The Effects of the Graphic Organizer Instruction on Taiwanese seventh graders' English Story Retelling

• Main Authors: Li-Hsin Chen, 陳立馨
• Other Authors: Shau-Ju Chang
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2010
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/19228261342308725789

碩士 === 國立臺灣師範大學 === 英語學系在職進修碩士班 === 99 === The present study aims to investigate the effects of the graphic organizer map instruction (the GO map instruction) on EFL seventh graders’ oral English story retelling. Participants were 54 seventh graders from two classes of students in a public junior high school in Taiwan. There were 27 participants in the experimental group (EG) and 27 in the control group (CG). The treatment lasted for 8 weeks. Prior to the instructions, all the participants first took the speaking test of the elementary GEPT to ascertain their oral English proficiency and then took the pretest. During the instructional phase, the participants in EG received a 4-week GO map instruction while those in the CG the traditional Q & A instruction. After the instructions, they took the posttest. Last, a questionnaire was administered to the participants in the EG. Some of the participants were interviewed to clarify their responses on the questionnaires. The findings of the study are summarized as follows: (1) Although the GO map instruction failed to increase the length of the retold stories effectively, it was effective in significantly reducing the number of false starts and repetitions. (2) Although both the GO map instruction and the traditional Q & A instruction significantly reduced the length of retelling time and improved the original speech rate, only the GO map instruction was effective in significantly facilitating the pruned speech rate. (3) The GO map instruction was effective in the inclusion of more story elements and in the enhancement of the story element content. (4) The GO map instruction was effective in elevating the holistic story retelling performances of the participants in the EG. (5) Most of the participants in the EG found the GO map instruction difficult and regarded “Character” as the easiest element and “Events” the hardest one for them to master. Additionally, all the participants considered the GO map instruction beneficial to the posttest story retelling and held a positive attitude toward it.