Applying some innovative solutions to improve the gifted students’ argumentative writing skill at Nhu Thanh high school

THANH HOA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
NHU THANH HIGH SCHOOL
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INNOVATION IN TEACHING
APPLYING SOME INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS TO IMPROVE THE GIFTED STUDENTS’ ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING SKILL AT NHU THANH HIGH SCHOOL
The writer: Nguyen Thi Kim Lien
The post: The teacher
Innovation of subject: English
THANH HOA, 2019
TABLE OF CONTENT
 PART ONE: INTRODUCTION
I. RATIONALE OF THE STUDY
Studying English nowadays has become an essential demand for everyone. Learning English is important. It is simple as English is one of the most popular international languages and it is most not only all over the world but also in all aspects of society. Therefore, learning and mastering it would greatly give advantages to the person concerned. Especially, since Vietnam became the 150th member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), it has been required that we have to build the labor force who are skillful at work and use English well as an effective tool of communication.
Although many Vietnamese students get excellent certain qualifications, their ability of communicating in English is limited. As a result, they must give up their dream jobs. There is no doubt about that English is the optimum standard for applicants into foreign and state- owned companies. On account of the above demands, English is compulsory not only at school but also in examinations at certain stages of the school education system. According to the national curriculum, English is built with the aim of communicating. Creating the ability of communication in English for students is the most important target in the process of teaching.
As teachers, I think we’d all agree that communication is important. In fact, it’s a necessary component of education, livelihood, and basic functionality in our society. It’s also fairly obvious that there are two main ways to communicate, although more obscure forms exist. Basically, we talk and we write. That’s how we let other people know what’s going on, and it’s an important skill to have. Just about every student can talk, but how many Vietnamese students can truly write well? Writing is important because it’s used extensively in higher education and in the workplace. If students don’t know how to express themselves in writing, they won’t be able to communicate well with friends, teachers, professors, employers, peers, or just about anyone else.
Much of professional communication is done in writing: proposals, memos, reports, applications, preliminary interviews, e-mails, and more are part of the daily life of a college student or successful graduate. Even if students manage to learn the material in their college classes without knowing how to write well, they won’t be able to express their knowledge to the people who are making the big decisions. Potential employers won’t know whether or not head knowledge can be applied to everyday demands unless it’s through a spoken interview. Even the majority of certifications and licensures require basic writing skills to obtain. The inability to write makes for a stillborn career.
 Argumentative writing has been confirmed by researchers to be the hardest model in writing. This genre of writing is important for gifted students to express their own points of view in academically appropriate forms and strategies. Unfortunately, students often encounter difficulties in the use of complex syntactic patterns and appropriate elements in composing argumentative writing. Consequently, by means of the drawbacks in language teaching methods of the past, particularly in the argumentative writing skill, a number of research studies have sought to investigate and demonstrate how argumentative writing can be improved by using effective methods to gauge the weaknesses of students’ writing ability.
 Therefore, in this research I present some innovative solutions including The solution of determining the structure of an argumentative essay and its own paragraph through the network and a fifteen – sentence/phrase solution which I have applied effectively over the last few years to improve my gifted students’ argumentative writing skill.
II. AIMS OF THE STUDY
On the basis of surveying students’ ability of writing an argumentative essay in English at Nhu Thanh High School, I have given feasible solutions including innovating methods of teaching writing skill.
 This study also investigates whether the solution of determining the structure of an argumentative essay through the network and a fifteen – sentence/phrase solution in improving argumentative writing skill can have positive impact on writing process among gifted students and can develop their argumentative writing skill or not. I decide the research with title “Applying some innovative solutions to improve the gifted students’ argumentative writing skill”
III. RESEARCH QUESTIONS
 This study aims at finding answer to the following research question:
How can innovative solutions help the students at Nhu Thanh High School improve their argumentative writing skill ?
 The question has been addressed to one group of students that I have been teaching in Nhu Thanh High School with the aim to examine how innovative solutions affect the process of argumentative writing here.
IV. METHODS OF THE STUDY
- The method of collecting and analyzing materials for the research: research for materials concerning about the subject, analyze and get certain knowledge from previous researches, finally give the foundation to the research.
- The method of talking to students: through talking to students, I have got to know real situation of students’ writing learning in language classes at Nhu Thanh High School.
- The method of surveying through answer sheets.
PART TWO: DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW
 I. OVERVIEW OF WRITING SKILL
What is writing?
"Writing" is the process of using symbols (letters of the alphabet, punctuation and spaces) to communicate thoughts and ideas in a readable form. To write clearly it is essential to understand the basic system of a language. In English this includes knowledge of grammar, punctuation and sentence structure. Vocabulary is also necessary, as is correct spelling and formatting. A writer may write for personal enjoyment or use, or for an audience of one person or more. The audience may be known (targeted) or unknown. Taking notes for study purposes is an example of writing for one's self. Blogging publicly is an example of writing for an unknown audience. A letter to a friend is an example of writing for a targeted audience. As with speaking, it is important to consider your audience when writing. There are many different styles of writing, from informal to formal.
 Some of the difficulties associated with the teaching of writing in foreign language classes come from the nature of writing itself. Writing is an artificial activity in a way that speech is not; while every normal human being on this planet learns, eventually, to talk and to listen, far fewer people become literate, able to write. Writing is learned, while speaking is acquired as part of growing up.
 Writing is indeed difficult, for several reasons. Firstly, the writer has to decide what information the reader needs, and how best to express this. So there is a psychological difficulty, in that the writer cannot consult the reader- the audience is not immediately present, in contrast with most conversations. Writer has no immediate feedback to let them know how they are doing and whether they should change their approach. There is no immediate interaction between the producer and receiver. Secondly, there is a linguistic difficulty, in that the language used in written language is different in most ways from that used in speech. It is either simplified (lists, telegrams, notes, etc.) or more elaborate, more formal. In our mother tongue we have to learn an elaborate network of conventions and rules before we become “good writer”. In a foreign language this process is all the more difficult as there may be interference on a cultural level, not just the linguistic, between mother tongue and the foreign language. Thirdly, there is a cognitive difficulty, in that students have to organize thoughts on paper.
 In schools, writing is taught partly as a vital part of literacy program, but also in order to show that work is being done. Writing is often associated, particularly in weaker students’ minds, with “chores” or even with discipline (the traditional writing lesson is quite quiet, so the teacher is easily able to keep control). This “homework syndrome” can lead to students making less and less progress because they are poorly motivated, perform badly, receive low grades, and end up disliking writing more and more.
II. THE ARGUMENTIVE ESSAY
 The argumentative essay is a genre of writing that requires the student to investigate a topic; collect, generate, and evaluate evidence; and establish a position on the topic in a concise manner.
Please note: Some confusion may occur between the argumentative essay and the expository essay. These two genres are similar, but the argumentative essay differs from the expository essay in the amount of pre-writing (invention) and research involved. The argumentative essay is commonly assigned as a capstone or final project in first year writing or advanced composition courses and involves lengthy, detailed research. Expository essays involve less research and are shorter in length. Expository essays are often used for in-class writing exercises or tests, such as the GED or GRE.
 Argumentative essay assignments generally call for extensive research of literature or previously published material. Argumentative assignments may also require empirical research where the student collects data through interviews, surveys, observations, or experiments. Detailed research allows the student to learn about the topic and to understand different points of view regarding the topic so that she/he may choose a position and support it with the evidence collected during research. Regardless of the amount or type of research involved, argumentative essays must establish a clear thesis and follow sound reasoning.
 The argument essay is the most common type of writing assignment that gifted students will encounter throughout their exams. While there are different variations of the argument essay, the overall foundation is always the same: the writer is tasked with investigating an issue, taking a stand on the issue, and finding and incorporating a multitude of evidence in a logical manner to support the overall claim.
 Most of us have experience with arguing, but an argumentative essay is quite different than a verbal argument that arises out of the blue. Verbal arguments often become heated and unreasonable, while the goal of an argumentative essay is the opposite: the argument must be specific, reasoned, detailed and supported with a variety of evidence. Furthermore, a verbal argument often focuses on who is right regarding a specific issue, while a well-written, researched argument essay focuses on what is the right side of a particular issue. In short, an argument essay must be logical from beginning to end.
III. THE DIFFICULTIES OF WRITING ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAYS
 Writing an argumentative essay can be easy in many aspects because students are given the opportunity to take a personal stance on a topic. This can be a more entertaining essay to write, but we must remember that although students’ main idea may be opinion based, it is important that students’ paper is still research based. Here are some common problems students may experience while writing an argumentative essay:
Finding Support
	Once students have selected a topic or argument that students would like to prove through their essay, it is crucial to locate reputable support. The Internet is full of opinion-based articles, but these are not what students will want to use to develop they argument. Arguments or opinions must be supported with factual data or research in order to be credible. They can also quote an authority on the topic. 
	Contradictory Arguments
	Another common problem to be weary of when writing an argumentative essay is contradictory arguments. Make sure to thoroughly read their sources. A quote or idea from a source can easily be taken out of context, changing the meaning of said quote all together. Students want to be sure to maintain their credibility on the topic, and honestly make their argument.
Avoid Personal Opinion
	When writing your argumentative essay you must be sure to keep a neutral tone on the topic. There is a difference between making a compelling argument, and bombarding your readers with overly emotional personal opinion. With strong facts and reliable sources you will find that harsh or passionate language is unnecessary to prove your point.
	Consider Your Audience
	Your audience quite frequently influences the way you approach your topic. The means to convince an audience of college professors will surely be different from adolescent readers. 
IV. THE IMPORTANCE ELEMENTS OF A GOOD ARGUMENTAIVE ESSAY.
 Most people do not require special skills to prove their point of view when providing arguments on various day-to-day issues. All of us sometimes argue why the movie we have watched is so impressive or why we should get a promotion. This means that we argue not only in the academic field, but also in our everyday lives. That is why writing an argumentative essay does not require any additional skills and most students can deal with the assignment with much success. However, it is also important to structure an argumentative essay in a correct way. For this reason, before writing an essay, you need to find out what elements should be included in your argumentative essay. You also need to support your viewpoint by providing an explanation of your ideas and specific examples. Let us discuss the fundamental elements of argumentative essays.
* Organization and focus. When writing an argumentative essay, you need to prove the main viewpoint by providing enough evidence and well-grounded arguments. 
* Description and analysis: Description and analysis are two more elements of an argumentative essay that should be included in your paper if you want it to be consistent and relevant.
* Evidence. Evidence can be provided in different way. You should support your ideas with certain examples and make the readers accept your point of view by providing well-grounded evidence in favor of your position.
* Answering a counterargument. If you add a counterargument in your essay, it will make it clear for the readers that you fully understand the material you are discussing in your paper. 
V. THE SOLUTION OF DETERMINING THE STRUTURE OF ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING THROUGH THE NETWORK AND A FIFTEEN-PHRASE/SENTENCE SOLUTION AND THEIR IMPACT ON DEVELOPING THE STUDENTS’ ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING SKILL.
	Determining the structure of argumentative essay in the right way is extremely important, which helps students arrange logical ideas in suitable places. An argumentative essay is one of the most common type of essays in the academic world. It is conceivable that every student will be expected to write an argumentative essay at one point or another in their academic career. To write a good argumentative essay, it is imperative for the writer to know the structure of the essay.
	In addition, using sentences and phrases in the fifteen- phrase/sentence solution is based on the criteria of band 7 in IELTS writing task 2. The fifteen- phrase/sentence solution is actually a format of an essay. Although students use the model to write, they still give their own ideas.
The benefits of this fifteen- phrase/sentence solution are that the essay is not only logic, but the students also think and write more quickly and easily
	This study is beneficial for teachers to provide valuable insights into the weaknesses in their learners’ language variants that can be used to develop their teaching programmes and instructions to more effectively support students’ argumentative writing development.
CHAPTER 2: PRACTICAL SITUATIONS
I. METHODS OF THE STUDY
 The research is done qualitatively in the context of one group of thirty students At Nhu Thanh High School. In this survey, I use the survey questionnaire for students. This survey is designed to collect information for the study on “An investigation into the Reality of teaching and learning English argumentative writing skill at Nhu Thanh High School.
II. THE REALITY OF TEACHING AND LEARNING ENGLISH ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING SKILL AT NHU THANH HIGH SCHOOL
 The whole procedure of teaching and learning is implemented similarly to all students of the class after all of them give consent to be part of the research. However, due to the limit of the study, I only focus to collect information from the learning engagement of one gifted student group ( total: 30 students) during this process as the data for analysis. Below is the survey of the practical situation of learning English writing skill at Nhu Thanh High School.
Table 1: Frequencies of argumentative writing difficulties faced by students
Difficulties faced by students
Number of students have difficulty
fulfilling task demand
20
grammar structure
27
Topic sentence of each paragraph
20
Length
20
organized ideas
23
Pacing
20
solid evidence
20
The structure of argumentative writing
27
 During the interview, the students talked about the difficulties in writing argumentative essay. As shown in Table 1, students reported that grammar structure in English and the structure of an argumentative essay were the great difficulties for their argumentative writing. They felt that they did not have enough knowledge of the complex sentences.
 Understanding the argumentative writing structure and grammar ones were also considered difficult for students because students pointed out that the structure of argumentative writing posed the main barrier for them to produce a good piece of argumentative essay. In relation to the difficulties of solid evidence, they stated that providing solid evidence was one of the most difficult aspects for them to convince the audience to believe in what they wrote. With reference to the difficulties of time constraints in argumentative writing, students faced the difficulties in this aspect. One of students stated:
“Another problem is the limitation of the time. I cannot write a good piece of writing because I feel hectic. I need more time to write because of the limited time I cannot think of strong evidence to write”.
 They admitted that it was difficult to write a well-organized argumentative essay. For example, the following students pointed out that “I don’t know how to organize the idea of argumentative writing essay. I do not know that I have to write the Introduction or I have to control the idea. I have to write supporting detail 1,2,3 and then I have to write the conclusion. I write down what I can think of without controlling the idea”. With the reference to the difficulties of fulfilling task demand and understanding the questions, students considered this task demand difficult. Students stated that writing the thesis statement was difficult for them to write in order to convince the audience
CHAPTER 3: RECOMMENDATIONS TO HELP 
THE GIFTED STUDENTS TO IMPROVE
 THEIR ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING SKILL
I. RECOMMENDATIONS
 According to the data analysis from the survey, The aim of this study was to identify the argumentative writing difficulties that students encountered when they compose argumentative essays. It was noted that teachers have realized that there is a critical need to accord greater attention to the improvement of writing teaching for students. The way to improve writing instruction is to develop insights into the diagnostic evaluation of writing. This type of evaluation provides valu