Creation of Skill in Writing the English Articles through Arsean Tales

Abstract

 The main purposes of this research were: (1) to study conditions and problems of the English-articles writing of the students at Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, Khonkaen Campus, (2) to build and try out the English-article writing package through Arsean tales and (3) to suggest a way of creating the skill of writing English Articles through Arsean tales. This was a mixed method research: a quantitative research and a quasi-experimental researche. The samples were 27 English major students randomized with the purposive sampling method. The research tools were the English-article writing lessons, the pre-test and the post-test, questionnaire and interview. The statistics for data analysis was percentage, mean, standard deviation and t-test (t-test for dependent samples).

                A result of this research study was:

1. The problem of teaching English writing for the English major students at Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, Khonkaen Campus was found in the following points. (1) The teaching plan is not conducive to the continuous development of English language. (2) It was the lack of English speaking lecturers for basic subjects. (3) There was the lack of English textbooks for the basic subjects. (4) The system to test new qualifying students failed to meet the objectives. (5) The students lacked basic knowledge in English. (6) Students lacked internal stimuli.  (7) Students lacked the external stimuli. (8) There was a little production of English textbooks. (9) The activities did not support English education. (10) The environment was not conducive to English language development. (11) Students lacked direct experience.


2. The English-article writing package consisted of 10 units. Unit 1 provided exemplification integrated with Thai tale, "Rabbit and Crocodile". Unit 2 provided exemplification integrated with the Malaysian fairy tale, "Tiger and Tigers". Unit 3 provided comparison integrated with Philippine's folktale, "Boys Become Rocks". Unit 4 dealt with  contrast integrated with Lao's tale, "Monkey and Crocodile". Unit 5 provided definition integrated with a Vietnamese folktale, "Dare Chicks and Fox". Unit 6 provided  the chronological order integrated with the Indonesian fairy tale, "Centipede Lake". Unit 7 provided cause and effect integrated with a Singaporean Tale, "Attack of Singapore". Unit 8 provided with reference integrated with a Cambodian tale, "Food Smell". Unit 9 provided a comparative paragraph integrated with a Brunei Tale, "Golden Mountain and Rice". Unit 10 provided a definition paragraph integrated with Burma's folktale, "The King Eat Husk".

                To find out the created English-article writing package was found that the 10 units  had the specified E₁ / E₂ efficiency average of 80/80 by getting the efficiency of 80.07/ 85.56. The efficiency of the process was E₁ of 80.07, which is the average score obtained from the students' pretest. The efficiency of  results was E2 of 85.56, based on the average score of the students who received the post test.

                The analysis of the progress in writing English articles of students, who had been trained with the English-article writing package, was found that students had the ability to write English articles in higher statistical significance than before using English-article writing package at the level of 0.05.

1. A way of enhancing the English-article writing package through Arsean fairy tales for the English major students at Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, Khonkaen Campus was in the following point. (1) There were lectures in English for basic subjects. (2) There was invitation of qualified lecturers to lecture English for basic subjects. (3) The promotion of the production of English texts for basic subjects. (4) Promotion of English reading was done with providing English books for basic subjects. (5) There was participation in English language activities. (6) There was job training in local companies. (7) The university activities were integrated into the English language. (8) There was an environment suitable for the English development. (9) There was the creation of the central examination in English.

                Some suggestions from this research results consisted of the policy and practical suggestions. (1) Regarding the policy suggestion, Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, Khonkaen Campus may use the results of this research study to support a policy of leaning-and-teaching media innovation and to support the personnel to create the teaching media. (2) Regarding the practical suggestion, a teacher should prepare all students and material, and accept the students' different views.