Седьмой международный творческий конкурс «Золотая осень» для детей, педагогов и воспитателей

 

What genres do Kazakh students use while writing an essay?

Восьмой международный творческий конкурс «Золотая осень» для детей, педагогов и воспитателей

 

 

 

 

 

Жуматай Назгуль Нурланкызы студентка 3 курса, специальность 5В011900 - Иностранный язык, Восточно-Казахстанский государственный университет им.С.Аманжолова, г. Усть-Каменогорск

 

 

 

Жуматай Назгуль Нурланкызы

Introduction

As a student to take interview is a good idea to improve our skill. Doing this research we had knowing more things about genre. Genre is the term that is used commonly to describe how people communicate through their use of language and how they group text together. Furthermore, genre can be measure of how common something is in a discourse community.

We worked on this report for three weeks. Our main question was: «What genres do Kazakh students use when writing an essay?» We chose this question because all Kazakh students have similar problems when they write essays, and for one thing we wondered what genres they most often write. Genre plays a significant part in writing. More precisely, genre knowledge serves as the basic for all writing: it is the foundation for every single type of paper. We decided to do a mini-interview among students with whom we study together. We wanted to examine the writing an essay. We received with different answers.

Of study is significant in that it will let us see how the students write an essay and what genres do Kazakh students use when writing an essay? It allows to know experiences writing essay of students.

Methodology

Participant Selection: We interviewed students such as: Aisha, Toti, Rasul, Aidana, Mansur, Asel. We chose this question because we interested in which genres Kazakh students find it easier and more interesting to write essays or about other genres. We decided to do a mini-interview among students with whom we study together. Compiled questions and took a few opinions from the students. Surprisingly everyone has different interview answers. The first week we made up the questions and already the second week we together the whole team interviewed fellow students, in the third week we did the analysis. We asked that their answers not be very long, that is, in brief. They took this interview seriously. We sent questions to their emails and received answers in a very short time. We asked chose a literary genre and inquired about their opinions about this genre when writing an essay in English. Also asked what difficulties they encountered? How to avoid problems in writing an essay? We sent out to about twelve students, but received only half the answer. We got an agreement from the students and then just interviewed. Not all classmates want to go abroad, so we picked up those who are planning to leave in the near future. We were interested in precisely those students who are going to leave to study.

Research Setting: The interview was conducted via email. At first we other questions but at the end everyone liked this one. The interview was conducted in compliance with ethically. At the request of the interviewees, we remained anonymous.

Data Collection: Data was collected discussing between the group`s membranes. Focus groups were conducted semi-structured we collected data from students twice. Re-data collection was more structured. We were looking for information about what they think about genres, etc.

Data Analysis: Many students did not write much essay in English. Most wrote in their native language, that is, in Kazakh. Often we write on a literary genre if it is an essay in Kazakh. Because, Kazakh language is very rich and beautiful. It helped many students to write in a different language. Most of the students in writing an essay have not cosen only literary but olso others, such us detective story, fantasy, science fiction, drama, artistic and romantic genres.

Results and Discussion

As we all know write an essay in English language is so difficult. For us write on it is native language easier than on alien. For this us costs much read and practice. There is very much species genre. We have chosen most common from them, i. e. literary genre. A literary genre is a category of literary composition. Genres may be determined by literary technique, tone, content, or even (as I the case of fiction) length. The distinctions between genres and categories are flexible and loosely defined, often with subgroups. The most general genres in literature are (in loose chronological order) epic, tragedy, comedy, and creative nonfiction. They can all be in the form of prose or poetry. And we conducted an interview about genre in electronic form.

After we collected all the answers, after reading we were considered that we thought wrong. In the beginning, we thought that almost all Kazakh students had very similar problems when writing essays. But comparing our thoughts changed. Each person is individual. Almost all 90% of the guys wrote that they look good at the literary genre. We also think that is one of the most popular genres. And many students, it turns out, have already written on this genre. That is, many have experience in writing an essay. Everyone has different problems in writing an essay, but the literary genre has turned out to be convenient for many.

But we have to take the other side into writing an essay. Many admitted that this genre is very difficult to understand. They would like to learn to write on this genre, because it will be useful to them in the future.

1. What is your first language? Why are you learning languages?
2. Do you like English language? Why or why not?
3. How do you learn to write an essay in English?
4. What difficulties do you have when you write an essay?
5. Which genre do you prefer to write?
6. What do you think about literary genre?
7. Have you ever written an essay on a literary genre?
8. If you did not write an essay correctly what would you do?
9. What are the genres that you think are going to write in the future?
10. How does your writing history experience affect your current writing?

Thank you for your time, you gave me much helpful information.
Your response will help us a lot in our research.

Interview 1

Interviewer: Nazgul

Interviewee: Aisha

Interviewee background: Student

Interviewer: Good morning

Interviewee: Good morning

Interviewer: I am going to ask you few questions for my qualitative research paper. First let me tell you the research question: How do you learn to write a genre.

Now we can start

Q1. What is your first language? Why are you learning languages?

Interviewee: My first language is English. Because English is one of the most spoken language and it is the International language. So I in нашthis language everywhere I go or travel.

Q2. Do you like English language? Why or why not?

Interviewee: I like English language. English-it is very logical, specific and concise language. It is interesting to study.

Q3. How do you learn to write an essay in English?

Interviewee: I learnt writing essay from watching movies with subtitles and reading book in English language.

Q4. What difficulties do you have when you write an essay?

Interviewee: Difficulty starting an essay is often one of the first problems.

Q5. Which genre do you prefer to write?

Interviewee: I tried to write essays on different genres, but I liked the literary genre. Because, the most general genres in literature are epic, comedy and creative nonfiction.

Q6. What do you think about a literary genre?

Interviewee: Writing essays in literary genre is difficult and hard to understand. But also it is interesting and amazing. That’s why I like this genre. Literary genre’s sections like detective story, fantasy, science fiction and mystery.

Q7. Have you ever written an essay on a literary genre?

Interviewee: I wrote a literary genre in Kazakh language.

Q8. If you did not write an essay correctly what would you do?

Interviewee: I just use simple words to explain my opinion.

Q9. What are the genres that you think are going to write in the future?

Interviewee: I do not like to write the genre. Maybe, I will write a literacy genre.

Q10. How does your writing history experience affect your current writing?

Interviewee: My writing history experience is normal.

Interview 2

Interviewer: Nazgul

Interviewee: Aidana

Interviewee background: Student

Interviewer: Good morning

Interviewee: Good morning

Interviewer: I am going to ask you few questions for my qualitative research paper. First let me tell you the research question: How do you learn to write a genre.

Now we can start

Q1. What is your first language? Why are you learning languages?

Interviewee: My first language is Kazakh. I study foreign language for my future profession and it is just my hobby.

Q2. Do you like English language? Why or why not?

Interviewee: I really like studying English. English easy to learn and it is one of the most wide-spread languages in the world.

Q3. How do you learn to write an essay in English?

Interviewee: I started with simple writings, such as stories, personal diary, etc.

Q4. What difficulties do you have when you write an essay?

Interviewee: I find it difficult to plan the essay.

Q5. Which genre do you prefer to write?

Interviewee: I prefer to write in a literacy genre. I used to write poems in Kazakh.

Q6. What do you think about a literary genre?

Interviewee: Literacy genre used by books or folklore etc. This genre is useful for professional people or poet writer and so on.

Q7. Have you ever written an essay on a literary genre?

Interviewee: For my final exam I wrote an essay about Y. Altynsarin, a Kazakh writer. I explored his composition work.

Q8. If you did not write an essay correctly what would you do?

Interviewee: I will practice more.

Q9. What are the genres that you think are going to write in the future?

Interviewee: I want write about drama in the future.

Q10. How does your writing history experience affect your current writing?

Interviewee: My writing history experience helps me to write a good essay in Kazakh language.

Interview 3

Interviewer: Nazgul

Interviewee: Toti

Interviewee background: Student

Interviewer: Good morning

Interviewee: Good morning

Interviewer: I am going to ask you few questions for my qualitative research paper. First let me tell you the research question: How do you learn to write genre.

Now we can start

Q1. What is your first language? Why are you learning languages?

Interviewee: My first language is Kazakh.

Q2. Do you like English language? Why or why not?

Interviewee: I like English language. It is the international language.

Q3. How do you learn to write an essay in English?

Interviewee: When I study at school my teacher of English language touch me to write an essay.

Q4. What difficulties do you have when you write an essay?

Interviewee: I do not have enough vocabulary. That is my difficulty.

Q5. Which genre do you prefer to write?

Interviewee: I prefer to write a narrative.

Q6. What do you think about a literary genre?

Interviewee: From the literacy genre I like poetry, especially Shakespeare.

Q7. Have you ever written an essay on a literary genre?

Interviewee: I practically do not write an essay, because it requires a lot of knowledge.

Q8. If you did not write an essay correctly what would you do?

Interviewee: I concentrate my thoughts and will do my best.

Q9. What are the genres that you think are going to write in the future?

Interviewee: I would like to write in the artistic genre.

Q10. How does your writing history experience affect your current writing?

Interviewee: Every time I get better.

Interview 4

Interviewer: Nazgul

Interviewee: Mansur

Interviewee background: Student

Interviewer: Good morning

Interviewee: Good morning

Interviewer: I am going to ask you few questions for my qualitative research paper. First let me tell you the research question: How do you learn to write a genre.

Now we can start

Q1. What is your first language? Why are you learning languages?

Interviewee: My first language is Kazakh.

Q2. Do you like English language? Why or why not?

Interviewee: Actually, I do not like English. I learn English language because I need for my future. But it does not mean that I hate English.

Q3. How do you learn to write an essay in English?

Interviewee: I think, writing essay in English have not different from writing essay in Kazakh or Russian. And also English classes helped me to develop me skills in writing essay.

Q4. What difficulties do you have when you write an essay?

Interviewee: Difficult in writing essay for me is formulating plan.

Q5. Which genre do you prefer to write?

Interviewee: I prefer to write in a literary genre. I used to write poems in Kazakh. And I have some written in English also. But they are not accurate as the ones that I wrote in my mother language.

Q6. What do you think about a literary genre?

Interviewee: Literary genres used by books or folklore etc. For example: drama. I think it is so boring or too hard to understand. This genre is useful for professional people or poet writer and so on.

Q7. Have you ever written an essay on a literary genre?

Interviewee: I have written a short essay about time-machine it was the science fiction when I was at school.

Q8. If you did not write an essay correctly what would you do?

Interviewee: If I did not write genre correctly I will read about genre everything again and practice it.

Q9. What are the genres that you think are going to write in the future?

Interviewee: In the future I want to write mystery and detective story.

Q10. How does your writing history experience affect your current writing?

Interviewee: Every time when teacher checked my essay, I understood my mistakes and corrected them. And I tried not to make mistakes again. And I think my experience will affect to write a good essay.

Interview 5

Interviewer: Nazgul

Interviewee: Rasul

Interviewee background: Student

Interviewer: Good morning

Interviewee: Good morning

Interviewer: I am going to ask you few questions for my qualitative research paper. First let me tell you the research question: How do you learn to write a genre.

Now we can start

Q1. What is your first language? Why are you learning languages?

Interviewee: My first language is Kazakh. I am learning because it helps me to reach my purpose.

Q2. Do you like English language? Why or why not?

Interviewee: I like because this language gives me more opportunities than another.

Q3. How do you learn to write an essay in English?

Interviewee: I learned with the help of teachers and Joseph Wilson.

Q4. What difficulties do you have when you write an essay?

Interviewee: It is hard to follow requirements.

Q5. Which genre do you prefer to write?

Interviewee: I do not write relying on an essay system. I prefer to write an essay without requirements.

Q6. What do you think about a literary genre?

Interviewee: I had not written an essay in this genre. But I heard about literary genre. I think it is a good genre to observe your abilities skills.

Q7. Have you ever written an essay on a literary genre?

Interviewee: I wrote literacy narrative

Q8. If you did not write an essay correctly what would you do?

Interviewee: I will write it again correctly.

Q9. What are the genres that you think are going to write in the future?

Interviewee: Maybe I will research. I am thinking about it.

Q10. How does your writing history experience affect your current writing?

Interviewee: I think every writing task helped to improve my writing skills.

Interview 6

Interviewer: Nazgul

Interviewee: Asel

Interviewee background: Student

Interviewer: Good morning

Interviewee: Good morning

Interviewer: I am going to ask you few questions for my qualitative research paper. First let me tell you the research question: How do you learn to write a genre.

Now we can start

Q1. What is your first language? Why are you learning languages?

Interviewee: My first language is Kazakh.

Q2. Do you like English language? Why or why not?

Interviewee: I like because it is the international language. And want to travel to Europe.

Q3. How do you learn to write an essay in English?

Interviewee: I learned with the help of teachers at the school.

Q4. What difficulties do you have when you write an essay?

Interviewee: I have not enough vocabulary to write an essay. This is my difficulty.

Q5. Which genre do you prefer to write?

Interviewee: I prefer to write about romantic.

Q6. What do you think about a literary genre?

Interviewee: I like to read about a literary genre. But I do not want to write about a literary genre because it is so difficult for me.

Q7. Have you ever written an essay on a literary genre?

Interviewee: I have not written an essay on a literary genre. But I tried to write a literary genre.

Q8. If you did not write an essay correctly what would you do?

Interviewee: I will write it again.

Q9. What are the genres that you think are going to write in the future?

Interviewee: I am going to write about a romantic.

Q10. How does your writing history experience affect your current writing?

Interviewee: Joseph Wilson teaching us to write an essay. And, now I am writing an essay. Thank you for Joseph Wilson.

Thank you, very much.

Analysis

Interviewee: Aisha

Q5. Which genre do you prefer to write?

Interviewee: I tried to write essays on different genres, but I liked the literary genre.
Because, the most general genres in literature are epic, comedy and creative nonfiction.
Q6. What do you think about a literary genre?

Interviewee: Writing essays in literary genre is difficult and hard to understand. But also it is interesting and amazing. That’s why I like this genre. Literary genre’s sections like detective story, fantasy, science fiction and mystery.

She had previously written in many genres and found the genre she likes. For her, difficulties in writing an essay are not a problem. She shared certain genres she likes.

Interviewee: Mansur

Q5. Which genre do you prefer to write?

Interviewee: I prefer to write in a literary genre. I used to write poems in Kazakh. And I have some written in English also. But they are not accurate as the ones that I wrote in my mother language.

Q6. What do you think about a literary genre?

Interviewee: Literary genres used by books or folklore etc. For example: drama. I think it is so boring or too hard to understand. This genre is useful for professional people or poet writer and so on.

He said that it is easier for him to write in Kazakh language than in English, of course this is his native language. He still finds it difficult to convey his thoughts. And if you say about the literary genre, he thinks it is boring.

Interviewee: Rasul

Q5. Which genre do you prefer to write?

Interviewee: I do not write relying on an essay system. I prefer to write an essay without requirements.

Q6. What do you think about a literary genre?

Interviewee: I had not written an essay in this genre. But I heard about literary genre. I think it is a good genre to observe your abilities skills.

He prefers to write freely. Since we know that in many cases it is impossible in this way, we think that he should practice more in writing an essay. But he knows that this is a good way to observe skills in writing an essay.

 

Conclusion

As the result, linking them with genre studies, which we have already analyzed in this class, we did a good job. We initially set ourselves a goal, and during this work on the survey question, we learned a lot. Our goal is «to find out which genres in writing an essay are more suited to Kazakh students?» and we received answers. We choose one of the more common genres and asked what they thought about this kind of genre. We choose as an example the answers of three guys to the most important questions, in our opinion, and mini analyzes.

To tell the truth, throughout our research, some errors were committed that could be done better in future research. Further, in the future when we choose to go with a more survey based approach, they should probably send the survey to more people and try to get more responses back. Our interview was conducted among students who study with us, that is, there were few of them. So, to achieve accurate result and answers, we should increase the number of people. And most of students couldn’t differentiate kinds of genres, and it was hard to get information from them about themes that they didn’t knew.

Moreover, in the future we are going to continue the research in this area, by showing genre knowledge from different angles, because genre knowledge can be helpful not only when writing an essay, but in many other activities. Therefore, in the future we want to show the influence of genre knowledge in other activities. It’s multi- faceted science. And also we are planning to interview students from schools for gifted children, for example: Nazarbayev school, Daryn school, «KTL». There is a lot of work that has to be done.

Finally, interviewing is very interesting, because, when we interviewed we received interesting answers. For example, when we asked about genre, Rasul answered that he prefers to write an essay without requirements. Everyone has different interview answers. Thanks for Interviewees. They gave us much helpful information. Their response helped us a lot in our research. And, we did a good job with our groups.

Reference page

Lukina, M.(2005) Interview genres and notifications, 91-100, httpsss:llcyberleninka.ru.
Mineeva, J. H, (2014) Academic essay theory and practice of the genre, 203-256, httpsss: llcyberleninka. ru.

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