Lecture 12

Lecture 12:Teaching Writing

By the end of this lecture, students will be able to:

a- Understand steps on how to teach vocabulary.
b- Prepare an evaluative account on the methods discussed.
c- Create a sample lesson plan about “vocabulary”.

Teaching Writing

Writing as defined by Flower and Hayes (1981, p366) is “a set of distinctive thinking processes which writers orchestrate or organize during the act of composing”. It is mainly one of the energy-consuming activities cognitively. Writing usually encompasses major stages such as: planning, drafting, revising and editing. From another perspective, teaching writing is already a strategic matter since it highlights enabling students to be involved into a purely neuro-developmental activity. In a formal context, it remains pedagogically designed, planned and oriented by the teacher.

Initially, Brown accentuates some microskills for writing mainly strategies as follows: (2001 p343)

a- Incorporating practices of good writers: Even though learners are not yet considered advanced, teaching them the stages already followed by real writers is strategic. It is an engagement into a so-called “expert writing behaviour” based on which learners can draft, notice missing points and seek for a polished version.

b- Balancing process and product: There are major criteria to be considered in the writing piece building steps and the expected final version.

Logically, it is a link between achieving coherence in writing based on a reliable process approach.

c- Context for cultural / literary background: Writing is underpinned through several background frameworks like: historical, social or cultural aspects. This illustrates “genesis” of target language discourse references.

d- Connecting reading and writing: It is good to acknowledge that there is a binary link between writing and reading. Thus, such integration fosters academic thinking and literacy skills which all support learners’ competence especially in the target language.

e- Providing authentic writing: Authentic writing symbolizes real language use which serve for communicative aims, such as writing email, articles etc.

f- Framing: pre-writing – drafting – revising: Firstly, pre-writing mirrors brainstorming, planning, second drafting focuses on the first version before finalizations. Then, revising which is usually the refinement phase.

The pre-mentioned steps evolve together for a balanced interplay between process-following and product achievement. They serve straightforwardly when well-incorporated.

Product Approach to Teaching Writing

a- Familiarization: In order to trigger learners’ awareness, the teacher can provide a sample text containing some features to be taught. In the case of a letter of complaint, learners need to identify (sender, receiver, salutation, closing etc.).

b- Controlled Writing: This requires constant and closer guidance from the teacher. What is relevant at this stage is simply accuracy rather than fluency.

c- Guided Writing: The current stage still requires teachers’ assistance however with a reduced manner. It can include skills of organizing elements conveniently.

d- Free Writing: Learners are required to move from an assisted approach to a minimized guidance for the teacher’s part.

Process Approach to Teaching Writing

a- Pre-writing / generating ideas: Generating ideas is a way to activate learners’ prior knowledge. At this level, it is preferable to reduce overcorrection. The chief objective is to keep the flow going.

b- Planning: After brainstorming, learners get ready for selection phase where only relevant content is left. It fosters coherence before reaching the final version.

C- Drafting: This stage can take three steps, first, second and final drafting. The first one accuracy is not yet fully reached. The second denotes a recursive evolution and finally the last draft is the accumulation of the preceding steps.

Writing remains a multi-dimensional skill that necessitates a solid link between both process and product. Though, it is often not as important to many students as speaking (Gower et al., 2011, p113). For this reason, it is likely important to follow some strategies to encourage writing as cited below:

a- Positive and co-operated attitudes: Writing can be encouraged since it is regarded as a social collaboration. So, engagement is of a paramount importance.

b- Prepare students for writing: Paying sizable attention to minimizing cognitive load especially in earlier stages.

c- Structure writing activities: It needs to follow logical connected stages (Macro-organization).

d- Plan guided and free practice: This stage ensures a gradual continuity nourished by an effective guidance towards independent writing.