MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

NATIONAL COLLEGE FOR EDUCATION

---------------  ---------------

GRADUATION PAPER

A STUDY ON DIFFICULTIES IN WRITING SKILL OF FIRST-

YEAR ENGLISH-MAJORED STUDENTS AT NATIONAL
COLLEGE FOR EDUCATION AND SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS

Student : Ha Thi Kieu Trang

Class : 20 CDTA
Supervisor : Dang Thu Trang, MA

Ha Noi, 2023
 MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
NATIONAL COLLEGE FOR EDUCATION
---------------  ---------------

GRADUATION PAPER

A STUDY ON DIFFICULTIES IN WRITING SKILL OF FIRST-

YEAR ENGLISH-MAJORED STUDENTS AT NATIONAL
COLLEGE FOR EDUCATION AND SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS

Student : Ha Thi Kieu Trang

Class : 20 CDTA
Supervisor : Dang Thu Trang, MA

Ha Noi, 2023
 ACKNOWLEDGMENT

During the process of doing this study, I have received a lot of necessary
assistance, previous ideas, and timely encouragement from my teacher and
friends. This research could not have been finished without the help,
encouragement, and support from them.

First of all, I would like to express my deepest gratitude towards my supervisor

– Ms. Dang Thu Trang who has always been willing to instruct me carefully and
enthusiastically in each step, give me helpful advice and suggestions as well as
support me every time I need so that I can accomplish this study.

Last but not the least, I would like to thank all the authors of the books,
magazines, documents, and the other materials listed in the reference part for
their ideas that have been reflected and developed in the study.

Thanks for all your encouragement!

1
 ABSTRACT

English is now the most commonly used language in international business.

Many students have realized the value of learning English in order to fulfill the
demands of modern society. However, mastering English is a difficult task.
Students struggle with the Writing component of the four basic English skills:
listening, speaking, reading, and writing. As a result, even when students pay
close attention to their writing, it is sometimes impossible for them to avoid
making mistakes. Writing is difficult for first-year students at National College
for Education, Faculty of English .

The goal of this thesis is to investigate the challenges that first-year English-
majored students frequently face when taking the writing test, as well as some
potential remedies to such obstacles. This study made use of data collection
tools such as questionnaires and interviews. The research project's findings will
establish conditions for National College for Education students to notice their
flaws and take corrective activities to improve their writing skills. I have done
my best to conduct this research to the best of my ability. I expect that this
research will result in effective ways for improving the writing skills of students
in general, and students of the Faculty of English.

2
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART 1. INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale
2. Aims of the study
3. Object of the study
4. Research questions
5. Scope of the study
6. Methods of the study
PART 2. DEVELOPMENT
Chapter 1: Literature review
1. Previous studies
2. Theoretical basis
2.1. Definition of writing skill
2.2. Paragraph writing
2.2.1. Definition
2.2.2. Kinds of paragraph
2.3. Sentence writing
Chapter 2: Survey on common difficulties in writing skill of first-year
English-majored students at National College for Education
1. The aims of the survey
2. Participants
2. Participants
3. Methods and tools of the survey
4. Survey process and date process
5. Findings
5.1. Learning style
5.2. Motivation
5.3. Language level

3
Chapter 3: some suggested solutions to improve english writing skill of
first-year english-majored students at national college for education
1. Learing vocabulary
2. Learing grammar
3. Making outline
4. Explaination about the differences between English - Vietnamese languages
PART 3: CONCLUSIONS
1. Concluding remarks
2. Limitation of the study
3. Recommendations/Suggestions for further study
REFERENCES
Appendix : Questionnaire for students

4
 PART I: INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale

Writing and putting an accurate word on a paper is quite an easy task, but
writing a sentence is a bit difficult. Writing a paragraph is the most difficult
academic activity. It is much more required as compared to any other activity in
the writing skill of any language. To know and organize a paragraph in a
coherent, cohesive and united way, it means that you know and have the
command on the foundation in any pyramid of academic writing. Writing a
simple cover letter, an academic essay, thesis or dissertation is impossible in a
case when you as a writer do not have sound and practical knowledge on
paragraph writing. The length of paragraph depends on the writer. It is varied
from a single sentence to a full page. Starting with a few simple sentences on a
paper is not enough. Instead, you need to make it sure that your paragraph is
based on good coherence, cohesion and unity.
The writing ability of current Vietnamese students is not good. According to the
ranking of the EF English Proficiency Index in November 2020, Vietnam ranks
65 out of 100 countries and territories in the world in terms of English ability.
Of course, the above statistics are only relative, but partly speak to the problem
of the quality of English teaching and learning in our country. The latest
evidence is that in the High School Graduation Exam Phase 1 in 2021, English
is a subject with a rather low average score (5.84 points) and especially, more
than 40% of the total number of candidates (more than 349,000 students)
achieved below point 5. Students' writing skills are very important, as it is the
foundation for later levels. As a student of National College for Education, I
want to be able to improve the quality of first-year writing skills.
Therefore, both teachers and students must identify the fundamental causes of
hurdles when studying Writing to discover solutions to those problems. As a
result, I chose the following topic:

5
“A study on difficulties in writing skill of first-year English-majored students at
English Faculty, National College for Education, and suggested solutions”
This not only highlights the obstacles that students face when studying writing,
but it also suggests ways to help students gain confidence and write better.
2. Aims of the study
This study aims to find out the difficulties in writing English and suggested
solutions to improve English writing skill for first-year English-majored
students of National College for Education.
3. Object of the study
First-year English-majored students at National College for Education.
4. Research questions
Question 1: What are difficulties of first-year English-majored students in
writing skill?
Question 2: What are suggested solutions to improve writing skill for first-year
English-majored students?
5. Scope of the study
Writing skill of first-year English--majored students at National College for
Education.
6. Methods of the study
In order to achieve the aims given, the following methods are employed in the
study.
 Theoretical research method: Researching documents and texts related to
the topic in order to clarify the theoretical basis and find the ways to
improve English speaking skills for non-English student of National
College for Education
 Practical research method:
- Questionnaire survey method: This is the main method of the study
to understand the realities of English speaking ability of non-
English student of National College for Education
6
 PART 2. DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER 1. LITERATURE REVIEW

1. Previous studies
English writing skill is very important of students at Colleges and Universities in
order to meet requirements in studying at school communicate in daily life and
working process at business. Therefore, finding and giving solutions in order to
improve English writing skill for first-year English-majored students, that’s
recently be very interested. It helps students find appreciate methods to improve
the own problems.
Solving difficulties to improve English writing ability for first-year English-
majored students is very interesting, so now there’re a lot of researches about
this topic. Those are intensive researches about all of aspects of studying
English for students.
When the author decided to choose the topic: “A study on difficulties in writing
skill of first-year English-majored students at English Faculty, National College
for Education and suggested solutions”. The author found out and researched
some previous studies related to the topic she studied. There are many research
topics in advance of foreign authors and Vietnamese authors. After selecting, the
author chose some of the following research:
Studies abroad
“ESL Learners’ Writing Skills: Problems, Factors, and Suggestions”(2016) -
Muhammad Fareed, Almas Ashraf & Muhammad Bilal
The study sought to analyze difficulties in Pakistani undergraduate ESL learners'
writing as well as factors that impede their writing abilities. It also sought advice
on how to improve the writing skills of Pakistani ESL students. The findings
show that the key issues in the writing of Pakistani undergraduate ESL learners
include insufficient linguistic proficiency (including mastery of grammar,
syntax, and vocabulary), writing anxiety, a lack of ideas, reliance on L1, and

7
poor structural organization. Untrained teachers, ineffective teaching techniques
and examination systems, a lack of reading and writing practice, big classes, low
motivation, and a lack of ideas all contribute to these issues. The research also
offers light on remedial approaches such as increased reading, deliberate and
incidental vocabulary education, writing practice, qualified teachers,
examination system improvements, and writing competitions.
“Difficulties of writing in English encountered by Iraqi EFL learners at
University level”(2020) - AwhamRasheed Mohammad,
KhaladoonWaleedHusam Al- Moft and Juma'aQadir Hussein, the University Of
Anbar
The purpose of this study is to investigate the attitudes of Iraqi EFL university
students concerning the problems they face when writing in English. It also
seeks to suggest strategies that students can use to solve writing challenges.
According to the findings, "incorrectness in employing mechanics of writing"
ranks first among the obstacles experienced by Iraqi university EFL students
when writing English, followed by "lack of evaluation rubrics and marking
scheme instruments." The item "lack of ideas" was ranked third, while
"Grammar Difficulties" was ranked fourth.
Other considerations The rankings for 'lack of teacher assistance,' 'lack of
materials for consulting,' 'unsuitable ways of teaching writing,' 'topic
inappropriateness,' and 'time restriction' were nearly identical. The study
suggested a variety of suggestions and solutions that may assist pupils in
overcoming writing challenges.
“Students’ Difficulties in Writing English”- Kristy dwi pratiwi, Bengkulu
University (2011-2012). This study shows that writing difficulties vary in terms
of student score outcomes. Writing difficulties associated with linguistic
difficulties (language use and lexical aspects) were the most difficult compared
with Cognitive difficulties (organizational and mechanical aspects) and
Physiological difficulties learning (content aspect).
8
Studies in Vietnam
Chu Thi Hanh with the study “Some problems on training effective English
essay writing skills for students majoring in English at Hai Phong University”
(2018).
Research shows that in teaching and learning foreign languages in general, and
teaching English in particular, one of the mandatory requirements for students
must master the four basic skills of a language: Listening, Speaking, Reading,
and Writing. It is easy to see that when students start learning to write English,
they have few concepts or skills about essay writing, even though it is a very
important subject, which is an essential basis for any language major student.
Therefore, it is extremely necessary to introduce students to the basic knowledge
of essay writing, to help students majoring in English, Hai Phong University
have an effective method of learning to write, contributing to consolidating and
improving the quality of essay writing. essays, and at the same time arouse their
passion for writing practice, thereby training and developing essay writing skills
for students.
The above studies mainly focus on general writing skills, for the purpose of
writing essays or academic texts. For freshmen, there is a need for basic research
and a greater focus on theoretical concepts about paragraph.
2. Theoretical basis
2.1. Definition of writing skill
Writing is defined by many linguists in a variety of ways. Writing, according to
Berninger (2002), is also characterized as an active creation of text that involves
lower-order transcribing abilities such as handwriting, punctuation, and spelling,
as well as higher-order self-regulated thought processes such as planning,
sequencing, and communicating the material. It is up to the authors to express
the subject of their writing into a good composition while keeping in mind the
characteristics of writing that the readers would understand.
9
Nunan (2003) stated that writing is a physical and mental activity that involves
discovering ideas, thinking about how to express them, and developing them
into statements and paragraphs that are understandable to a reader. Writing has a
dual purpose: to express and impress. Writers must select the most advantageous
medium for their writing. Each type has a different level of difficulty which is
determined by its objectives. Writing is a process and also a product. The writer
conceptualizes, plans, drafts, revises, edits, and publishes. The audience's
writing is a product as well as what has been written, and using language to
express exact meanings. It signifies that writing comprises several steps that the
writer must complete in order to deliver the meaning of writing.
In addition, according to Henry Rogers, Writing Systems: A Writing, according
to Hesse (2010), is a method of learning. Hesse's description is straightforward,
but he emphasizes the connection between writing and education, notably study
activities. Coming to another writing definition, Yakhontova (2003) indicates
that “writing is considered to be a complex cognitive process.” The two above
terms show the quality of writing. Moreover, some linguists also describe
writing functions. As an example, Wen (2007) affirms “writing is regarded as a
process that composes writers’ thoughts in a language.” Generally, definitions of
writing are diverse and all of them figure out the important role of writing in
human communication.
Importance of writing skill

Writing is one of the most crucial English skills. Writing not only increases a
person's writing abilities and knowledge, but also supports other key English
skills.

According to Wen (2007), "writing is gradually becoming an important issue in

English nowadays." English academic writing is formal and useful, according to
Yakhontova (2003). Writing serves a variety of purposes for its audience. He
also mentions several crucial aspects of academic writing. They are “an
important feature of academic written discourse is a cautious manner of writing”

10
and “English academic writing is a tendency to choose more formal alternatives
when selecting words of different parts of speech.”

Feldmann and Usoff (2001) agree that students' knowledge of the value of
writing must be raised. That is the ultimate goal, as well as the first step toward
assisting pupils in writing more successfully. In short, the writers emphasize the
importance of writing, which impacts the majority of English as foreign
language learners, in order to assist the learners to succeed.

2.2. Paragraph writing

2.2.1. Definition

The primary goal of this study is to communicate thoughts at the paragraph

level. As a result, paragraph writing or paragraph structure is of primary
importance. Writing, on the other hand, constructs larger units from smaller
ones; that is, writers utilize words to create sentences, phrases to create
paragraphs, and paragraphs to create compositions such as letters, reports, and
college essays (Hart & Reinking).

O'Donnell and Paiva (1993) elaborated on the key components of paragraph

writing, which include a topic sentence, supporting phrases, details, logical
sequence, logical connectors, a conclusion sentence, unity, and coherence. The
paragraph's ideas must be presented logically by employing transition words or
connecting words that demonstrate the relationship between the ideas paragraph.
Coherence means “to stick together.” It indicates that one notion flows
seamlessly into the next in writing. Coherence can be achieved by using
connectors such as transition words or phrases that connect one sentence to the
next (Wyrick, 1999). As a result, in order to develop a successful piece of
writing, students should concentrate on organizing by choosing an appropriate
topic sentence

2.2.2. Kinds of paragraph

Desecriptive paragraph

When you write a descriptive paragraph, you are trying to communicate picture
or feeling in words. You might want to tell your reader how something looks, or
how it sounds, smells, feels, or tastes. If you say that the new film actress is very
beautiful, your audience’s next question will almost be what does she look like?

11
According to (Amiri, 2008), the objective of a descriptive paragraph is to paint a
vivid picture in the reader's imagination. The reader should be able to visualize
the scene you're describing in his or her head.

Example paragraph

According to Rosenwasser, David, and Jill Stephen(1997), when we want to

explain or clarify something, such as an object, a person, a concept, or a
scenario, the explanation (examples) paragraph comes in handy. When we
demonstrate anything, we show how it is as we point out. When we illustrate
with examples, we provide instances that demonstrate or prove to the readers
how something is as we claim it to be.

You'll notice that illustration paragraphs frequently address questions like

"what," "how," and "in what way"—questions that require or beg for
explanation, instances, cases, and specifics to demonstrate how something is
true.

Process paragraph

According to Anker (2010), process serves two purposes: it explains "how to do

something (...) [and] how something works." While these are the most common
applications of process analysis, it can also be used to discuss changes through
time, such as how your understanding of a certain topic evolved. It is similar to
the combination of an artwork and a narrative paragraph in this situation. Anker
(2010) explains that process analysis generally boils down to the following
points:

- It informs readers about the process you want them to understand and makes a
statement about it:

- It presents the important steps in the process: Make sure your topic sentence
specifies the single process and what you have to say about it. Writing your
support is akin to following a recipe; consider what stages the reader will need
to know about in order to understand your perspective as stated in the topic
phrase.

- It arranges the steps logically (usually time order)

Narative paragraph

12
According to Boardman (2008), narrating a tale in its most basic form is referred
to as a narrative paragraph. This genre of literature is primarily concerned with
events that occurred in the past. It follows the same structure as the previous
paragraphs (Topic Sentence, Supporting Sentences, and Concluding Sentences).
Writing every form of paragraph necessitates knowledge of and application of
certain transitions. We have special transitions for narrative paragraphs that
offer chronological order to the supporting phrases in the body of the paragraph.
These transitions are summarized here. It is also worth noting that every
transition must be followed by a comma.

2.3. Sentence writing

According to Sarah Andersen, San José State University Writing Center, a

sentence is a complete set of words that conveys meaning. A sentence can
communicate

- a statement (Ex: I am studying.)

- a command (Ex: Go away.)

- an exclamation (Ex: I’m so excited!)

- a question (Ex: What time is it?)

One or more clauses make up a sentence. A clause has a subject and a verb. A
sentence has at least one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses.

- A complete notion is an independent clause (or main clause). It can stand on its
own.

- A dependent clause (also known as a subordinate clause) is an unfinished

thought. It cannot stand on its own. A dependent clause can be identified by
finding the subordinating conjunction. A subordinating conjunction establishes a
dependent clause that is dependent on the remainder of the sentence for
meaning. Subordinating conjunctions include: after, as, before, if, though, while,
unless, although, because, even though, since, when, until, and whereas.

Simple sentences, compound sentences, complex sentences, and compound-

complex sentences are the four types of sentences.

Simple Sentences

A simple sentence is made up of one independent clause.

13
Compound Sentences

A compound sentence is made up of two independent clauses. A coordinating

conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) is frequently used to connect two
separate clauses and is followed by a comma.

Complex Sentences

One independent clause and one or more dependent clauses make up a complex
sentence. At least one subordinating conjunction will be found in a complex
statement.

Compound-Complex Sentences

A compound-complex sentence combines the forms of a complex sentence and a

compound sentence. One or more independent clauses and one or more
dependent clauses make up a compound-complex sentence.

14
 CHAPTER 2: SURVEY ON COMMON DIFFICULTIES IN
WRITING SKILL OF FIRST-YEAR ENGLISH-MAJORED
STUDENTS AT NATIONAL COLLEGE FOR EDUCATION
1. The aims of the survey: to find out the common difficulties in writing skill
of first-year English-majored students at National College for Education.

2. Participants

The subjects of this survey are first-year English-majored students at National

College for Education. There are 50 students taking part in this survey. Most of
them are at the age of eighteen. In reality, they come from different areas in
Vietnam with different level of English proficiency. However, they were all
very helpful and were fully encouraged to participate in this survey.

3. Methods and tools of the survey

To analyze and study the above problem, I have used several methods such as
analysis, document research, observation, investigation, field survey, summation
experience and mathematical statistics.

The questionnaires for students was consisted of 29 questions. The main

purpose of questions from 1 to 4 (part 1) is to seek about the general information
about the participants. Questions from 4 to 29 (part 2) tend to identify the
difficulties in writing English of first-year English-majored students at National
College for Education.

4. Survey process and date process

- Prepare survey forms.

- Send survey forms to 50 students of National College for Education

- Students fill out the survey form.

15
- Collect survey questionnaires and make mathematical statistics tables

- Conclusion.

5. Findings

The first part was used to explore the students’ attitudes toward writing English
in the classroom.
According to Appendix A (Question 4) shows that most of students in the
survey fully aware of how important English is, that is the reason why 67.5% of
the students say writing English is very important, meanwhile 25% of the
students find it important and just 7.5% of them attach a little importance to this
skill.
However, when being asked anout their attitudes toward writing English
in the classroom, students seem to be not possitive. Indeed, the result of
question 5 – how frequently each student takes part in wriitng task in the
classroom has demonstrated this conclusion.
Apart from specific reason that will be presented later, there are two
questions raised to get a deep insight about the barriers that lead to poor
participation of students in writing English. As a matter of fact, around 37.5% of
the students find their writing class does not appeal to them, 15% of the learners
judge it very interesting, whereas, 30% of the students suggest that their feeling
was just a little interesting and the others (17.5%) have no interest in learning
writing English skill. Futhermore, topics that students have to cover are also
amain origin. In fact, more than half of the students (62.5%) note that they like
the given topics. The amount of the students who do not like these topics very
much is 27.5% and there are a small number of the students who like it little
(7.5%) and very little (2.5%). From the data collected, the degree of students’
participation is still rather low because a wide range of reasons.
5.1. Learning style

16
 100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%

Graph 1: Students’ learning style

The students’ learning styles are evidently presented in Graph 1. As
answering in the questionnaire survey, only 22.5% of students point out they
only want to practice writing skill with friends next to them, but must be in the
same table. It should be noted that, almost all of students prefer to sit with their
close friends rather than normal fellows. Thereby, when being asked to work in
group, students seem to be more confident and comfortable if they are allowed
to compete the tasks with friends who are close and familiar to them. Indeed, a
large amount of the students (77.5%) say they will participate in the groups with
unfamiliar friends, even though they feel a little embarrassed and difficult to
start the discussion.
Moreover, 90% of the students state that they like writing about the topics
they have already prepared at home and just 10% of the respondents dislike this
17
declaration. Most of the students imply that they want to have more time to
prepare as they would like to have more information anout the topics and think
carefully about the language they would use. In other word, they want to be
well-prepared in terms of the content and the language so that they could feel
more confident to talk about the topics using idioms in the class. However, in
some cases, students often learn by heart everything that they have prepared at
home, after that, they present in the class. Even though the students’
participation will be increased, the qualification of writing skill will be declined.
The number of passive students can also impact on the poor participation
in writing activity. According to the statistic in graph 1, 62.5% of students only
take part in writing activity when appointed by the teachers or when the teacher
ask and they answer (55%). These students may be too shy and they have no
interest in taking part in the lesson. That is the reason why when being asked
whether they practice writing skill, 57.5% of them have the answer “no”, and
only 27.5% say “yes”. Nevertheless, there are still some active learners who can
motivate the others. 27.5% of the participants have the opposite answer to the
passive learners, it means that, not only when being asked or appointed by the
teacher, but also whenever have chance, they are always willing to take part in
writing actiity.
Clearly, the students know how important practice writing skill is, and no matter
how shy and nervous they are, they still do the best to practice and write in the
class with their friends and teachers. Only one students (2.5%) reports that
he/she only practices at home and keeps silent in the class, while 95% of the
learners note that they do it both at home and in the class.
As far as we know, writing activities are regarded to be the most vital tool
that teachers can use only to increase students’s participation but also to improve
the quality of the lesson. In addition to group work, students also enjoy others
activities hold by the teachers like games, presentations, etc.; that is the reason

18
why 85% of the students agree that writng activities are effective and useful
with them. Merely 7.5% of the students feel bored with these activities.
In short, the findings shows us that most of the students appreciate
working in groups, discussing the topics given by the teachers. However, it is
their learning styles which were shown in their passive way of learning and their
sense of cooperation with other members of the group that minimized the
benifits of the technique.
5.2. Motivation

100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
r. . . . .
ee ks ell ng ng
r ar w ir ti ir ti
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m ite w w
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e
s et if we s
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ti i lp
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aus it o n g
c e d r in
t be us r ou lea ak
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po esb ver can aid
im iti be I fr
lil is ctiv ld ink ota
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sk ng wo It m
n
n g iti I I a
riti wr
W k e
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Graph 3: Students’ motivation

Motivation can be divided into extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. The
former kind of motivation refers to outside factors, languages learning for
immediate and practical goals, the later one refers to inside factors like the
enjoyment of the learning process or the desire to learn the target language.
Although both kinds of motivation are important, it is believed that instrinsic
19
motivation is more important to success in language learning than extrinsic
motivation. It is also said that students will learn better if they have in
themselves some kinds of motivation whether it is intrinsic or extrinsic.
Based on the data through questionnaire (see graph 3), their purposes of
learning writing skill can be summarized as follow: the first and the most
important purpose was for their prospects for future job. 100% of the students
think writing skill is important because it is useful for their career in the later
life. They believe that if they are good at writing skills thay would get a job
more easily. And their second important purpose is to get good mark. As can be
seen from the graph, 82.5% of the students like to join in writing activities
because it helps them to get good marks. These findings show that most students
have extinsic motivation which is an outside push to force them to sttudy
English.
Moreover, nearly all of them (95%) think they would be very pround of
themselves if they could write very well, and 87.5% of the students also
consider they cannot learn English well without writing skill. Which means that
to them writing is very important, even more important than other skills. If the
learners find it important to succeed in learning writing skill in order to maintain
and promote his/ her own possitive self-image, they will be motivated.
However, looking at the information from the graph we can see although
most students are highly extrinsically motivated, many of them are not really
acative in interacting with their peers as well as their teachers. 80% of them are
still afraid of making mistakes while writing. This is also one of the reason why
they do not take part in writing activities actively.
From the above analysis, it can be conducted with certainty that the lack
of intrinsic motivation, the enjoyment of learning or a desire to learn had a
considerable effect on their participation in writing activities. Therefore, it is
suggested that teachers should develop in them intrinsic motivation with a view
to increasing their participation.
20
21
5.3. Language level

100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
. e. . . .
r ite m r ite ng ics
w ho w ir ti to
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n he
at d ng si tt
h re h i e u
w
ep
a
no
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o
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av m it
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ik ew
Il

Graph 4: Students’ level of English proficiency

If learners wants to take part in any classroom activity, they must have
certain knowledge about that activity. In case of writing activity, especially the
one writing about the topics must have knowledge of language, knowledge of
content, which means what to wite, and knowledge of the ways to express ideas.
An overall statement based on the data collected is that the students’
writing abilities is not good. As can be seen from question 3 in the
questionnaire, merly 12.5% of the students point out they are good at writing
skill, more than half of those (65%) asked expect that their English is neither
good nor bad and claim that they are not good at wrriting skill. It is easy to know
that, most of the students are likely to be better at reading skills which they spent
a lot of time on in high school. Besides, writing is fairly different with them, and

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they may not take full knowledge about the way to write or practice. As a result,
they find writing skill, difficult and afraid of it.

As can be seen in graph 4 shows, 85% of the students agree that they like
writing English idioms and the topics given by teachers, however they do not
know how to express their ideas and the content. To be more specific, 52.5% of
the students state that, the topic is too difficult and they have nothing to write,
while 30% of those show their disagreement. Some students are very good at
writing, their writing is very academic and cohesion, they can use a various
words in different situations. Even though, writing and speaking having a little
similarity in common, they are still some differences. As we know, in writing,
students have more times to think, to choose suitabe words and to correct their
sentences and essay. In contrast, they do not have enough time to speak; they
have to think of the ideas, to choose the words, to make the sentences at once
time. Consequently, they become upset and worried that lead to their
uncorrected utterance.

Moreover, it can be inferred from the fact almost all of the students (90%)
feel confident when they write about the topics they have already prepared at
home that their English proficiency is limited and they cannot do well if
requested to write about those topics immediately in the class. Nevertheless,
only a small number of students (10%) say they can do it well both in class and
at home, and certainly, these students belong to advanced group. In the class, it
is necessary to correct their mistakes in writing skill. Furthermore, most of them
(94%) are afraid of lacking vocabularies to write about the difficult topics.
Together with these ideas, to participate in writing activities, students are
requested to have background knowledge and vocabulary related to the topics,
but, students cannot take full knowledge about every topic. Thus, in some
strange topics, students feel difficult, hard and they do not have enough words to
express their ideas. For this reason, they become more nervous.
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 The lack of knowledge of language can be measured by means of
vocabulary and grammar. Clearly, 95% of the students also figure out that when
they write sentences or paragraph, they are frequently afraid of their grammar
mistakes. Although they know the meaning of a word but they do not know how
to use it to make correct sentences.

In summary, the students’ lack of knowledge is one among the main

factors affecting their participation in writing skill.In these case, the reasons can
derive from both teachers and students. Obviously, to help students, teachers
may give them the topics before the lasson or provide them necessary
vocabularies related to the topics. In the class, it is vital for the teachers to
correct their students’ mistakes in expression.

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 CHAPTER 3: SOME SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS TO IMPROVE
ENGLISH WRITING SKILL OF FIRST-YEAR ENGLISH-MAJORED
STUDENTS AT NATIONAL COLLEGE FOR EDUCATION
For English writing skill, the most effective and fastest way to improve is
practice every day. Therefore, there are many ways that first-year students can
learn to support in daily study as well as at work. Here are some suggestions to
improve English writing skill for first-year English-majored students.
1. Learing vocabulary
Learning vocabulary is an essential aspect of improving one's writing skills.
To address the issue of remembering the meaning of words, students should
practice in a variety of effective ways on a regular basis. You can write the
words in a notebook or on a small card with their translations or definitions.
Whenever you forgot any new words, you can review them on your cards. It is
also advised to put the words into different groups by using a graphic organizer.
If you have an electronic dictionary you can hear how the word is pronounced,
you should say the words many times to memorize them. Besides, students
should make up as many associations and connections as possible. When
students learn a new word, they should relate this word to the words they have
already known.

There are numerous methods for expanding one's

First of all, the writer must choose which words to learn because you cannot
possibly learn all of these new terms. The writer can learn words that are linked
to the things they are studying, words that they read or hear repeatedly, and
terms that they know you will want to use frequently. They should avoid
studying words that are uncommon or infrequently used.vocabulary.

After deciding which words to learn, the writer must pick how to learn them.
Most students discover that if they do something with the words, they remember
them better. Even better, try to learn the word in a common context with other
words. Reading is the most effective approach to expand one's vocabulary.
Every student is encouraged to develop a solid reading habit. They should start
with easier resources and work their way up to more challenging ones on a range
of topics, but make sure the text is appropriate for their reading ability. Many
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vocabulary words can be learned by reading books and magazines. The context
of a new word in a sentence or story was frequently enough for you to figure out
what it meant. The more terms you are exposed to, the better your vocabulary
will become. You should pay attention to unfamiliar terms as you read. To
begin, try to deduce their meanings from context. Then look them up in a
dictionary.

2. Learing grammar

Grammar is the system that structures a language, and most students struggle to
apply appropriate grammar and grammatical structures in the target language to
convey concepts. This section only looks into the best techniques to learn
English grammar. Students must perform grammar activities on a regular basis
in order to improve their English grammar. Following style guides and grammar
manuals is a good idea. This will offer you a sense of the many approaches to
spelling, syntax, and style, as well as a better understanding of the principles of
grammar and where the language is changeable and where it is inflexible.

Furthermore, practicing grammatical exercises from grammar books or the

Internet can help pupils enhance their translation skills. Learning and practice
must go hand in hand. Students must perform grammar activities on a regular
basis in order to improve their English grammar. It is not required to seek out an
instructor for grammar courses; students can practice English grammar by taking
online activities with a few simple clicks. There are various websites that
provide exercises on a variety of themes.

3. Making outline

An outline is a useful tool for organizing. Outlines provide a visual structure for
work and are used to demonstrate linkages and hierarchies within information.

In order to outline, the writer must establish a linear, ordered strategy for the
paper that highlights the primary concepts that will be discussed as well as their
relationships within the article. Remember that the outline is the skeleton of the
paper; the writer must still incorporate analysis and explanation of why these big
and small aspects support their thesis. On the other hand, some errors, such as
misspellings, may go unnoticed by students during the writing process. Students,
on the other hand, will notice right away if they read them again. As a result, it
is critical for pupils to read their words or writing after they have completed it.
Students rarely proofread their writing after finishing it; yet, they should. The
26
student should read the text from beginning to end, always reading the complete
sentence. This strategy will assist them in avoiding traps.

The error may become apparent after they have read the entire sentence. There
may be some errors committed throughout the writing process, but if we read it
again, we would notice them right away. As a result, it is critical for pupils to re-
read their sentences after they have been written. They must always read the
whole sentence. When looking for the issue, analyze each option individually,
starting with verbs and pronouns because they are the most likely to include
errors. When there are multiple types of words in an answer choice, check both.
4. Explaination about the differences between English - Vietnamese
languages
For students, teachers should analyze the structural and semantic differences
between certain features in English and Vietnamese. When learning English,
students should avoid imposing Vietnamese in English because, in the field of
foreign language learning, all language impulses only produce unexpected
results. Students who are aware of these distinctions will be able to assist
students in reducing errors. Furthermore, teachers can provide translation
exercises to help students reinforce these phenomena. Students will learn new
words and structures, as well as how to express them in their English essays, as
a result of this.

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 PART 3: CONCLUSIONS
1. Concluding remarks

Writing skill is an extremely important skill in the process of learning a foreign

language in general and learning English in particular. For first-year English-
majored students, this is not an easy skill and most of these students are still
poor at writing English.

In order to improve English writing skill, students not only need to practice in
class but also need to practice more in daily life. The key to quickly improving
writing skill is to practice hard. Students can practice in the classroom with a
teacher or practice in the group or also practice writing skill by themselves.

Through the process of doing this topic, I found that it is important to learn and
research about ways to improve English writing skill for first-year English-
majored students of National College for Education. It helps students find out
suitable ways to improve their speaking skill.

The objective of the study is to find out the difficulties in writing English and
some suggestions to improve English writing skills of first-year English-majored
students at National College for Education.

The participants of the study consist of 50 students at National College for

Education.

According to questionnaires, both difficulties of English writing skills and the

suggestions to improve English writing skills that mostly occur with the first-
year Ennglish-majored students at National College for Education.

2. Limitation of the study

Despite my considerable efforts, certain limitations could be detected in this

study due to other unexpected factors. That is the number of participants

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remained relatively low. However, I hope that the serious work had well served
the research questions as a contribution to the rich collection of other previous
studies on the same area.

Due to the limitation of my knowledge as well as time my research stops here

but I expect that it will be profoundly analyzed more by following people who
are interested in this area.

3. Recommendations/Suggestions for further study

As this study has been conducted at National College for Education. From the
objectives of the study, finding the results and conclusion can be shown as the
further study in the following areas:

 Further study should be conducted to identify the students ‘need,

motivation and direction of teaching and learning English skills among
non-majored English students.
 Further study should purpose the strategies of writing English, that
interested students in using English vocabulary and using in daily work.
 Further study should focus on students at learning center to encourages
teachers and learners who have the same goals and write English only
when teaching students, using English camps, speech contest and debate
contest for overcoming their shy was or low confidence in using English
writing directly.

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 REFERENCES

1. Alice Savege, Masoud Shafiei, “Efective Academic Writing 1”, Graphic Art
Center Publishing Company, 2007.
2. Andersen, S. (2014). Sentence types and functions. San Jose State University
Writing Center.
3. Anker, S. (2010). Real writing with readings: Paragraphs and essays for
college, work and everyday life. Boston:St. Martin’s.
4. Hart, A.W. & Reinking, J.A. (1990) Writing for College and Career. (4th ed.)
Massachusetts: Heinle & Heinle Publishers.
5. Nunan, D. (2003). Language Teaching Methodology – A textbook for
teachers, Prentice Hall International Ltd, Great Britain.
6. O’Donnell, T.D. & Paiva, J.L. (1993) Independent Writing. (2nd ed.)
7. Reid, J.M. (1994) The Process of Paragraph Writing. New Jersey: Prentice
Hall Regents.
8. Rosenwasser, David, and Jill Stephen. “What is Analytical Writing?” Writing
Analytically. Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace, 1997. Print.
9. Wali, O., & Madani, A. Q. (2020). The Importance of Paragraph Writing: An
Introduction. organization, 3(07).
10. White, R. and Arndt, V. (1991). Process Writing. Essex: Addison Wesley
Longman Ltd.
11. Wyrick, J. (1999) Steps to Writing Well. Florida: Harcout Brace &
Company

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Appendix : Questionnaire for students
QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS

The following questionnaire aims at figuring difficulties of first-year

English-majored students at English at National College for Education in writing
English skill to suggest ways to improve their ability in writing English. Please
answer the following questions as honestly as you can.

Thank you very much for your cooperation!

Part 1: Answer the questions below

Question 1 Your gender is __________. Answer
A. Female □
B. Male □
Question 2 How long have you been learning English?
A. 3 years □
B. 7 years □
C. 10 years □
D. Others (_____ years) □
Question 3 Your English is __________.
A. Exellent □
B. Good □
C. Fair □
D. Bad □
Question 4. You find that writing skill is ________.
A. very important □
B. important □
C. a little important □
D. not important □
Question 5. On average, in a session, how often do you
have writing lesson?
A. once a week □
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 B. twice a week □
C. 3 or 4 times □
D. more than 4 times □
Question 6 You find your writing class _______________.
A. very interesting □
B. interesting □
C. a little interesting □
D. not intersting □
Questions 7 How much do you like the topics given in
Writing 1?
A. very much □
B. much □
C. not very much □
D. little □
E. very little □
Part 2: To what extent you agree with each of the following statements.
Please indicate your answer using the following five-point scale where:
1 = Strongly agree 2 = Agree 3 = Neither agree nor disagree
4 = Disagree 5 = Extremely disagree
Question 8 I only like practicing writing skill with friends □
next to me or at the same table with me.
Question 9 I like writing about the topics I have already □
prepared at home.
Question 10 I only like witing when appointed by the teacher. □
Question 11 In the class, I only practice writing skill when the □
teacher asks and I response.
Question 12 I like practice writing skill through writing □
activities.
Question13 I just practice writing skill at home. □
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Question 14 I practice writing skill whenever and wherever is □
possible.
Question 15 Writing skill is important because it is useful for □
my career.
Question 16 I like writing activities because it helps me to get □
good marks.
Question 17 I would be very proud of myself if I could write □
well.
Question 18 I think I cannot learn English well without □
writing.
Question 19 I am not afraid of making mistakes while I am □
writing.
Question 20 I like writing in the class but I do not know what □
to write.
Question 21 I like writing about the topics that I have already □
prepared at home.
Question 22 I find the topics difficult and I have nothing to □
write.
Question 23 I am afraid of my grammar mistakes in writing. □
Question 24 I do not have enough vocabularies to write about □
the topics.

Thank you for your participating in our survey!

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