Question 1: What is the process approach in teaching writing?

Discuss the
strengths and weaknesses of the process approach to teaching wirting?

The process approach in teaching writing, as described by Jeremy Harmer, emphasizes

the steps and stages writers go through to create a finished product rather than focusing
solely on the final written piece. This approach encourages students to see writing as a
dynamic and iterative process, which involves drafting, revising, editing, and
publishing. Harmer highlights that the process approach is student-centered, allowing
learners to explore their ideas, develop their voice, and improve their writing skills
through guidance and feedback.
Key Stages of the Process Approach:
1. Pre-Writing (Planning):
o Generating ideas through brainstorming, discussions, or mind-mapping.
o Defining the purpose, audience, and structure of the writing task.
2. Drafting:
o Writing the initial version based on the ideas from the pre-writing stage.
o Focusing on content and organization without worrying about grammar
or punctuation at this stage.
3. Revising:
o Reviewing and reshaping the draft to improve its coherence, structure,
and content.
o Considering feedback from peers or teachers to refine ideas and
arguments.
4. Editing:
o Polishing the language, correcting grammar, punctuation, and spelling
errors.
o Ensuring that the text meets formal or stylistic requirements.
5. Publishing (Finalizing):
o Producing the final version of the writing piece, ready for presentation or
submission.
Key Characteristics of the Approach:
• Emphasis on Feedback: Feedback is integral at various stages, enabling students
to refine their work iteratively.
• Student Autonomy: Students take an active role in shaping their writing,
fostering creativity and independence.
• Focus on Development: Mistakes are seen as part of the learning process,
emphasizing progress rather than immediate perfection.
Harmer supports this approach because it mirrors the way professional writers work and
encourages students to develop a deeper understanding of writing as a craft. It also
aligns well with communicative teaching methods by integrating collaboration and
meaningful engagement with the writing process.

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Strengths of the Process Approach to Teaching Writing
1. Focus on Learning as a Process
o Encourages students to view writing as a series of stages rather than a
one-time task. This helps them understand that good writing requires
time, effort, and revision.
2. Promotes Creativity and Critical Thinking
o By allowing students to brainstorm, draft, and revise, the process
approach encourages creative expression and helps them develop critical
thinking skills as they evaluate and improve their own work.
3. Fosters Collaboration and Peer Learning
o Peer feedback during drafting and revising stages helps students learn
from each other, improving their ability to give and receive constructive
criticism.
4. Builds Confidence and Reduces Anxiety
o Breaking writing into manageable steps reduces the pressure of producing
a perfect final product, fostering a more relaxed and confident attitude
toward writing.
5. Encourages Metacognition
o Students become more aware of their writing habits, strengths, and
weaknesses, helping them to develop self-monitoring and reflective skills
that lead to long-term improvement.
6. Provides Opportunities for Feedback and Improvement
o Teachers can provide meaningful feedback at different stages, enabling
students to make corrections and develop their writing skills gradually.
7. Learner-Centered Approach
o The process approach places students at the center of their learning
journey, encouraging autonomy and ownership over their work.

Weaknesses of the Process Approach to Teaching Writing

1. Time-Consuming
o The iterative nature of the process approach can be time-intensive,
particularly in contexts with limited classroom hours or large class sizes.
2. May Lack Focus on Product
o Overemphasis on the process might lead to neglecting the quality of the
final product, which is essential in academic or professional writing
contexts.
3. Challenges for Teachers
o Teachers need to invest significant time in providing detailed feedback
and guiding students through the multiple stages, which may not be
feasible with heavy workloads or large classes.
4. Can Be Difficult for Students to Adapt To

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 o Some students, particularly those accustomed to product-focused
approaches, may initially struggle with the iterative nature of the process
approach or view it as overly repetitive.
5. Peer Feedback Limitations
o The quality of peer feedback may be inconsistent, as students may lack
the expertise to provide constructive criticism or may feel hesitant to
critique their peers.
6. Cultural and Contextual Limitations
o In educational systems that prioritize exam preparation or specific
outcomes, the process approach may not align well with the curriculum's
demands.
7. Potential for Overemphasis on Drafting
o Excessive focus on drafting and revising can sometimes lead to
perfectionism, where students struggle to move forward or complete their
writing.

Conclusion
The process approach is a powerful method for developing students' writing skills,
especially in terms of fostering creativity, critical thinking, and confidence. However,
its success depends on effective classroom management, sufficient time, and alignment
with students' needs and educational contexts. Balancing the process and product
elements of writing can help mitigate its weaknesses, ensuring students gain both the
skills to write effectively and the ability to produce high-quality written work.

Question 2: Describe the stages of teaching reading? What are the aims of each
stage?
Can you suggest some activities for teaching reading in each stage?
1. Pre-Reading Activities
Pre-reading strategies aim to establish a purpose for reading, to activate and build
background knowledge, and address unfamiliar vocabulary words/concepts. Based on
recent research (Klund 2020), when pre-reading activities devote to 50-60% of the
lesson, these activities are extremely beneficial for the understanding of the text.

Pre-Reading Activities may include:

1. Pictionary: (objective: to introduce new vocabulary)
- Select some of the key words from the text.
- Put the class into two or three groups. A learner from each group (at the same time)
comes to the whiteboard.
- They are told the word and they have to draw that word.
The use letters or numbers in their drawing is not allowed.
- The other students try to guess what the word is and earn
points for their team.
2. True or False? (objective: to introduce the topic or context)

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- Prepare 4 sentences expressing opinions about the topic/context, then sticks them in
the 4 corners of the classroom.
- Students go and stand near the opinion they disagree or consider to be false. The
groups explain why by referring to previous knowledge or information interpreted from
the pictures in the text.
3. My Crystal Ball: (objective: to infer information)
- Set the class in groups of 3 members who will randomly distribute the following roles:
spokesperson, writer, coordinator.
- By looking at the pictures and chapter titles, learners must guess the plot, characters
and time period the text was written.
- The coordinator synthesizes the inferences made by the group, the writer jots down
the information into clear notes and the spokesperson uses the notes to share their
guess with the rest of the class.
4. The 4 WH Game: (objective: to research information)
- Students should identify the origins of the text, such as: date, historical context, and
background information about the author.
- Request students to share their findings in a discussion or submit as a written task.
5. My Story from the picture: (objective: to use narrative skills and vocabulary)
- Set groups of 3-4 members who will create a story of their own based on the pictures
of the text.
- Provide each group with a set of 4-8 words previously introduced and questions words
Why, When, Who, What for students to interact.
6. Word Families–or Semantic Map: (objective: to identify relationship between items)
Students can work individually or in pairs.
- Based on prior vocabulary pre-reading activities, learners write the 10-15 words that
called their attention the most in small paper stripes or post it.
- Learners establish the relationship/category between the lexical items, if any.
7. The K-W-L-H chart: (objective: to promote learning autonomy)
- It helps students activate prior knowledge, identify areas of inquiry, and reflect on their
reading / learning.
- This strategy is often used as a whole group activity where a large chart with four
columns is made to record everyone’s ideas.
K–stands for what students already Know about the topic.
W–stands for what students Want to Learn by this text.
L–stands for what students have Learned while reading this text.
H–stands for ideas of How to Learn More after reading this text

2. While-Reading Activities
While-reading strategies aim to improve comprehension, analysis of the text and
practice meta-cognitive skills. In other words, students are able to confirm predictions,
gather and organize information.

While-Reading Activities may include:

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1. Colouring flags: (objective: to identify events, descriptions and sequences) This
activity should firstly be role modelled by the teacher and then students can continue
on their own.
If using 3 different coloured pens, each colour represents a specific type of information
in the text; for example: red brackets show where events take place; blue underline
indicates where description are made by the use of adjectives, and a green hashtag
signals where time sequences are mentioned. Agree previously with the students on how
many elements are to be recognized.
2. Choral Reading: (objective: to develop fluency, comprehension and sigh vocabulary)
This is an important step to understanding the human emotion and subtle meanings in
text. Have student pairs or groups read parts of a passage in unison alternating fast and
slow lines, loud and soft lines, high and low voices, and emphasizing key words or
phrases. Avariation is playing the audio of the text.
3. Student to Student Conversation: (objective: to promote integration of skills)
Students engage in a conversation after reading a paragraph or specific amount of text.
In the conversation, features that will support or question literal and inferential
comprehension may arise.
4. Say what was not written: (objective: to interpret and expand an event) This activity
can be carried out in written or verbal form. Either individually or in set groups, students
can create information regarding areas of the plot or characters that are not mentioned
in the text. For example: why was Little Red Riding Hood’s Grandmother sick.
5. Short quizzes: (objective: formative activity to check understanding) Either
individually or in set groups, students can participate in the process of creating the
questions, or answering using online tools.
6. Playmaking: (objective: to communicate freely and imaginatively) The activity
corresponds to the interpretation of characters and events, it is extremely useful for
Readers which have long stretches of dialogue in them. Allow them to simplify the
script and rehearse. It can be recorded as a video or podcast. The preparation removes
the fear that some students have about 18 improvising.
7. Story Map: (objective: to identify story characters, plot, setting, problem and solution,
students read carefully to learn the details)
A story map is a strategy that uses a graphic organizer to help students organize the
elements in a section of the story (while reading) or the whole story (after-reading).
They help students of varying abilities organize information and ideas efficiently.
- Students to fill in the gaps in the story map in the way which seems to them to be most
appropriate.
- Discuss the different versions with the class.
8. The Reader’s Horoscope: (objective: to interpret, evaluate, and reflect upon the
meaning and impact of the text) This activity can be presented orally or in written form.
Students assign a zodiac sign to each character and create a weekly prediction for the
character.
9. Three Minute Summary: (objective: to process information and clarify) This activity
can be carried out by the teacher or the students.

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Setspecific reading sections where students process information by providing a short
brief during which they summarize new content, connect new content to prior
knowledge, and are free to ask clarifying questions.
10. Inventory Foldable Book: (objective: to recall and organize specific concepts)
- Students make a foldable book with information hard to recall (vocabulary, events,
characters relationship)
- Each students’ foldable book can be used later for the final assessment
3. Post-Reading Activities
Post-reading strategies help readers summarize their learning, check for understanding,
and organize their thoughts and ideas.

Post-Reading Activities may include:

1. Interview the Character: (objective: to process information and develop creativity
- Students prepare questions they would like to make to one or two main characters
from the story.
- When all classmates have prepared their questions, set pairs and assign a role to each
student.
- Students answer from the characters perspective and discuss how the character may
have evolved from the beginning to the end of the story.
2. The End of the Story: (objective: to develop creative thinking)
- Setgroups of 4 members and ask students to change the end of the story to something
unpredictable.
- Students to share their endings.
3. Designing a Poster: (objective: to develop creative thinking)
Learners create a poster advertising the book (provide a specific set of information the
poster must have. The poster can be 22 made in paper or using digital tools
4. Evaluating the Book Cover: (objective: to reflect, analyse, evaluate the
effectiveness and accuracy of the cover, and then write about their findings.)
Students evaluate the book cover as a marketing tool. How effective is the book cover
in order to represent the book itself?
5. Book Review: (objective: to reflect, analyse, evaluate and synthesize information)
Provide students with an outline of what information is expected in the review.
Organize groups of students and ask them to provide a book review either as a written
report or video.
6. Who said it? (objective: to reflect and analyse lexicon and develop inferences)
- Askagroup students to choose a set number of phrases from a number of characters
and then prepare a matching game of phrases and characters on pieces of paper or
technological tools.
- Each group to exchanges the Who said it? game so they match the character to the
statement.
7. Watching the movie Nothing best than watching the movie based on the book and,
letting students enjoy, activate background information and appreciate features which
might 23 have been overlooked during the reading.

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Question 3: design a lesson plan

Grade 6 – Global success

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UNIT 1: MY NEW SCHOOL
Lesson 6: Skills 2

I. Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
1. Knowledge
- Use the lexical items related to the topic My new school
- Listen for specific information about school activities
- Write a passage about their new school
2. Core competence
- Develop communication skills and creativity
- Be collaborative and supportive in pair work and teamwork
- Actively join in class activities
3. Personal qualities
- Grow more feelings about friends and school
- Be encouraged to attend school activities.
II. Materials
- Grade 6 textbook, Unit 1, Skills 2
- Computer connected to the internet
- Projector/ TV/ pictures and cards
III. Procedures

Stage Stage aim Procedure Interaction Time

- Check *Crossword Puzzle Teamwork 5
students’ Teacher divides the class into 2 mins
vocabulary teams. Each team takes turns to
from previous choose a
lessons. crossword, reads the clues and
- To introduce solves the puzzle.
the topic of
listening.
- To set the
Warm-up
context for
the listening
1. This is an area designed for
part.
children to play outside,
especially at school or in a
park.
2. This is an adjective used to
describe people who have a
clean, tidy and stylish
appearance.

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 3. Complete the following
sentence with a suitable word:
Mrs Nguyen teaches all my
history _____.
4. What is this subject? –
[visuals]
5. What is this school thing? –
[visuals]
6. This is a small electronic
device that is used for
calculations.
To lead in the Teacher draws students’ attention T-Ss 1
listening to the word PALMER – the min
tasks. name of a school in America,
Lead in
letting them know they are going
to listen to Janet, a student from
Palmer school.
To help Task 1: Guess the answer to T-Ss 4
students the following questions. mins
brainstorm 1. Do you think the students
and have an there wear uniforms?
overview 2. Do they learn Vietnamese as a Pair work
about what foreign language?
they are - Teacher lets students work in
going to pairs and discuss the questions.
Pre- Encourage them to speak
listen to.
Listening English and feel free to make
guesses.
- Teacher plays the recording
once. Students listen to check
their guesses.
Suggested answers:
1. Yes, they do.
2. Yes, they do.
To help Task 2: Listen again and 10
students choose the correct answer A mins
develop or B.
listening skill * Read and find the key words T-Ss
While- for specific Teacher asks students to read the
Listening information. statements,
underline the key words, reminds
them to pay
attention to keywords while
listening.

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 * Listen and choose the correct
answer
- Teacher plays the recording.
- Teacher asks students to listen
and choose the answers.
- Teacher asks students to
compare their
answer with the partner.
- Teacher calls on some students Ss-Ss
to write their answers on the
board, then play the recording
once again and check with the
class.
T-Ss
Answer key:
1. A
2. B
3. B
4. A
5. A
Audio script:
Hi. My name’s Janet. I’m eleven
years old. I’m now in year 6 at
Palmer School. I like it here.
My classmates are friendly. The
teachers at my school are nice
and very helpful, and my
favourite teacher is Mrs. Smith.
She teaches us maths. I have two
hours to study Vietnamese every
week. I usually do my homework
in the library. We wear our
uniforms every day, but today we
aren’t. We’re going to have a
biology lesson on a farm.
To check * Summarize the Group 5
students’ information of the work mins
understanding listening part.
of the - Students work in groups of
Post- listening part. four.
Listening - Teacher asks students to
summarize the
information in the listening part
and talk about it.
- Teacher helps if necessary.
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 - To help Task 3: Write the 5
students have answers to the following mins
information questions about your school. S
about their - Teacher asks students to work
school. independently to answer the
- To help questions.
students write - Teacher encourages students to
simple write in full sentences and tells
sentences for them that their
Pair work
the next sentences must be grammatically
Pre- writing and logically correct with the
Writing passage. right choice of words and correct
punctuation. T-Ss
- Teacher allows students to look
back at the reading passages.
- Teacher asks students to
compare their answers.
- Teacher invites one or two
students to write their answers
on the board and gives feedback
as models.
To let Task 4: Use the answer in Group 8
students learn Task 3 to write a paragraph work mins
and help each of 40-50 words about your
other write a school. You can refer to the
complete reading passages to help
passage about you.
While- their school. - Teacher asks students to work
Writing in groups of four, gives them a
large piece of paper and asks
them to write the full paragraph
into the paper in 6 minutes.
- T asks students to pay attention
to punctuation, structures, word
choice, linking words, etc.
To cross - Teacher has the groups swap Group 4
check and and give feedback on each work mins
Post-
final check other’s writing.
Writing
students’ - Teacher then gives feedback on
writing. one writing as a model.
To Teacher asks students to talk T-Ss 2
Wrap-up consolidate about what they have learnt in mins
what students the lesson.

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 have learnt in
the lesson.

To allow - Rewrite the paragraph in the T-Ss 1

students notebooks. min
finalize their - Prepare for the project.
versions after
Homework
being
checked by
friends and
teacher.

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