an outline.
-Teacher asks students to work in groups of four and make an outline by using the
table below about the book that they have seen.
Title
“ Gone with the wind”
Type
Romantic love story novel
Plot
It is about….
Filming(place)
Based on
Main characters
Opinion
- Give them 5 minutes to do and then calls on 3 students to go the board and write
them and help students to correct their mistakes and give the comment
V. Reached results
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After applying the methods as described above to teach English for students

information to make their writing
successfully.
Students attend the class with
enthusiasm and actively but their
writings have grammar or structure and
vocabulary errors
Students can not acquire the lesson and
only write few sentences but still wrong.

Before
being

applied

After
being applied

12
F

12 12 12 12 12 12 12
I
V S F I
V S

42
%

40 38 32 72 70 75 65
% % % % % % %

number of recommendations such as techniques and for motivating students have
been applied and discussed. Their results are visible in their forty- five minutes
tests and final term examinations in this school year.
Although the study is rather limited, we hope that it will contribute a small
part to helping students to learn and master English better at high schools and to be
more successful in their writing skills and their next national examinations and in
their future life. Obviously, it is my great effort so mistakes are unavoidable and
inevitable. I would like to receive your strict criticism and constructive comments
to make it a better one for another time. In addition, from this school year,
requirement of writing compositions is very important in the exams, I would like to
get and improve my methods of teaching writing from my colleagues, friends and
students here and there.
Thank you very much.

XÁC NHẬN CỦA THỦ TRƯỞNG
TRƯỜNG THPT CHUYÊN LAM SƠN

Thanh Hóa, ngày 25 tháng 05 năm 2016
TÔI XIN CAM KẾT KHÔNG COPY,
KHÔNG SAO CHÉP.
Họ tên và chữ ký của tác giả

Nguyễn Thị Hương

REFERENCES
1. Byrne, D. (1991). Teaching writing skills- Longman handbook for language teachers. London:
Longman.
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