Level I

Chapter 8
Writing

English | Vietnamese Section

English | Vietnamese
IC3, IT, TOEFL, Best Answer
Self- and Teacher Evaluation

Topic: Development Partners: Rice and Tradition

Đối tác phát triển

What social and cultural changes accompany development,
and whom do you trust in the development process?

Câu hỏi hướng dẫn:
Những thay đổi về văn hoá xã hội nào đi cùng với phát triển,
Ai là người mà bạn tin tưởng trong quá trình phát triển?

Skills:
In this chapter you will do these things:

• Writing Skills for Introductory and Concluding Paragraphs
• Writing a composition focusing on Introductory and Concluding Paragraphs
• Vocabulary: Identifying and Explaining Vietnamese Traditions and Concepts to speakers of English
• Comparing Vietnamese Writing Styles to Western Styles: Beginnings and Endings of Compositions
• Proofreading Guidelines

  Vietnamese Language Skills:

  • Generating Ideas for Writing
  • Writing a paragraph on Poverty in America

English Language Lesson

Back to Top

Introductory Motivation and Focus:

Acknowledge Women as Farmers Instead of as Mere Wives of Male Farmers

In this chapter, we will consider the role of women in agriculture. Vietnam has many development partners. A great many of these partners believe that without gender equality—that is, equal rights for women— Vietnam cannot make much progress in the global community. Yet, to implement such rights for women will mean social change for Vietnam.

Consider the Following:

• In rural Vietnam, what roles, traditionally, do women have on the farm?
• What work do they do?
• What work do they not do?
• What rights do they have for land, credit and loans?
• Do women’s duties extend beyond the land or fishery—in the home? The market? In production?

Make a list of everything that comes to mind having to do with women and farming.

Read the following, then, think about the questions that follow for a freewriting exercise:

Gender Equality in Rural Economic Development
http://www.undp.org.vn/undp/unews/features/03feat/feat03.htm

Viet Nam has a strong and proud tradition of promoting equality of men and women. Ho Chi Minh identified gender equality as one of the ten main tasks of the Vietnamese Revolution. This tradition dates back to the country’s first Constitution in 1946, which enshrined equality between women and men.

Viet Nam has signed international agreements to promote women's empowerment, including the UN Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women and the Beijing Platform. Viet Nam has specific policy instruments to promote these goals including the Ten-year National Strategy for the Advancement of Women to 2010, and Five-year plan of action to 2005 and the Comprehensive Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy.

On human development indicators, such as life expectancy, literacy, and education enrolment, Viet Nam compares favorably to, and sometimes better than, other countries in the region from a gender equality perspective.

The United Nations Resident Coordinator in Viet Nam, Jordan Ryan, notes: "The UN’s support for efforts toward gender equality is a promising area to work in because of the nation’s commitment to the goals of equality. But Viet Nam cannot afford to be complacent or allow gender disparities to increase. We need to listen to the voices of women who confront challenges every day."

While Viet Nam has taken many steps to ensure equality between women and men, women often find it difficult to take advantage of their legal equality given existing traditional beliefs and attitudes towards them. As Viet Nam joins the global economy, biases against women present a major opportunity cost for the country’s social and economic development.

Freewriting: Write for 15-30 minutes to answer the following questions:

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and other such organizations, have interest in seeing Vietnam develop. They advocate that equal rights for women is essential for this development.

• What are the biases against women in rural Vietnam today?
• What changes would have to take place in order for women in agriculture to be equal to men in farming and aquaculture? What social and cultural changes would Vietnamese society face in order to implement such changes?
• Do you think that such organizations have the right to make such demands on Vietnam? Do you trust what these organizations advocate? Why?

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Introduction to Skill(s):

Writing Introductory and Concluding Paragraphs

So far, we have focused on topic sentences and ways to introduce the main idea of your writing. We have also spent a lot of time with writing the body of an essay and how to support the main idea. In this chapter, we will give guidance in writing introductory and concluding paragraphs to your composition.

We simplify the composition to look like this:

Introductory Paragraph

Body Paragraph 1

Body Paragraph 2

Body Paragraph 3

Concluding Paragraph

There is no right or wrong way to begin and end a composition, often these paragraphs can be the most thought-provoking. The introductory and concluding paragraphs can be thought of as transitions between the outside world and the composition. The introduction transitions the reader from the outside world into the composition; the conclusion transitions the reader from the composition back into the outside world.

The Introductory Paragraph

In Western writing, the introductory paragraph should:

• reveal your topic to the reader—it usually contains the topic or thesis statement
• stimulate the reader’s interest in the composition
• provide necessary background information such as defining terms, giving historical overview, or information about the issue or controversy

The Concluding Paragraph

The conclusion brings the composition to an end and closure for the reader. A Western reader expects a clear signal that the final point has been made. But this signal, remember, is a transition, so it must be smooth and not an abrupt stop that leaves the reader hanging. At the most basic level, the writer must sum up the main points of the topic. There should be no introduction of any new topic. It may, however, go beyond the summation by highlighting how the topic is significant to the world outside the composition. A concluding paragraph should answer the reader’s question, “Why are you telling me this?”

Three or four strong sentences are enough to make a good conclusion. It can include a restatement of what the essay is about. Sometimes using keywords from the topic sentence is good, but avoid using word-for-word statements used earlier in the composition. It should also challenge the reader to think or take action as they re-enter the world outside the composition.

Some words and phrases that may help with writing the conclusion:

-in fact -obviously -clearly -hopefully

-certainly -in conclusion -truly -overall

-definitely -surely -to sum up -all in all

A concluding paragraph may do these things:

• place the composition in a larger context—explain it’s real world significance
• serve as a call to action
• set forth a warning
• raise a question or questions
• introduce a relevant quote
• tell an appropriate anecdote
• deduce from the facts
• dismiss an opposing or alternative idea

Sample Introductory and Concluding Paragraphs:

Sample #1:

Gender Equality Means Prosperity and Economic Growth
http://www.undp.org.vn/undp/unews/features/03feat/feat03.htm

Introductory Paragraph

Ms. An, a resident in Lao Cai, was upset when her local bank rejected her loan application to open a shop, even though the family has land as collateral. Her deceased husband used to obtain some small loans. "It is difficult to borrow loans from the bank because I am a widow now", she says sadly. To raise needed cash, the 52-year-old mother then had to sell a piece of family land. The lack of access to resources, like credit, is a central problem, hindering women’s participation and input into the national		Anecdotal Introduction to stimulate interest
economy. Though Ms. An’s problem may be addressed as the country moves to ensure that all household members are listed on land use certificates, women have less likely to access formal credit than men according to a recent UN report. Two thirds of all fund borrowers are male as women rely on private lenders.		Background information about current issue in Vietnam
The restricted access to credit limits the opportunity of female headed households to develop small scale business.		thesis sentence

Body Paragraph 1

Body Paragraph 2

Body Paragraph 3

 

Concluding Paragraph

While Viet Nam has taken many steps to ensure equality between women and men, women often find it difficult to take advantage of their legal equality given existing traditional beliefs and attitudes towards them.		summary of main idea of composition
As Viet Nam joins the global economy, biases against women present a major opportunity cost for the country’s social and economic development.		Ends with a warning: Vietnam will lose out with no change and answers the question, “Why are you telling me this?”

 

Sample #2:

The Costs of Development
By Cynthia Whitman
http://www.abroadviewmagazine.com/fall_05/taking_on.html

Introductory Paragraph

As I embarked on a four and a half month experience in Southeast Asia, based out of Hanoi, Vietnam’s largest northern city, I knew little of what to expect, and I liked it that way. If someone had told me I would be sitting on a five-inch tall plastic stool on a street corner, sipping local beer and eating dog meat with my Vietnamese language professor at 9 a.m. on a Thursday morning, I would have laughed it off. But it really did happen, and I loved every minute of it. I am studying economics and have focused on the economics of development throughout the world.		Anecdotal Introduction to stimulate interest
Going to Vietnam allowed me to see some current development efforts. Vietnam only gained independence and reunification in April of 1975, at the end of the American War, and the three decades since has been dedicated to the development that was unachievable during war. I studied Vietnamese language, culture, history, and political economy, but I also decided to work on an independent project.		Background information to explain why the writer is writing this
The goal of my study was to learn about the informal sector and Vietnam’s transition to a market economy.		thesis sentence

Body Paragraph 1

Body Paragraph 2

Body Paragraph 3

Concluding Paragraph
I came away conflicted. On the two-day bus ride back to Hanoi, questions ran through my head of what Vietnam’s development goal should be. Should Vietnam strive to Westernize, or is too much history and culture lost in the process? I began to question what exactly was so negative about traditional farming and the simple way of life. I knew amenities such as healthcare and education were important, but I wondered whether development threatened family values and tradition. I began to make sense of it all when I thought about my own family and traditions, things I hold as important in my own life. I found that I am actually not much different from Mimi. While the way in which our everyday activities play out are poles apart, the values we hold are similar. I realized that in the face of development, going slowly and constantly re-evaluating projects can actually preserve values and create a strong society where history is not lost.		summary of main idea of composition and the questions that this adventure leaves with the writer. It places the composition in a larger context—it explains it’s real world significance
Even with urbanization, the people of Vietnam worship their ancestors, showing an appreciation and dedication to their forefathers who fought to bring them the independence they now embrace.		The writer concludes by giving her own answers to the questions using an example and transitioning the reader to the outside world which answers the question, ‘Why are you telling me this?”

 

Sample #3:

Gender Differences in the Transitional Economy of Viet Nam
http://www.fao.org/sd/dim_pe1/pe1_040101_en.htm

Introductory Paragraph
Women's rights and gender equality are embedded in many of Viet Nam's government policies, including its constitution. The Government of Viet Nam has put in place various institutional mechanisms to implement gender equality policies, such as the National Committee for the Advancement of Women. The recent decision of the Prime Minister approving a Strategy for the Advancement of Women to the year 2010 demonstrates the Government's ongoing commitment to the long-term process of achieving gender equality.		Historical background used to set up a thesis that challenges the historical efforts
Nevertheless, persisting traditional practices and attitudes prevent Vietnamese women from enjoying equal rights. At times implementation barriers impede progress in achieving gender equality.		thesis sentence

Body Paragraph 1

Body Paragraph 2

Body Paragraph 3

Concluding Paragraph
Both FAO and UNDP trust that this report will contribute to the on-going debates and discussions on integration of gender considerations in Viet Nam's development policies and programs and stand ready to support the Government in facing this challenge as well as in future gender analysis activities.		This is a call to action conclusion which answers the question,m "Why are you telling me this?"

 

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Writing Assignment: Choose one of the following assignments:

Assignment A: Write a composition that explains the traditional role of women in farming in Vietnam or region. Write the composition for a foreigner who knows little or nothing about Vietnamese rural areas. Pay special attention to the introductory and concluding paragraphs.

Assignment B: In a composition, answer the following question: The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and other such organizations, has interest in seeing Vietnam develop. They advocate that equal rights for women are essential for this development. What changes would have to take place in order for women in agriculture to be equal to men in farming? Pay special attention to the introductory and concluding paragraphs.

Vocabulary: When describing traditions and the social culture from Vietnam, often there are concepts and words that are difficult to translate. When describing Vietnamese rural life, for example, there may be tools that a farmer uses that are unique to a region. Or there may be a religious or cultural concept unique to Vietnam.

For example:

Rice is the web of life in Viet Nam. In the Vietnamese language, it is translated into different designations: “lua” is the rice plant, “thoc” is raw and un-husked rice, “gao” is raw and polished rice, com is ordinary rice, cooked, while “xoi” is glutinous rice, steamed. In the old days, a woman who was unable to breast feed her child would give it rice porridge, and when it was old enough, she would feed it with chewed com. When a person dies, he is said to have taken “xoi,” probably because this type of rice is commonly part of the votive offerings for the dead.

(source: “In Viet Nam, Rice is the Web of Life,” by Huu Ngoc
http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/2004-11/20/Columns/Traditional%20Miscellany.htm )

Along the central coast of Vietnam, fishermen use these boats. These boats are unique to the region. What are these boats called and how would you translate the name into English? If a word is not sufficient, how would you explain these boats to a foreigner?

There are traditional beliefs and superstitions attached this boat and the use of the boat. How would you explain the concepts to a foreigner?

In small groups of 4 or 5: Make a list of Vietnamese words related to farming and fishing. Make a list of traditional beliefs and concepts related to farming. Discuss how to translate these words, phrases, and ideas into English in ways that a person from another culture would understand.

Passage(s) in English:

The reading passage below may be used as resources for your composition. You may also use other resources such as newspapers, books, magazines and the internet for more information.

VIETNAM : Asia's women in agriculture, environment and rural production
http://www.fao.org/sd/WPdirect/WPre0113.htm

Key Facts

• Vietnam's population is still unbalanced, with 51.5 % females and 48.5 % males

• 32 % of the households are headed by women

• women make up 53% of farming population

• women hold dual responsibility for farm and household management

• women above 25 have a 15 % lower literacy rate than men in rice farming women have a substantial role, which is enlarging

• women are actively involved in aquaculture, fisheries and manage small livestock production

• marketing of agricultural products is mainly done by women

• women contribute actively to household income through marketing, petty trade, food processing and handicrafts

• women's contribution as family labor is undervalued and rarely included in accounting as work

• there are no substantial gender disparities in basic human capacities, according to the last ratings in the HDI

During the liberation movement women's economic participation became more important and with this came their recognition as equals with men. Following the reunification of North and South Vietnam in 1975, their role has declined. Vietnam's Constitution and legislation recognize equality of men and women.

Gender division of labor in rice farming
Tasks	Male	Female	Both
Clearing field	x	x*
Plowing	x	x*
Making bunds	x	x*
Preparation seedbed	x	x*
Sowing seedbeds		x
Transplanting		x
Irrigating	x	x*	x
Fertilizing	x	x*	x
Pest control		x
Weeding		x
Harvesting		x
Processing		x
Marketing		x
* in absence of male labor Source: UNIFEM, 1988

Agriculture

Of all households in Vietnam, 70% earn their livelihood from agricultural production. Rice and fish cultivation predominate as main sources of livelihood. In Vietnam, 53% of the farming population is female and 73% of these women are employed in the agricultural sector. In addition, women are involved in trading the agricultural produce in local markets and marketing cooperatives. Crop production The predominant crop is rice, which is grown in the Red River delta, the Mekong delta and coastal zones.

Traditionally, the first stages of rice cultivation are male designated and the latter stages female designated. However, the traditional task division has changed due to lack of male labor. Women are thus increasingly involved in all stages of rice production. Apart from rice, rural households produce a variety of vegetables and fruits in their home gardens. In upland areas, 80% of the land area, farmers produce perennial crops, such as tea, coffee, rubber, pineapple, and have fruit trees.

Fisheries

Vietnam has around 1.4 million ha of inland waters for aquaculture purposes, majority paddy fields and further reservoirs, tidal flats, lagoons and small lakes and ponds. One third of this water surface is already used for aquaculture purposes; 61% for fish culture and 39% for shrimp culture. Aquaculture is included in the integrated farming system approach, the VAC system. In addition, Vietnam has marine fisheries along the coast.

Both men and women are actively involved in aquaculture. Men are involved in decisions of fish species to be raised, timing for stocking, buying fingerlings, netting and harvesting. Women are often involved in daily feeding such as gathering grass and manure and feeding fish by rice bran. Mainly women are involved in small-scale processing, fish sauce production and trading of fish.

Land Use Rights

In Vietnam, the population of 80 million is made up of 51% women. But the Vietnamese women have no direct access to land use. T he Land Use Right certificates are registered in the name of the head of the household. With almost 80% of households currently headed by men, women’s names are largely invisible in Land Use Right Certificates.

Policy and planning focus

The transition to a market economy in Vietnam in recent years has resulted in a shift from the commune towards the household as the basic economic production unit. A national symposium on Women and Agriculture organized by FAO and the Ministry of Food Industries in 1994 found that while rural households have generally benefited from recent economic reforms, women still have less access than men to farm technology, technical knowledge, savings and operating capital.

Program focus

Agricultural and rural development programs in Vietnam need to include in their activities the following areas of intervention, in order to achieve an effective movement that addresses both women and men's priorities:

• Train field staff in gender-sensitive and participatory planning and program implementation;
• Acknowledge women as farmers, instead of as mere wives of male farmers;
• Improve the extension system to become equitable, in order to reach both women and men;
• Identify and respond to agricultural and household technology needs of women, in close collaboration among agricultural researchers, implementing agencies, grassroots workers and the Vietnam Women's Union;
• Support women in their marketing activities, by providing local marketing information, improving transportation and storage facilities, improving processing and packaging techniques and provision of credit;
• Pay attention to health issues in the agricultural system, control of water-borne diseases and safe pesticide-handling methods; among rural women.
• Intensify IPM activities to provide safe food and to reduce adverse health impacts

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Exercises and Activities for Comprehension and Analyzing Content:

Exercise #1: For Class Discussion. In this chapter, you have learned about the expectations of a Western reader for introductory and concluding paragraphs. What are Vietnamese styles for writing introductions and conclusions to essays and compositions? How are Vietnamese beginnings and endings different than Western beginnings and endings for essays?

Exercise #2: For Class Discussion and Analysis. Look at the following samples of introductory and concluding paragraphs. Find the thesis statements and describe how these paragraphs are written. Look to the Introductory Skills section for guidance, especially the three samples that follow.

Part A

Invisible farmers http://www.newint.org/issue149/agriculture.htm Introductory Paragraph Women have always known who weeds the sorghum, transplants the rice seedlings, picks the beans, tends the chickens. In fact, it has been estimated that their labor produces half of the world’s food. But it has taken a long time for the rest of the world to discover these facts. In Africa, for example, three-quarters of agricultural work is done by women. They are half of the agricultural labor force in Asia. And even in Latin America and the Middle East (where men tend to deny that their mothers, wives, daughters do any work outside the home) detailed questioning reveals that women are doing a substantial amount of the farming there too.

Body Paragraph 1

Body Paragraph 2

Body Paragraph 3

 

Concluding Paragraph Yet when women are able to profit directly from their work in the fields, they are not the only ones to benefit. Studies in Burkina Faso, Bangladesh, Nepal, the Philippines and Swaziland have indicated that when women do have time or money to spare they use it to improve the health and well-being of their children.

Part B

A Way Out for Rice http://perso.wanadoo.fr/patrick.guenin/cantho/vnnews/bwoman.htm Introductory Paragraph In Vietnam, many people have known about Song Hau Farm in the Mekong Delta and Tran Ngoc Suong. Yet only a few know that Song Hau Director Suong was one of the first post-war agricultural engineers graduating from the Can Tho University, the cradle of agriculturists for Vietnam's largest rice basket. Suong also learnt business administration in the former Soviet Union. It is not by chance that Song Hau's 6,000 hectares are able to supply enough rice seeds to the entire 100,000 hectares of Can Tho's export rice area. To do so, Song Hau has set up a seedling farm. This was one of the first establishments in Vietnam to produce seeds in three categories: breeder seeds that have the highest quality; foundation seeds; and certified seeds that are sold to farmers for planting.

Body Paragraph 1

Body Paragraph 2

Body Paragraph 3

Concluding Paragraph Consequently, mushroom, red chili, ginger, shrimp, fish and the like raised by farmers at Song Hau have been processed to reach export standards. Exported Sohafarm rice and processed foods have earned Song Hau more than US$50 million annually. Suong says she alone cannot do all things. Around her is a contingent of some 150 agricultural engineers who devote all their time and efforts to working with farmers. Song Hau has also established close relations with the region's scientific and technological institutions such as the Mekong Delta Rice Institute, Can Tho University, Industrial Crop Institute, and the Southern Agricultural Science Institute. " Vietnam, currently still an agricultural-based country, has to run like an express train to catch up with neighbors," says Suong. "If not, we will further lag behind." The Saigon Times Weekly - December 7, 2002

Part C

Livelihoods : Women in Aquaculture and Their Innovative Contributions http://www.enaca.org/modules/news/article.php?storyid=447 By M.C. Nandeesha, Department of Aquaculture, College of Fisheries, Central Agricultural University Tripura, India. Introductory Paragraph Social awareness of gender issues confronting societal development are becoming increasingly understood around the world due to improved coverage by the media and development agencies of all kinds. Gender is now considered as a central issue to a number of developmental programs in several countries. Those countries that have been able to create the required policy support to ensure a gender-balanced approach are today reaping the benefits. However, in many other countries the gender issue still does not have adequate policy and institutional support. Attitude is recognized as one of the major factors among the many issues that hinder gender-balanced development. Changing attitudes is the most difficult challenge human society has always faced requiring generations in many cases.

Body Paragraph 1

Body Paragraph 2

Body Paragraph 3

Concluding Paragraph As this is a complex issue it is necessary that all those involved in fisheries research, teaching and development should take an active interest in ensuring gender equity in all the areas of their work. There is no reliable data available on the number of women involved in fisheries activities in government, non-government and private organizations including those self employed. Fisheries education is now becoming a specialized profession and many countries have started special programs in aquaculture. However, entry of women to these fisheries courses is limited and in some cases they are excluded because of a lack of accommodation facilities or due to other administrative reasons. In view of its importance to Asia I hope that the Penang symposium will look into a variety of issues including those related to aquaculture and come up with some practical recommendations.

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Exercises and Activities for Developing Content of Student Writing:

Exercise #3: Write the Body of Your Composition.

By now, you have selected to write Assignment A or B. Before attempting to write the introductory and concluding paragraphs, write the body of your composition. Use freewriting and the brainstorming skills you have learned in previous chapters. Use your own ideas and information that you have learned from researching your topic. Organize your essay with an outline or diagrams. Be sure that you are focused on one topic and main idea and that the body of your composition supports that main idea.

Exercise #4: Write the Introductory and Concluding Paragraphs.

After a rough draft of the body of your composition is written, write the introductory and concluding paragraphs. Use the Introductory Skills section to help you shape your paragraphs.

IT Exercises and Activities for Developing Ideas:

For good examples of essays that explain Vietnamese culture to non-Vietnamese people, look at the work of Huu Ngoc at the Vietnam News Agency. You can use a search engine like Google by using Huu Ngoc as key word or you can go to: http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn . Under the “Culture” section you can find “Traditional Miscellany.” These are articles written by Huu Ngoc. From The Gioi Publishers, a book of his essays has been published (1996) called “Sketches for a Portrait of Vietnamese Culture.”

Writing First Draft:

Put all your paragraphs together to form your composition. Since your wrote the body of your composition first, then added the introductory and concluding paragraphs, check that your composition fits together. You may need to add transitions that help the composition feel whole and flow together.

Editing Process and Exercises:

Proofreading is not skill people are born with. It is a skill that needs to be mastered in order to write well. Here are some guidelines to improve your proofreading skills.

Proofreading Guidelines
(source: http://www.license2write.com/inner/proofreading_skills.htm)

1. Always proofread from a hard copy. Do not try to proof a document from your computer screen; you will miss many errors this way.
2. Write out the changes you want to make. Be clear and specific about your corrections, Do not simply circle the errors because when re-writing your composition, you may forget what error you are circling.
3. When possible, do not proofread your own work. You know what you mean to say, so you are more likely to skim over errors. If you are able, get more than one person to proofread your work. Everyone has different strengths and they will find different errors.
4. Break down your tasks. When you are doing a content proofing, the number of things you need to look out for may overwhelm you. It is best to break it down into quicker, more specific proofreads rather than one big proofread. For example, do one proofing for spelling and punctuation, next proof the document for grammatical errors, then do a third content proofing for factuality and consistency.
5. When you are doing a comparison proofread, use a straight edge (such as a ruler or piece of paper) as a guide. If you carefully move the straight edge from line to line on the original docum ent, you are less likely to miss omitted text in the new document.
6. During a proofing for spelling, try reading the document backwards. When each individual word is looked at, outside the context of a sentence, you are less likely to miss spelling errors.
7. After corrections have been made, don't forget to proof the revised document. First check to see that all the corrections were made, then read over the document one more time to make sure you didn't miss something the first time around!

Writing Second/Final Draft:

Now re-write the second or final draft. Re-read the 7 th proofreading skill—“ After corrections have been made, don't forget to proof the revised document. First check to see that all the corrections were made, then read over the document one more time to make sure you didn't miss something the first time around!”

Hand in your composition to the teacher.

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