Đang tải... (xem toàn văn)
SKKN INTEGRATED SKILLS IN WRITING LESSONS TO IMPROVE LANGUAGE INPUTSKKN INTEGRATED SKILLS IN WRITING LESSONS TO IMPROVE LANGUAGE INPUTSKKN INTEGRATED SKILLS IN WRITING LESSONS TO IMPROVE LANGUAGE INPUTSKKN INTEGRATED SKILLS IN WRITING LESSONS TO IMPROVE LANGUAGE INPUTSKKN INTEGRATED SKILLS IN WRITING LESSONS TO IMPROVE LANGUAGE INPUTSKKN INTEGRATED SKILLS IN WRITING LESSONS TO IMPROVE LANGUAGE INPUTSKKN INTEGRATED SKILLS IN WRITING LESSONS TO IMPROVE LANGUAGE INPUTSKKN INTEGRATED SKILLS IN WRITING LESSONS TO IMPROVE LANGUAGE INPUTSKKN INTEGRATED SKILLS IN WRITING LESSONS TO IMPROVE LANGUAGE INPUTSKKN INTEGRATED SKILLS IN WRITING LESSONS TO IMPROVE LANGUAGE INPUT
S GIÁO D C VÀ OT O NG NAI I Fax: 18/08/1983 468/19/5, P Tân (NR); 1223953854 E-mail: hl18_8@yahoo.com INTEGRATED SKILLS IN WRITING LESSONS TO IMPROVE LANGUAGE INPUT II 2007 III KINH Ng - i th c hi n: 12 - 2017 I Fax: 8 - 08 - 1983 (CQ)/ E-mail: hl18_8@yahoo.com II 07 P III 12 12 Making speaking lessons in English textbooks more meaningful 01223953854 CONTENTS I RATIONALE II IMPLEMENTATION A LITERATURE REVIEW B METHODOLOGY Sample lesson plans Observation and findings III CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS IV REFERENCES INTEGRATED SKILLS IN WRITING LESSONS TO IMPROVE LANGUAGE INPUT I RATIONALE most learners will definitely say they are speaking and writing skills, the two productive skills in English acquisition The reasons bedind this are numerous; however, the major cause is that they lack the topical language After a few lessons, learners of English writing can master the structure a a certain type of writing, but when it comes to writing practice, the majority of learners are discouraged from the task by the lack of ideas and the vocabulary appropriate for a certain topic During the first two months of taking charge of the writing skill for the English class, the author realised that most of the students use inappropriate vocabulary for the topic given and wrong combination of words or collocation In the scope of this paper, the author attemps to suggest a method that could be considered effective in helping students improve their language input II IMPLEMENTATION A LITERATURE REVIEW The importance of vocabulary is central to English language teaching because without sufficient vocabulary learners cannot express their own ideas Wilkins (1972, pp 111 As learners develop greater fluency and expression in English, it is significant for them to acquire more productive vocabulary knowledge The concept of a word can be defined in various ways, but three significant aspects teachers need to be aware of and focus on are form, meaning, and use Nation (2001) stated that use involves the grammatical functions of the word or phrase, collocations that normally go with it, and finally any constraints on its use, in terms of frequency, level, and so forth Teachers teach any and all of these different components assists them in enhancing their English vocabulary knowledge and use Jordens , et al (1996:359) believe that vocabulary is more important than grammar because people generally use vocabulary and reduce grammar particularly when getting a message across quickly and precisely is of the utmost importance; like telegrams, panic situations or times when emotions are very high Ellis (1995:42) distinguished between comprehension and acquisition of vocabulary, Ellis asserts that the acquisition increases with the rise of the number of context in which the word appears Learner need enormous encounters with word not only to consolidate a word accrued knowledge but also master the various type of word knowledge, Schmitt (2010:36) Jack and Willy (2002, p.268) assert that there is a close relationship between vocabulary growth and the amount and variety of meaning-focused input They also stress that vocabulary learning through reading and listening is an essential strand of a language course This can be done by providing large quantities if suitably graded input, and by providing language- focused activities to support it Jack and Willy (2002, p.268) also add that spoken production of vacabulary items helps learning According to the main findings of the research into spoken communicative activities by Newton (1995), Joe (1995) and Joe, Nation, and Newton (1996), the written input to a communicative task has a major effect on what vocabulary is used and negotiated during the task Learners are able to provide useful information to each other on most of the vocabulary in a typical communicative task; that is, if someone in a group does not know a particular word, there is likely to be someone else in the group who knows something useful about it and who can communicate this information effectively As for writing tasks, Jack and Willy (2002, p.269) confirm that writing requiring the synthesis of information from several related sources could provide very favorable conditions for learning from input and strengthening this learning through generative use in written output Therefore, for any essay writing lesson, the teacher should first provide the students with sufficient vocabulary by using authentic material such as reading texts and audio/video clips, then ask the students to discuss the topic using the language from the material The final stage is to use the language again in their writing B METHODOLOGY Subjects The subjects of the study are 27 students from class 10 English 2, Luong The Vinh Specialised High School in the school year 2016-2017 Generally speaking, all the 27 students are rather good at English However, most of them seem reluctant to write in English Research instruments: experimental teaching, observation Procedures Sample lesson plans Question 1: Many people say that cooking and eating at home is better for the individual and the family than eating out in restaurants or canteens Do you agree or disagree? Type of lesson: Essay writing - Integrating listening, speaking, and writing skills Level: Upper - intermediate Aims: To develop note-taking skill To practice debating skill To familiarise students with the topical language that can be used in their writing Stage Divide the students into six groups Ask students to listen to three short clips about the advantages of home-cooked meals and take notes Groups 1&2 take notes on clip 1, groups 3&4 clip 2, and groups 5&6 clip Ask the students in each group to exchange their notes Ask representative from groups to come to the board and write down what they have heard Teacher give the correct answers and highlight the phrases and expressions that students should pay more attention to Develop language skills Better grades at school/boost academic performance/the family meal setting was where children learn the most vocabulary/more words makes better readers Dramatic behavioural benefits for family meals Less likely to end up with substance abuse problems/risk-taking behaviours Better health Strong association between frequent family meals and better eating habit Instill healthy eating habits Good for your family mentally as well as physically Protective factor of dinners together: from depression to anxiety to sexual promiscuity to academic achievement to criminal behaviour Commit to sitting down and having dinner: better communication, parents are more aware of what their kids are involved in Willing to talk about their struggles and temptations Less likely to get involved in risky behaviours Making family meals a priority Stage Teacher writes the question on the board Many people say that cooking and eating at home is better for the individual and the family than eating out in restaurants or canteens Do you agree or disagree? Ask the students to work in their own group and discuss the question, using the language they have just learned Ask 2-3 students to present their ideas in front of the class Stage Ask the students to write an argumentative essay, using the language and ideas drawn from their group and class discussions Question 2: The exploration and development of safe alternatives to fossil fuels should be the most important global priority today To what extent you agree or disagree? Give reasons for your answer Type of lesson: Essay writing - Integrating reading, speaking, and writing skills Level: Upper - intermediate Aims: To develop reading skill To practice debating skill To familiarise students with the topical language that can be used in their writing Stage Ask the sudents to read a text about the related topic and fill in the numbered blanks with the phrases provided The biggest energy challenges facing humanity sparsely populated extensive use excessive capacities deploying these intermittent renewables immediate hike make some fundamental shifts in our behaviour on the rise enable substantial economic benefits inextricably linked to weaning ourselves off our fossil fuel habit chews its way lowest electricity demand the daily output reached unprecedented levels on a path towards bring in significant revenue an associated demand taken a potentially devasting toll at full capacity global population swelling sucked up rising sea levels leading contributor provide an answer underway bleak gas guzzling outstrip panel of experts hurdles through more than a Every day, our species (1) million terajoules of energy roughly equivalent to what we would use if all 7.5 billion of us boiled 70 kettles of water an hour around the clock Or 3,000 times (2) of Palo Verde nuclear power station in Arizona one of the largest running (3) With the (4) and industrialisation (5) in developing nations, hunger for energy has (6) More than half of our energy comes from fossil fuels extracted from deep within the crust It is estimated that since commercial oil drilling began in the 1850s, we have (7) more than 135 billion tonnes of crude oil to drive our cars, fuel our power stations and heat our homes That figure increases every day over the past two centuries has (9) on the planet Burning of coal, oil and gas has been (10) the rising levels of greenhouse gases in atmosphere and is a (11) of climate change The scientists agree that we are (12) disaster that can only be stopped by (13) But that leaves us with a problem How we ensure the lights stay on? But our (8) energy industry is facing decades of according to a recent report by the World Energy Council Yet the implications of the changes underway go far deeper There are political, economic and social issues at stake, but it may also require each of us to (14) too There can be no doubt that implementing a shift in where we get our energy from is one of the grand challenges facing our planet today BBC Future Now spoke to a (15) about what (16) we must now overcome and where technology may (17) Perhaps the greatest issue raised by the scientists, policy experts and companies we spoke to is how to cope with the (18) in energy demands expected in the coming decades As developing nations become more industrialised, they will need access to reliable electricity supplies In countries where development is already (19) energy use will soar as increasing wealth leads to a swelling middle class and the lifestyle trappings that brings with it the growth of the middle class in India and China, there will be an (20) for air conditioning The United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change suggest that by the middle of the present century, the demand for cooling will (21) the demand for But faced with global agreements to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere, how will we meet this growing demand without dooming our ice caps and drowning low-lying regions beneath (22) In truth, the picture may not be as (23) as it could primary energy supply already comes from be Around a fifth of the renewable sources such as wind, solar, hydro and geothermal Hooking up these new energy producers to existing grids be straightforward, however of the big challenges of (24) like wind and solar is the impact they could have on the says Watson electricity from regions that need it least to those that need it most would help to (25) says Ksenia Letova, project manager of the Asian Supergrid at Skoltech Institute for Science and Technology in Russia countries like Japan and South Korea, the maximum seasonal load falls on the summer because of (26) of air conditioning In the Russian Far East and Siberia this is the period of the (27) Using the (28) of neighbouring countries may help to reduce costs of building new energy projects For example, there are plans to develop large-scale wind and solar power stations in the Mongolian Gobi desert and in northern regions of China These regions are (29) but allowing the excess energy produced to be exported could (30) Stage Teacher writes the question on the board The exploration and development of safe alternatives to fossil fuels should be the most important global priority today To what extent you agree or disagree? Give reasons for your answer Ask the students to work in their own group and discuss the question, using the language they have just learned Ask 2-3 students to present their ideas in front of the class Stage Ask the students to write an argumentative essay, using the language and ideas drawn from their group and class discussions Observation and findings Level of using language in writing 10 Poor August 25/27 July 2016 May 2017 5/27 Rather good 2/27 Very good 0/27 15/27 7/27 After months of implementation, the author found out that the number of students who have improved their using of vocabulary in writing has increased significantly from only at the starting point to a massive 22 students at the end of the school year III CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS After one year of implementation, the author realises that the students have become more confident in argumentative essay writing Most importantly, the students take more active roles in their learning through reading and listening to more authentic material given by the teacher and of their own research However, the preparation stage is quite a challenge for the teachers because once you have come up with the idea for your lesson, it is not easy to find a suitable video to use in that particular lesson One solution is there should be a network created for ESL teachers, where they share the videos for particular topics This can really help to lift the burden of material shortage that most ESL teachers have been carrying for years IV REFERENCES Ellis, R (1999) Learning a second Language through Interaction, pp.46 47 John Benjamin Amsterdam Jack, C.R and Willy, A.R (2002) Methodology in Language Teaching Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Jordens, P et al (1996) Investigating second language Acquisition, pp.358 -359, Berlin, Foris publication Holland Joe, A (1995) Text-based tasks and incidental vocabulary learning Second Language Research, 11(2), 149-158 Joe, A., Nation, P., & Newton, J (1996) Speaking activities and vocabulary learning English Teaching Forum, 34 (1), 2-7 Lewis M (1993) The Lexical Approach Hove: Language teaching Publications Nation, I.S.P (2001) Learning vocabulary in other in other language, p 21 Cambridge university press Newton, J (1995) Text-based interaction and incidental vocabulary learning: A case study Second language Research, 11 (2), 159-177 11 Schmitt ,N and Jiang , X (2011) The relation between percentage of vocabulary knowledge and level of comprehension The modern language journal , 95, 1, p 26 10 Vocabulary-Input-in-English-Language-Teaching-Assessing-theVocabulary-Load-in-Spine-Five Available at http://www.eajournals.org/wp-content/uploads/Vocabulary-Input-inEnglish-Language-Teaching-Assessing-the-Vocabulary-Load-in-SpineFive.pdf, retrieved on May 24, 2017 11 Wilkins ,D.A.(1972) Linguistics in Language Teaching Australia: Edward Arnold 12 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFNWbxyivVs 13 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Umxbkk2-xLk 14 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLQw_nwrPzc 12 Biên Hòa, ngày 24 2016 -2017 INTEGRATED SKILLS IN WRITING LESSONS TO IMPROVE LANGUAGE INPUT H tên giám kh o 1: Ch c v : : S n tho i c a giám kh o: /20 : 13 - 2016 -2017 INTEGRATED SKILLS IN WRITING LESSONS TO IMPROVE LANGUAGE INPUT T : ./20 : 14 THPT Chuyên - 2016 -2017 INTEGRATED SKILLS IN WRITING LESSONS TO IMPROVE LANGUAGE INPUT - - Trong Ngành - Gi Trong Trong ngành Trong ngành Trong ngành Khá CHUYÊN MÔN 15 16 ... REFERENCES INTEGRATED SKILLS IN WRITING LESSONS TO IMPROVE LANGUAGE INPUT I RATIONALE most learners will definitely say they are speaking and writing skills, the two productive skills in English... Essay writing - Integrating listening, speaking, and writing skills Level: Upper - intermediate Aims: To develop note-taking skill To practice debating skill To familiarise students with the topical... speaking, and writing skills Level: Upper - intermediate Aims: To develop reading skill To practice debating skill To familiarise students with the topical language that can be used in their writing