An investigation into errors in writing english paragraphs made by 6th grade students at a junior secondary school in nam dinh city

HANOI UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF POST- GRADUATE STUDIES

AN INVESTIGATION INTO ERRORS IN WRITING
ENGLISH PARAGRAPHS MADE BY 6TH GRADE STUDENTS
AT A JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL IN NAM DINH CITY
(Nghiên cứu các lỗi khi viết đoạn văn Tiếng Anh của học sinh lớp 6
tại một trường Trung học cơ sở ở thành phố Nam Định)

SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF REQUIREMENTS
FOR THE MASTER’S DEGREE IN ENGLISH STUDIES
Student: Vũ Thị Thúy Hồng
Supervisor: Dr. TrầnThị Duyên

Hanoi – 2019


HANOI UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF POST GRADUATE STUDIES

AN INVESTIGATION INTO ERRORS IN WRITING
ENGLISH PARAGRAPHS MADE BY 6TH GRADE STUDENTS
AT A JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL IN NAM DINH CITY
(Nghiên cứu các lỗi khi viết đoạn văn Tiếng Anh của học sinh lớp 6
tại một trường Trung học cơ sở ở thành phố Nam Định)

Major: English Studies
Code: 8220201

SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF REQUIREMENTS
FOR THE MASTER’S DEGREE IN ENGLISH STUDIES

Student: Vũ Thị Thúy Hồng
Supervisor: Dr. Trần Thị Duyên

Hanoi –2019



STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP

I certify that this thesis entitled “An investigation into errors in writing English
paragraphs made by 6th-grade students at a junior secondary school in Nam Dinh city” is my
own work.
Except where reference is made in the text of the thesis, this thesis does not contain any
material published elsewhere or extracted in whole or in part from a thesis by which I have
qualified for or been awarded another degree or diploma.
No other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgment in the main text of the
thesis.
This thesis has not been submitted for the award of any degree or diploma in any other
tertiary institution.
Hanoi, 2019

Vu Thi Thuy Hong

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ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The thesis could not have been completed without the considerable help and support
from a number of people.

First and foremost, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Dr. Tran Thi Duyen,
my supervisor, who has patiently and constantly supported me through the stages of the study,
and whose stimulating ideas, expertise, and suggestions have inspired me greatly through my
growth as an academic researcher.
My profound thanks go to all of my teachers from the Post-Graduate Department at
Hanoi University, who have been given expert guidance and favorable conditions for the
completion of the work.
I am deeply thankful to five English teachers and 180 students at a lower secondary
school. Thanks to their help, the thesis would not have succeeded.
Last but not least, I am greatly indebted to my beloved family and friends for the
sacrifice they have devoted to the fulfillment of this academic work.
Hanoi, 2019

Vu Thi Thuy Hong

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ABSTRACT
The present study investigates errors made by the 6th-grade students at a junior
secondary school in Nam Dinh City and examines the teachers’ opinions on the students’ errors
and their treatment of the errors. The study employs qualitative design and uses document
analysis and interview as the data collection instruments. In particular, document analysis was
carried out on 180 pieces of paragraph writing written by 6th-grade students and semi-structured
interviews were conducted with five teachers who teach writing skills for the 6th-grade students.
Findings pointed out 8 types of writing errors commonly made by the students
including plurality, article, spelling, punctuation, verb, and preposition at the word level and
subject-verb agreement and fragment at the sentential level. The findings also reveal that the
teachers can realize students’ errors related to verb, spelling, preposition, subject-verb
agreement, linking words, sentence structure, word order, and word choice. However, some of

other common writing errors such as plurality, articles, punctuation, and fragment do not seem
to be well perceived by the teachers and their common ways to treat the students’ errors are via
direct feedback, indirect feedback, focused feedback and unfocused feedback. Based on the
results of the study, implications and recommendations are proposed to improve the teaching
and learning of English paragraph writing at the local school as well as at other junior
secondary schools with similar educational contexts.

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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

CF

Correcting feedback

EA

Error analysis

EFL

English as a Foreign Language

ELT

English Language Teaching: the teaching of English to speakers of other languages

ESL

English as a Second Language

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LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURE

Figure 2.1: Runkati’s categories of errors………………………………………………………
Figure 2.2: Corder’s steps in error analysis research…………………………………………..
Table 2.3: Description of common writing errors…………………………………………….
Table 3.2: Justification for Interview Items……………………………………………………
Table 4.1: The most common writing errors committed students at 6th grade…………………

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TABLE CONTENTS
STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP ............................................................................................... i
ACKNOWLEDGMENT .............................................................................................................. ii
ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................ iii
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ....................................................................................................... iiv
LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURE............................................................................................... v
TABLE CONTENTS................................................................................................................... vi
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION........................................................................................... 1
1.1. Background of the study .................................................................................................... 1
1.2. Statement of the problem ................................................................................................... 2
1.3. Objectives of the study and research questions ................................................................. 3
1.4. Significance of the study .................................................................................................... 4
1.5. Scope of the study .............................................................................................................. 4
1.6. Organization of the study ................................................................................................... 4

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................... 6
2.1. Theory of writing and paragraph writing .......................................................................... 6
2.1.1. Definition of writing .................................................................................................... 6
2.1.2. Genres of writing ......................................................................................................... 6
2.1.3. Paragraph writing ........................................................................................................ 7
2.1.4. Elements of an effective paragraph ............................................................................. 7
2.2. Teaching paragraph writing ............................................................................................. 10
2.3. Error analysis ................................................................................................................... 11
2.3.1. Defining errors .......................................................................................................... 11
2.3.2. Errors in Second Language Learning ........................................................................ 12
2.3.3. Definition of Error Analysis ...................................................................................... 13
2.3.4. Classification of Errors .............................................................................................. 14
2.3.5. The procedure of error analysis ................................................................................. 15
2.3.6. Sources of errors ........................................................................................................ 16
2.3.7. Common writing errors ............................................................................................. 19
2.4. Error Treatment ................................................................................................................ 20
2.4.1. Definition of Error Treatment ................................................................................... 20
2.4.2. Strategies of corrective feedback .............................................................................. 21
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2.5. Previous studies................................................................................................................ 23
2.5.1. Studies in international contexts................................................................................ 23
2.5.2. Studies in Vietnamese contexts ................................................................................. 25
2.6. Gaps in previous studies of the study............................................................................... 26
2.7. Chapter summary ............................................................................................................. 27
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY ................................................................................... 28
3.1. Research design................................................................................................................ 28
3.2. Participants ....................................................................................................................... 29
3.3. Research context .............................................................................................................. 29

3.4. Research instruments ....................................................................................................... 30
3.4.1. Document analysis .................................................................................................... 30
3.4.2. Semi-structured interview ......................................................................................... 30
3.5. Data collection procedure ................................................................................................ 32
3.6. Data analysis procedure ................................................................................................... 33
3.6.1. Analysis of students’ writings ................................................................................... 33
3.6.2. Semi-structured interview ......................................................................................... 35
3.7. Ethical considerations ...................................................................................................... 35
3.8. Chapter summary ............................................................................................................. 36
CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ......................................................................... 37
4.1. Data analysis .................................................................................................................... 37
4.1.1. Results from the analysis of the students’ writings ................................................... 37
4.1.1.1. Plurality ................................................................................................................ 37
4.1.1.2. Article ................................................................................................................... 39
4.1.1.3. Spelling ................................................................................................................. 40
4.1.1.4. Punctuation ........................................................................................................... 41
4.1.1.5. Verb ...................................................................................................................... 42
4.1.1.6. Preposition ............................................................................................................ 43
4.1.1.7. Subject-Verb Agreement ..................................................................................... 44
4.1.1.8. Fragment ............................................................................................................... 45
4.1.2. Results from the interviews with teachers ................................................................. 46
4.1.2.1. The average time to teach writing ........................................................................ 47
4.1.2.2. Methods in teaching writing ................................................................................. 48
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4.1.2.3. Teachers' opinions on students' writing errors ..................................................... 49
4.1.2.4. Teachers opinions on possible sources of students'errors .................................... 50
4.1.2.5. Treatment of the students' writing errors .............................................................. 51
4.2. Discussion of the research results .................................................................................... 49

4.3. Chapter summary ............................................................................................................. 58
CHAPTER 5: IMPLICATIONS AND CONCLUSION ............................................................ 59
5.1. Summary of the study ...................................................................................................... 59
5.2. Implications for teachers and syllabus designers ............................................................. 59
5.2.1. Implications for teachers ............................................................................................. 59
5.2.2. Implications for syllabus designers ............................................................................. 61
5.3. Limitations of the study ................................................................................................... 61
5.4. Suggestions for further studies ......................................................................................... 62
5.5. Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 63
REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................... 64
APPENDIX 1: INTERVIEW PROTOCOL FOR TEACHERS ................................................. 68
APPENDIX 2: A SAMPLE OF TEACHERS' INTERVIEWS .................................................. 70
APPENDIX 2: A SAMPLE OF TEACHERS' INTERVIEWS .................................................. 72

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CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
In the first chapter, the background, objectives, and significance of the study
are described. As well, the statement of the problem is explained and two major
research questions are presented.

1.1. Background of the study
In Viet Nam, English is learnt as a foreign language. Foreign language is
defined in the Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics
(Richards & Schmidt, 2002) as a language that is not a native language in a country. A
foreign language is usually studied either for communication with foreigners who speak
the language or for reading printed materials in the language. Learning a different
language is sometimes difficult since the target language has different elements
compared to the native language. These differences sometimes cause the students to
make errors while using it.
Among the four English skills, writing seems to be the most complex, but it is a
crucial skill for students to learn. Students who have the ability and competency in
writing English will be able to express themselves effectively. Moreover, they will
have more privilege when applying for jobs compared to other students especially in
private sectors and companies doing international business. However, writing is a
complex process which demands cognitive analysis and linguistic synthesis. It is even
harder to learn to write in a foreign language, and it takes considerable time and effort.
Errors in learners’ language performance including writing process have long
become the subject of interest among teachers, linguists, and syllabus planners. Brown
(1980) argues that making errors in learning a foreign language is unavoidable. Errors
are natural for second or foreign learners of English language. The linguists
particularly are finding reasonable explanations for the occurrence of errors and their
implication towards the learning and teaching of a language. In line with those studies,
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this study aims to explore common errors in the 6th-grade students’ paragraph writings
and their teachers’ perspectives on the students’ errors and the way the teachers treat
the errors at a junior secondary school in Nam Dinh City.
1.2. Statement of the problem
Writing in English has been perceived as the most difficult skill among the four

skills of English (Hengwichitkul, 2009; Watcharapunyawong& Usaha, 2013;
Rattanadilok Na Phuket & Othman, 2015). Even a native speaker fails to write a good
piece of writing (Kukurs, 2012). It is, consequently, a very hard task for EFL learners,
and it is unavoidable for EFL learners to commit writing errors since they have a limited
chance to write in English.
A number of research studies, as a result, have been conducted both to find out the
causes of writing problems and to help EFL learners overcome difficulties in their
writing. For instance, some studies investigate the errors in learners’various types of
writing, including sentences, paragraphs, essays, and abstracts, and categorize those
errors, so they can be fully addressed (Huang, 2006; Hengwichitkul, 2006;
Jenwitheesuk, 2009; Bumroongthai, 2011; Lui, 2013; Runkati, 2013; Zheng& Park,
2013; Rattanadilok Na Phuket & Othman, 2015). Other studies attempt to examine
sources of errors since knowing the sources that lead to learners’ making of the errors is
an effective way to help reduce errors (Penny, 2001; Bennui, 2008; Heydari&Bagheri,
2012; Watcharapunyawong& Usaha, 2013; Hinnon, 2014).
It has been pointed out that errors made by learners are beneficial to teachers,
learners, as well as researchers (Corder, 1967; James, 1998). For teachers, errors are
evidence of learners’ progress in language learning. Teachers can refer to it in order to
help improve learners’ writing skills. For learners, errors can be served as resources for
their language learning. Lastly, errors provide evidence to researchers on how learners
learn and acquire the language.
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The analysis of errors in learners’ writing can be very helpful for their learning,
Corder (1967), James (1998), Nonkokhetkong (2013), Hinnon (2014), and Rattanadilok
Na Phuket and Othman (2015) assert that. Presada and Badea (2014), for example,
analyzed the causes of errors made by students in their translation classes and asserted
that this method could help them sort out the real problems and lessen the number of
errors in their students’ work. Similarly, Zafar (2016) also states that error analysis is

an effective tool to improve her business students’ writing ability after a two-month
remedial writing course.
In Vietnam, a number of studies have also been done on analyzing errors in
writing such as Tran (2015), Nguyen (2011), and Pham & Pham (2015). However, most
studies focus on students at high school or university. No research has been done by
focusing on the errors of students studying at secondary schools (especially 6th-grade
students in Nam Dinh City) while paragraph writing actually begins from the 6th grade.
The lack of research on the common mistakes of 6th-grade students when writing an
English paragraph and how teachers treat students’ errors sets a gap for researchers'
current research. Therefore, aiming to contribute to bridge the gap, the present study is
conducted to obtain an overview of errors made by the 6th-grade students and the
teachers’ opinions on the students’ errors and their treatment of the errors.
1.3. Objectives of the study and research questions
This study investigates the most common errors committed by the 6th-grade
students while writing paragraphs in English and explore the teachers’ perspectives on
their students’ writing errors and their treatment of the errors.
The study aims to answer the following research questions:
Q1. What are the most common writing errors made by the 6th Grade
Students when writing English paragraphs?

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Q2. What are the teachers’ opinions on the students’ writing errors and how do
they treat the errors?
1.4. Significance of the study
This study is significant in the sense that the results of the study on the common
errors committed by the 6th- grade students and the teachers’ perspectives can help the
teachers improve the effectiveness of their teaching at the local school. The results can
also be used as references for teachers at other schools with similar educational contexts

and researchers in the field in their search for ways to improve the quality of the
teaching and learning of English at the school level in Vietnam.
1.5. Scope of the study
The research was conducted at a junior secondary school in Nam Dinh City and
focused on the most common errors made by 6th-grade students when writing
paragraphs in English and their teacher's’ perspectives on the errors and their error
treatment. In addition, the research centered on errors at word and sentence levels and
not at paragraph level.
1.6. Organization of the study
The thesis consisted of five chapters, namely Introduction, Literature Review,
Research Methodology, Analysis and Findings; and Discussion, Implications, and
Conclusion.
Chapter I (Introduction) introduces the background to the study, the objectives,
the research questions, the research questions, the significance, the scope and the
organization of the study.
Chapter II (Literature Review) deals with the concepts relevant to the research
about general writing, paragraph writing and the process of writing and teaching
writing. Moreover, the chapter discusses error analysis, sources of errors, error
treatment as well as previous studies in the world and in Vietnam.
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Chapter III (Methodology) presents information about research design, research
context, participants, research instruments, data collection procedure, and data analysis
procedure.
Chapter IV (Analysis and Findings) analyzes the results obtained through
the document analysis and semi-structured interviews.
Chapter V (Discussion, Implications, and Conclusion) discusses the
findings for two research questions and establishes the connection between the results of
the current research and the previous literature. It also presents a summary of the study,

reveals the limitations of the study and propose suggestions for future research and
concludes the study.
References and Appendixes are presented in the last pages of the study.

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CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
This chapter reviews theoretical issues related to the study such as general
writing, paragraph writing, writing process, teaching writing, error analysis, sources of
writing errors and error treatment. Previous studies on the research topic are also
considered to identify the gap in the literature that this study contributes to the bridge.
2.1. Theory of writing and paragraph writing
2.1.1. Definition of writing
There are a wide variety of definitions of writing by many scholars and
researchers. According to Langan (2008), writing is the representation of language in a
textual medium through the use of a set of signs or symbols which is known as a writing
system. Byrne (1991) defines that writing is a sequence of sentences arranged in a
particular order and link together in a certain way. He regards the priority of writing as a
consequence of sentences order. Interestingly, Berthof (1981) defines writing is as an
act of the mind which writers create meaning. It means that writing is the creating of
meaning from one’s own intellectual and linguistic resources and activity, rather
than the copying of someone’s text, or the use of prepared lists of words to create
sentence or stories. . In this study, writing is defined as the way to express as well as
represent the writer’s idea or knowledge in a textual medium by following the
linguistic rules.
2.1.2. Genres of writing
Traditionally, there are four popular kinds of writing namely expository writing,
persuasive writing, narrative writing, descriptive writing. Each genre of writing is
described in detail in the followings:

First of all, expository writing, which is the most common types of writing
skills, firmly concentrates on advising or explaining things. It often presents facts and
figures about a particular topic or a subject and it is likewise to be in logical order and
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sequence. For instance, textbook writing is a form of expository writing, where the
author intended to clarify the subject by giving a short introduction at the beginning of
the pertinent topic. After that, it gradually focuses on the paragraph with accurate facts
and figures.
Secondly, persuasive writing, opposite to the expository writing, glares opinion,
justification, explanation, a point of view. The purpose of this type of writing is to
convince the reader or to furnish some of the author’s thoughts to the readers. Editorial
page and complaint letter are one of the typical examples of this type of writing.
Thirdly, the narrative writing style is simply telling stories to readers (in which
stories can be true or fiction). This writing style also uses creative writing - using
imagination and creativity, instead of handling facts and figures. The writer or author
will create at least one distinct character, and frames dialogue, events, actions, emotions.
Novels, short stories, and poetry are examples of narrative writing genre.
Lastly, descriptive writing often describes more than other styles. Therefore, the
main purpose of this form is a description. Simply, it focuses on describing a detailed
character, event, or location. In this form, a writer or an author visualizes what he feels,
what he sees, from which to describe them.
From the classification of the genres of writing, this thesis pays attention to the
error analysis of descriptive writing. The reason is that description is the genre mainly
studied by 6th graders. Topics which students often describe are people, houses, classes,
subjects or animals.
2.1.3. Paragraph writing
The definition and meaning of paragraph writing largely depend on the content
of the writing, the writing materials, the writer's attitudes, the writer’s experience, and

the tactics of the writer. Each expert, however, has made a great effort to define it in
his/her own way of observation and thought. Owl (2009) clarified a paragraph as a
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group of closely-related sentences which deal with and develop one idea. According to
him, it is like a family in which all members are related; likewise, all sentences in the
paragraph are related. Almost every piece of writing that is longer than a few sentences
should be organized into the paragraph. Jayakaran (2005) argues that the basic unit of
any writing, be it a composition, an essay, an article of general nature, a short story or
even a humor piece, is the paragraph. O’Donnell and Paiva (1993) provide more details
about the essential parts for paragraph writing which include a topic sentence,
supporting sentences, details, logical order, logical connectors, a concluding sentence,
unity, and coherence. By drawing on the concept of paragraph writing, Baker (1992)
describes paragraph as a collection of connected sentences which show building blocks
of solid ideas that are organized smoothly around one single idea in the paragraph.
In view of all the definitions mentioned so far, a paragraph in the scope of the
research are recognized as a short part of a text, consisting of more than one
sentences that are logically linked by a topic. It often includes a topic sentence, a
supporting sentence, and a concluding sentence. It begins with a capital letter and
ends with a dot.
2.1.4. Elements of an effective paragraph
Ideas within a paragraph should flow something from one to the next and
subordinate ideas should be related to the main idea presented in the topic sentence.
Based on Betty mattix Dietsch book, an effective paragraph have five distinctive
features: Clarity, Interest, Unity, Coherence and Completeness. ( New York:
McGrawHill, 2003)
Clarity is state of being in agreement and working together. Betty Mattix Dietsch
stated in his book, “Clarity is the end result of knowing your purpose, correctly
assessing the audience, connecting ideas, selecting appropriate words.

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Coherence: “Coherence is essentially a technique of connecting ideas smoothing
and logically in written communication. In coherent piece of writing, writing leads his
reader clearly and logically from one idea to another in his developing thought. He
weaves his ideas so skillfully together that the reader can see quickly the relationship of
one idea to another and to central thought (thesis) of the whole. The writer assumes that
coherence is making sure that the sentences are still in the same topic. Moreover, the
reader will not confuse when he or she read it.
Completeness: to make the reader really enjoy the story of the paragraphs, the
writer should make the paragraph easy and under stable. Furthermore, the whole of the
paragraph can be understood easily and being completed. Important influences on
clarity are the level of paragraphs and positions of emphasis.
Interest: Writer should choose the good topic to be read. An interest title or topics
can the reader eager to know the whole of paragraphs. Try to make interest sentences.
So, the reader will eager to continue their reading. The readers like to be entertained.
Then, the way to catch readers’ attention of the paragraph is choosing the good title of
the passage.
Unity: To write effective paragraphs, try to focus the one major idea. All of the
supporting idea should have the correlation to the main idea. Canavan (1975) stated in
his book, “A main idea, state or implied by writer, is the unifying point around which
the supporting sentences of a paragraph revolve. A good topic sentence usually
expresses a single main idea. It tells the reader what the paragraph about. It develops a
new but related idea of the central thought (thesis) for the whole paper. It may also
indicate the kind of development that will follow.

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In the scope of the study, the participants are 6th-grade students who are
beginners of writing and the writing topics in lessons are rather simple. Thus, those
above factors will be focused more in the next grades by teachers.
2.2. Teaching paragraph writing
Teaching writing is an activity to encourage students to write. Meyers (2005)
states that writing is a way to produce language you do naturally when you speak. It
means that writing is a process of delivering ideas through written text or translating
what is on the mind through written language. In order for students can make good
writing, they should formulate their own thoughts, organize them, and create a written
record of them using the conventions of spelling and grammar.
In the school setting, Keys (2000) states that writing paragraph includes two
distinct but complementary roles. First, it is a skill that draws on the use of strategies
(such as planning, evaluating and revising text) to accomplish to a variety of goals, such
as writing a report or expressing an opinion with the support of evidence. Second,
paragraph writing is a means of extending and deepening student’s knowledge; it acts as
a tool for learning subject matter’. Writing enables the students to express their ideas
which are supported by evidence and conventions in order to make good pieces of
writing (Graham& Harris, 2005). According to Meyers (2005), teaching paragraph
writing skill can be difficult for any teacher, since every student has his/her own
learning approach. Some students will learn quickly, while others will need some
encouragement and more attention to ensure they understand what they are being
taught.
The teachers’ understanding of what learning is will determine his or her
understanding of what teaching is. She can begin teaching by involving students in what
type of activities are interesting to the students. By choosing a topic that involves the
students, the teacher provides a context within which effective learning on the target
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area can be undertaken ( Brown, 2001). Giving revision and corrective feedback is the
effective ways to build the reader oriented awareness and at the same time, it is also the
ways to handle the big classes.
According to Richard (2002), the process of teaching paragraph writing consists
of four stages that are planning, drafting, editing and final version. In the first place of
planning, Richards (2002) states that writers plan what they are going to write. Before
starting to write or type, they try and decide what it is they are going to say. For some
writers, this may involve making detailed notes, for others a few jotted words may be
enough. Moreover, others may not actually write down any preliminary notes at all
since they may do all their planning in their heads. But they will have planned,
nevertheless, just as the shopping list writer has thought-at some level consciousnessabout what food is needed before writing it on the piece of paper. Next, the first version
of a piece of writing is referred to as a draft. This first 'go ' at a text is often done on the
assumption that it will be amended later. As the writing process proceeds into editing; a
number of drafts may be produced on the way to the final version. Then,
editing involves looking at each sentence carefully and making sure that it’s well
designed and serves its purpose. Once writers have edited their draft, making the
changes they consider to be necessary, they produce their final version. This may look
considerably different from both the original plan and the first draft because things have
changed in the editing process. But the writer is now ready to send the written text to its
intended audience.
The theories relating to teaching writing paragraph assist the researcher to make
interview questions for teachers, particularly the methods to teach writing for students at
grade 6. In addition, this supports her to write insightful pedagogical implication for the
research.
2.3. Error analysis
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