THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE LANGUAGE EXPERIENCE APPROACH
AND EXTENSIVE READING APPROACH IN IMPROVING
THE NARRATIVE WRITING SKILLS OF UPPER
PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS
By:
Siti Mariam bt Mohammad Iliyas Academy of Language Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM)
Johor
Amutha Kuppa
Thilakavathy A/P Vellasamy Faculty of Education, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Skudai
ABSTRACT
Writing is a means of extending and deepening students’ knowledge and it acts as a tool for learning subject matter
(Keys, 2000; Shanahan, 2004; Sperling & Freedman, 2001).The
skill of writing is taught to enable learners to express their ideas
clearly on paper in legible handwriting. In this component, the
focus is on developing learners’ writing ability beginning at the
word and phrase levels and progress to the sentence and paragraph levels. This study sets out to investigate the effectiveness
of using Language Experience Approach and Extensive Reading Approach as approaches to improve writing ability among
the pupils. Quantitative analysis was utilized following the data
gathered from both experimental and treatment groups. The
findings suggest that the incorporation of these approaches in
language classroom is highly recommended based on the significantly positive effect that they have towards improving language learners’ skills.
Keywords: Language Experience Approach, Extensive Reading
Approach, Writing Skills
INTRODUCTION
Experience Approach) was used based
LEA (Language
on the concept that children are better in reading
materials that exist from their own experience and
oral language. Miles, S (2006) has shown that
shared reading and writing of the text using
frameworks as guides demonstrated one’s
own thinking and planning of how to write
a narrative which led on to a lot of useful discussion and writing. According to Krashen &
Biber (1988), students in classes employ such
strategies and techniques which are acquired
in impressive amounts of English and learn
content matter. According to Genishi and
Dyson, for children, “becoming able to use
written language for different social purposes
is part of becoming communicatively competent” (1989, p. 235).
Following that, the Extensive Reading Approach (ERA)
was used. Extensive Reading (ER) means reading widely, with
pleasure and in high quantities. IT is an effective component for
language learning when ER conjoined with writing activities.
The purpose of ER is “to improve reading skills by processing a
quantity of materials that can be comprehended and pleasurable”
(Gebhard, 2006). Marusic (2000) also supports ER by stating
that it “can help improve reading skills in native and foreign languages and can also have a beneficial effect on the development
of other language skills such as writing and speaking”.
The research is based on pupils in a vernacular (Tamil)
school, where one of the researchers has been teaching for the
last nine years. It is situated 5 km away from the nearest town.
These pupils’ second language is English and the national language is Bahasa Malaysia. Tamil Language is the medium of language used widely in school and also their mother tongue.
Background of the Study
Proficient writing in English Language is important
to complete many vital tasks in and out of school. In primary
schools, students must use writing skills to achieve success across
the curricula. The Ministry of Education has introduced ETeMS
which is a pilot program where the medium of instruction has
been switched from Bahasa Malaysia to English but pupils still
weak in writing whereby they could not show effective comprehensible output in their writing. Previous studies on proficient
writing states that written language demands increase of grade
level (Christenson, Thurlow, Ysseldyke, & McVicar, 1989; Polloway, Patton, & Cohen, 1981), making it important for young
learners to master foundation skills whereas older learners to
build on those skills.
Therefore as Bello (1997) states that, as in the LEA
learners should be taught the various steps involved in writing
such as talking, reading, and writing about a shared experience.
In the process, they are also taught to use
correct grammar and appropriate vocabulary to get their meaning clearly across. The
amount of control is relaxed for learners
who are able and proficient in the language,
although much of the writing at this level is
guided. All learners are encouraged to write
for different purposes and audiences.
Furthermore, this study would like
to support that ER is about combining reading-writing to help students improve their
language abilities, especially reading as input and writing as output. In particular, ER
and writing together is more effective in improving students’ language skills compared to by having reading
activity and writing task separately. An excellent way to improve
students’ language proficiency is by making connections between
ER and writing as it offers students the opportunity to think
critically, organize their thoughts, and share their knowledge.
The Effectiveness of The La