Unit 12 Teaching Writing

CONTENTS OF THIS UNIT

12.1 Understand what and why we write

12.2 A communicative Approach to writing

12.3 Understand the procedures of process

writing

12.4 Principles for teaching writing

12.5 Be able to set up tasks for different

stages of the writing process
12.1.1 Understand why we write in
class

 To learn the motor skills of handwriting, to

develop neatness, clarity and speed.
 To reinforce vocabulary and structures
already mastered orally.

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12.1.1 Understand why we write in class.

 To keep a written record of what has been

learnt and achieved.
 For language development. (English
thinking, learning style, real-life writing,
etc.)

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12.1.2 Features of Good Writing

Langua
ge

Layout Content

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12.1.2 Features of Good Writing

For language, a well-written text includes:

①spelling accurately, grammar right ；
②having a range of vocabulary and an
appropriate choice of words ；
③using a wide range of sentence structures ；
having some excellent sentences

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For content
 Ideas should be organized clearly and
convincingly, and ideas should be linked in a
coherent fashion ；
For layout （布局）
 Like spacing, punctuation, indention,
handwriting or typeface should comply with
convention.
12.1.3 Understand what we write in reality.

What do we write in reality?

There is a great variety of things we write in
reality, for example,
 letters, notes, instructions, posters, reports,
menus, minutes of meetings, notices, etc.
Mainly for communicative purposes.
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12.1.4 Problems in teaching English writing

See an example on p.212

① tasks are mainly accuracy-based.
② practice a certain target structures.
③ insufficient preparation before writing stage.
④ no sense of audience.
⑤ no sense of authenticity.
⑥ given ideas to express rather than being
invited to invent their own.
⑦ no opportunity for creative writing,
particular for expressing unusual or
original ideas.
 test-oriented.
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12.2 A Communicative Approach to Writing （交
际写作）
What kind of writing should students do?
① Common everyday styles: posters, letters,
postcards, notes, reports, job applications etc.
② Creative writings: stories, dialogues,
advertisements, poems, etc.
The type of writing will depend on students’ age,
interest and level.
 Mechanical writing do not motivate students.
To motivate students, it is necessary to engage
them in some act of communication. This
means SS should write for communication
(with intended audience; information gap).
See p. 209 task 2, 3

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12.3 A Process Approach to Writing （过程写作）

 Process approach is an approach which

emphasizes the composing processes writers
make use of in writing (such as planning,
drafting and revising) and to improve
students’ writing skills through developing
their use of effective composing processes.

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Main procedures of process writing: p.214

A.Pre-writing:

 Creating a motivation to write;

 Brainstorming; 语言，话题准备

 Mapping; 筹划，打腹稿
Pre-writing
a. Creating a motivation to write
 Developing a sense of purpose and a sense of
audience
To have a sense of purpose and a sense of audience will
significantly influence the first stage of the writing
process, that of exploring possible content and
planning outline.
See the writing on P.212-213
Pre-writing
a. Creating a motivation to write
 The teacher at this stage should try to create a
reason for students to write, make them feel
interested and have things to say. For this reason,
the topic for writing should be familiar, meaningful
and relevant to students’ life and interest.
 Ways to motivate students to write P221
由水果产生的创意

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试一试你的思维特点

 给你如下“材料” :

请你用他们组织出尽可能多的图形 , 并在每一个图下面写出一句
你认为最贴切的话 .

残疾的老鼠 一团和气

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对比别人的结果 , 看你的创意怎样 ?

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结果比较

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Generating ideas: Brainstorming

It is suggested that students work together to

brainstorm ideas for writing.
 In this stage, the teacher should encourage
students to think freely and put down all
possible ideas related to the topic that come
to their minds.
Generating ideas: Brainstorming

 to gather information or ideas about the topic

(activities like questions and answers, group
discussion, or brainstorming / bring some
sample reading materials for the students to
read before talking about their own ideas)
For example, a composition of “smoking”
 they may brainstorm such ideas:

 Cause fire;

 Pollute the
air;

 Bad for
health;  Expensive;

 Cause lung
cancer;

 Bad for non-

smokers…
Organizing ideas: Mapping （思维导图）

 to design some tasks to organize the ideas

according to the sequences, categories or
sub-topics of the general ideas. The
purpose is to help students to group ideas
and to form a general structure of their
writing.
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Causes Problems:
:

Overweight

Solutions: Feelings:

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 Causes

Over- Problem
Feelings
weight s

Solution
s
Main procedures of process writing: p.214
B.Drafting;

 Outlining; 列提纲

 Free writing; 自由写作，一气呵成

Outlining
 An outline usually illustrates the main
organizing structure and the most
important points of the essay. It may
include the main idea of each paragraph
with topic sentences and notes for
supporting details.

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 After students have developed an outline of the
essay, they can be given enough time to write the
first draft. At this stage, the development of ideas
are more important than getting grammatical
structures, punctuation or spelling correct.

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Free writing
 Free writing: students start writing freely
about the topic following mapping. At this
stage, they don’t need to care too much about
spelling or grammar. All they need to do is to
put their ideas on paper.
Free writing can help students develop fluency in
writing.

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Main procedures of process writing: p.214
C. Editing; 整理

D. Revising; 修订

 Proofreading; 格式、语法检查

 Conferencing; 协商讨论，讲评
Editing （改进）
 Editing is the stage when students read
through their writings and check the clarity of
ideas or the logical development of their
arguments.
 Editing is not simply to find errors but to
negotiate meaning and improving writing.

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Editing may take two forms: P.216
Both need teachers’ guidance.

Peer Self-
editing editing
Guidance to peer editors:
① Structures (topic sentences and supporting
sentences)
② Choice of words
③ Grammar, spelling, punctuation
④ Both appreciation and suggestions
Revising 修订
 Revising is the stage when teachers guide
students to make necessary improvements in
both organization and contents based on either
self-editing or peer editing, e.g. adding new
points or deleting irrelevant facts, correcting
errors in choice of words.
 A second or third draft before the final draft.
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Proofreading 校对

 This is the final stage before one hands in the

final draft. At this stage, students should be
guided to read their writings again carefully
for any mistakes in grammar, spelling,
punctuation, or capitalization.

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Conferencing 协商讨论，点评
 It refers to a private meeting for the teacher to
point students’ strength and weakness. For
large class, there can be a class conference
focusing on the main problems and features of
good writing.
 During the conferencing, teachers need to
encourage rather than criticize.
Do Task 6 on p.219
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12.4 Principles for teaching writing:

a) Writing tasks should be motivating and

communicative;
b) Integrating different skills;
c) Offering various opportunities both for the
imitation and free writing

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12.5 Writing Tasks

A. Controlled Writing Tasks

① Copying or reciting sentences or texts
② Dictation
③ Making up sentences
④ Transformation or rewriting
⑤ Imitation, Expansion or condensing
⑥ Writing based on topic sentences or key words
⑦ Talking about pictures
…
B. More Communicative Writing Tasks

① Adding the beginning/end

② Keep English diaries
③ Take reading notes/journals （日志）
④ Write letters or emails
⑤ Write reading reports
⑥ Write stories, news, poems
…

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 Read the four sample writing tasks
See p.224 Discuss with your partners
about what implications you can have
about how to design good writing
tasks.

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4
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