VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES HOÀNG THỊ DUYÊN IMPROVING GRADE 10 STUDENTS’ WRITING ABILITY BY USING WRITTEN CORRECTIVE FEEDBACK: AN ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT AT TIEN PHONG HIGH SCHOOL, ME LINH, HA NOI (CẢI THIỆN KHẢ NĂNG VIẾT CHO HỌC SINH LỚP 10 BẰNG VIỆC CHỮA LỖI DƯỚI HÌNH THỨC VIẾT: NGHIÊN CỨU HÀNH ĐỘNG TẠI TRƯỜNG THPT TIỀN PHONG, MÊ LINH, HÀ NỘI) Hanoi - 2017 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES HOÀNG THỊ DUYÊN IMPROVING GRADE 10 STUDENTS’ WRITING ABILITY BY USING WRITTEN CORRECTIVE FEEDBACK: AN ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT AT TIEN PHONG HIGH SCHOOL, ME LINH, HA NOI (CẢI THIỆN KHẢ NĂNG VIẾT CHO HỌC SINH LỚP 10 BẰNG VIỆC CHỮA LỖI DƯỚI HÌNH THỨC VIẾT: NGHIÊN CỨU HÀNH ĐỘNG TẠI TRƯỜNG THPT TIỀN PHONG, MÊ LINH, HÀ NỘI) M.A Minor Programme Thesis Field: English Language Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 Hoàng Thị Xuân Hoa Ph.D Hanoi – 2017 CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY OF PROJECT REPORT I certify my authority of the Study Project Report submitted entitled Improving grade 10 students’ writing ability by using written corrective feedback: An action research project at Tien Phong high school, Me Linh, Ha Noi in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts Hanoi, January 2017 Hoang Thi Duyen i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I would like to register my profound gratitude to Ms Hoang Thi Xuan Hoa, my respected supervisor, for her invaluable instruction, contribution and great care to my research I wish to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt thanks to the teachers of Department of Post - Graduate Studies who have supplied me with the good conditions to conduct this thesis and finish this M.A course My thanks go to my managers at Tien Phong high school, my colleagues for their assistance, encouragement during the time I participated in M.A course Also, I owe my debt to my students who are the subjects of my thesis for their willingness to answer my questionnaires, interviews Lastly, I am also grateful to my families for their kindly encouragement during the research’s finalization ii ABSTRACT Many language educators and researchers (e.g., Nunan; 1987; Horwitz, 1988; Schulz, 2001) claim that matching the expectations of teachers and students is important for successful language learning Therefore, it is important for teachers to be aware of the impact of their corrective feedback practices on students’ expectations and writing accuracy Accordingly, this study is an attempt to find ways to improve writing skill by investigating the effect of some types of written corrective feedback on writing performance and the students’ attitudes towards teachers’ corrective feedback at Tien Phong High school The participants included 35 students from grade 10 The data were collected from survey questionnaires for students, the direct interview with nine students and students’ written work The results show that teacher’s written corrective feedback helps improve students’ writing ability However, there is a slight mismatch between teachers’ beliefs and students’ preferences for teacher corrective feedback regarding feedback types and forms On this basis, the study recommends a number of directions for teachers to help them improve their feedback practices more effectively iii TABLE OF CONTENTS CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY OF PROJECT REPORT i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii TABLE OF CONTENTS iv CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Identification of the problem 1.2 Aims of the study and research questions 1.3 Scope of the study 1.4 Significance of the study 1.5 Methods of the study 1.6 Organization of the paper CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW .5 2.1 Major approaches to teaching writing 2.1.1 The product approach 2.1.2 The process writing approach 2.2 Definition of writing ability 2.2.1 Writing ability implied in product/text-oriented approach .6 2.2.2 Writing ability implied in process/cognitive-oriented approach .7 2.2.3 Writing ability implied in reader/genre-oriented approach 2.3 Definition of corrective feedback 2.4 Forms of feedback 2.4.1 Oral feedback 2.4.2 Written feedback .10 2.5 Types of corrective feedback to students’ writing 10 2.5.1 Peer feedback 11 2.5.2 Teacher’s feedback 12 2.6 Teachers' written corrective feedback strategies 13 2.6.1 Teacher direct corrective feedback 14 2.6.2 Teacher indirect corrective feedback 15 iv 2.6.3 Teacher metalinguistic corrective feedback 15 2.6.4 Previous studies on teacher’s written corrective feedback .15 2.7 Different views about the roles of teacher written corrective feedback 18 2.7.1 Arguments for the role of teacher written corrective feedback 19 2.7.2 Arguments against the role of teacher written corrective feedback 20 2.8 Factors affecting the effectiveness of written corrective feedback 21 28.1 Nature of errors 21 2.8.2 Student factors 22 2.8.3 Teacher factors 23 2.8.4 Contextual variables 24 CHAPTER 3: METHOD AND PROCEDURE 26 3.1 Overview of action research 26 Figure 3.1: Steps in the action research cycle 27 3.2 Research setting 27 3.2.1 The school .27 3.2.2 Participants .28 3.2.3 The research procedures 29 3.2.4 Data collection instruments 33 3.2.5 Data analysis 34 3.3 Summary 34 CHAPTER RESEARCH FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION .35 4.1 Effects of three common types of feedback on students’ writing performance 35 4.1.1 Effects of three common types of feedback on students’ revised writing papers 35 4.1.2 The effects of three common types of feedback on students’ new writing exercises 37 4.1.3 Discussion .41 4.2 Students’ opinions towards different types of corrective feedback and their preference each type of teacher corrective feedback 44 4.2.1 Students’ opinions towards teacher corrective feedback in general 44 v 4.2.2 Students’ preference for each type of teacher corrective feedback 45 4.2.3 Students’ expectations for better use of teacher corrective feedback 48 4.3 Reflection 49 For more effective use of teacher written corrective feedback, teachers and students should bear the following suggestions in mind 50 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION .53 5.1 Summary of the main findings 53 5.2 Limitations of the study 54 5.3 Suggestions for further study 54 REFERENCES 55 APPENDIX A vi LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES Table 2.1: Ellis’ typology of feedback types (2009 p.98) 13 Figure 3.1: Steps in the action research cycle 27 Table 3.1: Timetable of the action implementation 30 Figure 4.1: Effects of three common types of feedback on students’ revised writing exercises 35 Figure 4.2: Taxonomy of errors and their frequency in Stage 38 Figure 4.3: Taxonomy of errors and their frequency in Stage 39 Figure 4.4: Taxonomy of errors and their frequency in Stage 40 Figure 4.5: Students’ attitudes towards the use of teacher written corrective feedback 45 vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Identification of the problem Nowadays, English is considered to be one of the key factors that help our country make faster progress on the way of industrialization and modernization As a result, 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, so the demand to use English fluently as well as to master the four basic skills is becoming essential among all students Of the four main skills, listening, speaking, reading and writing, writing is the most difficult and least preferable skill to be learnt, because it needs hard thinking in producing words, sentences, and paragraph at the same time According to Richards, J C., & Renandya, W A (2002), “writing is the most difficult skill for second language learners to master The difficulty lies not only in generating and organizing ideas, but also in translating these ideas into readable text.” Writing, undeniably, 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 Therefore, helping students enhance their writing skills is one of the teachers’ responsibilities and desirability This partially explains why teaching writing has prompted a great deal of research that covers various aspects of its broad instructional contexts The literature review reveals that the effects of teacher written corrective feedback on students’ writing remain to be inconclusive However, numerous studies on the use of corrective feedback in writing classes have shown that written corrective feedback can be applied in writing classes to improve students’ writing accuracy (Liu, 2008; Kaweera, 2008; Ferris, 2000; Ferris et al., 2001) It is obvious that one of the most meaningful and important methods of teaching writing is the use of written corrective feedback because it allows teacher-to-student WRITING EXERCISES Exercise Use the prompts below to build up a narrative about a hotel fire Last year / I / spend / summer holidays / a seaside town The hotel / be modern / comfortable I / have / wonderful holiday / until / fire It / be / Saturday evening / and / everybody / be / the discotheque / ground floor It / be / crowded / people They dance / and / sing happily Suddenly / we / smell / smoke Then / black smoke / begin / fill / room Everybody / start / scream / in panic People / run toward / fire exits 10 Then / fire brigade / arrive They / fight / their way / into / room / and / soon / everyone / be / safely out of the building 11 Lucliky / nobody / be / seriously hurt 12 It / be / most / frightening experience / my life Exercise Dear Diana, Thank you very much / your letter / arrive / few days ago It / be lovely / hear / you I / be sorry / I not write / such / long time / but I / be very busy As you know / we buy / new house / September It / be / very bad condition / and it / need / a lot / work We / finish / most / it now / and it / look / very nice Peter and I / decide / give / house-warming party / May 3rd You think / you / able / come? Please give me / ring / let / know / you / make it 10 I / really / look forward / see you again III Love, Jenny Exercise When Judy / be / young / she / want / be / nurse She / tell / everyone / she / be / nurse / when he / grow up School / she / everything possibel / help / achieve / ambition When she / be / eighteen / she / accept / for / train During her / train / she / suspect / she make / mistake But she / pass / all / examinations / and / qualify / nurse Year / later / she / leave / profession Poor Judy! She / hate / sight / blood Exercise Dear Peter, I / be / very surprised / get / letter I / not know / you arrive back / London You / have good time / New York? I / look forward / hear / all about it Thank you / invite / me / dinner next weekend I / be afraid / not able / come / Sunday But I / be / free / following weekend Why / you call me / next few days? Yours, Mary Exercise Dear Sally, I / be / delighted / get / your letter this morning I / have / very clear memory / Richard He seem / such / nice boy Congratulations I hope / you / be / happy together Unfotunately / I / not be able / come / wedding At my age / I not think / I find / journey / easy All / same / I love / give you / wedding present You / write / tell me / what / you / like / present? IV My thoughts / be / with you both / the big day Not forget / send / me / photographs / piece / wedding cake All my love and very best wishes for the future Aunt Mary Exercise Dear Hamish, I / sorry / not / write / so / long I / work / very hard / school My course / finish / two weeks’ time, / I / go / Scotland I / enough / money, / go / Ireland / as well I think / best way / practise / English Be possible / stay / you / couple / nights? I / promise / not / be / nuisance I / even / some cooking Love Franz Exercise Dear Peter, I / feel / very happy / to get / letter / after / such / long time It / be / absolutely ages / since / I hear you You like / come / stay / me / countryside You all be / very welcome / you want / visit What about / come / end / next month My wife / miss you both / often speak / you Don’t think / children / love / visit / countryside? Write soon / let / know / when / you / come Fondly, Alan V Exercise Dear Paul, At last / arrive / Paris / but / terrible trip Train / crowded / ferry / delay / two hours When / finally set off / weather / awful I / sick / all the time / arrive / feel / very weak I decide / this / last time / I / travel / ferry Next time / I / book / seat / plane Although / journey / so bad / must say / I / enjoy / stay / you / London Remember / you / stay / me / any time / you / come / Paris I / mean it / when say / hope / that be / soon Love Franz Exercise I Finish each of the following sentences in such a way that it means exactly the same as the sentence printed before it “Don’t forget to phone the office,” she told him => She reminded………………… …………………….… I’m sorry I was rude to you yesterday => I apologize……………………………………………………… She didn’t hurry, so she missed the train => If………………………………………….………………………… He left school and then joined the army => After ………………………………………………………………… II Complete the sentences with the given words There/ no point/ persuade/ her/ go/ us We'd prefer/ play tennis/ rather/ watch/ it/ TV I/ just/ finish/ read/ long novel I/ reget/ inform/ you/ your appication/ refused VI Columbus/ discover/ America /1498 She/ decide/ go back/ shop/ buy/ long dress I/ pleased/ hear/ you/ offer/ job/ assistant manager Exercise 10 A letter from a student, Paul, to his English landlady Dear Mrs Batley, I / arrive / home / last night / after / pleasant flight / London / Rome I / always / remember / month / I / just / spend / England I / help / my study / English / lot / and / I / enjoy / it I / also / enjoy / my stay / your house / very much It / be / like home / me / and you / be / very kind I / be / sure / you / be / finest cook / England I / look forward / stay / you / again next summer Yours sincerely, Paul Exercise 11 Dear Robert, Thank you / letter / I receive / when / get home / last night I / be pleased / hear you / after such / long time I love / go ballet / with you / but I / not be free / until 6.30 p.m How about / come / my flat / and have / something / eat / before / go? I / not want / take my car / because it / be / difficult / find somewhere / park Why / we not go / taxi? Let hope / dancing be / good as / reviews say I look forward / see / you / tomorrow night Love, Jackie VII Exercise 12 Dear Jerry, I write / say / how / sorry / I / be / hear / death / your grandfather He / be / such / wonderful man I / miss him / lot His sudden death / must be / shock / you / your family I remember / have / long conversation / him / only / few days ago He used / be / active / garden / interested / everything around him I / really like / attend / funeral / pay / last respects If it / be / just / family affair / I / quite understand Please / not hesitate / contact me / if / be / anything / I can / help you Yours sincerely, Miranda VIII APPENDIX C ERROR CODES Code Explanation VT Wrong verb tense VF Wrong verb form SV Subject verb agreement problem Art Incorrect / wrong / missing article WO Wrong word order WW Wrong word choice Pre Prepositions IX APPENDIX D SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE (English version) This questionnaire is designed to collect data to our study into the effectiveness of written corrective feedback in improving students’ writing ability Your responses to the questions will be an invaluable help in our research You can be sure that you will not be identified in any discussion of data Thank you for your cooperation For all the questions, please answer by ticking or writing in the given spaces Full name: It is important to give feedback on students’ writing errors Agree Somewhat agree Disagree The type of written corrective feedback you think can be more beneficial for improving students’ writing is … Indirect Direct Metalinguistic Can you explain the reason(s) for your choice How much you think your writing ability has been improved? A lot A little bit Not at all In your opinion, for more effective use of teacher corrective feedback what should the teacher do? X APPENDIX D BẢNG CÂU HỎI ĐIỀU TRA (Vietnamese version) Bảng câu hỏi điều tra thiết kế nhằm thu thập số liệu cho đề tài nghiên cứu hiệu việc chữa lỗi việc cải thiện khả viết cho người học Tiếng Anh Các câu trả lời em đóng góp to lớn với nghiên cứu Các số liệu thông tin em đưa sử dụng cho mục đích nghiên cứu, không mục đích khác Xin chân thành cảm ơn hợp tác em Hãy đánh dấu vào ô trống khung viết câu trả lời ngắn Họ tên: Việc chữa lỗi viết học sinh quan trọng Đồng ý Đồng ý mức độ Không đồng ý Loại chữa lỗi mà em thấy hiệu việc cải thiện khả viết cho học sinh là… Chữa lỗi trực tiếp (Direct) Chữa lỗi gián tiếp (Indirect) Chữa lỗi sử dụng kí hiệu (Metalinguistic) Em giải thích cách chữa lỗi hiệu Khả làm tập viết Tiếng Anh em cải thiện so với trước đây? Khá nhiều Một chút Không chút Theo em để giúp học sinh làm tập viết tốt giáo viên cần có thay đổi cách chữa lỗi áp dụng? APPENDIX E XI LIST OF SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS Do you think teacher’s corrective feedback is important in learning writing? Why or Why not? What types of corrective feedback you prefer? Why? Do you find your writing performance is better than before? XII XIII XIV XV XVI XVII ... Study Project Report submitted entitled Improving grade 10 students’ writing ability by using written corrective feedback: An action research project at Tien Phong high school, Me Linh, Ha Noi. .. feedback and students’ perception of those corrective feedback so I wish to conduct a study entitled Improving grade 10 students’ writing ability by using written corrective feedback: An action research. .. project at Tien Phong high school, Me Linh, Ha Noi 1.2 Aims of the study and research questions This research is designed to investigate the effectiveness of written corrective feedback on improving