developing writing
The ability to write well is not a naturally acquired skill; it is usually learned as a set of practices in formal instructional settings or other environments. Writing skills must be practised and learned through experience.
Writing also involves composing, which implies the ability to either tell or retell pieces of information in the form of narratives or description, or to transform information into new texts, as in informative, persuasive or argumentative writing. Formulating new ideas can be difficult particularly for ESL learners because it involves transferring thoughts and transforming or reworking information, which can prove to be much more complex than writing for the purpose of re-telling.
ESL Learners are learning to write in a new language where he or she may have:
- No literacy skills in another language due to limited schooling
- Limited oracy skills in English to support reading and writing tasks
- A lack of shared cultural knowledge
- A lack of understanding of the specific genres taught in schools
Reasons to develop writing skills in ESL learners:
- To reinforces other language pursuits such as reading and oracy
- Writing also enhances language acquisition as it develops critical thinking
- Writing as a skill
- Writing to communicate
Approaches for developing writing in the classroom
The sociolinguistic approach
This approach emphasises the link between language and social contexts. It recognises that the purpose of a text determines the structure, grammar and vocabulary in order to communicate a message. (Winch & Holliday, 2010, p. 424)
The socio linguistic approach also highlights language choices that writers may make and identify the differences between who our audience is and the language we would use to address that audience.
Examples of this include:
- A personal letter VS a formal letter
- Creative writing Vs academic assessment
The Genre Approach
This approach looks at text structures and their grammatical features with particular attention made to language choices based on cultural context, audience and purpose. This type of writing teaches the structure of different text types and provides students with modelled writing for various situations. Eventually student’s gain creative control once they become familiar with the different text structures. The genre based approach can be developed in many ways for lessons and encourages the explicit teaching of function, structure, organisation or sequencing and recognising grammatical patterns in different writing contexts.
Recommended webpage’s for genre writing tasks:
A Genre Study of Letters With The Jolly Postman
(http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=322)
Can You Convince Me? Developing Persuasive Writing
(http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=56)
Creating a Classroom Newspaper
(http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=249)
Exploring Cause and Effect Using Expository Texts About Natural Disasters
(http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=925)
Fairy Tales from Life
(http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=42)
Genre Study: A Collaborative Approach
(http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=270)
Reading and Analyzing Multigenre Texts
(http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=293)
Lessons that use the Acrostic Poems tool
(http://www.readwritethink.org/student_mat/student_material.asp?id=45)
Lessons that use the Bio-Cube tool
(http://www.readwritethink.org/student_mat/student_material.asp?id=57)
Lessons that use the Comic Creator tool
(http://www.readwritethink.org/student_mat/student_material.asp?id=21)
Lessons that use the Letter Generator tool
(http://www.readwritethink.org/student_mat/student_material.asp?id=5)
Lessons that use the Persuasion Map tool
(http://www.readwritethink.org/student_mat/student_material.asp?id=34)
Lessons that use the Story Map tool
(http://www.readwritethink.org/student_mat/student_material.asp?id=8)
The process approach - (International reading association, 2013)
Process writing usually begins with some form of pre-writing activity in which learners work together in groups to generate ideas about a particular topic. This could include developing a 'free-writing'exercise, brainstorming, making a list or timeline, or simply reflecting on an experience.
Each group member then works alone to compose a first draft, concentrating on getting ideas down on paper, without worrying about spelling or grammar. They then read their drafts to each other in pairs or small groups. Thus providing constructive feedback and use questioning to filter ideas and thoughts.
Then revising and editing begins based on the feedback gathered from the previous activity. Students now clarify details and ideas in which to make their piece of writing coherent. Students then begin to focus on their spelling, grammar and punctuation choices. Here teachers can model their writing and do a 'think aloud' with the class, possibly constructing a check list of things that may need attention.
Re-writing and publishing are such an important parts of the writing process. It is recommended by The International Writing Association that students publish their work in a public forum such as a blog, email, school newsletter, etc. “It is when having an authentic audience is presented to students beyond the classroom that provides their writing more importance and helps students to see a direct connection between their lives and their literacy development.” (International reading association, 2013)
Free or creative writing
This teaching strategy engages students and motivates them for further more extensive writing projects. Students are required to write for a period of time in class on a topic of interest to them. These writings may be kept in a portfolio or notebook. From these shorter pieces of writing can students begin to write discuss, revise, edit, and publish their work. (International reading association, 2013)
This writing can take many forms including:
- Writing that is timed
- Individual writing that is only for the writers eyes
- Journal writing and letters to a teacher, a classmate or other partner who then responds
- Graphic organisers
Teachers need to scaffold learner’s writing by:
- Modelling all aspects of the writing process - Modelled writing is an invaluable strategy that demonstrates a range of skills, processes and procedures. By ‘thinking aloud’ as they write, teachers allow student’s insights to take place in the writing process. It also provides them with a completed text which can serve as a model for the students’ own writing.
- Demonstrate exactly how a piece of writing should look to further solidify expectations
- Teaching text organization and language features of different genres through a range of different activities
- Supporting the development of editing and proof reading skills (process approach)
- Use shared experiences to inspire writing
- Using photos and other visual stimuli such as sequenced pictures in the early stages of writing
- Using groups and pairs to develop group texts
Other writing strategies:
- Encourage students not to be afraid of making mistakes
- Encourage writing for real purposes
- Encourage ‘draft writing’ along with ‘good copies’
- Have students publish their work in innovative ways such as newsletters on the school’s intranet, blogs, emails and posters
- Encourage the use of different strategies for developing vocabulary and have them record new vocabulary in a separate book for future writing
- Encourage students to write everything down via lists, diaries and journals
- Teach all aspects of word knowledge and spelling through specific activities including games, quizzes and online activities
References
International reading association. (2013). The writing process - lesson ideas. Retrieved 10 2013, from Read write think: http://www.readwritethink.org/professional-development/strategy-guides/implementing-writing-process-30386.html
Winch, G., & Holliday, M. (2010). Literacy: Reading, Writing and Children's Literature (4th ed.). Oxford Press.
Writing also involves composing, which implies the ability to either tell or retell pieces of information in the form of narratives or description, or to transform information into new texts, as in informative, persuasive or argumentative writing. Formulating new ideas can be difficult particularly for ESL learners because it involves transferring thoughts and transforming or reworking information, which can prove to be much more complex than writing for the purpose of re-telling.
ESL Learners are learning to write in a new language where he or she may have:
- No literacy skills in another language due to limited schooling
- Limited oracy skills in English to support reading and writing tasks
- A lack of shared cultural knowledge
- A lack of understanding of the specific genres taught in schools
Reasons to develop writing skills in ESL learners:
- To reinforces other language pursuits such as reading and oracy
- Writing also enhances language acquisition as it develops critical thinking
- Writing as a skill
- Writing to communicate
Approaches for developing writing in the classroom
The sociolinguistic approach
This approach emphasises the link between language and social contexts. It recognises that the purpose of a text determines the structure, grammar and vocabulary in order to communicate a message. (Winch & Holliday, 2010, p. 424)
The socio linguistic approach also highlights language choices that writers may make and identify the differences between who our audience is and the language we would use to address that audience.
Examples of this include:
- A personal letter VS a formal letter
- Creative writing Vs academic assessment
The Genre Approach
This approach looks at text structures and their grammatical features with particular attention made to language choices based on cultural context, audience and purpose. This type of writing teaches the structure of different text types and provides students with modelled writing for various situations. Eventually student’s gain creative control once they become familiar with the different text structures. The genre based approach can be developed in many ways for lessons and encourages the explicit teaching of function, structure, organisation or sequencing and recognising grammatical patterns in different writing contexts.
Recommended webpage’s for genre writing tasks:
A Genre Study of Letters With The Jolly Postman
(http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=322)
Can You Convince Me? Developing Persuasive Writing
(http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=56)
Creating a Classroom Newspaper
(http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=249)
Exploring Cause and Effect Using Expository Texts About Natural Disasters
(http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=925)
Fairy Tales from Life
(http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=42)
Genre Study: A Collaborative Approach
(http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=270)
Reading and Analyzing Multigenre Texts
(http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=293)
Lessons that use the Acrostic Poems tool
(http://www.readwritethink.org/student_mat/student_material.asp?id=45)
Lessons that use the Bio-Cube tool
(http://www.readwritethink.org/student_mat/student_material.asp?id=57)
Lessons that use the Comic Creator tool
(http://www.readwritethink.org/student_mat/student_material.asp?id=21)
Lessons that use the Letter Generator tool
(http://www.readwritethink.org/student_mat/student_material.asp?id=5)
Lessons that use the Persuasion Map tool
(http://www.readwritethink.org/student_mat/student_material.asp?id=34)
Lessons that use the Story Map tool
(http://www.readwritethink.org/student_mat/student_material.asp?id=8)
The process approach - (International reading association, 2013)
Process writing usually begins with some form of pre-writing activity in which learners work together in groups to generate ideas about a particular topic. This could include developing a 'free-writing'exercise, brainstorming, making a list or timeline, or simply reflecting on an experience.
Each group member then works alone to compose a first draft, concentrating on getting ideas down on paper, without worrying about spelling or grammar. They then read their drafts to each other in pairs or small groups. Thus providing constructive feedback and use questioning to filter ideas and thoughts.
Then revising and editing begins based on the feedback gathered from the previous activity. Students now clarify details and ideas in which to make their piece of writing coherent. Students then begin to focus on their spelling, grammar and punctuation choices. Here teachers can model their writing and do a 'think aloud' with the class, possibly constructing a check list of things that may need attention.
Re-writing and publishing are such an important parts of the writing process. It is recommended by The International Writing Association that students publish their work in a public forum such as a blog, email, school newsletter, etc. “It is when having an authentic audience is presented to students beyond the classroom that provides their writing more importance and helps students to see a direct connection between their lives and their literacy development.” (International reading association, 2013)
Free or creative writing
This teaching strategy engages students and motivates them for further more extensive writing projects. Students are required to write for a period of time in class on a topic of interest to them. These writings may be kept in a portfolio or notebook. From these shorter pieces of writing can students begin to write discuss, revise, edit, and publish their work. (International reading association, 2013)
This writing can take many forms including:
- Writing that is timed
- Individual writing that is only for the writers eyes
- Journal writing and letters to a teacher, a classmate or other partner who then responds
- Graphic organisers
Teachers need to scaffold learner’s writing by:
- Modelling all aspects of the writing process - Modelled writing is an invaluable strategy that demonstrates a range of skills, processes and procedures. By ‘thinking aloud’ as they write, teachers allow student’s insights to take place in the writing process. It also provides them with a completed text which can serve as a model for the students’ own writing.
- Demonstrate exactly how a piece of writing should look to further solidify expectations
- Teaching text organization and language features of different genres through a range of different activities
- Supporting the development of editing and proof reading skills (process approach)
- Use shared experiences to inspire writing
- Using photos and other visual stimuli such as sequenced pictures in the early stages of writing
- Using groups and pairs to develop group texts
Other writing strategies:
- Encourage students not to be afraid of making mistakes
- Encourage writing for real purposes
- Encourage ‘draft writing’ along with ‘good copies’
- Have students publish their work in innovative ways such as newsletters on the school’s intranet, blogs, emails and posters
- Encourage the use of different strategies for developing vocabulary and have them record new vocabulary in a separate book for future writing
- Encourage students to write everything down via lists, diaries and journals
- Teach all aspects of word knowledge and spelling through specific activities including games, quizzes and online activities
References
International reading association. (2013). The writing process - lesson ideas. Retrieved 10 2013, from Read write think: http://www.readwritethink.org/professional-development/strategy-guides/implementing-writing-process-30386.html
Winch, G., & Holliday, M. (2010). Literacy: Reading, Writing and Children's Literature (4th ed.). Oxford Press.