A study on the english-majored sophomores’ responses to peer review technique and the difficulties in applying the activities in their writing 2 classes at FFL, IUH :Graduation Thesis - Faculty of Foreign Languages

Submitted by Le Hoang Phuc ID number: 18072551

MINISTRY OF INDUSTRY AND TRADE

INDUSTRIAL UNIVERSITY OF HO CHI MINH CITY

FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES

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GRADUATIONTHESIS

STUDENT NAME: LE HOANG PHUC

ID NUMBER: 18072551

CLASS CODE: DHAV14E

COHORT: 2018 - 2022

SUPERVISOR NAME: LE THI THUY.MA

HCMC, 12/2021

Submitted by Le Hoang Phuc ID number: 18072551

Student name : ………………Le Hoang Phuc…………………………….

ID Number : ………………18072551…………………………….

Class Code : …………………DHAV14E………………………….

Cohort : …………………2018-2022………………………….

Supervisor Name : ………………LE THI THUY, M.A.……………………………

Student’s declaration: I declare that this graduation report is entirely my own work and does

not involve in plagiarism or collusion. It also has not been accepted as part of a submission to

another purpose elsewhere. I accept heavy penalty for any cheating or plagiarism.

Date submitted : ………9

th December 2021………………

Signed : ………………………

Word count : 9656 words

Submitted by Le Hoang Phuc ID number: 18072551

A STUDY ON THE ENGLISH-MAJORED SOPHOMORES’ RESPONSES TO PEER

REVIEW TECHNIQUE AND THE DIFFICULTIES IN APPLYING THE ACTIVITIES IN

THEIR WRITING 2 CLASSES AT FFL, IUH

Submitted by Le Hoang Phuc ID number: 18072551

ABSTRACT

For English language learners, especially the starters, learning how to write is essential.

However, it is unfortunate that most of them find it difficult in improving their writing skills. I

order to do so, a research on applying peer evaluation technique for feedbacks on students’

writings has been carried out. The main subjects of this research are the sophomores who are

participating in Writing 2 courses at FFL in IUH. The two instruments that have been used to

collect data are quantitative and qualitative methods. Through the observation of the Writing 2

classes (to observe the teachers’ instructions; the students’ attitudes toward pair and group

activities; the progress of applying peer review technique), and the collection of data from the

students’ feedbacks in class (to clarify the quality of the given suggestions) and the answers

recommended by 232 participated sophomores in the online questionnaire survey (to discover

the learners’ difficulties and the reasons behind it)

Submitted by Le Hoang Phuc ID number: 18072551

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

During the process of doing my graduation thesis, I have received a lot of support and

encouragement and that has helped me to get through this period completely. Although this is

not a perfect graduation thesis, but this is the result of my hard-working time and I will always

remember these meaningful days. First, I would like to express my gratitude to my supervisor

- Ms. Le Thi Thuy. She was very patient in guiding and giving me valid feedbacks, pointing

out the mistakes that I still have and how to fix them in this graduation thesis. For me, Ms.

Thuy is one of the most wonderful and caring supervisor. Second, I want to thank my team

members. They are responsible members, full of enthusiasm, energy and always optimistic

although the process we did our research not easy at all. Completing this research is the result

of long days of hard work and the process we putted our effort. Finally, I would like to thank

the sophomores at IUH and the teachers who are teaching at FFL, IUH. They created a

convenient condition and always able to help and that’s why it was possible for me to

successfully complete this research. I will always appreciate this help and the time I did

graduation thesis will be my fond memories about the lastest time of student life.

Submitted by Le Hoang Phuc ID number: 18072551

Table of Contents

MINISTRY OF INDUSTRY AND TRADE ............................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

INDUSTRIAL UNIVERSITY OF HO CHI MINH CITY ..... Error! Bookmark not defined.

ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................... 4

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ......................................................................................................... 5

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................. 1

1.1. Rationale.......................................................................................................................... 2

1.2 Research Objectives ......................................................................................................... 2

1.3. Research question ............................................................................................................ 2

1.4 Scope of the study ............................................................................................................ 3

Chapter II: LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................................ 5

2.1. An overview of peer evaluation ...................................................................................... 6

2.2. An overview of paragraph writing .................................................................................. 6

2.2.1. The definition of writing........................................................................................... 6

2.2.2. The process of writing .............................................................................................. 6

2.2.3. The definition of paragraph ...................................................................................... 7

2.2.4. The structure of a paragraph ..................................................................................... 8

2.3. Techniques in writing class ............................................................................................. 8

2.3.1. Rubrics for evaluation (instructions) ........................................................................ 8

2.3.2. Students’ challenges/difficulties in applying peer evaluation activity ..................... 9

2.3.3. Investigation in students’ responses of peer evaluation ......................................... 10

2.4. Further summary ........................................................................................................... 13

CHAPTER III. RESEARCH DESIGN .................................................................................... 16

3.1. Research site/Context: ................................................................................................... 17

3.2. Participants/Objects:...................................................................................................... 17

3.3. Research methodology and research methods .............................................................. 17

3.4. Procedures ..................................................................................................................... 19

3.5. Data analysis ................................................................................................................. 20

CHAPTER IV: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS ................................................................. 22

Chapter V. Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 41

References ................................................................................................................................ 44

Submitted by Le Hoang Phuc ID number: 18072551

Supervisor: Le Thi Thuy, M.A. 1

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Submitted by Le Hoang Phuc ID number: 18072551

Supervisor: Le Thi Thuy, M.A. 2

1.1. Rationale

In the learning process of a new language, the four obligatory skills that learners must acquire

are Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. However, standing out from the rest, Writing

is frequently being underestimated by many learners for its lack of attentions and low

expectations. For instance, writing learners cannot figure out and solve the literary mistakes

they have made in their writing assignments since the teacher did not have enough time to

correct all of them in details and the numbers of attendance in one writing class are too many.

For those reasons, the researchers believed that peer review technique is an alternative method

of enhancing and improving the learning experience of this skill by applying it into Writing 2

classes. However, the researchers did not have any further information on the difficulties the

students may encounter when participating in this experiment process.

Therefore, a study on the English-majored sophomores’ responses to peer review technique

and the difficulties in applying the activities in their writing 2 classes at FFL, IUH is needed to

address this issue. This method assists learners, especially English-majored sophomores at

IUH, in the progress of getting familiar to peer review technique and improving the learners’

writing quality through peer assessments in writing classes.

1.2 Research Objectives

In this specific research, the researchers mainly focus on the responses and the difficulties of

English-majored sophomores at IUH when taking part in the peer review activities. Firstly, the

researchers’ main aim is to figure out what difficulties second year English-majored students

will encounter in writing 2 classes and how they will response to those challenges. Secondly,

through this research, researchers will be able to have a closer look at the reasons that lead to

such difficulties in applying peer evaluation technique. Finally, the researchers are looking

forward to the soon-conducted fact that this peer review technique will be widely used and

become one of many effective methods of improving students' writing skills in writing classes.

1.3. Research question

1. What are the English-majored sophomores’ perceptions of peer evaluation in Writing 2

classes at IUH?

2. What are the difficulties that the learners may encounter when applying peer evaluation

technique in Writing 2 classes at IUH?

3. What are the factors that lead to these difficulties in applying peer review technique in

Writing 2 classes at IUH?