SKKN Applying genre-based approach in teaching 12th graders’ writing skills in Ha Huy Tap High School

ample. 
Slight, great, evil, highly, happily, massive, delightful, extremely, successfully, 
horrible, miniature, tiny, remarkably, gigantic, satisfactorily, absolutely, fabulous, 
pleasant, huge, terrific, terrible, wicked, enormous, attractive 
BIG 
SMALL Slight 
BAD 
GOOD/NICE 
VERY 
WELL 
b) Replace the words in the extract below with suitable ones from the boxes 
above. 
 Melisa stepped out into the fresh and 1) nice April morning. Her 2) good mood 
brightened her 3) nice face as she walked 4) well to her new workplace. Upon 
reaching the 5) big skyscraper, she looked up and felt 6) small. As she entered the 
building, she was nervous but 7) very excited. This job was a dream comes true for 
her. 
Activity 2: Underline the correct adverb. 
1. Ellen screamed angrily / politely at the bus driver to move out of her way. 
2. Billy spoke rudely / casually to the headmaster, so he was suspended from 
school for a week. 
3. The thief crept noisily / silently through the house, hoping that no one would hear 
him. 
4. The young man’s hands shook nervously / confidently as the policeman asked 
to see his driving license. 
5. Before the plane took off, the passengers chatted excitedly / miserably about 
their holiday. 
6. James calmly / hurriedly grabbled his sandwich box, kissed his mum goodbye 
and ran to school bus which was already waiting outside. 
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Activity 3: Join the sentences using present or past participles. 
1. He closed the door, he heard someone screaming. 
Closing the door, he heard someone screaming 
2. She was worried. She decided to call the local hospital. 
Worried, she decided to call the local hospital. 
3. He fell to his knees. He started crying. 
4. They were whispering. They walked up the stairs. 
5. He was frightened. He realized no one would help him. 
6. He stood at the edge of the cliff. He watched the magnificent sunset. 
7. She was covered with a warm blanket. She finally felt safe. 
8. She was annoyed. She gathered her things and left the room. 
Activity 4: Read the extract below and underline the correct past tense. 
At first, I 1) wasn’t/ hadn’t been frightened by the noise as I 2) was thinking/ thought 
it 3) had been/ was just the wind which 4) was rattling/ rattled the windows. Then I 
5) was freezing/ froze when I 6) heard/ had heard the wooden stairs creaking outside 
my bedroom door. I 7) was deciding/ decided to be brave and 8) went/ was going 
downstairs to see if it had been/ was really a burglar. A few minutes later, I 10) had 
stood/ was standing terrified at the bottom of the stairs, looking round for a burglar. 
It was then that 11) was seeing/ saw that the„ burglar‟ 12)was/ had been my little 
brother, who 13) was getting/ had got up to get a class of water. 
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APPENDIX 7: MODELING 
Activity 1: Read the model and then, find out about the structure and 
language features. 
Structure 
Language 
features 
Introduction 
(set the scene: 
who, where, 
when, what) 
Main body 
Record of 
events 
Conclusion 
(refer to 
moods, 
feeling, 
comments.) 
I stood on the deck, staring at the huge waves. From the 
moment we had left port and sailed into the English 
Channel, the weather had got worse and worse. Now, 
lightning flashed across the sky, which was covered in 
dark clouds. 
Suddenly, the noise of the engines stopped. The ship 
was slowing, rolling heavily in the rough sea. A voice 
over the loud speakers told us to remain calm – then 
added that a fire had started in the engine room, and said 
that all passengers must go immediately to the nearest 
life boat station. 
We all ran onto the deck, following the signs to the life 
boats. The ship’s officers arrived; made sure we had 
lifejackets and showed us how to put them on. 
I looked again in horror at the wild, stormy sea. The 
thought of being out there in a tiny boat was terrifying. 
Minutes passed like hours, until at last the voice 
announced that everything was under control and the 
danger was over. We all cheered as the engines started 
again and the ship moved forward into the waves. 
I still couldn’t believe it was over, though – not until we 
had reached port and I had stood on solid ground again! 
 Use of 
proper noun, 
conjunctions 
and 
connectives 
Verbs in past 
tense 
Activity 2: Read the plot line below and put the sentences into the correct 
order. 
• A woman stopped me. 
• I waved goodbye and left. 
• I arrived too late for the correct. 
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• I saw the woman I had helped at the entrance of the concert hall. 
• I helped her change the tyre. 
• She got me a front-row seat. 
• I was driving to a correct. 
• After the concert I met the band. 
Activity 3: Now use the plot line to complete the sentences below. Then 
retell the story in your own words. 
• One night last year, I was on my way to see my favorite rook 
band suddenly 
• The woman thanked me, then got in her car and drove away. 
• I 
• When I arrived at the concert hall, the doors were closed. I was about 
to leave when I saw 
• When it finished, the woman took me backstage to meet 
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APPENDIX 8: SOME SAMPLE LESSON PLANS 
UNIT 6: ENDANGERED SPECIES 
SKILLS : Writing 
ENDANGERED SPECIES REPORT 
A. OBJECTIVES:- By the end of the lesson, students will be able to: 
- Learn about a report about endangered species. 
- Develop the writing skills in general. 
- Build up vocabulary supported for writing. 
B. AIDS: Posters, pictures 
C.TEACHING AIDS: Pictures on the internet, textbook, hand outs, pictures 
D.PROCEDURE: 
Teacher’s Activities Student’s Activities 
Stage 1: Introducing the field 
 Endangered species report 
Activity 1: Match the pictures with the animals' 
names. Then discuss the questions with a partner. 
- Match the pictures with the names of animals 
+Read out the names of animals to make sure to know 
all of them. 
+Come to the board and write down the matching 
1. b (Komodo dragon: not found in Viet Nam; eats meat; 
classified as vulnerable) 
- Whole class. 
- Look at pictures and 
answer the questions 
- Do as directed. 
- Listen to the teacher 
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2.a (Blue whale: sometimes found stranded on Viet 
Nam's coastal areas; eats small shellfish; classified as 
endangered) 
Stage 2: Building the field 
Activity 2: Read the facts about the Komodo dragon 
and the blue whale. Write a, b, c, d, or e in the space 
provided to match the title with the correct section. 
-Discuss some information about Komodo dragon and 
Blue whales. 
-Instruct some vocabulary: 
+ in the wild: ở vùng hoang dã 
+ hilltop: đỉnh núi 
+ lizard: thằn lằn 
+ migrate (v): di cư 
+ whalers: people for hunt for whales illegally 
+collision (n): đụng độ 
-Ask students to match the subheadings with the five 
parts. 
Key: 1.C2.E3. A4. D5. B 
Check the answers 
Stage 3: Modeling the field 
Activity 3:Choose one of the two species in Activity2 
and write a report of 150-200 words to describe it. 
Follow the plan below. 
- Read and take note 
- Do as directed 
- Listen to the teacher 
- Work in pairs to find 
out the right words to 
fill in the blanks. 
- Come to the board 
and write down the 
matching 
- Work in groups 
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- Describe Komodo dragon or Blue whale 
*Language features: 
- Use the Simple Present Tense for current fact. 
- Use the Passive Voice and words that show the results. 
- The paragraph is a text presenting an issue. It can be 
a spoken or written text of such kinds as a speech, an 
advertisement, a review, a report  
Explain to the students the form of an exposition. 
-Paragraph 1: Habitat and location of the . 
-Paragraph 2: Physical features and diet 
-Paragraph 3: Population and conservation status 
Stage 4: Joint- construction of the field 
Activity 4: Discussion 
Group 1+2 : 
Group 3+4: 
Divide the class into four groups and ask them to discuss 
andwrite the report. Ask students to exchange their drafts 
with a partner for peer review. 
-Come to the board and write down 
-Exchange writings for peer correction 
- Ask students to do first then giving feedback. 
Activity 5:Write a report about the species discussed in 
activity 3. 
- Ask students to write individually. 
- Move around to conduct the activity 
Activity 6: Correcting 
- Introduces peer correction if time allowed 
- Pick up some writings to correct in front of the class 
- Give marks 
Homework: 
- Ask students to do the writing part in workbook and 
prepare new lesson at home. 
- Discuss the forms of 
report. 
- Do as directed 
- Take note 
- Some useful 
structures 
-.are found in 
They live in 
-Although they are 
called , they look 
like. 
-There are about  
Writing the report 
- Students work in 
groups and write their 
final drafts. 
- Share ideas with 
other groups. 
- Three or four 
students write the 
description on the 
board. 
- Students listen to the 
teacher’s feedback. 
- Tips from the 
language focus. 
- Write a paragraph 
individually. 
- Peer correction 
- Listen to the teacher 
- Do as required 
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UNIT 7: ARTITIFICAL INTELLIGENCE 
SKILLS: WRITING 
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF INTELLIGENT MACHINES 
I. OBJECTIVES:By the end of the lesson, students will be able to : 
- Writing an essay about the advantages and disadvantages of intelligent machines. 
- Develop the writing skills in general. 
- Build up vocabulary supported for writing. 
II.METHOD: Integrated, mainly communicative 
III.TEACHING AIDS: TV programmes, textbook, hand outs, pictures 
IV.PROCEDURE: 
Teacher’s Activities Student’s Activities 
Stage 1: Introducing the field 
Give a picture of robot and ask students the questions. 
- Ask students to answer. 
- Lead in the advantages and 
disadvantages of robots 
Activity 1: Put the following 
phrases about intelligent robots in 
the appropriate columns. 
- To provide advantages and disadvantages of 
intelligent machines. 
- To read the sentences carefully and put the right 
columns. 
- Work in groups 
- Look at pictures and 
answer the questions. 
- Listen to the teacher 
- Do as directed. 
1. What is this? 
2. Do you want to have a robot at home? Why? Why not? 
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Key: 
Advantages:2,3,6
 Disadvantages:1,4 
Stage 2: Building the field 
- Activity 2: Read and combine the sentence halves. 
- This activity provides more ideas for the writing task. 
- Ask students to read and match the sentence halves 
individually. 
- Check the answers. 
1. D 2. F 3. B 4. A 5. C 6. E 
Stage 3: Modeling the field 
Activity 3: Write an essay of about 220-260 words to 
discuss the advantages and disadvantages of 
intelligent robots in industries and medicine. 
- Students plan, and write their drafts individually. 
Emotive words: most, a lot of, especially, very, almost, 
too much, only 
* Connectors: 
- Firstly/ First / To begin with / first of all, 
- Secondly / Besides, Moreover / Alternatively/ 
- Finally / Last but not least /  
 - Because, however, so, although, in addition. 
- A paragraph is a text presenting one side (for or 
against) of an argument to persuade the reader or 
listener. It can be a spoken or written text of such 
- Listen to the teacher 
- Write down 
- Listen to the teacher 
- Write down 
- Listen to the teacher 
- Write down 
- Do as directed 
43 
kinds as a speech, an advertisement, a review, an 
argument 
* Introduction: giving the writer’s point of view. 
* Series of argument: convincing readers. 
* Conclusion: reaffirming the general issues. 
- Ask students to find out emotive words, connectors, 
that are used in the text. 
- T asks them to compare their writing in pairs and 
obtain peer feedback. 
- T collects some final drafts and gives feedback. 
Helpful ideas: 
Introduction: Robots are widely used in the food 
industry and medicine/they have advantages and 
disadvantages. 
Body: 
Advantages: fewer human workers ,errors, and defects. 
 Disadvantages: power failure, malfunction, hackers 
Conclusion: help humans improve their lives /a threat 
to humans or not? 
- Ask students to do first then giving feedback. 
- Give students a chart and explain to them the form of 
a exposition. 
Expositions 
 ↕ 
Introduction Arguments Conclusion 
Writer’s point of 
view (+ a preview of 
the argument/ a 
question or 
emotional 
statement) 
Paragraphs 
with topic 
sentences+ 
emotive 
words 
Reaffirming 
general issues 
*Language features: 
- Use the simple present tense for timeless statements & 
current fact 
- Work in groups 
- Discuss the advantages 
and disadvantages of 
using intelligent robots. 
- Useful structures: 
+ help/encourage someone 
to do something 
+ make someone/something 
+ adjective 
- Share ideas with other 
groups 
- Write a paragraph 
individually 
44 
- Use of words that express feelings (emotive words) 
- Use of words that show the writer’s attitude. 
- Use of words that link cause and effect. 
*Features of a good argument: 
- Clear point of view. 
 - Generalizations/ reasons to support argument 
 - Evidence to prove or support 
 - Cause and effect 
Stage 4: Joint Construction 
Activity 4: Discuss the advantages and disadvantages 
of using intelligent robots. 
Group 1+2:Discuss about the advantages 
Group 3+4: Discuss about the disadvantages 
- Divide the class into 4 groups and ask them to 
discuss then complete the table below. 
Introduction ------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------ 
Argument 1 
(advantage) 
Firstly/ First / To begin with / first 
of all, 
------------------------------------------ 
Argument 2 
(advantage) 
Secondly / Besides, Moreover / 
Alternatively/ 
------------------------------------------ 
------------------------------------------ 
Argument 3 
(disadvantage) 
- Finally / Last but not least /  
------------------------------------------ 
Conclusion In conclusion, To sum up, On 
balance, In short, 
------------------------------------------ 
- Guide students to do and then ask them to share ideas 
with other groups 
- Do as directed 
- Listen to the teacher 
45 
- Ask students to pay attention to the basic structures 
used in the table. 
- Move round to help if necessary. 
- Correct if necessary. 
Activity 5:Write a paragraph about the advantages and 
disadvantages of using intelligent robots in activity 4. 
- Ask students to write individually 
- Move around to conduct the activity 
Activity 6: Correcting 
- Introduces peer correction if time allowed 
- Pick up some writings to correct in front of the class 
- Give marks 
Homework: 
- Ask students to do the writing part in workbook and 
prepare new lesson at home. 
- Listen to the teacher 
- Individually 
- Peer correction 
- Do as directed 
46 
APPENDIX 9: SOME STUDENTS’ ACTIVITIES AND WRITING PRODUCTS 
47 
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