Breaking through
English Writing Barriers
突破英文寫作困境
東海大學外文系
吳凱琳
English Writing Barriers
Have you even found yourself
 Staring at the computer screen/paper for more than
10 minutes
 Writing for 5 minutes and then stopping for more
than 5 minutes
 Having a lot of ideas but not knowing where to start
 Getting stuck in Chinese-English translation
 Getting lost in writing: no clear focus and
organization
English Writing Barriers in

getting started:
--the hardest part is the beginning
--no idea

expressing ideas in English
--lack of vocabulary
--direct translation from Chinese
into English

organizing ideas logically
Causes of Writing Barriers

Improper writing attitudes
 Writing is a “natural talent.”
 Writing is a skill that can be learned.
 Writing is a product.
 Writing is a process
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Lack of writing strategies
Lack of input
Writing Strategy 1: Prewriting
“Don’t think. Type. The thinking comes later.”
“The first time, you don’t think, you just write.”
~ Finding Forrester
Prewriting: Write before writing
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Listing
Freewriting
Clustering
WH-Questions
Prewriting technique: listing
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List as many words,
phrases about the topic
Don’t worry about
spelling or grammar
Write down whatever
comes to mind
Don’t stop to make
correction
Exercises: Work with a partner and
make a list of writing difficulties
you encounter
no voc.
no idea
Translating from Chinese into English
Get stuck
Messy sentence structure
Disorganized essay structure
Boring writing topics
Writing academic papers
Prewriting technique: freewriting
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Free your mind
Start writing whatever
comes to mind
Don’t stop to correct
spelling or grammar
Keep writing for at least
20 minutes
Topic: benefit of aerobic
exercise
What are the benefit of taking
aerobic class? My classmate take
the class because she would like
to lose weight. Another takes for
health, physical health and fitness.
加強心肺功能 How can it
strengthen the function of heart
and lungs? I don’t know, but a lot
of studies show this kind of effects.
Prewriting technique: clustering
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Start with the topic in the
center of the page
Link ideas about the topic
with circles and lines
Provide a mental picture
of the ideas
Benefits of
aerobic class
Prewriting technique: WH-Questions
Asking a reporter’s questions
 Who was there?
 What happened?
 Where did it happen?
 When did it happen?
 Why did it happen?
 How did it happen?
Writing Strategy 2: Outlining
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Make a plan for writing: unity and coherence
Select the most important points
Provide details, examples
Use a linear structure: Writing an essay in
three parts
Three parts of the essay
Writing Exercises:
Put the ideas into a logical order by filling in the
outline and adding a third major idea
Thesis: Joining an aerobics class has many benefits.
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Make new friends
Reduce mental stress
Social benefits
Strengthens heart
Improves self-images
Mental benefits
Tones muscles
Meeting interesting instructors
(Langan’s College Writing Skills with Reading, p, 28)
_______________________
1.______________________
2.______________________
B. _________________________
1. _____________________
2.______________________
C. _______________________
1. _____________________
2. _____________________
A.
I. Thesis: Joining an aerobics class has many benefits.
II. Physical benefits
1. Tones muscles
2. Strengthens heart
III. Mental benefits
1. Reduce mental stress
2. Improves self-images
IV. Social benefits
1. Meeting interesting instructors
2. Make new friends
IV. Conclusion
Writing Strategy 3:
Keeping a journal
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Use a pocket-size notebook or loose-leaf paper
Write about what you read
Write about what you saw, heard, thought, felt
Make writing a part of your life: writing regularly
Generate and develop ideas
Exercises
1. Read an English news article about the earthquake in Sichuan and write
what you think
2. Write about what you heard from the speech, “Breaking Through English
Writing Barriers”
Writing Strategy 4:
Reading to Write
Reading strategies
 Close reading of professional essays
 Underline main ideas
 Look at the title and the introduction.
 Look for the thesis statement
 Look for the important points that support the thesis
 Ask how the writer develops/organizes idea
 Learn the dictions used by the writer
Writing Strategy 4:
Reading to Write
Writing strategies while reading
 Take notes and ask questions while reading
 Summarize the article
 Record reactions
 Draw picture, maps, diagrams
Other Strategies
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Talk about the writing topic with a friend
Read about the writing topic
Physical exercises help you think clearly
Start at a place you have a lot to write about
Suggestions
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Pre-writing: Write before writing
Start writing and keep writing (Peter Elbow)
Make an outline before writing the first draft
Read and write and think and write
Keeping a dairy/journal in English
Think in Ink
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