WRITING

 the structure and organization of the oral/written

message is conditioned by a series of aspects:
permanence, time to process, context, distance from
audience, complexity of sentence structure, vocabulary,
formality, paralinguistic devices, etc.
 SPEAKING – is transitory, no planning, time pressure,
needs feedback, gestures, intonation.
 WRITING – is permanent, with planning, no time
pressure, no feedback, punctuation marks, underlined
words.
 SPOKEN TEXTS
- loosely organized: elliptical or incomplete sentences,
interruptions, pauses, tongue slips, repetitions,
reformulations, fillers and interactive markers;
- casual and informal, words from the basic word stock.
 WRITTEN TEXTS
- well organized, with rich vocabulary, highly concentrated
information, complex sentence structure, metalingual
markers;
- tendency towards formality and a refined selection of
words.
 the language proficiency is insufficient for the task;
 inability to structure information in an effective way;
 unawareness regarding the differences between the
various types of discourse;
 inability to put into words what they want to express;
 not enough time to complete the task given;
 not enough feedback to ensure improvement
throughout the writing process.
Ss may become proficient writers if the T:
 provides examples of good written structures  the Ss get
familiar with the characteristics of different discourses;
 begins by controlled/structured activities  help the Ss to
find their own voice and style before writing a piece on their
own;
 makes sure there is enough time to complete the task and
that the Ss use time wisely;
 creates an environment which encourages positive feedback
 motivate Ss to share their work with the T and their fellow
Ss.
The T has to choose the writing techniques according to the Ss’
age, level of linguistic proficiency, stage in the language
course
The T’s aims - Writing for:
 consolidation of language: dictation;
 the development of writing skills: note taking, outlining,
summarizing;
The product of Writing:
Functional writing
 Academic writing
 Creative writing
Writing for consolidation of language (grammar and
vocabulary)
 objective tasks (discrete point or integrative): labeling
pictures, filling in slots, arranging jumbled words/
sentences, conversion exercises, cloze items, etc.
 dictation  multifunctional: develops listening skills,
facilitates acquisition of correct spelling, ensures active
participation in error detection/correction, trains Ss in
self assessment
Writing for consolidation of language (grammar and
vocabulary)
 Reverse dictation: Ss listen to a text, fill in slots or
correct mistakes on their sheet.
 Pair dictation: 2 Ss are given, on slips of paper, different
parts of the same text, they take turns dictating the text
to each other until they both have the complete text.
 Dictoglos: the T reads a short text twice at normal speed
and the Ss takes notes, then work in pairs to reproduce
the text or to produce a similar one.
Writing for the development of writing skills:

 note taking: write down essential info in an abbreviated

form.

 outlining: organize thoughts in a systematic way 

outline  start working on the written assignment.
 summarizing: present ideas clearly and succinctly.
The product of Writing:
Functional writing: writing tasks with a very specific
purpose (memos, letters of intent, application or
complaint, adverts, Cvs)
 Academic writing: has a complex structure; serves a
clear purpose and function (essay written to display an
opinion, to convey information, etc.)
 Creative writing: may have a well defined purpose but
it is much more open and unrestricted; it deals with
feelings and opinions in a free and artistic way.