Options
Effects of an approach incorporating sentence-combining and self-editing on writing skills of secondary one pupils
Loading...
Type
Thesis
Author
Toh, Weng Choy
Supervisor
Seet, Oliver B. H.
Abstract
Studies in America, Canada and elsewhere have shown that by itself sentence-combining practice has had positive effects on subjects' writing resulting in more 'mature' sentence structures and in some cases even in improvement in quality of writing from primary right through to college level. Similarly, self-editing has had the same positive effects.
Unlike other studies, this study attempts to explore the effects of the two techniques, i.e. sentence-combining and self-editing in combination, and in a non-native speaking environment.
An approach incorporating sentence-combining and self-editing was tried out with 62 subjects in two average Secondary schools in Singapore.
No additional time, however, was added to the curriculum of the two selected schools. Sentence-combining exercise in the form of worksheets replaced the once-a-week lesson devoted to grammar instruction in the English Language programme, and self-editing involving the use of a checklist took the place of the brief, fortnightly post-writing discussion in the classroom.
All sessions on sentence-combining and self-editing were conducted by the regular English Language teachers who had been briefed by the researcher on the subject matter.
The treatment lasted ten weeks during which the experimental subjects went through ten sentence-combining and three self-editing exercises. In contrast, the 64 control subjects followed the normal English Language programmes of their schools.
The findings indicate that the approach had a significant effect on the writing of the experimental subjects, resulting in the subjects writing syntactically more 'mature' sentences at the end of the treatment.
This growth in 'syntactic maturity' was measured in terms of Hunt's (1965) three main factors of syntactic maturity, namely, number of words per T-unit, number of clauses per T-unit, and number of words per clause.
In contrast, it was shown that the subjects in the control group had experienced a 'normal' syntactic growth (one which was of 'glacial slowness') when their posttest scores on the three factors of syntactic maturity were compared with their pretest scores, and compared with the normative data of Hunt for subjects of a similar level.
This study appears to endorse the positive effects of sentence-combining and self-editing, and supports the use of these techniques in the classroom.
Unlike other studies, this study attempts to explore the effects of the two techniques, i.e. sentence-combining and self-editing in combination, and in a non-native speaking environment.
An approach incorporating sentence-combining and self-editing was tried out with 62 subjects in two average Secondary schools in Singapore.
No additional time, however, was added to the curriculum of the two selected schools. Sentence-combining exercise in the form of worksheets replaced the once-a-week lesson devoted to grammar instruction in the English Language programme, and self-editing involving the use of a checklist took the place of the brief, fortnightly post-writing discussion in the classroom.
All sessions on sentence-combining and self-editing were conducted by the regular English Language teachers who had been briefed by the researcher on the subject matter.
The treatment lasted ten weeks during which the experimental subjects went through ten sentence-combining and three self-editing exercises. In contrast, the 64 control subjects followed the normal English Language programmes of their schools.
The findings indicate that the approach had a significant effect on the writing of the experimental subjects, resulting in the subjects writing syntactically more 'mature' sentences at the end of the treatment.
This growth in 'syntactic maturity' was measured in terms of Hunt's (1965) three main factors of syntactic maturity, namely, number of words per T-unit, number of clauses per T-unit, and number of words per clause.
In contrast, it was shown that the subjects in the control group had experienced a 'normal' syntactic growth (one which was of 'glacial slowness') when their posttest scores on the three factors of syntactic maturity were compared with their pretest scores, and compared with the normative data of Hunt for subjects of a similar level.
This study appears to endorse the positive effects of sentence-combining and self-editing, and supports the use of these techniques in the classroom.
Date Issued
1991
Call Number
PE1375 Toh
Date Submitted
1991