How is Writing like Swimming?

Royal University of Phnom Penh

Institute of Foreign Languages
Department of English

Unit 9: Teaching and Learning

Writing
Lecturer: Chau Samphas
Class: M4.2
Subject: TM401

Group 6: Hak Nimol, Kong Kanary, Pech Mengly, Lim Chenchhing,

Kong An Gi, & Hak Muykeang
 Table of contents
Principles for designing writing
01 Introduction 05 techniques

Characteristics of written
02 language 06 Sample writing techniques

03 Microskills for writing

07 Evaluating students’ writing

Types of classroom writing

04 performance 08 Conclusion
 Presentation Objectives

By the end of the presentation, students will be able to:

● Understand and avoid the difficulty in writing
● Improve their writing proficiency
● Teach their future students to write better than
them
 01
Introduction

Presented by: Hak Nimol

How is Writing like Swimming?
“Human beings universally learn to walk and
talk, contrast to swimming and writing
because they are learned behaviors.”

— Eric Lenneberg (1967)

Why isn’t everyone an excellent writer?
What is so difficult about it?

Formal vs Informal Speech into writing

— What is the meaning of “Writing”?

“The activity of producing words

on a surface.”
— Cambridge Dictionary
However,

Why don’t people learn to write

“naturally”as they learn to talk?
 02
Characteristics of
written language

Presented by: Hak Nimol

 7 Characteristics of written language

Permanence Production time Distance

Written words hold a power of Time can affect your writing
Understanding your audience
permanence both positively and negatively
 7 Characteristics of written language

Orthography Complexity Vocabulary Formality

Everything must be written Simplicity is key Improve your vocabulary if Respecting rules is
correctly you want to improve your essential.
writing
 03
Microskills for
writing

Presented by: Kong Kanary

 Microskills for Writing

1. Produce graphemes and orthographic patterns of english.

● Grapheme = groups of letters that represent the sounds in a

language
● Orthographic = rules governing the correct spelling and
arrangement of letter in a language.
 Microskills for Writing
2. Produce writing at an efficient rate of speed to suit the
purpose
● Express thought idea in timely manner.
● Finding a balance between speed and quality
● Difference writing task serve different purpose
 Microskills for Writing

3. Produce an acceptable core of words and use appropriate word order

patterns.
● Understanding word usage
● Grammar and Syntax
● Read Widely
 Microskills for Writing
4. Use acceptable grammatical systems (e.g., tense, agreement,
pluralization), patterns and rules.
5. Express a particular meaning in different grammatical forms

● Being able to express the same concept using different sentence

structures. E.g. Nora sings well -> Her singing is impressive.
● Expressing the same idea in different time frame by changing verb
tenses. E.g. I eat lunch everyday -> I will eat lunch tomorrow.
 Microskills for Writing

6. Use cohesive devices in written discourse

● Pronouns
● Conjunctions
● Transition words
● References words
 Microskills for Writing
7. Use the rhetorical forms and conventions of written discourse.
8. Accomplish the communicative functions of written texts according to
form and purpose.
● Understand the purpose
● Consider the Audience
● Choose the right form
● Organize the information effectively
 Microskills for Writing
9. Convey links and connection between events and communicate such
relations as main ideas, new information, and generalization.
10. Distinguish between literal and implied meaning when writing.
● Literal meaning is the apparent meaning of words. It is explicitly
stated without additional interpretation
● Implied meaning involves figurative language and often relies on
contextual clues
 Microskills for Writing

11. Correctly convey culturally specific references in the context of the

written text.
12. Develops and uses a battery of writing strategies, such as accurately
assessing the audience’s interpretation, using prewriting devices, and using
feedback for editing.
 04
Types of classroom
writing
performance
Presented by: Pech Mengly
Types of Classroom Writing
Performance

1. Imitative or writing down

2. Intensive or controlled

3. Self-writing

4. Display writing

5. Real writing
1. Imitative writing, or writing down

A. The teacher reads a short text once or twice as normal speed.

B. The teacher reads three to four words at a time, stopping at
each unit.
C. Students write what they hear while the teacher stop at each
unit.
D. The teacher repeat the whole text so that students can check
their writing.
E. Miss spelling and punctuation are not as serious as
grammatical errors in marking.
 2. Intensive, or controlled

Controlled writing Guided writing

It involves exercises or task that guide learners It involves having the students respond to some
to use specific vocabulary, grammar sort of question.
structures, or sentence patterns.

Example: Students may be asked to change all verbs in Example: The teacher may guide students to watch a
a paragraph from present tense to past tense and other video and ask students to write answers to some
aspects of writing questions or write what they hear.
 3. Self-writing
Some common instance that considered as a form of self writing
are students note-taking, and diary or journal writing.

This type of writing is useful in developing the students reflective

thinking in general and even with writing a target language.
 4. Display writing

Display writing aims to motivate and guide students

by presenting real examples of high-quality writing
that they can desire to replicate in their own work.

Example: Short answer exercises, essay

examinations and even research report.
 5. Real writing

It encourages students to develop their writing skills by applying

them in real contexts, promote critical thinking, creativity, and
communication abilities.
Example:

- Academic: peer editing work, group problem solving tasks.

- Vocational/technical: it takes place in class of students

studying English for advancement in their occupation.

- Personal: letters, post card, notes, personal messages.

 05 Principles for Designing Writing
Techniques

Presented by: Lim

Chenchhing
 Principles for Designing Writing Techniques
1. Incorporate practice of “Good” writers 8. Sensitively apply methods responding to and
2. Balance Process and Product correcting your students’ writing
3. Account for cultural/literacy background 9. Students need sufficient time to write in
4. Connect reading and writing class
5. Provide as much authentic writing as
10. Students write letters and learn faster
possible when they write about topics within their
6. Frame your techniques in terms of knowledge and experience
prewriting, drafting, and revising stages
7. Strive to offer techniques that are
interactive as possible.
1. Incorporate practices of “ Good” writers
● Focus on a goal or main idea in writing
● Perceptively gauge their audience
● Easily let their first ideas flow onto the paper
● Follow a general organizational plan as they write
● Revise their work willingly and effectively
● Patiently make as many revisions as needed
 2. Balance Process and Product
planning, drafting, revising,
editing and proofreading
Process

final piece of the writing

Product

● It is important to guide the students through the writing, helping them at every
step. includes careful attention to your role as a guide and as a responder.
● Don’t get so caught up with the final product
3. Account for cultural/literacy background
● Don't assume students already know how English
writing works
● if there are some apparent contrasts between students’
nation traditions. Introduce them to the correct way of
writing in English step by step.
4. Connect reading and writing

● Reading can help students to have more ideas

● By observing how others write, they gain valuable

insights into writing techniques and style.

5. Provide as much authentic writing as
possible
● Writing with other students in the class
● Publishing a class newsletter
● Writing letters to people outside of the class
● Writing a script for dramatic presentation
● Writing advertisements
6. Frame your techniques in terms of prewriting,
drafting, and revising stages

No. Title Description

01 Prewriting Reading, Skimming, Conducting research,
brainstorming, Freewriting

02 Drafting Start writing your actual piece,

peer-reviewing, instructor feedbacks

03 Revising Fix your grammar, reorganizing your content,

improve the flow of your content
7. Strive to offer techniques that are
interactive as possible
● Leave rooms for students to work together
● Creating stories
● Share ideas with each other (brainstorming)
● Peer-editing
8. Sensitively apply methods responding
to and correcting your students’ writing
● Mistakes are best addressed during drafting and revising stages
● Most errors are normally fixed by the students during these 2 stages.
(peer-editing)
● Comment on clarity of the overall thesis and the general structural
organization
● Comment on features that appear to be irrelevant
 9. Students need sufficient time to write in
class
● Student need sufficient time to write in class.
● It is important to set an adequate duration for the students to write to ensure
that they have the opportunity to think, plan, and craft their work effectively.

For example: Students were asked to write about their favorite holiday.

Without sufficient time, they may choose random holiday and stuck mid-way.

With enough time, they can recall specific details, organize their thoughts, making
writing less stressful.
10. Students learn faster when they write about topics
within their knowledge and experience

● It helps them connect new information with what they already understand, boosts
confidence, and makes learning more meaningful and engaging.

For example: If the student loves playing basketball, they already have knowledge and experiences
related to the sport. Writing about this familiar topic allows them to draw on their passion, connect
ideas easily, and enjoy the process of expressing their thoughts. This personal connection can make
the learning experience more enjoyable and effective.
06
Sample writing
techniques

Presented by: Kong An Gi

Sample writing techniques

Controlled writing Writing based on a text

Oral preparation Correcting written work

— Controlled writing
“emphasizes word order,
sentence structure, punctuation,
and grammatical patterns.”
 Writing based on a text

“Text Based Writing is a writing

based on a text that has been
read and students are given a
task to write a similar paragraph
to what the teacher has just
shown and assigned.”
 Oral preparation

- The teachers build up the notes on the board by

eliciting the answer from the students and then ask
the students to write a paragraph using all the
above notes.
- This means using speaking to create writing.
Correcting written work

- Teacher corrects the work by themselves during their break

time
- Teachers go through the answer and let the students correct
their own work
- Teachers ask the students to sit in pair and correct each
other work
- Teachers ask the students to exchange books with the next
person so they can correct each other work
EXTRA WRITING TECHNIQUES IN DETAIL

1. Sequencing techniques
2. Completion techniques
3. Transformation techniques
4. Techniques for information transfer and
recall
5. Techniques with questions and answers
 1. Sequencing techniques
1.1. Word sequence (ordering the
words)
Ex: is/He/teacher/a.
1.2. Jumbled sentences as part of a text
2. Completion techniques

2.1. Complete the sentences

2.2. Replace the words

2.3. Writing with grammar help

3. Transformation techniques
3.1. Change the sentence
Ex: Rewrite these sentences using past tense.
1. He wants to see me.
2. Do you like it?

3.2. Join the sentences(1+1=1)

4. Techniques for information transfer and recall

4.1. Look and write

4.2. Listen and write

4.3. Writing summary

5. Techniques with questions and answers

5.1. Answer the questions

5.2. Picture composition

 07

Evaluating student
writing
Presented by Hak Muykeang
There are 6 general categories in evaluating
student writing
● Content
● Organization
● Discourse
● Syntax
● Vocabulary
● Mechanics
 6. Evaluating Student Writing

Content Organization

- thesis statement - effectively introduction

- related ideas - logical sequence of ideas

- development of - conclusions

opinions, demonstration - appreciate length

 6. Evaluating Student Writing

● Discourse
- topic sentences - fluency
- paragraph unity - economy
- transitions - variation
- discourse markers
- cohesion
- rhetorical conventions
- reference
 6. Evaluating Student Writing

● Syntax
● Vocabulary
● Mechanics
- spelling
- punctuation
- citation of references
- neatness and appearance
 08

conclusion

Presented by Hak Muykeang

Thank you!
Do you have any questions?

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