PSZ 19:16 (Pind. 1/07) UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MALAYSIA

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Author’s full name : MANI A/L A.S. SOCKALINGAM (MP 101675)

Date of birth : 17 AUGUST 2013 Title : THE NEED FOR A PRE, PRE-WRITING STAGE FOR FORM SIX STUDENTS DOING THE MALAYSIAN UNIVERSITY ENGLISH TEST Academic Session : 2011-2013

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THE NEED FOR A PRE, PRE-WRITING STAGE

FOR FORM SIX STUDENTS

DOING THE MALAYSIAN UNIVERSITY ENGLISH TEST

MANI A/L A.S. SOCKALINGAM

(P 101675)

A project report submitted in fulfilment of the

requirements for the award of the degree of

Master of Education (TESL)

Faculty of Education

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

JANUARY 2013

(ii)

I declare that this project report entitled

“The Need for a Pre, Pre-Writing Stage for Form Six Students Doing the

Malaysian University English Test

is the result of my own research except as cited in the references. The thesis has not

been accepted for any degree and is not concurrently submitted in candidature of any

other degree.

Signature : .................................................... Name : Mani A/L A.S. Sockalingam (MP101675) Date : 30 January 2013

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To All my Students; Past, Present and Future

(iv)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I must admit that doing this project report was indeed not a walk through the

park. I only realised then that I have aged and do not possess the energy of the young

man who did his degree many years ago. The culmination of this paper was an

arduous journey which without doubt required great support from a multitude of

people.

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. Noor

Abidah Omar for her guidance and support in putting me on the right track towards

completing this paper. The invaluable knowledge and advice that I gained from you

has given me valuable insights into what I can do as a teacher for my students. In fact,

the idea for this research came about after attending the Description of English course

taught by you.

I would also like to thank my wife and my children for being there for me when

I needed your support and understanding. Thank you too, for putting up with my

grouchy moods when I was under stress and pressure what with the insurmountable

workload in school and the demands of this course.

My deepest appreciation also goes to Mr. Jeffrey Ang and Madam Surinder

Kaur who without any compulsion accepted my request to mark the pre and post tests

and also to all the students of Lower 6 Science 1, SMK Gajah Berang who actively

participated in this research. It has indeed been an honour and a privilege to know and

work with extraordinary people like all of you.

Mani A/L A.S. Sockalingam P 101675

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ABSTRACT

Many Form 6 students need English as it is crucial for their tertiary

needs. One overwhelming skill that needs to be learnt if not mastered is

writing as it remains as the core through which they will be assessed at

whatever level they are in. However, their writing is so poor that

comprehending it is a problem by itself.

This problem of the Form Six students in SMK Gajah Berang has come

about as a result of over-emphasis on mother-tongue (Mandarin) and national

language (Bahasa Melayu) education. Too much focus on excelling in these

two languages and the fact that English is not a compulsory pass has caused

students to put less focus on it.

However, after their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia, these students realise the

need for English for higher education. Besides, they become aware that

English is not only a tool of science and technology and the Internet; but is

also the main lingua-franca for cross-border communication.

At this age when they realise the importance of English; it would be

advantageous to put them through the basics again; learning and recognising

clauses and sentences, learning the various sentence types and learning the

assorted ways in which sentences can be constructed until they reach that level

where they can start writing with greater confidence.

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ABSTRAK

Tidak dapat dinafikan bahawa pelajar tingkatan enam memerlukan

Bahasa Inggeris untuk keperluan pengajian tinggi mereka. Satu kemahiran

asas yang perlu dikuasai mereka adalah kemahiran penulisan kerana ia kekal

sebagai teras dalam penilaian pelajaran tinggi mereka. Walau bagaimanapun,

penulisan mereka begitu lemah dan memahami apa yang mereka tulis adalah

satu masalah tersendiri.

Masalah kelemahan Bahasa Inggeris pelajar-pelajar TIngkatan 6, SMK

Gajah Berang, Melaka ini timbul hasil penekanan pada bahasa ibunda (bahasa

Mandarin) dan pendidikan bahasa kebangsaan (Bahasa Melayu) pada tahap

sekolah rendah dan menengah. Terlalu banyak tumpuan telah diberi untuk

mencapai kecemerlangan dalam kedua-dua bahasa ini dan hakikatnya adalah

Bahasa Inggeris menjadi subjek sampingan. Masalah ini menjadi lebih ketara

apabila pelajar-pelajar ini tidak perlu lulus wajib Bahasa Inggeris pada

peringkat SPM. Ini menyebabkan pelajar memberikan kurang fokus pada

Bahasa Inggeris.

Walau bagaimanapun, selepas SPM, pelajar-pelajar ini menyedari

kepentingan dan keperluan Bahasa Inggeris untuk pendidikan tinggi. Selain

itu, mereka sedar bahawa Bahasa Inggeris bukan sahaja merupakan bahasa

sains dan teknologi dan Internet, tetapi juga merupakan lingua-franca untuk

komunikasi merentasi sempadan.

Pada usia ini, mereka faham akan kepentingan Bahasa Inggeris dalam

hidup mereka dan keperluannya untuk kejayaan masa hadapan mereka. Oleh

yang demikian, adalah berfaedah untuk menyemaikan asas penulisan melalui

pembelajaran klausa dan ayat, pembelajaran pelbagai jenis ayat dan

pembelajaran cara-cara pembinaan ayat kompleks. Lama kelamaan adalah

dipercayai bahawa mereka boleh mencapai tahap di mana mereka dapat mula

menulis dengan lebih yakin.

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CONTENTS

DECLARATION ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

iv

ABSTRAK vi List of Tables vii List of Appendices viii Chapter Content

Page

1

Introduction

1.0 Introduction 1 1.1 Background to the Study 2 1.2 Statement of the Problem 6 1.3 Purpose of the Study 8 1.4 Objective of the Study 9 1.5 Research Questions 9 1.6 Significance of the Study 10 1.7 Scope of the Study 10 1.8 Limitations of the Study 11 1.9 Conclusion 11 2 Literature Review

2.0 Introduction 13 2.1 Views towards Language Learning 13 2.2 Language Learning Theories 17 2.3 Approaches to the teaching of writing 20 2.3.1 � The Product Approach 20 2.3.2 � The Process Approach 21 2.3.3 � The Genre Approach 26 2.3.4 � The Process Genre Approach 28 2.4 Related Research 29 2.5 Common Errors in Sentence Construction 33 2.5.1 � Sentence Fragments 33 2.5.2 � Run-Ons / Comma Splices 34 2.5.3 � Choppy Sentences 34 2.5.4 � Stringy Sentences 34 2.6 Conclusion 35

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3 Research Design and Methodology

3.0 Introduction 36 3.1 Research Design 36 3.2 Respondents of Study 36 3.3 Research Instruments 37 3.4 Methods of Data Collection 37 3.5 Research Procedure 39 3.6 Conclusion 39 4 Findings and Discussion

4.0 Introduction 40 4.1 Data Analysis 40 4.2 Methods of Data Analysis 40 4.3 Presentation of Data 41 4.4 Discussion of Findings 42 4.4.1 � Research Question 1 44 4.4.2 � Research Question 2 49 4.4.3 � Research Question 3 59 4.5 Conclusion 71 5

5.0

Conclusion Introduction

66 5.1 Overview of the Findings of the Study 66 5.2 Implications of the Study 69 5.3 Recommendations for Future Research 70 5.4 Conclusion 70 References 72

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LIST OF TABLES

Table Title

Page

1 Findings for Pre-Test with Language Scores 44b

2 MUET Scores for Band 5 45

3 MUET Scores for Band 4 46

4 MUET Scores for Band 3 47

5 MUET Scores for Band 2 48

6 An 8 session or 10 hours 40 minutes treatment programme for writing.

49

7 Comparison Between the Pre and Post Tests 52b

x

LIST OF APPENDICES

1. MUET Marking Scheme 76

2. Pre-Test Scripts 78

� Examiner 1 79

� Examiner 2 106

3. Lesson Plans 133

4. Post-Test Scripts 142

� Examiner 1 143

� Examiner 2 167

5. Questionnaire Survey 195

1

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.0 Introduction

The Malaysian National Curriculum has undergone numerous changes

and transformations since the nation first attained independence in 1957. Prior

to independence, the medium of instruction was mainly English (Thevy

Rajaretnam and Mildred Nalliah 1999). In post-independent Malaya, as it was

then known, various studies in education which were undertaken and which

then came to be compiled into what is today known as the Razak Report

(1956) and the Rahman-Talib Report (1960) recommended the

implementation of Bahasa Melayu as the medium of instruction in line with its

position as the national and official language of the country.

In tandem with this, primary education was carried out in either Bahasa

Melayu or in the vernacular of the multi-racial people inhabiting this country.

However, upon reaching secondary education, the language of instruction

became Bahasa Melayu in its entirety. The new millennium saw the teaching

of Science and Mathematics in English which Ganakumaran (2003) hailed as

an important change which showed that the government was committed to

transforming policies in the interest of the nation but yet again, after a period

of less than ten years, this policy has been reversed and a new policy

favouring the teaching of Science and Mathematics has been put into effect.

Notwithstanding this, the teaching of Science and Mathematics will

again reverse to English when students go on to pre-university and tertiary

levels where they would definitely need to master their language skills

2

especially in relation to writing. This is necessary considering the fact that

almost all teaching-learning materials will be in English, most reference

materials will be in English and not forgetting the fact that lectures and

tutorials will also be entirely be conducted in English. Taking this

consideration, it can be ascertained that writing will play a conclusive role in

determining the success of a student as he or she moves on into the higher

domains of educational achievement.

However, writing always seems to be neglected where its teaching is

concerned and may remain in the wilderness for many more decades to come.

Irrespective of the various theories that have come into being and the different

approaches to the teaching of writing that have been devised, it may be

construed that writing will be seen as a poor cousin to the other language skills

that are taught in class, especially in the Form 6 classes where students have to

sit for the Malaysian University English Test (MUET).

1.1 Background to the Study

Numerous curricular changes have shifted the educational landscape in

relation to the teaching of English in the primary, secondary and pre-university

levels in Malaysian schools over the past five plus decades, since the nation

achieved its independence from its colonial masters.

The teaching and learning of English has also undergone radical

transformations; moving from a predominantly behavioural stance which

looked upon language as a set of behaviour to be practised and learnt (Skinner

1949; Rivers 1989; Lightbown and Spada 2003) to cognitivism which

emphasised that language was an original gift that every human possessed

(Chomsky 1959; Lightbown and Spada 2003).

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In relation to the teaching of English in schools; the methods changed

in tandem with developments in the field of psychology. While behaviourism

catapulted the use of the audio-lingual method; cognitivism brought about the

communicative approach to language teaching or CLT as it is popularly

known.

The teaching of writing too transformed, keeping in line with the

natural developments in the language teaching world. The audio-lingual

method promoted the use of the product approach (see Pincas 1982a, 1982b)

while the process approach (see Hedge 1988; White and Arndt 1991; Tribble

1996), genre-literacy approach (see Cope and Kalantzis 1993) and the process-

genre approach (see Badger and White 2000) were direct results from the

conception and development of the cognitive model.

The teaching of writing is by itself is such a complex task that many

teachers find it difficult to find the level from which to begin. In Malaysian

classrooms, the numerous changes that have changed the way in which

English is taught has not in any way brought changes to the way writing is

taught (Heng and Chan 1996).

The Form 6 classes in secondary schools and the Matriculation

Colleges in Malaysia function as the equivalent to the A’ Levels or pre-

university classes which act as a prelude for students intending to pursue their

education at tertiary levels.

Prior to 1982, the examination that these Form Six students sat for, the

Higher School Certificate or HSC was entirely in English but from 1982

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onwards, this examination morphed into the STPM or the Sijil Tinggi

Persekolahan Malaysia, where Bahasa Melayu became the language medium

through which all the subjects taken were tested. As a result of this change,

there were no more papers in English except for the literature paper which was

optional and usually taken by those who were already proficient in English.

The move towards globalisation and the thrust towards a knowledge

economy raised concerns as to the declining standards of English in Malaysia.

The worry was that over time the nation’s workforce would lose its

competitive edge in a world where English was the core, global lingua-franca.

Furthermore, the fact that very traditional nations like Japan, Korea and China

were also endeavouring to master English made the nation’s leaders realise

that something must be done to arrest its decline.

In tandem with the change in the medium of instruction for science and

technology from Bahasa Melayu into English in 1993 (Ambigapathy 2001) in

universities; the Malaysian University English Test or MUET was first

introduced in the Form 6 classes and in the Matriculation Colleges in 1999.

The MUET was conceived to bridge the gap that was brought about as a result

of that two years when students did not learn any English (Khatijah Mohd

Tahir 2004).

Unlike the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia or SPM (equivalent to the O’

Levels) which is an assessment of a syllabus taught over 5 years, the MUET is

a proficiency based examination. It is criterion-referenced to 6 bands with

Band 6 being reflective of an excellent user and Band 1 being reflective of a

poor user of English. Meanwhile, periodical assessments of the MUET were

5

undertaken and a revamp was instituted in 2006 to make it more relevant to

current times.

Among the four skills tested in MUET, students generally identify the

productive skills of reading and writing as being the biggest contributors

towards their poor proficiency scores. Whilst speaking has long been cast

aside just like listening skills over their 11 years of primary and secondary

schooling in preference of the tested skills of reading and writing; writing has

always been seen to be the most difficult skill to master or teach among the

two.

This is clearly evidenced in the writing of the Form 6 students being

investigated. Although, they may be able to write, it is surprising that a

majority of them are unable to construct grammatically accurate, legible and

clear sentences. On the contrary, their writing exposes a variety of problems

ranging from fragments to strings of simple sentences.

Although the MUET writing component only constitutes 30% which is

represented by a score of 90 out of 300; it cannot be denied that it is a crucial

skill that pre-university and tertiary students must master in order to succeed

in academia. Tribble (1996) eloquently summarises this situation by positing

that the success of students’ in their academic pursuits will ultimately be

dependent upon their ability to write well; be it in examinations, coursework,

assignments, project papers or even when applying for a job, writing resumes

and putting in scholarship applications.

6

We can safely surmise that writing is a very important skill if not a pre-

requisite in attaining academic excellence. It requires the participants of the

process to understand ideas, concepts and thoughts and to reproduce them

graphically in writing using accurate and precise language so as to ensure that

meaning is aptly communicated. Chandrasegaran (1991) cited in Thomas

Chow (2007) highlights the fact that academic assessments are largely based

on written products and as such, it is vital for students’ to be able to write

coherently, organise ideas well, especially in relation to expository writing.

This is supported by Sommers (2002) and her co-researchers who

found that a majority of undergraduates in Harvard University confirmed that

writing helped them in comprehending and putting into practice what they

have learnt in a course they took.

In short, it can be adequately concluded here that the ability to write

and write well is an essential requirement; if not a pre-condition towards

success in further education and that the MUET does contribute towards

preparing students towards this end when they undertake tertiary education in

institutions of higher learning.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Students are taught writing in a very detached and mechanical manner

where the focus is on the product rather than on the process. Heng and Chan

(1996) point out that the product-favoured approach is still favoured in our

schools as opposed to the use of the more progressive process-based

approaches.

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Meanwhile, Chitravelu and Tickoo (1994) cited in Thomas Chow

(1997) sadly indicate that very little teaching of writing is undertaken in both

primary and secondary schools and that writing is merely seen as a supportive

skill towards the learning of grammar and never as a means to portray

comprehension.

Chow (1997) adequately summarises this situation as one where

numerous studies of the teaching of writing reveal that its instruction in

Malaysian schools are still form-focused rather than being meaning-focused.

This is further supported by studies undertaken by Mahaletchumy (1994),

Bhajan Kaur (1995) and Chung (1995).

Notwithstanding all that has been said, it must be first established that

most Malaysian students are either learning English as a second or foreign

language. Many of these students who come into the school system have very

little knowledge of the language. This situation is made worse by the fact that

most of these students are products of a primary school system which stresses

either Bahasa Melayu or the vernacular languages of Mandarin and Tamil. In

these schools, English is taught over 3 to 5 thirty-minute periods a week.

Shockingly, in some places, English is taught using the mother-tongue of the

pupils.

Hence, irrespective of which method of writing is employed to teach

these students, there is always a shortfall between what they learn and the little

knowledge they already possess. This is made worse by interlanguage factors

(Selinker 1992) – the notion that the first language will interfere in the

acquisition of the second language.

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This state of affairs exists all throughout these students secondary

education and extends further when they go into pre-university for instance

matriculation or form six and on to university level.

Although these students have undergone 11 years of school learning

English as a subject, they are still unable to write well. This includes the

ability to write legible and accurate sentences.

This can be seen from the fact that the Form 6 students whom I teach

find it difficult to write continuously error-free structures. There are always

some errors for instance, in subject-word agreement, wrong verb form,

fragmented sentences and stringy sentences. As such, measures must be taken

to arrest this problem and ensure that they are able to write well.

Hence, where should the take-off point for the teaching of writing be?

Should it be from any one of the early stages as espoused by the various

teaching models or should there be another prior stage; a pre pre-writing stage

where students are taught to identify the phrase and the clause, the clause as a

basic unit of a sentence, the simple sentence, the compound sentence, the

complex sentence and the compound complex sentence.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

Over my years of teaching English to the Form 6 students and training

them to sit for the Malaysian University English Test, I have come across

numerous students who find it difficult to write well. The major weakness is

in their inability to write accurate and meaningful sentences.

9

The purpose of this study is to first identify these weaknesses in their

writing and in their ability to construct accurate and legible sentences.

Following this, students are put through a period of treatment where they are

taught to differentiate between a phrase and a clause, to recognise the clause as

an integral part of a sentence and to learn how to construct the simple,

compound, complex and compound-complex sentences. Finally, the study

aims to discover whether the treatment provided helps these Form 6 students

write better.

1.4 Objective of the Study

The main aim of this study is to obtain data on the effects of a pre pre-

writing stage on the writing abilities of students in the Form 6 pre-university

classes in Malaysian secondary schools. It also aims to investigate whether

students with knowledge of how English structures are formed right from the

clause level would significantly improve in their writing performance. The

overall aim of this study is signified in the research questions below:

1.5 Research Questions

1. What are the common mistakes students make when constructing

sentences?

2. How far would students writing and scores improve after being exposed

to clause and sentence construction?

3. What are the students’ perceptions before and after they have

undergone treatment?

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1.6 Significance of the Study

Writing is a language skill that many students find difficult in

mastering. This is true among a large cross-section of the Malaysian student

population, especially among those to whom English is either a third or

foreign language.

Even the Form 6 students find difficulty in writing well in English

although they have already undergone 11 years of primary and secondary

education where they learn English as a subject.

This is a cause for concern as these students need to be able to write to

do well in their tertiary studies. Hence, this study aims to establish the fact

that there needs to be a significant shift in the way these students are normally

taught. Ultimately, it is hoped that the findings from this study will be an

impetus to further research and will function as a paradigm shift towards the

teaching of English writing.

1.7 Scope of the Study

This study is experimental in nature and aims to investigate the

effects of teaching explicit clause and sentence construction in a MUET class

to learners of a second or foreign language.

The experiment involves exposure to how phrases, clauses and

sentences function and are central to the composing process. Fourteen

students from SMK Gajah Berang will be involved and the study will be

carried out over eight, 160 minute periods over a period of two months.

11

1.8 Limitations of the Study

This study is confined to only one class of Lower Six students in SMK

Gajah Berang which is where the researcher is teaching. As such, the findings

may not be truly representative of all Form Six students in the school, the state

or nation.

It also has to be pointed out that this study is at a very micro level and

cannot be claimed as representing all the pre-university students in the

country. However, the findings of this study may be an impetus for more in-

depth study into the state of ESL writing instruction in the country.

1.9 Conclusion

It can be said that success in tertiary levels depends very highly on our

abilities to write well in a global language like English. Hence, the greater

emphasis placed on writing is a necessary especially for students who will be

moving on to tertiary education in Malaysia and the MUET acts as a pre-

requisite for universities as well as for individual students themselves to know

where they stand in terms of language and how far they would be able to cope

with tertiary studies in English.

The fact is that at tertiary levels, almost a large part of evaluation

involves writing in English; albeit in critical courses like medicine and law but

the fact is that a majority of students still find themselves unable to write

legible pieces of text in English – with accurate sentences.

Hence, this qualitative study is aimed to discover the kinds of mistakes

students’ make and whether there is a way to revolutionise its teaching by

12

going back to the basics which is to begin at the phrase, clause and sentence

levels.