An Exploratory Study of Sentence Structure Instruction in Improving Chulalongkorn University Law Students' Writing Ability

Authors

Adisra Katib

Publication Date

2009-01-01

Abstract

This research explores the effect of sentence structure instruction and sentence-combining practice on writing performance in answering essay questions and on syntactic complexity measured in paragraph writing of second-year Chulalongkorn University Law students taking the English for Academic Purposes (Law) I course. Four groups of students participated in the study: the experimental higher and lower proficiency groups and the control higher and lower proficiency groups. The two experimental groups of different proficiency levels were given treatment of different types of sentence structure instruction and sentence-combining practice for twelve weeks while the two control groups of different proficiency levels were taught in the regular EAP Law course. The test scores were rated holistically, taken into consideration different aspects of the writing skill. The results show the two experimental groups' posttest scores were significantly higher than their pre-test scores. Their post-test scores were also significantly higher than their peers in the control groups. The students' writing was also analyzed to measure their syntactic complexity using six elements of T-unit analyses: the number of words, the numberof clauses, the number of T-units, the average number of words per clause, the average number of words per T-unit, and the averge number of clauses per T-unit. The results show significant gains in some elements of syntactic complexity of both the experimental higher and lower proficiency groups. There were no gains in syntactic complexity for the control groups. From the questionnaire, students' attitudes towards sentence-combining instruction and practice were positive, but the amount of materials covered also had to be taken into consideration. pedagogical and research implications and suggestions for future research were included.

DOI

10.58837/CHULA.PASAA.43.1.2

First Page

13

Last Page

50

Recommended Citation

Katib, Adisra (2009) "An Exploratory Study of Sentence Structure Instruction in Improving Chulalongkorn University Law Students' Writing Ability," PASAA: Vol. 43: Iss. 1, Article 2.
DOI: 10.58837/CHULA.PASAA.43.1.2
Available at: https://digital.car.chula.ac.th/pasaa/vol43/iss1/2