Teaching Writing

Writing and speaking as productive skills

The differences between written and spoken English imply various types of exercises which
focus on different aspects of language and demand different levels of correctness.
Perhaps the single most important difference between writing and speaking, which are
productive skills, concerns the need for accuracy. Speakers constantly make mistakes when they are
speaking. They hesitate and say the same things in different ways and they often change the sub!ect of
what they are saying in mid"sentence. Except in extremely formal situations this is considered normal
and acceptable linguistic behaviour. # piece of writing, however, with mistakes and half"finished
sentences, would be !udged by many speakers as illiterate since it is expected that writing should be
correct. $rom the point of view of language teaching, therefore, there is often far greater pressure for
written accuracy than there is for accuracy in speaking.
The writer also suffers from the disadvantage of not getting immediate feedback from the
reader % and sometimes getting no feedback at all. &riters cannot use intonation or stress, and facial
expression, gesture and body"movement are denied them. These disadvantages have to be
compensated for by greater clarity and by the use of grammatical and stylistic techni'ues for focusing
attention on main points. Perhaps most importantly there is a greater need for logical organisation in a
piece of writing than there is in a conversation, for the reader has to understand what has been written
without asking for clarification or relying on the writers tone of voice or expression.
(astly, there are the twin problems of spelling and handwriting. )t is well known that English
spelling is notoriously difficult for speakers of other languages, especially of phonetic languages.
&hen teaching writing, therefore, there are special considerations to be taken into account
which include* the organising of sentences into paragraphs, how paragraphs are joined together, and
the general organisation of ideas into a coherent piece of discourse. There is also, of course, a need for
communicative writing activities. Students need to see the difference between spoken and written
English. )n part, this will happen as a result of exposure to listening and reading materials, but it will
be also necessary to provide exercises that deal specifically with features of spoken and written
discourse.
The uses of writing
&riting can be used*
" as a means* to note down new vocabulary, copy out grammar rules, write out answers to
reading or listening guiding and+or comprehension 'uestions, do written tests, etc. &riting can be used
as a means of getting the students to attend to and to practise a particular language point or as a method
of testing it,
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" as an end* tasks that invite learners to express themselves using their own words, state a
purpose for writing and often specify an audience .e.g. narrating a story, writing a letter/
" both as a means and an end* purposeful and original writing is combined with the learning
or practice of some other skill or content .e.g. a written response to the reading of a controversial
newspaper article, the writing of anecdotes to illustrate the meaning of idioms, etc./
Writing techniques / procedures
" The teacher will often use the writing as reinforcement for an oral presentation. Thus, either
immediately before of after the immediate creativity stage
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, the teacher asks the students to write
sentences using the new linguistic structure. The sentences may be the original models that the teacher
used during the accurate reproduction stage, and the students might be asked to copy these sentences
from the blackboard. They might write the same sentences, but the teacher might leave out certain
words .this is commonly called a fill-in exercise/.
" The students might be shown model sentences and then be asked to write similar sentences of
their own. This is a written version of the immediate creativity stage.
" The SS might see a short piece of connected discourse using the new language and then be
asked to write a similar piece. This is often called parallel writing.
" Copying is an often unchallenging and boring writing techni'ue. The main ob!ective, though,
is to relate the spoken and written forms of the new language, and to enable the SS to write the new
pattern as well as say it.
" Sometimes, of course, we may want the SS only to write the new language, not say it. )n this
case we might go through the explanation + presentation phase in the normal way, but then, after giving
a clear written model, we can ask SS to write sentences using one of the techni'ues mentioned above.
&here SS write in class as part of the introduction + presentation of new language, it is often
advantageous to correct the written work in front of the whole class. 0ne useful way of doing this is
to ask the SS to do the written work in their books + workbooks. &hen we see that a student has
finished .before the others/, we ask him + her to write the first sentence on the 11. The second student
writes the second sentence, and so on. &hen all the sentences are on the board, we go through them
one by one, asking the class if they are correct. )f they are not, we can ask another student to write the
correct sentence, or correct the sentences ourselves. This techni'ue is particularly useful since it gives
the SS feedback and allows the teacher and the whole class to focus on grammar points if such focus is
necessary.
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This is a stage in the teaching of a grammar structure, which will be discussed later in the course. 2owever, the three main
stages in such an activity are* presentation .where T illustrates and explains the main use of the grammar item by using
relevant linguistic contexts familiar to the SS/, practice .where SS have to make up sentences using the newly explained
item either in the patterns modeled by the T during the presentation stage or in other easy"to"use patterns, also called the
accurate reproduction stage/, and production .also called the immediate creativity stage, where the SS make up examples
of their own using the new grammar item in contexts of their own choice or suggested by the T/.
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Written communicative techniques and activities / tasks
)t is often easier to provide opportunities for spoken communication in the classroom than it is
for the written medium. $re'uently, writing is relegated to the status of homework. This is a pity since
writing, especially communicative writing, can play a valuable part in the class.
a) Relaying instructions, b) Writing reports and advertisements, c) Cooperative writing,
d) !"changing letters, and e) Writing #ournals are only a few of the written communicative
techni'ues that we can use in the classroom. These techni'ues and one or more illustrations of specific
activities + tasks for each of them are described in more detail in what follows.
a) Relaying instructions
0ne group of SS has information for the performance of a task, and they have to get another group
to perform the same task by giving them written instructions.
$ctivity %& Making models
Stage 1 " # small group of SS is given material to make a model with .e.g. building bricks, (ego,
etc./ and they are told to make a model.
Stage 2 % The group now writes instructions which will enable other SS to duplicate the model
Stage % 0ther SS are given the instructions and told to build the model by reading them.
There is, of course, feed!ack* the original group can see how well they have written the
instructions by watching the efforts of the other SS to duplicate their model.
$ctivity '& (iving directions
)n this activity the SS write directions which other SS have to follow.
Stage 1 % SS are told to write directions from the place where they are studying to some other place
in the same village + town + city. They are told not to mention the destination by name.
Stage 2 % SS give their directions to a partner who has to guess what the destination is by following
the directions.
$ctivity )& Writing commands
SS write each other messages which contain commands.
Stage 1" The T tells the SS to write a command for one of their classmates on a piece of paper. The
student might write something like this*
"aria# $ake off your left shoe%
Stage 2 % The written messages are passed to the SS who have to obey the commands.
This activity is especially appropriate for beginner SS and is most en!oyable.
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b) Writing reports and advertisements
$ctivity %& The news broadcast
The SS write items for a news broadcast which they then organise for transmission.
Stage 1 % The T asks all the SS in the classroom to write two news items on a piece of paper.
Stage 2 % The T then collects all the pieces of paper and forms the class into small groups.
Stage % The T distributes the pieces of paper e'ually between the groups in no special order. The
SS are asked to combine the items .making changes where necessary/ to make up a complete news
broadcast.
Stage & % Each group then reads its broadcast to the rest of the class. )deally, of course, each group
could record their broadcast to make it more realistic.
This activity is attractive, it involves all the skills, as well as the ability to order and organise ideas
into a coherent piece of discourse. )t also involves current events and is thus interesting and
motivating.
$ctivity '& The advertisement
#fter discussing what successful advertisements contain, SS can write and design their own.
Stage 1 % The class discusses .together or in pairs + groups/ what makes a successful advertisement.
Stage 2 % The class is divided into groups. They are told that their task is to select a product and
write an advertisement for it which will appear in a maga5ine.
Stage % &hen they have completed their advertisements, they can pass them round the class.
#lternatively, they ca be given a period of time .e.g. a weekend/ to design the artwork .such as
pictures, photographs, drawings, etc./ for their text. The advertisements can then be pinned to the
class notice"board.
c) Cooperative writing
These are activities where SS actually write things together, where the process of co-operation is as
important as the actual fact of the writing itself.
$ctivity %& The fairystory
The SS are put into groups and told they are going to write !oint stories.
Stage 1 % The SS are organised in groups of e'ual numbers, if possible.
Stage 2 % The SS sit in a circle. They take a sheet of paper and write the following sentence on it*
'nce upon a time there was a !eautiful princess who lived in a large castle at the edge of a forest.
Stage % The SS are instructed to continue the story by writing the next sentence.
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Stage & % The SS give their piece of paper to the next student on their left. They should now
continue the .new/ story they have in front of them by writing the next sentence, and so on until the
first paper reaches the last but one student. 7ow the T tells the SS to write the penultimate
sentence.
Stage ( % The stories are now returned to their originators. They must write the concluding
sentence.
Stage ) *'ptional/ " The SS can read the resulting tales to the rest of the class.
#nother alternative to this activity is not to supply the original sentence. 0f course, there can be
written different other kinds of stories on various topics.
$ctivity '& *tory reconstruction
The SS are put into four groups .#, 1, 8, 9/ each of which is shown a picture from a story
se'uence.
Stage 1 % The SS individually write two sentences .in the past tense/ about the pictures they have
seen.
Stage 2 % The T forms new groups of four .i.e. one student from the original group #, one from the
original group 1, one from the original group 8, and one from the original group 9/.
Stage % The SS show each other their sentences and then they use them to construct a narrative.
The finished stories are circulated round the class, put on a board or used for student"student
correction.
d) !"changing letters
This techni'ue offers the SS a good chance to practise real written communication.
$ctivity %& Writing messages b .appropriate for beginners/
The most basic form of letter writing is the message.
Stage 1 + The SS are told to write a message to another member of the group which demands an
answer. .$o ,-..rom //
Stage 2 + The completed messages are then given to the student whom it has been written to.
Stage + The student who has received the message writes a reply which is passed back to the
original writer. .$o /-..rom ,/
$ctivity '& The agony column .suitable after the SS have been working on the language of advice,
at all levels/
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The SS write letters to agony columns .those parts of newspapers and maga5ines where supposed
experts give advice on everything from marital problems to trouble with neighbours/. )n this
activity, SS invent some problem and then have it answered by other members of the class.
Stage 1 + The class and the T discuss agony columns, getting examples from the SS knowledge
or by looking at some authentic ones taken from 1ritish and #merican newspapers and maga5ines.
Stage 2 + The T arranges the class into small groups and asks each group to think of a problem and
then write a letter.
Stage + The letters from each group are then given to another group who has to consider the best
answer and write a reply.
Stage & + The replies are then given to the original groups to consider. The T can put them into a
folder which can be passed round the class.
$ctivity )& The complaining customer .for intermediate and advances classes/
The SS write complaining letters about goods that they have bought after seeing an advertisement.
The SS representing the companies that make the goods have to reply to these letters in writing.
Stage 1 + The SS are divided into small groups. Each group is given an advertisement .either an
original one or one made by classmates/.
Stage 2 + The groups are told to imagine that they have bought the item that is advertised but are
not satisfied with it for some reason. They should write a letter of complaint to the company.
Stage + The letters are given to different groups. The new groups have to study the letter of
complaint and decide what to do about it. &hen the decision has been reached, they can write a
reply to the original letter.
Stage & + The letters are returned to the original groups who read them and discuss what they have
been sent.
d) Writing #ournals / diaries
This techni'ue represents a way of using written communication. )n these diaries the SS can write
what they want about anything that interests them* they can comment on the classes they are
experiencing, they can write about their personal lives, about politics, their families, their pets,
their hobbies, they can write stories, poems, etc. These diaries are handed in to the T. 0f course, the
SS should know when + how much to write.
Teachers should not treat these diaries as they do other pieces of written work. They shouldnt
be corrected, but reacted to .content feed!ack is more important here than form feed!ack/.
+ther writing activities / tasks& 8opy of pp. -;6"-;;, Penny <r, 0 Course in 1anguage $eaching,
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