Peoples' Democratic Republic of Algeria Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research

251 Pages·2014·1.46 MB·English

Peoples’ Democratic Republic of Algeria
Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research
Hadj Lakhdar University of Batna
Faculty of Letters and Languages
Department of English Language

Introducing Authentic Materials to Develop Students’
Academic Writing Style.
The case of second year Students of English at Batna
.
University

Thesis submitted for the requirements of Doctorat Es-Sciences in
Didactics of English.

Submitted by: Supervisor :
Hellalet Souhila Pr.Nedjai Med Salah

Board of Examiners
Chairman: Prof. Hacene SAADI University of Constantine
Supervisor:Prof. Med Saalah NEDJAI University of Batna
Examiner :Dr. Hashemi ABOUBOU University of Batna
Examiner :Dr. Amel BEHLOUL University of Batna
Examiner :Dr. Nabil MENNANI University of Biskra
September, 2014
I
Dedication

To my Dear Parents
To Omar, my husband
To my kids : Abdelmalek,
Lina and Soundous,
To my sisters and bothers: Salima, Fahima, Sabah,Yassmine,
Zohir, Bilel and Sami
II
Acknowledgments
Praise to Allah,

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisor
Pr.NEdjai Med Salah form Btana university without the precious help
of whom this work would never have been realized.
I am also thankful to my colleagues in the English department
who provided help and encouragements and contributed in any way to
the completion of this research.
I extend special thanks to my students who took part in the
investigation and who provided invaluable contribution.
III
ABSTRACT

Modern theories in Education advocate the combination of the
teacher’s power of transmitting knowledge with some other facilitating
tools and equipments .In the case of foreign language teaching, the
inclusion of authentic materials proved its efficiency and gained large
support among its users. The primary aim of this research is to investigate
one of the most controversial and problematic subjects in the domain of
English language teaching. It aims at developing the academic writing
style using authentic written texts as teaching inputs in grammar with
second year students of English at the University of Batna .Following a
combination of an experimental and descriptive approach, we could
confirm the hypothesis that in a course consisting of grammar as
theoretical framework, academic style can be developed through exposure
to authentic language. The main significant results obtained in the field of
our investigation converge to recommend that teaching writing can also be
the fruit of combined courses . In a context where native language is the
primary input, complementarity of objectives fosters learning. To the
students, continuous exposure to authentic materials will likely help them
discover other aspects of the foreign language which are not always part of
the academic programs.
IV
List of tables
Table 1. Models for Language Learning Strategy ……………………….. …………. 34
Tabe 2. Comparison between the Product and the Process Approaches…. ………….41
Table 3.Comparison between extracts…………………………………….....................94
Table 4.Academic style writing assessment criteria …………………………………118
Tabel 5.Experimental group final scores in the pretest.................................................123
Table 6. Control group final scores in the pretest...................................... ...................124
Table7.Means of scores on the pretest for both groups …………… ..........................125
Table8.Experimental group Scores in progress test No 1…………… …..................129
Table 9.Cntrol group scores in progress test No1. …………………………………...130
Table 10. Students scores in the progress test No1. …………………..……………...131
Table 11.Experimental group scores in progress test No2. ……….…….…………...135
Table12.Control group scores in progress test No2able ……………….……………137
Table 13. Students scores in progress test N02……………………….….…………...138
Table14.Experimental group scores in progress test No3……………………………142
Table 15.Control group scores in progress test No3. ………………….……………144
Table16.The two groups scores in progress test No3…………………….…………...145
Table 17.Experimental group scores in progress test No4……………….…………..149
Table 18.Control group scores in progress test No4. ………………….…................151
Table19.The two groups scores in progress test No4……………………..…………..152
Table 20. Students final scores in the posttest………………………….….................154
Table.21. Comparison between final scores ……………………………….................155
Table22. Means of scores on the posttest of both groups…………….......................158
Tabe 23. Means of the scores in the different tests…………………………………...158
Table24. Frequency distribution of both groups ………………………….…………159
Table25.Mean & standard deviation for the exp. Grp. in progress test…….................161
Table 26. Mean & standard deviation for the Cont. Grp. in progress test….................162
Table 27. means and standard deviation of both group in progress tests….………….163
Table 28 students’ gender differences ..…………………………….……………….169
Table 29: students' type of baccalaureate ……………………………….……………170
Table 30.Frequency of essay writing…………………………………….…………...172
Table 31. skills difficulties……………………………………………………………175
V
Table 32. Frequency of reading authentic texts………………………..……………..177
Table33.Difficulties in academic writing…………………………………..................181
Table 34. Frequency of using authentic material in the classroom……….…………..185
Table 35. Learner’s opinions of the combined courses………………….…………...187
Table36. Types of the authentic materials used in the classroom ……….…………...189
Table37. Attitudes towards the teaching aids …………………………….………….191
Table 38. Types of styles students are asked to write……………………..………….194
Table 39 Difference in grammar learning ……………………………….................196
Table 40. Learning the elements of style…………………………………..…………198
Table 41. Parameters of evaluating written performances............................................200
Table 42. Learners opinions on the actual way of learning………………..................203
VI
List of figures.
Figure1 the Learning Strategies ............................................................25
Figure 2: students’ pretest scores……………………………….……...126
Figure3.Students scores in the first progress test……………............132
Figure.4.Students achievements in progress test N2………………….139
Figure5. Scores of both in progress test 3 ………………………..........146
Figure.6.Acievemets in progress test 4………………………………...153
Figure 7.Grups Difference in the final scores………………………….155
Figure 8.Difference in the means……………………………….……...159
Figure 9. Rate of students essay production………………………….173
Figure 10.Skills according to their difficulties…………………………175
Figure 11.Frequency of reading..............................................................178
Figure 12. Academic style difficulties…………………………………182
Figure 13. In-class use of authentic texts………………………………186
Figure 14. Audio Vs Written material use …………………………….189
Figure 15. Types of styles required from students. …………………....194
Figure16. Differences in the learning ways ……………………………196
Figure17 Rate of explicit style instruction……………………………..199
Figure 18 Performance evaluations…………………………………….201
Figure19students’ self evaluation……………………………………..204
VII
Contents………………………………………………………………...page
Introduction……………………………………………………………….01
Statement of the problem…………………………………………………01
Hypotheses………………………………………………………………..03
Objectives…………………………………………………………………04
Structure of the thesis..................................................................................05
Part A: Literature overview…………………………………………..06
Introduction………………………………………………………………06
A.I. General considerations on writing…………………………………...06
A.I.1.Thinking and writing……………………………………………..08
A.I.1.a.specification………………………………………………………09
A.I.1.b . Interpretation…………………………………………………….09
A.I.1.c. Outcome:…………………………………………………………10
A.I.2.Synthesising………………………………………………………...11
A.I.3.Dynamicity of Writing……………………………………………...12
A.I.5.The Functionality of Writing………………………………………..13
A.I.6.The Process of Writing. ………………………………….................15
A.I.6.1.The writing stages ………………………………………..............17
A.I.6.2. Prewriting………………………………………………..............18
A.I.6.3. Writing (Drafting)…………………………………….………….20
A.I.6.4.Rewriting (Revising)…………………………………….………..22
A.I.7 Writing, vocabulary and Learning Strategies..................................23
A.I.7.1 Vocabulary and writing………………………………….………..23
A.I.7.2.Learning Writing Strategies.......................................................24
A.I.7.3.Strategies for Learning writing Vocabulary ...............................28
A.I.7.4.Strategies transfer …………………………………….….……...31
A.I.7.5. Current models for teaching writing strategy…..………..……..32
A.I.8.The Writing skill and Teaching Approaches ……………..………36
A.I.8.1.The Product Approach …………………………………….........37
VIII
A.I.8.2. The Process Approach …………………………………………38
A.I.8.3 The Genre Approach. …………………………………….……. 41
A.I.8.4.Guided writing…………………………………………….........41
A.I.8.5.The Free-writing Approach ……………………………………42
Conclusion……………………………………………………………….43
A.II. Writing Style ………………………………………………………44
A.II.1.definitions …………………………………………………………44
A.II.2.Academic writing style an its types ……………………….........47
A.II.2.1.Descriptive Style:…………………………………………........47
A.II.2.1.a. specification of the topic……………………………………..48
A.II.2.1.b. vivid language. ……………………………………………….48
A.II.2.1.c. idea . ………………………………………………………….49
A.II.2.1.d. order. …………………………………………………….......49
A.II.2.2 Expository Style……………………………………….…...……50
A.II.2.3. Persuasive /Argumentative style:……………………………….52
A.II.2. 4.Narrative Writing…………………………………….………….53
A.II.3. Elements of academic style…………………………….………….54
A.II.3. 1. Sentence form..............................................................................54
A.II. 3. 2.Word choice………………………………………….…………56
A.II. 3.3. Coherence Vs Cohesion …………………………..…..............58
A.II. 3. 3.1. Cohesive devices. ……………………..………….………….59
A.II. 3. 3.2. Coherence Relations………………………….……………...62
A.II. 3. 4. Sentences fluency……………………….…………….….........64
VIV
A.II.3. 5. Sentence combining ……………………………………………65
A.II.4. Other elements of style....................................................................69
A.II.4.1.Connotation....................................................................................69
A.II. 4.2.Punctuation ..................................................................................70
A.II. 4.3. clichés..........................................................................................70
Conclusion...................................................................................................71

A.III.Authentic Materials in EFL Classrooms……………………….72
Introduction………………………………………………………………72
A.III.1.Defining Authentic Materials…………………………………….72
A.III.2.Types of Authentic materials ……………………………………74
A.III.3.The need for authentic materials………………………… ………75
A.III.3.1. authentic materials and the level issue……………………….77
A.III.4. Authentic materials and selection problems……………………...80
A.III.5. Factors to consider in material selection………………………..82
A.III.6. Introducing authentic materials in the language classroom............85
A.III.6.1. Authentic materials and language authenticity………………88
A.III.6. 1.1.Exposing students to the real language ……………… ……...89
A.III.6. 1. 2. Different grammatical features ……………………………..91
A.III.6.1.3.Different stylistic features……………………………………95
A.III.6.1.4. Different environmental features………………...…………95
A.III.7.Authentic material and Cultural Content…………………………96
A.III.7.1.How should we deal with cultural Content?.............................98
A.III.7.2.Techniques for Cultural Content integration………………….99