Improving students ability to describe charts in tieng anh 11 through question systems combined with games

SỞ GIÁO DỤC & ĐÀO TẠO THANH HOÁ

TRƯỜNG THPT LƯƠNG ĐẮC BẰNG

SÁNG KIẾN KINH NGHIỆM

IMPROVING STUDENTS’ ABILITY TO DESCRIBE CHARTS
IN TIENG ANH 11 THROUGH QUESTION SYSTEMS
COMBINED WITH GAMES

Người thực hiện: Hồ Thị Minh Thái
Chức vụ: Tổ trưởng chuyên môn Tiếng Anh
Đơn vị công tác: Trường THPT Lương Đắc Bằng
SKKN thuộc môn: Tiếng Anh

THANH HÓA NĂM 2017

1


BOOK MAP

Content

Page

1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Reasons for choosing the topic.
1.2. Aims of the research.
1.3. Subjects of the research.
1.4. Methods for implementation.

3
3
4
4

2. MAIN CONTENT
2.1. Theoretical background
2.2. Practical background
2.3. Solutions and methods for implementation
2.4. Result after applying the research.

4
6
8
13

3. CONCLUSION

15

CONTRACTED WORDS
2


etc

et cetera

ICT

Information and Communication Technologies

IEPs

Individualized Education Programs

inc

incorporated

LSAs

Low Specific Activities

mins

Minutes

Ss

Students

T

Teacher

1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Reasons for choosing the topic.
Nowadays, in the integration period and with the globalization trend, foreign

languages, especially English, play a very important role in society. English
becomes an international language. It is used in many fields such as business,
3


trade, communications, tourism and diplomatic activities, etc... . More than fifty
countries in the world use English as their official language and it is used as the
second language in nearly eighty nations. Therefore, English is an ology which is
never saturated due to its newness and popularity in all fields. Our Party and
government showed their particular interest in teaching and learning foreign
languages.English is considered as a main subject at upper secondary school.
Teaching English with the communicative approach is our aim. How to improve all
skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) completely for our students is our
duty. All skills are important and it is necessary for us to develop them. Curriculum
and textbooks are issued with a view to carrying out this aim successfully.
However, writing skill seems to be one of the most difficult skills for students.
Most writing tasks, for example describing charts, are not interesting enough to
attract them. They do not even know how to deal with these tasks. Their writings
are only simple descriptions without comparisons. “What can I do to help my
students?” “In what way do my students describe them well?” “What should I do to
make these writing tasks easier and more attractive?” The best way I did to assist
them is that I used the eliciting questions combined with games to guide them.
I would like to share my teaching experience “Improving students’ ability to
describe charts in Tieng Anh 11 through question systems combined with games”
in the hope that my colleagues can apply in teaching and we can discuss more to
get the best result in teaching how to describe charts.
1.2. Aims of the research
- Helping students alleviate difficulties while practicing graph descriptions in
English 11.
- Presenting a new method to develop the writing performance of students at high

schools.
- To introduce how to apply the question systems combined with games in teaching
describing charts in English 11 at high school.
- To introduce the advantages of the application of question systems combined with
games in teaching describing charts.
- To explore the effectiveness of the method of teaching students to represent the
graph with the question systems combined with games in describing the graphs of
Tieng Anh 11.

4


- Presenting new techniques for English teachers in teaching grammatical structures
in writing.
- To make easier for students to produce acceptable structures in their writing tasks.
Therefore, this method seems to serve as an influential tool for both the learning
and teaching of writing (for both students and teachers).
1.3. Subjects of the research.
Describing charts is one of the most difficult writing tasks for high school students.
Students often do not have enough vocabularies, structures, and do not even know
how to describe a chart. In this research, I want to offer a useful method for high
school students to write a pasage describing the chart. By this method, students will
feel more comfortable and interested in learning to write. That research is
“Improving students’ ability to describe charts in Tieng Anh 11 through question
systems combined with games”.
1.4. Methods for implementation.
* Scope: Researching in the process of teaching English at Luong Dac Bang High
school.
* Research methodology: making survey, reading reference books, researching
information in Internet, applying in teaching, observing and drawing out

experiences.
2.MAIN CONTENT
2.1. Theoretical background
a.Charts
A chart is a graphical representation of data, in which "the data is represented
by symbols, such as bars in a bar chart, lines in a line chart, or slices in a pie
chart". A chart can represent tabular numeric data, functions or some kinds of
qualitative structure and provides different info.
The term "chart" as a graphical representation of data has multiple meanings:
* A data chart is a type of diagram or graph that organizes and represents a set of
numerical or qualitative data.
* Maps that are adorned with extra information for some specific purpose are often
known as charts, such as a nautical chart or aeronautical chart.
* Other domain specific constructs are sometimes called charts, such as the chord
chart in music notation or a record chart for album popularity.

5


Charts are often used to ease understanding of large quantities of data and the
relationships between parts of the data. Charts can usually be read more quickly
than the raw data that they are produced from. They are used in a wide variety of
fields, and can be created by hand (often on graph paper) or by computer using
a charting application. Certain types of charts are more useful for presenting a
given data set than others. For example, data that presents percentages in different
groups (such as "satisfied, not satisfied, unsure ") are often displayed in a pie chart,
but may be more easily understood when presented in a horizontal bar chart. On the
other hand, data that represents numbers that change over a period of time (such as
"annual revenue from 1990 to 2000") might be best shown as a line chart.
b. Describing a chart

In textbooks at upper secondary school, there are bar charts and pie charts so I only
mention two these types. These types of charts are usually used for comparison
purposes (unlike line charts, which describe changes).
When you write about a bar chart it is important to look first at the Chart Title. This
tells you what information the chart displays and you can use this information in
your description.
Then look at the X and Y axes. The titles of these axes sometimes give you
information you can use in your description. It is important also to look at the
UNITS.
Bar charts show similarities and differences. When describing these charts you
need to make comparisons. You also need to group together any columns which
have broad similarities.
To write a short description of the chart, ask yourself (and answer!) the
following questions:
1. What exactly does the chart show? (Use the chart title to help you answer this
question)
2. What are the axes and what are the units?
3. What similarities are there?
4. Is it possible to put some of the columns into one or more groups?
5. What differences are there?
Answering these questions will help you to write a short description of this simple
bar chart.

6


Pie charts normally show proportion, which can be measured in percentages or
fractions. This type of charts shows the relative size of something. So we can only
make comparisons; we cannot say anything about change.
2.2. Practical background

In the writing tasks in Tieng Anh 10 and Tieng Anh 12 textbooks there are eliciting
questions so students can have some ideas for their writings to make comparisons
but in the tasks in Tieng Anh 11 there is not any eliciting questions for them to
write except for the chart, useful language and the requirements. Students find it
difficult to write.
In writing section of Unit 7 – World population (Tieng Anh 11-Page 86), a pie chart
is given with the requirement “Study the chart carefully then write a paragraph of
100-120 words, describing the information in the chart”.
Oceania
Northern

2%

America

Latin

6%

South Asia

America

32%

8%

Africa
11%

Europe

East Asia

15%

26%

Students have to do the task with the following suggestions of useful language:
It can be seen that
distributed unevenly
account for… per cent
7


more than double the population of
half as much as/ nearly half of
rank first/ last
And the beginning “The chart shows the distribution of world population by region. …”
With all these cues, the student wrote:
writing
Errors
The chart shows the distribution of world
population by region. It can be seen that → lack “the world” and verb
population distributed unevenly. South Asia → form of the verb
account for 32 percent and more than double the
→ lack the verb and wrong
population of Europe. Latin America more than
information
double the population of Europe. Northern → form of the verb

America nearly double the population of Africa. → spoken language
Oceania account for 2 percent. Rank first South
Asia, second East Asia and seventh Oceania.
In Unit 11 – Sources of energy (Tieng Anh 11-Page 130), a bar chart is given for
students to write the description of it.

In Task
2, they
are required to write the same writing as Task 1. However, they gave some mistakes
in their writings.
Writing

Errors
8


The chart shows the energy consumption in
Highland in 2005. As can be seen, the total
energy consumption was 170 million ton.
Petroleum made up the largest amount of this
figure (50 million tons). This was followed by the
consumption of smallest (45 million tons).
Nuclear and hydroelectricity made up the
biggest amount of energy consumption (75
million tons)

→ spelling mistake
→ wrong information
→ wrong answer
→ wrong word

Writing
Errors
The chart shows the energy consumption in
Highland in 2005. As can be seen, the total
energy consumption was 170 million tons.
Petroleum made up the largest amount of this → wrong information
figure (75 million tons). This was followed by the
consumption of nuclear and hydroelectricity (50 → wrong information
million tons). Coal made up the smallest amount
of energy consumption (45 million tons)

And many students did like these.
After doing Task 1 and Task 2 with the requirements in textbook, students did Task
3 by combining two these tasks in turn.
2.3. Solutions and methods for implementation
In order to improve writing skill in describing charts for students, I carried out a
few techniques at classes 11A5 and 11 A10 in this school-year (2016-2017), I gave
out posters and handouts with the eliciting questions for these writing tasks. In
order to make them more interesting and help students concentrate to the lessons, I
used these eliciting questions in games such as “lucky number” or “typhoon”.
Lucky number
- Divide the class into two teams.
- Representatives of each team choose the numbers in turn.
- If they get a “lucky number”, they will have 2 points without any questions.
- If they have a correct answer, they will get 2 points.
9


- If they don’t answer the question, the chance will be for the other team.

Typhoon
- Divide the class into two teams.
- Representatives of each team choose the numbers in turn.
- They will get 5 points with a correct answer.
- If they get a “star”, they will get 5 points without a question.
- If they get a “plus…” the point given will be added for them when they have
a correct answer.
- If they get a “minus…”, they will lose the point which the number gave.
- Unluckily, they will lose all the point they got when they get the word
“typhoon”
Demonstration 1
Unit 7: World population (Page 86)
- Aim: help students have comparisons among the regions about the distribution
of world population.
- Time: 15 minutes
- Preparation: + a poster and handouts with eliciting questions
+ a poster presenting game “Typhoon”
-Procedure:
Stage
Procedure
Interaction
Pre-writing Activity 1: Discussion (5’)
- Deliver handouts. (Appendix 1)
T
Eliciting questions (Tieng Anh 11 – Unit 7 –
Page 86)
1. How great is the percentage in total?
2.Which region contributes the largest in world
population? What is the proportion of it?
3. Which region makes up the smallest in world

population? What is the percentage?
4.Which region ranks second? What percentage is
it?
5.How is Northern America in comparison with
Oceania?
6.Which region has nearly double the population
of Northern America?
7.Which region has the contribution to the world
population more than that of Africa?
10


8.Which region makes up nearly half of Europe?
- Discuss to find out the information which the
questions ask. (Appendix 2)
Suggested answers:
1. 100%
2. South Asia contributes the largest in world
population. It accounts for 32%.
3. Oceania makes up the smallest in world
population with 2%.
4. East Asia ranks second, accounting for 26 %
5. Northern America has three times of the
population of Oceania
6. Africa has nearly double the population of
Northern America
7. Europe has the contribution to the world
population more than that of Africa
8. Latin America makes up nearly half of Europe
Activity 2:Game “Typhoon” (10’)

- Hang the poster with eliciting questions out.
(Appendix 1)
- Stick the poster presenting game “Typhoon” on
the board.
- Divide the class into 2 teams.
- Ask Ss to play the game.
- Feedback

Pairs

T

Teams
T-Ss

Demonstration 2
Unit 11: Energy sources (page 130)
- Aim: help students have comparisons about the energy consumption between two
certain points of time.
- Time: 15 minutes
- Preparation:
+ a poster and handouts with eliciting questions
+ a poster presenting game “Lucky number”
-Procedure:
Stage
Procedure
Pre-writing Activity 1: Asking and answering (3’)
- Ask Ss some questions to recognize the chart.
11

Interaction
T-Ss


(Appendix 3)
1. What exactly does this chart show?
2. How many colors are there?
3.What color stands for coal, nuclear and
hydroelectricity and petroleum in turn?
4. How many points of time are given? What are
they?
- Observe the chart and give the ideas.
Expected answers:
1. It shows the energy consumption in Highland
in 2000 and 2005.
2.Three
3.Green stands for coal, red for nuclear and
hydroelectricity and purple for petroleum.
4.Two. They are 2000 and 2005.
Activity 1: Discussion (4’)
- Deliver handouts. (Appendix 4)
1.How was the trend in energy consumption
between 2000 and 2005?
2.Which energy made up the largest amount of
energy consumption in 2000? How was it in
2005?
3.Which energy had the smallest amount of this
figure in 2000? Did it increase or decrease in
2005? How did it increase/decrease?
4.What about coal? Did it rise/fall dramatically

or slightly?
5.What does this trend in energy consumption
mean?
- Discuss to find out the information which the
questions ask. (Appendix 5)
Suggested answer:
1.The total energy consumption of 2005 (170
million tons) was higher than that of 2000 (117
million tons).
2.In 2000, petroleum made up the largest amount
of energy consumption (57 million tons) while in
12

T

Ss

T

Pairs


2005 it decreased slightly of 7 million tons.
3.Nuclear and hydroelectricity had the smallest
amount of this figure in 2000. It increased
quickly from 20 million tons (in 2000) to 75
million tons (in 2005), which was the highest
amount.
4.Coal had a slow rise from 40 million ton to 45
million tons.

5.People in Highland had the trend of using
unpolluted sources of energy.
Activity 2:Game “Lucky number” (8’)
- Hang the poster with eliciting questions out.
(Appendix 4)
- Stick the poster presenting game “Lucky
number” on the board.
- Divide the class into 2 teams.
- Ask Ss to play the game.
- Feedback

T

Teams
T-Ss

2.4. Results after applying the research
a. Effect
After practicing these changes in my lectures, my students have made some
progress in their writings. Their writings not only contained fewer mistakes but also
showed a clear comparison. They know how to describe a chart and are confident
to write as well.
Unit 7 – World population (Tieng Anh 11-Page 86)
In this writing lesson, the student wrote:
writing
Comment
The chart shows the distribution of world
- A good comparison
population by region. It can be seen that world
population distributed unevenly. South Asia

ranks first and accounts for thirty two percent in
population. And South Asia is more than double
the population of Europe which accounts for
fifteen percent. Latin America accounts for eight
percent in world population and it is nearly half
13


of Europe’s population. East Asia is over twice
as much as Africa with twenty six percent in
world population. Oceania ranks last with two
percent in population and it account for onethird of Northern America’s population.
Unit 11 – Sources of energy (Tieng Anh 11-Page 130)
The student described the chart in this writing section like this.
writing
Comment
The chart shows the energy consumption in
- Use vocabulary perfectly
- Compare well
Highland in 2000 and 2005. As you can see from
the chart, the total energy consumption of 2005
(170 million tons) was higher than that of 2000
(117 million tons). In 2000, petroleum made up
the largest amount of this figure (57 million tons)
while in 2005 it decreased slightly of 7 million
tons. Besides, nuclear and hydroelectricity
increased quickly from 20 million tons (in 2000)
to 75 million tons (in 2005), which was the
highest amount. In addition, coal had a slow rise
from 40 million ton to 45 million tons.

To sum up, people in Highland had the trend of
using unpolluted sources of energy.
b. Comments from teachers and students
I made a survey to know what students find about writing lessons by the
questionnaire (Appendix 6) and had some replied information as below.
Most students know that writing lessons help them not only practise writing skill
but also develop all skills fully. They also started that writing is very important but
it is sometimes difficult. As a result, although they prepared the lesson before the
class, they still had difficulties when doing the task. Therefore, they did not
participate in writing lessons actively.
When I carried out the survey with class 11A5 – a rather good at English class with
45 students, 32 students believe that the writing lessons are very important containing 71.1%, 11 students think they are not very important - containing 24.5%
14


and no one finds they are not important at all. While only 2 students in this class
never prepare the lesson before class – containing 4.4%, most of them always or
sometimes do this work – containing 95,6%. However, a similar number of the
students (93,1% with 45 students) find it difficult to describe a chart. Through the
questionnaire, students also said that there are 2 main reasons that make them
difficult to describe a chart. They are “lack of vocabulary and you don’t know how
to write”. 100% (45 students) in this class lack vocabulary when describing a chart,
With the reason “You don’t know how to write”, 5 students always (11.1%), 32
students sometimes (71.1 %) and 8 students never (17.8%).
These students stated that the way of using eliciting questions combined with
games was carried out in the writing lessons such as Unit 7 – World population
(Tieng Anh 11-Page 86) and Unit 11 – Sources of energy (Tieng Anh 11-Page 130),
they find it easier and more exciting when writing. 41 students (91.1%) agreed that
using eliciting questions combined with games not only makes writing lessons
more interesting but also help them understand the information given from the

chart and know how to describe it.
For the teachers who observed the class (Appendix 7), they also appreciated the
way that I guided my students to describe a chart. Most of them agreed strongly or
apparently with the criteria given in the observation sheet, especially objectives,
materials, activities and techniques.
These figures have already shown that using eliciting questions combined with
games in describing a chart can help students practise this skill more effectively.
3. Conclusion
Realizing the difficulties students faced in describing a chart, I tried to find out a
good way for them to solve their problem. This technique has helped my students
find their tasks easier to do, so they feel more confident to take part in the lessons.
I present this teaching experience with a view to sharing my own experiment in
teaching students how to describe a chart with colleagues though everything has its
strong points and weak ones.
Because of the shortage of time, this method must have some mistakes that I cannot
discover. I’m willing to receive readers’ comment and if possible, you can add
some more techniques so that I can improve it. I hope this method will help you
and your students find it more exciting and interesting in describing a chart.

15


If the writing tasks have available eliciting questions, teacher can use games to
make the lesson more exciting and attractive. I think it is also a good way to
motivate students’ studying spirit which brings much benefit in teaching and
learning.
Hoang Hoa, June 24th, 2017
Writer

Ho Thi Minh Thai

REFERENCE
1. Reference materials from:
- />- />- />-
-
2. Tieng Anh 11 – Giao Duc publisher – 2007

16


ĐÁNH GIÁ CỦA HỘI ĐỒNG KHOA HỌC CẤP TRƯỜNG
..............................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................
Sáng kiến xếp loại...............

ĐÁNH GIÁ CỦA HỘI ĐỒNG KHOA HỌC CẤP TỈNH
..............................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................
17


..............................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................
Sáng kiến xếp loại..............

18