Eveloping Riting Kills: Arlenne M. Fernández

DEVELOPING
WRITING
SKILLS
Arlenne M. Fernández
INDEX
 Approaches to
teaching writing...
 Process writing...
 Writing genres...
 Stages of writing...
 Teaching framework
 Practice!
"Writing is like prostitution...First
you do it for love, and then for a
few close friends, and then for
money.”
(Molière, playwright)
APPROACHES TO TEACHING
WRITING
Why is writing such a
difficult skill to achieve?
 Skilled writing requires mastery if the fine motors skill
to form the written shapes and orthographic knowledge
of how written symbols are combined to represent words
through spelling conventions.
 Curriculum material is broad and too grammatical.
 Writing process is time-consuming.
 Teacher´s correction can be overwhelming if the class is
too large.
 Students do not know how to do it by themselves.
The Controlled - To - Free
Approach
 Audiolingual method (50s & 60s),
 It is sequential
 Students are first given sentence exercises; then paragraphs to copy
or manipulate grammatically (e.g by changing questions to
statements, present to past, or plural to singular)
 They might also change words to clauses or combine sentences.
 With these controlled compositions, it is relatively easy for students
write and yet avoid errors, which makes error correction easy.
 Students are allowed to try some free composition after they have
reached an intermediate level of proficiency.
 As such, this approach stress on grammar, syntax, and mechanics. It
emphasizes accuracy rather than fluency or originality.
The Free - Writing
Approach
 This approach stresses writing quantity rather than quality.
 Teachers who use this approach assign vast amounts of free
writing on given topics with only minimal correction.
 The emphasis in this approach is on content and fluency
rather than on accuracy and form.
 Once ideas are down on the page, grammatical accuracy and
organization follow.
 Students write freely on any topic without worrying about
grammar and spelling. Teachers do not correct these pieces
of free writing. They simply read them and may comment on
the ideas the writer expressed.
The Paragraph - Pattern
Approach
 Instead of accuracy of grammar or fluency of content,
the Paragraph-Pattern-Approach stresses on
organization.
 Students copy paragraphs and imitate model
passages. They put scrambled sentences into
paragraph order. They identify general and specific
statements and choose to invent an appropriate topic
sentence or insert or delete sentences.
 This approach is based on the principle that in
different cultures people construct and organize
communication with each other in different ways.
The Grammar - Syntax -
Organisation Approach
 This approach stresses on simultaneous work on
more than one composition feature.
 Teachers who follow this approach maintain that
writing can not be seen as composed of separate
skills which are learned sequentially. Therefore,
student should be trained to pay attention to
organization while they also work on the
necessary grammar and syntax.
 This approach links the purpose of writing to the
forms that are needed to convey message.
The Communicative Approach
 This approach stresses the purpose of writing and the
audience for it.
 Student writers are encouraged to behave like writers in
real life and ask themselves the crucial questions about
purpose and audience (e.g Why am I writing this?, Who
will read it?)
 Traditionally, the teacher alone has been the audience for
student writing; howewer it´s assumed that writers do
their best when writing is truly a communicative act, with
a writer writing for a real reader.
 So the readership may be extended to classmate and pen
pals.
LET`S CHECK...
Content Process Audience Word Organization Mechanics Grammar/

choice Syntax
Controlled- to
Free
Free-Writing
Paragraph-
Pattern
Grammar-
Syntax-
Organization
Communicative
Process
.
THE PROCESS
APPROACH
 "Process writing is learning how to write by writing”
(Stone, 1995)
 In this approach current emphasis focuses on the process
of creating writing rather than the end product
(Tompkins, 1990).
 The initial focus is on creating quality content and
learning the genres of writing.
 When writing, students work through the stages of the
writing process (prewriting, drafting, revising, editing,
and publishing).
 Teachers who use this approach provide students time
to brainstorm ideas and give them feedback on the
content of what they write in their drafts.
 Therefore, learning to write is seen as a developmental

process that helps students to write as professional
authors do, choosing their own topics and genres.
A Comparison..
Process Writing Product Writing

 Text as a resource for comparison  Imitate model text
 Ideas as starting point  Organisation of ideas more important
 More than one draft than ideas themselves
 More global, focus on purpose,  One draft
theme, text type (reader is emphasised)  Features highlighted including
 Collaborative controlled practice of those features
 Emphasis on creative process  Individual
 Emphasis on end product
WRITING GENRES
Expository Writing
 It seeks to inform, 1) Select a topic.
explain, clarify, define 2) Write a thesis statement with
or instruct (writing that controlling idea (s).
explains or shares 3) Organize it into paragraphs.
information) 4) Write topic sentences for the
 It includes thesis body paragraphs.
statement and 5) Furnish a paragraph of
controlling ideas. introduction (state the thesis,
 Six basic steps to write introduce divisions of
an expository essay. paragraphs and gain reader´s
interest)
6) Write a pragraph of
conclusion.
Narrative Writing
 It tells a story.  These are the elements of
 Its purpose is to entertain. a narrative style:
 Common sequence includes: - Setting.
 -Beginning (characters - Character.
set)
- Plot.
 -Problem
- Conflict.
 - Minor resolution.
 - New problem.
- Climax.
 - Resolution. - Resolution.
 - Moral.
 Use of past tenses.
Descriptive Writing
 It´s like painting a picture with words.
 It describes places, people, feelings, events.
 Uses vivid language (adjectives) and figurative language.
Argumentative Writing
 Writer tries to convince others to agree with our facts,
share our values; adopt our way of thinking.
 General characteristics of an argumentative essay:
- state position or belief,
- factual supports,
- persuasive technique,
- logical argument,
- call to action.
Academic Writing
 Academic writing is formal in style and there are a

number of conventions to follow such as avoid
abbreviations or contracted words, use passive tenses
or third person, use model verbs, avoid long sentences
and avoid multi-part verbs, instead use formal
language.
 Its basic layout is introduction, (and abstract) body,
conclusion, and bibliography.
Let`s compare...
Which one is academic
writing?
Today being fat is The number of
totally bad for your deaths per year
health. About 30,000 attributable to obesity
fat people die every is roughly 30,000 in
year in the UK and loads the UK and ten times
more fat people die in that in the USA, where
the USA. By 2005 more obesity is set to
people will die of being overtake smoking in
fat than smoking and it 2005 as the main
doesn’t have to be this preventable cause of
way, this could easily be illness and premature
prevented, couldn't it? death.
Types of Academic Writing
 Technical / Lab / Book report.
 Literature review.
 Term paper.
 Research paper (short, argumentative)
 Opinion paper.
 Essay (expository, descriptive, argumentative).
 Senior thesis.
 Formal letters (application, complaint, etc)
 Email.
 Powerpoint presentation.
 Case study.
STAGES OF
WRITING
TEACHING FRAMEWORK
 If tasks are far beyond the immediate capacity of
learners, they will either lead to frustration and/or
resorting to L1-based experience and knowledge (Qi,
1998). Therefore,
tasks should be progressive (Myles, 2002).
 Teacher should introduce one concept at a time, model it
extensively and give numerous examples before
requiring independence.
 Costas Gabrielatos suggests two types of activities
before the pre-writing: Focused global procedures and
Global practice procedures
Focused Practice Global Practice procedure
Procedures
 Ordering jumbled sentences  Creating a text from

to create a paragraph/text. prompts (title, task, text,
 Dividing a text into first/last sentence, key
sections/paragraphs. words/expressions,
 Ordering jumbled paragraphs visuals, outline, tables
to create a text. etc.)
 Inserting additional or  Re-writing a text
missing information into a following specific
text (linking & signposting guidelines (corrections,
expressions, sentences, code, comments etc.)
paragraphs).
Strategies to encourage writing
Create a literate environment
 Stick posters or positive  Make collages with
messages and labels on the visual representations of
walls to familiarize students specific vocabulary.
with written codes.
 Sequence an
 Have a bulletin board with
experiment.
weird news, news from famous
people, horoscope, beauty tips,  Copy songs, rhymes or
fashion styles, etc. poems.
 Have a mailbox.  Paste labels with idioms.
 Make “word snakes” for new
vocabulary (HFW).
Strategies to encourage writing
Encourage creative  Make them keep a
pieces of work: journal with new
vocabulary.
 Have a graffitti wall as a  Make them re-write a
sort of “complaint wall”. fairy story.
 Make Sts fill in  Make them write
soundless filmstrips. weather reports with
 Complete cartoon strips. pictures.
 Make them write  Make them design new
postcards for a special covers for books.
person.
 Copy shopping lists or
restaurant menus....
References
 Liv Jonassen & Elizabeth Tomchak. Academic Writing.
www.rgu.ac.uk/files/academic%20writing.ppt
 Gabrielatos, Costas (2002). ESL Writing Product and Process. ERIC,
ED476839.
 Cheu Ching Kiing, Jenny Kong & Wong Siew Jing. ELP Writing skills.
 Bruton, Anthony. Process Writing and Communicative-Task-Based
Instruction: Many Common Features, but More Common Limitations? TESL-
EJ Dec, 2005. Vol. 9 Number 3.
 Stone, S. (1995). The primary multiage classroom: Changing schools for
children.
 Tompkins, G. (1990). Teaching and writing: Balancing process and product.
Columbus, OH: Merrill Publishing Co.
 By Dr. Ghazi Ghaith. Writing. American University of Beirut in
http://www.nadasisland.com/ghaith-writing.html#approaches
 Vanessa Steele (2004). Product and process writing: A comparison. British
Council.
Let`s Exercise!!!

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DEVELOPING

Content Process Audience Word Organization Mechanics Grammar/

 Therefore, learning to write is seen as a developmental

Process Writing Product Writing

 Academic writing is formal in style and there are a

 Ordering jumbled sentences  Creating a text from

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