The Effect of Using English Poetry as a Model Text on eveloping Tawjihi grader's writing skills in Tulkarem District

The Effect of Using English Poetry as a Model Text on eveloping Tawjihi grader's writing skills in Tulkarem District

Abd-Al-Hameed Jabsheh English language is considered as one of the most important languages a Palestinian school student should acquire at an early age for two reasons: first, it is an international language of communication; second, it is highly essential for those students who are planning to continue their academic Studies. As a result, students should be helped to acquire and produce correct and understandable forms of both spoken and written English language. Effort to search for new approaches, methods and techniques, must be paid by researchers, teachers, and educators to achieve such a goal. The present study aimed at answering the following questions: -What is the ehlcct ol'using English poetry as a model text on developing tawjehi Students' writing skills in 'Tulkarem district? -What are the major problems that Tawjehi Students in 'I'ulkarem District confront when learning and studying English poetry? -What are the major reasons and factors that motivate Tawjehi Students in Tulkarem district to study and comprehend English poetry? -What is the degree of benefit that Tawjehi Students in 'I'ulkarem District think they call get out of the per-using of an English poem as a model text on their writing skills. To answer these questions, four major secondary schools in Tulkarern City were selected and the suns of the Tawjehi students in these schools was (573) students males, females, scientific and literary streams. Out this surd, a sample of (114), male and female students, was selected. This study was experimental      in nature as a pre/post written extracts were collected. "These written extracts were evaluated by an evaluation matrix based on the matrixes used by I loneyglian (1995), and Golf (1994). The researcher also prepared a questionnaire, which was lillcd- in by the students, for the purpose of collecting data related to the questions of the study. All the data collected in this study were analyzed by using the (SPSS) Computer program. Different statistical techniques were used and they did include means and percentages, analysis oh variance (ANOVA), and the paired t-test. Results oh this study indicated that there was a development in the students' post written extracts due to the pre-using of the model poem; their writings included borrowings from the model poem's vocabulary, ideas, grammar, and punctuation. Such a development was also confirmed by the students who expressed their opinions through the questionnaire on the degree of benefit they got from the model poem on their writing skills. Findings of the study revealed some problems and obstacles Tawjehi Graders front while learning English poetry. According to students' responses, these problems were descended to rank as follows: Vocabulary of the poem, the method till'OUgh Which poetry is taught, the ambiguity in the theme of the poem, tile absence of relevance between tile subject of the poem and the students' daily life, and the lack of historical background about the poet Which Wrote tile I)OCIII. As a result the researcher recommends that the attention of teachers and educators should be re-focused on poetry as a good instructional text that if used as a model could develop students' Writing skills. Further studies in the field are recommended especially in other areas of Palestine and other scholastic levels. Abd-Al-Hameed Jabsheh Supervisor Dr. Suzane Arafat 1999 Zajel / An-Najah National University