tailieunhanh - Báo cáo " Teaching efl writing in Vietnam: Problems and solutions - a discussion from the outlook of applied linguistics "

Applied linguistics is defined as a discipline that uses a variety of methods to address language-based problems, one of which is that of language teaching and learning. Based on this definition, the article will define and tackle the problem of teaching EFL writing in Vietnam which has, for a long time, been considered a challenge for language teachers. Specifically, this article will explore three main areas of the problem: (i) How to raise students’ awareness of why they should write in English, (ii) How to teach students to write in English, and (iii) How to assess students’ writing skill | VNU Journal of Science Foreign Languages 25 2009 61-66 Teaching efl writing in Vietnam Problems and solutions - a discussion from the outlook of applied linguistics Nguyen Ho Hoang Thuy Department of English College of Foreign Languages Hue University Hue Vietnam Received 25 September 2008 Abstract. Applied linguistics is defined as a discipline that uses a variety of methods to address language-based problems one of which is that of language teaching and learning. Based on this definition the article will define and tackle the problem of teaching EFL writing in Vietnam which has for a long time been considered a challenge for language teachers. Specifically this article will explore three main areas of the problem i How to raise students awareness of why they should write in English ii How to teach students to write in English and iii How to assess students writing skill. The article will be concluded that the problem of teaching EFL writing can be solved thanks to different methods such as psycholinguistics SLA syntax sociolinguistics and pragmatics and that the solutions will help developing the students English writing skill in particular and communicative competence in general. 1. Introduction In the traditional view applied linguistics is for language teaching. Nonetheless Bardovi-Harlig 1 Davies 2 Grabe 3 and Cook 4 all contend that applied linguistics looks at language-based problems in a variety of areas which include but are not limited to language teaching and learning. They also admit that to address such language-based problems applied linguistics resorts to a wide range of methods which can be found in second language acquisition SLA psycholinguistics syntax sociolinguistics pragmatics among others. The above-mentioned definition implies that language teaching and learning is one area to be exploited in applied linguistics. Based on Tel. 84-054-3815695. E-mail nhhoangthuy@ this definition this article will address one problem related to EFL .