PECULIARITIES OF
WRITING IN ENGLISH
LANGUAGE CLASSES
Teaching objectives
 By
the end of this unit, Ss will be able to:
1. know what, why and how we write
2. know the communicative approach to
writing
3. Know the problems in writing tasks in
existing textbooks
4. master the process approach to writing
5. design appropriate writing tasks
2
Teaching contents
1. What, why and how do we write?
2. A communicative approach to writing
3. Problems in writing tasks in existing
textbooks
4. A process approach to writing;
5. Motivating students to write
6. Designing writing tasks
7 Writing through the Internet
3
1. What, why and how do we write?
1. By writing, students can learn the language
and culture;
2. By writing, students can improve their
listening, speaking and reading abilities;
3. By writing, students can improve their
thinking ability.
4
There is a great variety of things we write
in reality, for example, letters, journals,
notes, instructions, posters, essays, reports, menus. We write for various
reasons, such as to convey messages or
just to keep a record of what is in our mind.
As to the way we write, we all have our
own way.
5
The nature of writing in reality
Comparing writing in our English teaching classroom
with writing in reality:
First, writing in the ELT classroom (also as
homework) is often seen as a means to
consolidate language that is recently studied.
Second, the teacher gives a topic or a selection of
topics, a set of requirements, and a time limit. The
students finish the task within the time limit and
hand in the final product.
6
2. A communicative approach to
writing
Communication writing means either writing
for a specific recipient, e.g. writing a letter to
a friend or parent, or engaging in an act of
creative writing where their work is intended
to be read by other people, in other words,
an intended audience. Communication
writing is authentic writing tasks that have
some communicative elements.
7
2. A communicative approach to
writing
Writing activities can be between “writing for
learning” and “writing for communication”:
Activities 1--6
8
3. Problems in writing tasks in
existing textbooks
The deficiencies of writing tasks in existing
English textbooks :
1.They are mainly accuracy-based.
2.They are designed to practise certain target
structures.
3.There is insufficient preparation before the
writing stage.
4.There is no sense of audience.
9
3. Problems in writing tasks in
existing textbooks
5.There is no sense of authenticity.
6.Students are given ideas to express rather
than being invited to invent their own.
7.There is no opportunity for creative writing,
particularly for expressing unusual or
original ideas.
8.The influence from Chinese.
10
4. A process approach to writing
Features of process writing:
• Focus on the process of writing that leads to the
final written product;
• Help student writers to understand their own
composing process;
• Help them to build repertoires of strategies for
prewriting, drafting, and rewriting;
• Give students time to write and rewrite;
• Place central importance on the process of
revision;
11
4. A process approach to writing
• Let.students discover what they want to say as
they write;
• Give students feedback throughout the composing
process (not just on the final product) to consider
as they attempt to bring their expression closer
and closer to intention;
• Encourage feedback both from the instructor and
peers;
• Include individual conferences between teacher
and student during the process of composition.
12
4. A process approach to writing
The main procedures of process writing includes:










Creating a motivation to write
Brainstorm
Mapping
Freewriting
Outlining
Drafting
Editing
Revising
Proofreading
Conferencing
13
5 Motivating students to write
 Task
8 on p221:
 Work in groups and discuss how teachers
can motivate students to write. Work out a
list of principles and share it with another
group
14
6. Designing writing tasks
 Work
in pairs and design an interesting
writing task and write an detailed teaching
plan for your writing task.
15
7 Writing through the Internet
E-mail provides a perfect mechanism for students to
submit drafts and for teachers to look them over at
their convenience and send them back with
comments — once, twice, or several times. New
ideas are shared promptly and can be responded
to quickly. Another advantage is that the teacher
can easily store all the drafts of a document for
later review and analysis of the revision process.
All these help to promote the application of the
process approach to writing in the ELT classroom.
16
Assignments
Review the text & do all the exercises;
17