skkn cấp tỉnh guidelines for high school students to utilize some sofware and websites to improve english writing skills

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THANH HOA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND TRANINING

<b>QUANG XUONG II HIGH SCHOOL</b>

<b>---o0o---</b>

<b>TEACHING EXPERIENCE</b>

<b>GUIDELINES FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TOUTILIZE SOME SOFTWARE AND WEBSITES TO</b>

<b>IMPROVE ENGLISH WRITING SKILLS</b>

<b>Written by: Nguyen Thi ThuyEnglish Group</b>

<b>Quang Xuong II High School</b>

<b>THANH HOA, JUNE 2024</b>

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<b> TABLE OF CONTENTPAGE</b>

1.2.Purpose and Requirements of the Initiative 2

1.2.1. Initial situation before applying the Initiative 2

1.2.1.1.Regarding teachers 2

1.2.1.2. Regarding students 21.2.1.3. The necessity of applying the initiative 3

2.2. Basic methods for correcting student writing 5

2.3.The Importance of Technology in learning Foreign languages 6

2.3.1.The role of information technology in modernizing education 7

2.4.1. Software and Websites to improve writing skills 7

2.4.1.1.Using the Grammar and Spelling Feature of Microsoft Word to check spelling and simple, common structures ⁸

<b>REFRENCES</b>

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<b>PART 1: INTRODUCTION1.1.Rationale of the study :</b>

In the 2023–2024 academic year, Quang Xuong II High School has a totalof 30 classes at the high school level. To meet the new and proactive teachingtrends, the school has implemented the teaching of new textbooks according tothe Ministry of Education's reform program in a pilot 10th grade class.Additionally, the school has gradually improved its infrastructure, with facilitiesand equipment being provided and supplemented, creating more favorableconditions for teaching and learning activities for teachers and students.Notably, the school has been equipped with a foreign language lab with modernequipment to meet the needs of learners.

<b> 1.1.1.Advantages:</b>

With the enthusiastic support from the school, both teachers and students havemany conditions to facilitate teaching and learning, thereby stimulating students'interest in the subject. Most teachers have been trained to implement knowledgestandards, skills, innovative teaching methods, and new evaluation methods,assessing students based on competency and qualities, and reducing theprogram's load under the approval of the Board of Management. Additionally,there is a strong emphasis on researching and writing teaching initiatives,creating teaching aids, designing e-learning lessons, and special topics fortutoring and fostering weak and good students. Colleagues in the departmentalways help each other exchange professional experiences and support in findingeffective teaching methods, with seamless coordination being a top priority inhigh school. Personally, I am fortunate to teach the new 10th and 10 th-gradeprograms under the new FORMAT 2025, and I always actively study, improvemy knowledge, observe classes, participate in special topics, and engage withthe new "student-centered" approach, focusing on developing "communicationskills for learners." During teaching, I do not rigidly stick to textbooks but helpstudents naturally acquire a foreign language through experiential activities,extracurricular activities, and the English Club.

<b> 1.1.2. Challenges: </b>

Due to the remote rural area, students still find it difficult to grasp thesubject, and the importance of studying the subject is often underestimated.Students' learning awareness and self-study habits have not been formed, andlearning in groups or pairs seems unfamiliar to them. Moreover, the use ofinformation technology in learning is very limited. Additionally, although theforeign language lab has been established, it has not yet attracted students'attention as they have not had the opportunity to participate directly. Moreover,the teaching aids for teaching have not been fully invested in. The departmentstill lacks many teaching materials such as pictures, cassette players, etc. Thereis also a lack of funds to conduct extracurricular activities and clubs for students.As mentioned above, students' awareness is weak, and their understanding of theimportance of studying the subject is not profound. Particularly, some students

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show indifference and lack seriousness when studying the subject. The disparityin students' proficiency levels is also a significant barrier for teachers inteaching.

Bearing those in mind, I would like to conduct the Teaching Experience

<b>entitled : "Guidelines for High School Students to Utilize Some Softwareand Websites to Improve English Writing Skills".</b>

<b>1.2.Purpose and requirements of the Initiative.</b>

<b>1.2.1. Initial situation before applying the Initiative :</b>

Through many years of teaching English at the high school level, especiallyteaching the new 10th-grade program under the 2018 General EducationProgram by the Ministry of Education and Training, students are somewhatexcited when learning about grammar and reading comprehension, as thesetopics are relatively easy for them. However, when it comes to the new approachof developing learners' competencies, skills like listening, speaking, writing, andapplying knowledge to communicate in a foreign language reveal students'weaknesses, timidity, and fear. Particularly, the combination of informationtechnology in learning seems to be underestimated by students.

<b>1.2.1.1.Regarding teachers: </b>

Some teachers do not focus much on teaching writing because they believethis skill has not been included in the national high school exams or semesterexams often do not include writing essays or letters due to time constraints.Consequently, English teachers often teach students how to write or have a fewstudents write on the board while others copy, considering the writing lessoncompleted without emphasizing correcting individual students' writing orcollectively for the class due to the limited class time. After writing lessons,teachers rarely spend time outside of class to correct students' essays, as it istime-consuming and often ineffective if the teacher does not fully understand thestudent's intended expression, or students do not review the teacher's correctionsor rewrite according to the feedback. These factors lead to teachers skimmingover this part and losing interest in teaching and investing in writing lessons inclass and in lesson plans, especially for average or weak students.

<b>1.2.1.2. Regarding students:</b>

The teaching attitude towards writing lessons affects students' perception,leading them to think writing is not important or necessary. They becomenegligent and often skip this skill. In contrast, writing skills require diligence,meaning to develop good writing skills, students must read and write a lot.Reading extensively helps develop reading comprehension, vocabulary,grammar knowledge, writing style, reading speed, etc. In general, it helpsimprove other skills. Because students do not fully understand the importance ofwriting skills, they do not develop all skills in a balanced way and often quicklyforget what they learn by rote, without context, not following a systematicthinking or language structure that helps them systematize and deepen theirknowledge. In reality, many students who graduate and enter English-relatedfields or fields that frequently use English complain about their weak writing

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skills, even when writing a simple email or short paragraph. Based on theteacher's and students' situations, I researched some software and websites thatcan be downloaded to computers and smartphones or used online to effectivelysupport writing improvement for students. From these issues, I boldly wrote thistopic, aiming to contribute a small part to teaching and improving high schoolstudents' writing skills.

<b>1.2.1.3. The necessity of applying the initiative :</b>

English writing skills are considered the weakest skill among high schoolstudents. Most students are reluctant to write, even good students and those onthe school's competition team for provincial exams. Competition students oftenfocus on writing skills close to the exam date, so they do not develop writingskills naturally and proficiently, often making spelling, grammar, word usage,idea linking, and sentence linking errors, leading to lower writing scores.Recognizing these limitations, I found solutions to help students overcome theirweaknesses through the research topic "Guidelines for High School Students toUtilize Some Software and Websites to Improve English Writing Skills."

<b>1.3. The scope and object of the study</b>

The study was going to be investigated at Quang Xuong II High school foraverage students. Due to the limitation of time, only classes 10 C2, 10C3, 10 C5were asked to participate in the study.

<b> 1.4. Research methods: - Organisational measures:</b>

Organising for students to write a survey essay before introducing andpracticing with specialized software and websites for error correction. Afternearly 4 months of experimental use of the software and websites for errorcorrection, conduct an essay test to collect comparative data. The post-experiment tests will be averaged to observe students' progress. Additionally, asurvey on students' experiences will be distributed to investigate and assess theiruse of the software and websites. Below is the main content of the initiative. - Implementation process:

- During any lesson involving writing practice in class.

- Implementation Time : Applied to English lessons, including new 10th-gradeprograms, from the beginning of the school year to the end of November of the2023–2024 school year.

<b>PART 2: CONTENT.2.1. Concept of “ writing” in Linguistics: </b>

According to Byrne (1979), writing is "the act of forming symbols arrangedaccording to certain conventions to create words, and words are arranged intosentences." From this perspective, any activity that creates words/sentences,whether meaningful or not, is considered "writing." Lannon (1989) defines

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writing as "the process of converting discovered material through inspiration,chance, trial and error, or anything into a meaningful message – Writing is aprocess of careful decision-making" (p.9). This definition emphasizes thatwriting must convey a meaningful message, refining Byrne's (1979) definitionas it aims towards the purpose of writing, not just writing without cleardirection. In teaching and learning, writing is seen as a "language skill" (Tribble,1996, p.3), not only presenting language in written text but also developing andexpressing ideas in a structured and coherent manner. It is "a process occurringover time, especially when we spend time thinking before writing the first draft"(Harris, 1993, p.10). Written text is the product of an individual aimed atcommunicating with others indirectly. This means the recipient does not standbefore the writer to hear from the writer. Therefore, the writer must ensure theirtext is not only accurate but also understandable to the reader.

<b>2.1.1. Wrtitng process: </b>

According to Reid (1993), the writing process can be illustrated as follows:

- Before writing.- Drafting.

- Feedback.- Revising.- Editing.- Evaluating.

Writing is a type of task where learners do not all proceed in the same way.However, there are basic steps that every writer must follow when composing apiece. Each researcher has different ways to illustrate the writing process, but allagree that writing is a recursive process, requiring significant effort from thewriter.

<b> 2.1.2. The concept of "Errors" and "Error Correction’’</b>

<b> 2.1.2.1.Definitions</b>

Many definitions have been proposed by various linguists and researcherssuch as Abbott (1981), Edge (1989), McKay (1989), Goldstein (1990), Hubbard(1991), Klassen (1993), Crosling (1996), etc. Although they express it indifferent ways, the concepts share common points regarding the nature andfunction of errors.

Goldstein (1990) suggests that an error is "an action caused by ignorance,omission, or inadvertent distraction, deviating from the original direction orfailing to achieve the intended goal."

Klassen (1993) provides a simpler definition of an error. According to Klassen,an error is "a form or structure that is unacceptable to native speakers due toinappropriate usage."

Meanwhile, Crosling (1996) offers a perspective that emphasizes criteria: "Anydeviation from the usual method is considered an error."

When discussing errors, some researchers share the view that not only languagelearners make errors, but native speakers also do. Native speakers often makeerrors at two levels: "morphological errors" and "expression errors," with the

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latter being more frequent (McKay, 1984). Therefore, errors should be seen asdeviations from the norm and as inappropriate. Errors can be observed at alllevels of language, from form to expression.

<b>2.1.2.2. Classification of Errors</b>

Lippman, J. (2003) classifies errors into two categories: "global errors" and"local errors."

Classification :

<b>Global ErrorsLocal Errors</b>

General Issues: Specific Issues:1. Argument 1. Spelling2. Structure 2. Syntax3. Evidence 3. Grammar4. Compatibility and Consistency 4. Punctuation5. Appropriateness to the Audience

Word order, conjunctions Tense, articles

General errors result in communication failure or difficulty in understanding,while specific errors relate to particular elements like spelling and punctuation.The classification of errors can vary depending on the researcher's purpose andthe specific conditions of language teaching and learning.

<b>2.2. Basic methods for correcting student writing</b>

In the teaching process, teachers often face questions like: "Which errors needcorrection?" and "How to correct errors effectively."

Gower and Walters (1983) propose four issues for language teachers to addresswhen encountering student errors in writing:

What to correct?When to correct?How to correct?

How much to correct?

Similarly, Raimes (1983) presents seven basic principles for errorcorrection in classroom teaching:

1.Do not mark errors but still identify errors that need correction2.Identify errors carefully and find the cause

3.Identify errors carefully and find the cause4.Find parts that students have done well5.Record the errors made by students

6. Establish clear, understandable error symbols.

7.Frequently explain or correct errors and eliminate them carefully8.Finally, handle errors carefully and create a habit for students.

Solving the problem of "what to correct and when," researchers oftensuggest that teachers should choose between immediate correction or waitinguntil similar errors occur within the same lesson.

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To clarify the issue of "how much to correct," Gower and Walter providesome suggestions:

- Engage students in the correction process

- Spend less time on individual student errors and focus on common errors- Point out errors that students have just made

- Indicate the location of the error- Specify the type of error

- Give learners the opportunity to self-correct

- If learners cannot correct their own errors, ask other students for helpIf the above step fails, the teacher then corrects the error. Edge (1989) alsooffers three basic steps for error correction as follows:

- Self-correction: The teacher points out the error for the student to correctthemselves because sometimes students need help to recognize the errorbefore they can correct it.

- Peer correction: Learners work in pairs or groups to find and correct eachother's writing errors. This engages all students in the correction process,making them active and less dependent on the teacher.

- Teacher correction: The teacher identifies what the writer meant by theincorrect sentence and guides the student on how to express the ideaaccurately.

<b> 2.3. The importance of Technology in learning Foreign Languages</b>

The advent of information technology represents a simultaneous integrationof technological advancements and information organization, bringing numerouspositive impacts on the development of education. Information technology, andespecially the development of the internet, opens up an incredibly diverse andrich repository of knowledge for both learners and teachers, making theacquisition of knowledge much simpler and significantly improving the qualityof learning and teaching.

- Open Education programs.

Open educational programs enable people to exchange and seek knowledgeeffectively. Accompanying open education are open educational resources(OER), which help learners and teachers connect with knowledge efficientlyregardless of their location and time. Open educational resources are aninevitable development trend of modern education. Information technologyfacilitates learners to study and acquire knowledge flexibly and conveniently.People can self-study anytime, anywhere, and can engage in discussions on atopic while being far apart, contributing to the creation of a learning societywhere learners can pursue lifelong learning.

-The role of Information Technology in creating flexible learning space

times: In addition to providing the convenience of learning anytime andanywhere, information technology creates opportunities for learners to choosetopics they enjoy, aligning with their individual talents. This allows each personto develop according to their strengths, influenced by the unique structure oftheir cortical areas. This, in turn, will foster the development of talents.

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- The positive impact of information technology on learning foreignlanguages.

- On the other hand, focusing on the aspect of learning and acquiring foreignlanguages, information technology has brought many positive aspects, such asenabling learners to quickly access the latest changes in language trendsthrough news and social media. Additionally, the language acquisition processhas been diversified. Furthermore, technology plays a significant role ineducational innovation and transforming learners' thinking. Moreover, it isindispensable in the educational reform process, centering on the learner, whilealso enhancing engagement and motivation due to its convenience, diversity,and speed.

<b> 2.3.1.The role of information technology in modernizing education: </b>

In the past, knowledge was primarily acquired from books and teachers, butnow, this diverse source of knowledge is provided online through internetconnections. Teachers mainly served as the transmitters of knowledge. This shiftplays a significant role in the process of educational reform. Educationalinnovation must transition from focusing mainly on knowledge transmission todeveloping learners' competencies by teaching them how to approach and self-learn, as well as how to solve problems. The transmission and provision ofknowledge will gradually be handled by information technology, freeingteachers from time constraints so they can focus on helping students developproblem-solving approaches and organizing learning activities linked to real-world contexts to enhance students'capabilities.

<b>2.4. SOLUTIONS : </b>

<b>2.4.1. Software and Websites to improve writing skills</b>

To shorten the error correction process and enhance students' self-learningawareness, I have discovered several useful software programs for practicingwriting skills through online research and learning from various informationchannels. Students can download these programs to their computers or mobilephones or use them online. Additionally, there are several websites that supportthis skill by offering numerous articles on a topic from members worldwide, orwebsites that check and correct spelling and grammar errors in your writingwhen you post your work for free correction.

* Advantages:

Students take initiative in writing and submit their work for software tocheck and correct, without relying on the teacher's assistance. Therefore, theycan feel as if they always have a teacher by their side, allowing them to writefreely with support for ideas, structure, vocabulary, and expressions, along withreference articles from these sites.

* Disadvantages:

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To utilize these features, students need to have a computer or at least asmartphone. Therefore, students from low-income or underprivileged familiesoften do not have access to such devices and cannot benefit from theseresources. As a result, these students must go to the school library to borrow acomputer or use internet cafes, which means their time is not as flexible as thatof their peers.

<b>2.4.1.1.Using the Grammar and Spelling Feature of Microsoft Word tocheck spelling and simple, common structures.</b>

This software is incredibly useful for learners practicing English writingskills directly on their computer using Microsoft Word. Users simply type theirtext, select the content to be checked, and press the "Check" button. Thesoftware will automatically check for spelling errors and suggest corrections ornecessary adjustments.

For example, if we write the following sentences and use this software tocheck for spelling and grammatical errors, the screen will display the results asshown below.

1.Before check : "He go to school everyday and study hard."

2. After check : The software might highlight "go" and suggest "goes," and"everyday" might be corrected to "every day" with explanations for thesecorrections.

By following these steps, users can see corrections and suggestions directlyon the screen, making it easier to learn and improve their writing skills.

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The standout feature of this software is its highly accurate spelling andgrammar check, making it very useful and convenient since it is alwaysavailable on all computers and some newer generation mobile phones.Additionally, the writer can find out the word count of their text through theword count tool located next to the Spelling and Grammar tool, helping theauthor accurately check the number of words they have written.

<b> 2.4.1.2. Website .</b>

This is a website that allows writers to submit their texts for onlinechecking and receive highly accurate and specific grammar corrections. Touse this website, one must log in and then post their writing. Within a fewseconds, the submitted text will appear in the left pane of the screen, withthe sections needing correction and detailed explanations displayed on theright. Parts that are underlined in red indicate errors that need correction.Therefore, users only need to click on these parts, and the corrections alongwith clear explanations will immediately appear, as illustrated.

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