(Luận văn thạc sĩ) difficulties encountered by non – english majors in learning ielts writing at a university in ho chi minh city

VIETNAM ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
GRADUATE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
_____________

Nguyễn Phú Đại

DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED
BY NON – ENGLISH MAJORS IN LEARNING
IELTS WRITING AT A UNIVERSITY
IN HO CHI MINH CITY

MA THESIS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE

HO CHI MINH CITY , 2021
HO CHI MINH, 2O21

Luan van


VIETNAM ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
GRADUATE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
_____________

Nguyễn Phú Đại

DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED
BY NON – ENGLISH MAJORS IN LEARNING
IELTS WRITING AT A UNIVERSITY
IN HO CHI MINH CITY

Field: English Language

Code: 8220201
Supervisor: Nguyễn Nhân Ái, Ph.D.

HO CHI MINH CITY, 2021

Luan van


DECLARATION BY AUTHOR
I, the undersigned, hereby certify that the thesis entitled “Difficulties
encountered by non – English majors in learning IELTS writing” is the result
of my own research for the Degree of Master of Arts in English Language. The
thesis has not been applied for any other degree, in whole or in part, to any
other universities or institutions.
Except where reference has been made in the text, this thesis contains no
material previously published or written by another person.
The study reported in this thesis was approved by Graduate Academy of
Social Sciences.
Author’s Signature

Nguyễn Phú Đại
Approved by
SUPERVISOR

Nguyễn Nhân Ái, Ph.D.
Date:……………………

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Although only one name appears as the author of this work, writing a
thesis is indeed a collaborative effort. I would like to express my sincere thanks
to the many people who made it possible.
First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude and deep
appreciation to Ms. Nguyễn Nhân Ái, Ph. D, my supervisor, for her helpful and
warm encouragement as well as her insightful comments on my work from the
beginning to the end of the study.
Next, without the cooperation of the respondents (students at Ton Duc
Thang University) who have been willing to take part in this research, this study
would not have been able to be completed. I am very grateful to all of them for
providing detailed information for the analysis of the study.
In addition, I would like to thank all of the lecturers who gave me
interesting lessons, dedication and advice during my study at Graduate
Academy of Social Sciences.
I'd like to express my gratitude to my colleagues and friends, whose
motivation and support have enabled me to complete this study.
Last but not least, I must express my gratitude to my family. It is their
endless love and expectations that have motivated me to complete this thesis. I
am immensely thankful for all the assistance they have given me.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION BY AUTHOR ................................................................ i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....................................................................... ii
ABSTRACT ................................................................................................ vi
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ..................................................................... vii
LIST OF TABLES ...................................................................................... viii
LIST OF FIGURES..................................................................................... ix
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ........................................................... 1
1.1. Rationale .............................................................................................. 1
1.2. Aim(s) of the Study .............................................................................. 3
1.3. Research questions .............................................................................. 3
1.4. Scope of the study ................................................................................ 4
1.5. Significance of the Study ..................................................................... 4
1.6. Research methods................................................................................. 6
1.7. Structure of study ................................................................................ 6
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW................................................ 7
2.1. The IELTS Test Battery and the Writing Sub-test .............................. 7
2.2. The Writing and Academic writing skill Defined................................ 9
2.3. Writing strategy ................................................................................... 13
2.3.1. Modelled writing .............................................................................. 14
2.3.2. Think aloud writing .......................................................................... 14
2.3.3. Guided writing ................................................................................. 15
2.3.4. Independent writing ......................................................................... 15
2.4. Writing and academic writing difficulties ........................................... 15
2.5. Factors influencing non-English-major student’s writing skills ......... 17
2.5.1. Problem with vocabulary .................................................................. 17
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2.5.2. Problem with grammar ...................................................................... 18
2.5.3. Problem with spelling and punctuation............................................. 18
2.6. Factors influencing non- English major students’ writing skill .......... 19
2.7. Error analysis of learners’ writing ....................................................... 24
2.8. Previous studies .................................................................................... 27
2.9. Chapter summary ................................................................................. 28
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY........................................................... 30
3.1. Overview of research methodology .................................................... 30
3.1.1. Research design ............................................................................... 30
3.1.2. Research question ............................................................................ 30
3.2. Research Participants .......................................................................... 30
3.3. Data Collection Instruments and Procedure ....................................... 32
3.4. Chapter summary ................................................................................. 35
CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS .................................... 37
4.1. Data Analysis from Questionnaires ..................................................... 37
4.1.1. Part one: Background information ................................................... 37
4.1.2. Part two: Students’ writing proficiency and writing difficulties ..... 38
4.1.3. Part three: Academic writing ............................................................ 46
4.1.4. Part four: Students’ difficulites in learning IELTS writing .............. 51
4.2. Data Analysis from Interviews ............................................................ 57
4.3. Chapter summary ................................................................................. 61
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION ................................................................. 63
5.1. Recapitulation ...................................................................................... 63
5.2. Concluding remarks ............................................................................. 64
5.3. Implications .......................................................................................... 65
5.4. Limitations and suggestions for further studies ................................... 66
REFERENCES .......................................................................................... 67

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APPENDIX 1 .............................................................................................. I
APPENDIX 2 .............................................................................................. VIII
APPENDIX 3 .............................................................................................. IX

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ABSTRACT

This study aims at investigating the difficulties of non-English majors in
IELTS writing. The participants in the study are 30 students selected in 2
IELTS class of Ton Duc Thang University. To achieve the research aims, a
mixed methodology was employed, whereby data was collected through the
Students’ Questionnaire, and semi-structured Interview. The results obtained
from the Students’ Questionnaire revealed that the majority of students
encountered difficulties in vocabulary, grammar and academic style in writing.
To be specific in IELTS, they have problems in choosing information and
interpreting information of the graph in task 1. On the other hand, they also
meet obstacle in 2 types of task 2 which are Problem - Solution and Cause –
Effect. In addition, those difficulties in IELTS writing task share the same
issues in Coherence and cohension and time-pressure problems.Based on these
findings, teachers are advised to take into account students’ writing problems,
and the elaboration of more writing sessions are among the pedagogical
implications.

Key words: IELTS writing, IELTS writing difficulties, academic writing

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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

IELTS: International English Language Testing System
TDTU: Ton Duc Thang University
SMS: Short Message Service
NSW: New South Wales

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 1. Band score of countries in Asia ...................................................... 2
Table 2: Format of the IELTS Writing Sub-test ........................................... 11
Table 3. Students’ gender .............................................................................. 37
Table 4 Students’ English level .................................................................... 37
Table 5. The level of writing proficiency ..................................................... 38
Table 6. Following the writing instructions in other modules ...................... 42
Table 7. Writing outside the classroom ........................................................ 42
Table 8. The integration of reading in writing session ................................. 44

Table 9. The importance of reading in improving writing .......................... 44
Table 10. The degree of reading .................................................................. 45
Table 11. The type of English students use when using internet or SMS ... 46
Table 12. Students’ justifications to the type of English they use ................ 48
Table 13. Students’ justifications about the effect of internet and SMS on their
English writing .............................................................................................. 51
Table 14. Common errors of Students in learning IELTS writing ............... 51
Table 15. Students’ difficulties in learning IELTS writing task 1 ................ 52
Table 16. The most difficult types of IELTS writing task 2 ......................... 53
Table 17. Students’ difficulties in learning IELTS writing task 2 ................ 54
Table 18. Students’ expectation to overcome difficulties in task 1 .............. 55
Table 19. Students’ expectation to overcome difficulties in task 2 .............. 57

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1. The scheme of the conceptual theoretical framework
(Bahri & Sugeng, 2010) ................................................................................ 35
Figure 2. Aspects of difficulties in learning writing ..................................... 35
Figure 3. The strategies used in learning writing .......................................... 39
Figure 4. The degree of English use via Internet and SMS .......................... 42

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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1. Rationale
Writing has largely drawn researchers' interest as being a vital ability
that allows to understand any language and for which further education would
be largely unlikely (Shangarfan, & Mamipour 2011). As it seems to most
people, the writing process is a daunting one to bear; it takes a lot of time and
demands excessive attention. Moreover, the skill of writing is significant for
EFL learners in particular, for it is a major factor for a successful academic
performance in educational contexts. However, learning to write and
succeeding at it is usually problematic. For most of students often encounter
several difficulties in writing, and they consider it as a challenging task to carry
as a result of various instructions they need to respect.
Over the decades, the number of English learners wanting to study at the
higher level in countries using English has upward trend. Consequently, many
learners from non-english speaking countries are trained to take part in English
language tests such as the International English Language Testing System
(IELTS) widely recognised as a language requirement for those who want to
study or work where English is used as the primary language.
IELTS is one of the most widely used and trusted English ability
examination, as well as an international standardised assessment of English
language proficiency for non-native English speakers that is recognised by the
majority of academic institutions and educational organizations around the
world. Nevertheless, due to the challenges they face in preparing for the test,
not everyone who takes the training courses will be able to achieve adequate
proficiency in IELTS. Vietnamese non – English majors are absolutely the case.

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The following table shows the extent to which the Writing skill band
score of Vietnam candidates is lower than the other three skills and also other
countries in 2020.
Listening

Reading

Writing

Speaking

OVERALL

Vietnam

6.09

6.22

5.63

5.73

5.98

Taiwan

6.26

6.27

5.95

6.07

6.10

Philippines 7.27

6.80

6.07

6.84

6.81

Hongkong

6.98

6.79

5.85

6.27

6.53

Malaysia

7.33

7.11

6.06

6.79

6.88

( />Table 1. Band score of countries in Asia
Looking at the statistics above, speaking is probably the area where there
has been the least improvement over the year. Though writing band score is not
the lowest, it still implies that non – English major learners may meet more
difficulties in learning IELTS Writing compared to learning other skills.
Comparing results against other countries in the region such as Taiwan,
Phillippines, Hongkong, and Malaysia, it is noticeable that Vietnamese
candidates’ scores in writing are generally lower than those countries. This is
to explain that it is of great necessity to find out what difficulties non – English
major learners face when learning IELTS writing skills, which more or less
resulted in their unsatisfactory band score.
Among the four macro language skills of English assessed by IELTS,
writing is without doubt the most problematic to the researcher who has spent
four years as an undergraduate learning for IELTS and is currently teaching
IELTS at a university. This problem of the reseacher is also shared by the vast
majority of his learners. It is not uncommon that when asked what the most

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difficult language skill in IELTS is, almost all of his students claim that it is the
writing skill that causes them the most trouble.
All of these reasons stated have become the motivations that simulate the
researcher to conduct “Difficulties encountered by non – English majors in
learning IELTS writing”.
1.2. Aim(s) of the Study
As an aforementioned introduction, I carry out this research to determine
the challenges encountered by non - English major learners in IELTS Writing;
the concentration is on the difficulties that they have to face in IETLS writing
and how they can improve writing skills, and what they should do to overcome
their difficulties.
Since they are expected to write reports and articles, graduate students
are believed to have a strong command of the English language. Furthermore,
they are expected to lecture, do research, and publish books and articles after
graduation. Nonetheless, experience has shown the bitter fact that most
students are poor at writing and this seriously limits them when they are
assigned to write papers or do research. Thus, the main objectives of this study
are:
- finding the respondants’ writing problems
- detecting types and frequency of writing problems
- seeking suggestions and beliefs regarding where the writing problems lie and
how they can be rectified - determining whether students have more strengths
or weaknesses in IELTS writing graphs or essays.
1.3. Research questions

In this study, the researcher made attempts to seek answers to the 2 following
questions:

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1. What are the difficulties faced by the non – English majors learners in
IETLS writing?
2. How can students minimise those in learning IELTS?
1.4. Scope of the study
Within the limitation of the scope of this study, it is not my ambition to
cover all of the aspects of IELTS writing skills. Therefore, non – English
majors learners’ difficulties and how to overcome those difficulties are
concentrated.
It is conducted in IELTS writing classes A1 and A2 of SDTC Center in
Ton Duc Thang University
There is a variaty of difficulties that learners face when learning IELTS
writing; however, due to the limitation of time and scope of the study, this paper
aims to explore the most common difficulties of IELTS writing tasks. The study
conducts an insightful analysis of those difficulties to find out the causes and
to identify suitable solutions to help learners deal with those difficulties. The
results of this study are expected to:
1. Find out difficulties perceived by non – English majors learners in IELTS writing.
2. Minimise the difficulties perceived by non – English majors in IELTS.
1.5. Significance of the Study
The investigation on difficulties faced by non-majors in IELTS writing
and other well-established IELTS writing test contexts has not yet been
undertaken. Studies have scratched the surface of the difficulties on IELTS

writing faced by non-majors. Written tasks that are modelled on the test, along
with practice that simulates the test’s conditions are widely established (Green,
2007; Hayes & Read, 2008). Nevertheless, how students respond to two tasks
of IELTS, particularly 150-word Writing task 1 and 250-word Writing Task 2
practice compositions, has not been the subject of research, and is consequently
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poorly understood. What difficulties encountered by learners in those tasks?
How do they overcome those problems? The aim of this exploratory mixedmethods study is to shed light on the problems that non-majors face in IELTS
writing by examining which their English and academic writing proficiency.
The significance of the present will reflect on both teachers and students
of English at the Ton Duc Thang University, considering the skill of writing as
an important tool in IELTS academic performance. A great demand of writing
proficiency is required from students to accomplish various tasks ranging from
homework assignments to dissertations. Teachers of writing at the Ton Duc
Thang University will find this study useful in exploring students’ major
difficulties in writing. Additionally, students of non-English major, particularly
IELTS learners, will benefit from the findings of the research to learn more
about the different stages included in IELTS writing composition, and attempt
to build on which a better understanding of the IELTS writing. More
interestingly, this study provides overt perceptions about the skill of IELTS
writing for teachers of writing as well as for future researchers who wish to
carry studies on this subject.
The findings of the study might contribute a lot to the graduate and postgraduate students and teachers teaching such students. The findings might also
help curriculum and materials developers. Knowing writing problems,
especially IELTS writing problems, and areas of difficulty can significantly
improve learners' awareness and hence some major steps can be taken by policy

makers so that the students improve their writing skill. It is assumed that if
students improve their writing skills, they can disseminate their research
findings and what they write is more publishable and up to the international
writing standards.

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1.6. Research methods
In order to answer the two research questions, this study involves both
qualitative and quantitative methodologies; specifically, it conducts survey
questionaire and interview for non – English majors about their matters and
difficulties that they have to cope with when doing IELTS writing tasks.
The documents are relevent researches on academic writing and especially
IELTS writing as well as difficulties experienced by non – English major
learners.
1.7. Structure of study
This chapter is a brief sketch of the study including rationale for the study,
aims and research questions, significance and scope of the study. The precise
details will be given throughout the rest of the study.
Chapter two works on the theoretical background bolstering the issue,
followed by a review of three previous researches on the topic.
Chapter three outlines the relevant research methods for the study as well
as the reasons why these methods are employed. Participant selection, data
collection and data analysis are also included in this chapter.
Chapter four is the discussion and findings of the research in which
accurate statistical analysis and comprehensive explanation are presented with
the aim of giving precise answers to three research questions. Furthermore,

pedagogical implications are given in this section.
Finally, chapter five summarizes the main findings of the research,
exposes some limitations, and puts forward suggestions for further research.

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CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter reviews the relevant essential theoretical foundation for the
current study. The chapter starts with a brief introduction to the IELTS Test
Battery and the writing sub-test in particular in which the format, requirements,
and marking criteria are made clear, continues with previous papers relevant to
the topic of the present research together with comments and opinions made by
the researcher on the findings of those studies and ends with factors influencing
the learning of writing skill and writing performance of EFL/ ESL learners.
2.1. The Writing and Academic writing skill Defined
The research of writing, along with the other modes of language, has
received a lot of interest from various academics. It is approached by Harmer
(2007), as a process that should be undergone over different stages including,
the drafting stage, the editing stage, the planning stage, and the final draft.
Similarly, Damiani et al. (2011) regards the writing skill as the procedure that
calls planning, reflection and the organization of ideas, in addition to the
required effort and attention that EFL students are invited to respect. Indeed,
the definition that suits the objectives of this paper is the one put forward by
Bell and Burnaby (1997, p. 148). They regard the writing skill as a cognitive
skill that writers are required to master with attention to sentence structure,
appropriate selection of vocabulary items, a careful attention towards spelling

and punctuation. They add that learners need to master the linguistic knowledge
and also the ability to integrate information coherently and cohesively in a
written discourse. Concerning the above mentioned, some EFL learners
achieve low proficiency level in writing essays. Therefore, the following
section is intended to highlight the most prevalent essay writing difficulties that
these learners encounter along with some potential sources of these difficulties.

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Success at advanced level of education such as college or university
requires developed communicative skills known as academic literacies. It also
“involves adapting new ways of knowing: new ways of understanding,
interpreting and organising knowledge” (Lea & Street, 1998, p. 158). One of
these skills is academic writing. Irvin (2010) considers academic writing as “...a
form of evaluation that asks you to demonstrate knowledge and show
proficiency with certain disciplinary skills of thinking, interpreting, and
presenting” (p. 8). Tarnopolsky and Kozhushko (2007) explained academic
writing as “the most creative type of writing that can be taught to students of
English as a foreign or second language” (para. 4) and have also account for it
as “...a unique means for learners’ consciously mastering the creative,
productive, and expressive approach towards communicative performance in
the target language” (para. 5). Academic writing is highly required for
university courses (Whitaker, 2009). During academic writing assignments
Whitaker have demonstrated that students are mainly required to ask good
questions and examine their answers. They are also required to show good
understanding of the main topic they are discussing and develop critical
arguments about it. Coffin, Curry, Goodman, Hewings, Lillis and Swann (2003)

listed what students’ need to do in academic writing; the list is as follows:
 Take up a position
 Adopt a particular perspective
 Put forward points for and against a particular position
 Explore possible positions
 Link theory and evidence
 Draw a conclusion
 Analyse
 Be critical
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 Develop a central idea
 Use evidence to support an argument
 Express personal opinions
 Use personal interpretations
Academic writing is, therefore, a tool for success at higher educational
levels if mastered perfectly by students. It will result in a high sense of research
skills, information analysis and other skills such as arguing, organising and
expressing personal views (Whitaker, 2009).
2.2. The IELTS Test Battery and the Writing Sub-test
The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is a
comprehensive international English language proficiency examination
intended to measure the language skill of applicants who need to learn or work
where English is the language of communication (IELTS Handbook 2007, p.
2). It is jointly administered by the University of Cambridge ESOL
Examinations, the British Council, and IDP Education Pty Ltd, and was
founded in 1989. There are two versions of the IELTS: the Academic Version

and the General Training Version:


The Academic Version is designed for those who wish to enroll in
universities and other institutions of higher education, study or practice
in an English-speaking country.



The General Training Version is intended for those planning to
undertake non-academic training or to gain work experience, or for
immigration purposes.
Most Australian, British, Canadian, Irish, New Zealand, and South

African academic institutions, over 3,000 United States academic institutions,
and numerous professional organizations approve IELTS. Immigration to
Australia, New Zealand, and Canada is also a prerequisite. This is one of the
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exams that can be used for a long-term visa to the United Kingdom to fulfill
the requirements of the English language. No minimum score is required to
pass the test. An IELTS result or Test Report Form is issued to all candidates
with a score from 1 (no knowledge) to 9 (expert user) and each institution,
employer, or government agency sets a different threshold. Institutions are
advised not to consider valid a report older than two years unless the user
proves that he has worked to maintain his level.
All candidates must complete four Modules - Listening, Reading,

Writing, and Speaking - to obtain an individual band score for each sub-test
and an overall one, the average of the four individual bands, which is shown on
the IELTS Test Report Form. All test-takers have to do the same Listening and
Speaking sessions, while the Reading and Writing session differ depending on
whether the examinee is taking the Academic or General Training Versions of
the Test ( />The writing Sub-test is one of the four skills-focused components which
made up the IELTS Test Battery. IELTS writing test is a direct test of writing
in which tasks are academic writing and contextualized with a specific purpose
and genre, reflecting the recent developments in writing research. There is no
choice of topics; however, IELTS states that it continuously pre-tests the topics
to ensure comparability and equality. IELTS has both academic and general
training modules consisting of two tasks per module. In the academic writing
task, for Task 1, candidates write a report of around 150 words based on a table
or diagram, and for Task 2; candidates write a short essay or general report of
around 250 words in response to an argument or a problem. In general training
writing, in Task 1, candidates write a letter responding to a given problem, and
in Task 2, they write an essay in response to a given argument or problem. Both
academic and general training writing tasks take 60 minutes. The academic

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writing component serves the purpose of making decisions for university
admission of international students, whereas general writing serves the
purposes of completing secondary education, undertaking work experience or
training, or meeting immigration requirements in an English-speaking country.
Task

Length

Time
limit

Task description

Academic module
1

2

150

20

A report describing visual information presented

(minimum)

mins

in a bar chart, table, graph, diagram, or map

250

40

An essay presenting a logical argument and

(minimum)

mins

opinion related to a topic of general interest

150

20

A formal/informal letter asking for / giving

(minimum)

mins

information or explaining/ complaining about a

General module
1

problem
2

250

40

An essay presenting a logical argument and

(minimum)

mins

opinion related to a topic of general interest

Table 2: Format of the IELTS Writing Sub-test
Marking and assessment
Each task is assessed independently. The assessment of Task 2 carries
more weight in marking than Task 1. Writing responses are assessed by
certificated IELTS examiners. All IELTS examiners hold relevant teaching
qualifications and are recruited as examiners by the test-centers and approved
by British Council or IDP: IELTS Australia.
Detailed performance descriptors have been developed which describe
written performance at the nine IELTS bands. Public versions of these
descriptors are available on the IELTS website.
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The descriptors apply to both the Academic and General Training
Modules and are based on the following criteria.
Task 1 responses are assessed on:
• Task Achievement
• Coherence and Cohesion
• Lexical Resource
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Task 2 responses are assessed on:
• Task Response

• Coherence and Cohesion
• Lexical Resource
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Task Achievement (Task 1)
This criterion assesses how appropriately, accurately, and relevantly the
response fulfills the requirements set out in the task, using a minimum of 150
words. Academic Writing Task 1 is a writing task which has a defined input
and a largely predictable output. It is basically an information-transfer task
which relates narrowly to the factual content of an input diagram and not to
speculated explanations that lie outside the given data.
Task Response (Task 2)
Task 2 requires the candidates to establish and develop a position in
relation to a given prompt in the form of a question or statement. Ideas should
be supported by evidence, and examples may be drawn from the candidates’
own experience. Responses must be at least 250 words in length. Script under
the required minimum word limit will be penalised. Score are reported in whole
and half bands

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Coherence and Cohesion
This criterion is concerned with the overall clarity and fluency of the
message: how the response organizes and links information, ideas, and
language. Coherence refers to the linking of ideas through logical sequencing.
Cohesion refers to the varied and appropriate use of cohesive devices (for
example, logical connectors, pronouns and conjunctions) to assist in making
the conceptual and referential relationships between and within sentences clear.

Lexical Resource
This criterion refers to the range of vocabulary the candidate has used
and the accuracy and appropriacy of that use in terms of the specific task.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
This criterion refers to the range and accurate use of the candidate’s
grammatical resource as manifested in the candidate’s writing at the sentence
level.
• Scores are reported in whole and half bands.
• Scripts under the required minimum word limit will be penalized.
2.3. Writing strategy
Kirby and Crovitz (2013) stated that “Teaching writing is challenging; it
may be one of the toughest jobs a teacher faces” (p. 9), however “it can also be
rewarding” (p.11). The effective teaching of writing for Kirby and Crovitz
requires time divided between practice, sharing writing, completing the piece
of writing, and time to respond and evaluate all of that writing (p.9). The
teaching of writing also occurs with the help of certain strategies that aim at
enhancing students’ writing productions. The writing strategies are identified
by several researchers as the teaching of generic processes such as
brainstorming (Troia & Graham, 2004), or the strategies for achieving writing
tasks such as story writing (Fitzgerald & Markham, 1987). Additional to the

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writing strategies writers may employ in during their composition, there exist
a number of strategies used to engage students in writing.
2.3.1. Modelled writing
Teachers use this strategy to allow students “to gain knowledge about

language, vocabulary and text structures required to write for a range of
purposes” (The NSW Department of Education and Training, 2007, p. 29).
Models used in this strategy are real world texts students read, they might vary
from newspaper articles to literary works depending on the teacher’s selection.
The implementation of this strategy starts by introducing the text type to
students while clarifying the audience and the purpose behind writing the text.
Then the teacher points out to the type and the features of language used by the
author and its effect on the readers, and he ends up with providing students with
chances to practice the writing skills they have acquired studying these models
(p. 28).
2.3.2. Think aloud writing
Think aloud strategy is one way to engage students in writing that
function as a stimulator for writing. Think aloud is defined by The NSW
Department of Education and Training (2007) as a method in which students
are saying aloud what they are thinking about during their composition which
helps them organize and edit their writing. In addition, The NSW Department
of Education and Training asserts “It is a strategy that can be used to
demonstrate a comprehensive range of skills, knowledge and understandings
about writing” (p. 33). Moreover, the implementation of this strategy comes as
the teacher selects a particular skill to focus on, and then he chooses few writing
samples and apply the think aloud strategy in order to illustrate the reasoning
and editing during writing.

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