Writing in a foreign language

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WRITING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE
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WRITING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

• The process of learning to write in a foreign
  language should be started in Primary Education
  and really never ends.

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2. WHAT DO WE MEAN WHEN WE REFER TO WRITING?

• Academic Writing is the production of a sequence
  of sentences arranged in a particular order and
  linked together to form a coherent whole called
  text.
• From a communicative perspective, we could
  understand writing as the ability to communicate
  with each other and express our own ideas in
  written form.

PASSIVE/ RECEPTIVE ACTIVE/PRODUCTIVE
ORAL/AURAL LISTENING SPEAKING
VISUAL READING WRITING
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3. SPECIFIC SKILLS ATTACHED TO WRITING

• Writing is clearly a complex, multifaceted
  process requiring the ability to manipulate many
  sub-skills simultaneously
• involves being creative, spelling, grammar,
  punctuation, choice of appropriate words,
  sentences linking and text construction.

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3.1. Graphic or Visual Skills

• Spelling Difference between pronunciation and
  spelling in the English language.
• How can our students improve their spelling?
• We advise them to
• a) select priority words to learn,
• b) get plentiful, regular practice,
• c) know about the language,
• d) learn techniques,
• e) develop an interest in words,
• f) check their work,
• g) have confidence in themselves.

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3.1. Graphic or Visual Skills

• Punctuation Learning how to use punctuation
  correctly is a slow and laborious process. It
  should be started from the very beginning.
• Layout There are certain conventions on how to
  write a letter, construct a paragraph, organise a
  written text and so on that are culturally
  determined.

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3.2. Grammatical Skills

• This refers to the students' skill in making
  efficient use of grammatical structures and
  constructions.

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Expressive or Stylistic Skills

• This includes the learners capacity to select
  the most appropriate meaning in a range of styles
  and registers Sociolinguistic competence

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3.4.Rhetorical Skills

• This refers to the ability to use linguistic
  cohesive devices what we call connectors and
  modifiers in order to link parts of a text
  into logically related sequences discourse
  competence

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3.5. Organisational Skills

• The organisation of pieces of information into
  paragraphs and texts.

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4. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE FOUR SKILLS

• It is an obvious fact that languages are spoken
  before they are written, and there are people who
  communicate perfectly in the spoken language
  without being able to express themselves in
  writing.

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THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE FOUR SKILLS

• When introducing the skills we should know
• what stage the learners are at in the
  acquisition of their first language skills,
• to ensure that we do not interfere with the
  learning process of their own language.
• Only when reading and writing have been acquired
  in L1 can we begin the task with L2.

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THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE FOUR SKILLS

• At beginner levels in particular, writing
  practice should be aimed at
• reinforcing the learning of linguistic elements
  which have been practised orally,
• without forgetting to introduce our pupils to
  vocabulary practice and the structures of written
  language itself.

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THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE FOUR SKILLS

• Integrated Skills It means that we can create
  activities, tasks where the four basic skills are
  integrated.

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THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE FOUR SKILLS

• Integrating Reading and Writing. Reading and
  Writing are closely related
• a) reading is a source of input and model for
  written language
• b) there is a continual process of feedback
  between the two skills.

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a) Reading as a source of input and model for
written language

• Students need to receive language, a
  comprehensible input, by means of reading a
  sufficient amount in order to develop their
  capacity.
• Beginners should be given models adapted to their
  level.

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b) Continual process of feedback between the two
skills

• We constantly read what we have written to revise
  content and grammar, organise the text, etc. So
  there is a continous feedback.

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Integrating Speaking and Writing

• When we are writing something we usually try it
  out by pronouncing it internally in what is
  known as inner speech

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4.5 Integrating Listening and Writing

• To get used to English spelling, it is better
  first to only hear the word, get to know its
  acoustic shape before writing it down.
• Traditional activities Dictations or listening
  comprehensions
• Communicative writing activities Information
  gaps and task dependency

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5. DIFFERENCES BETWEEN WRITTEN AND SPOKEN
DISCOURSE
SPOKEN LANGUAGE WRITTEN LANGUAGE
More informal we sometimes express ourselves by means of short, incomplete sentences, using contractions and fillers. Formal and polished
Spoken discourse is ephemeral, it leaves no record unless it is intentionally taped or transcribed. It is permanent, it leaves a record.
A spontaneous and improvised activity. A deliberate and conscious process, subject to continuous revision, which must be planned and organised.
The situational context helps understanding Only the linguistic context is available
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5. DIFFERENCES BETWEEN WRITTEN AND SPOKEN
DISCOURSE
SPOKEN LANGUAGE WRITTEN LANGUAGE
An immediate response is obtained from the audience, who confirm whether or not the message has been understood. No immediate feedback
The context and knowledge shared by the speaker and the listener mean that certain information is assumed without needing to be made explicit. The written text is explicit and concrete.
Proxemic, kinesic or paralinguistic elements may be used to clarify, complete or reinforce the message. There are no expressive resources although this is partially remedied by the use of punctuation.
The natural unit of expression is the sentence The natural unit of expression is the paragraph.
Speech may contain a regional or dialectal variant Standard language is usually used in writing.
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HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT WRITING ENGLISH?

• Teachers perspective
• lack of a well-defined model of teaching how to
  write
• reduced to exercises known as composition or
  essays.
• Time-consuming activity.
• this skill requires a lot of time to obtain an
  acceptable product and relegates it to homework.
• Focus on Listening and Speaking.
• Our educational system pays more attention to
  oral skills.
• The teacher is usually the only audience for the
  pupils work.

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HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT WRITING ENGLISH?

• Pupils perspective
• Pupils tend to see writing as an academic
  activity imposed by the teacher.
• It is the only skill whose final product is
  fixed and recorded for posterity.
• There is no immediate feedback.
• Need for a real audience and real communication
  to give authenticity to this exercise and
  encourage the pupils implication in the process.
• Choice of subject matter.
• the themes proposed are often repetitive,
  unimaginative and unattractive.
• Solitary work

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7.THE WRITING PROCESS

• Before beginning
• The content what you are writing for.
• The addressee or reader who you are writing to
  or for.
• The purpose why you are writing.

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7.1.What do people write?

• Distinction between personal writing and
  public/professional or institutional writing.
• a) PERSONAL WRITING

a) Study writing - Lecture notes - Reviews - Summaries - Synopses - New Vocabulary - Copying from the board - Written exercises For others Essays, Reports and exams, Composition, Dictation b) Creative Writing Poems, songs, stories, rhymes, autobiographies, tales, drama, chants. These are text types which are created for an aesthetic reason and for personal satisfaction although they may be shared with others. In TEFL these texts are widely used to practice language and promote the imagination and creativity of the pupil.
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What do people write?

• PERSONAL PUBLIC WRITING

a) Study writing - Lecture notes - Reviews - Summaries - Synopses - New Vocabulary - Copying from the board - Written exercises For others Essays, Reports and exams, Composition, Dictation b) Creative Writing Poems, songs, stories, rhymes, autobiographies, tales, drama, chants. These are text types which are created for an aesthetic reason and for personal satisfaction although they may be shared with others. In TEFL these texts are widely used to practice language and promote the imagination and creativity of the pupil.
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What do people write?

• PUBLIC OR INSTITUTIONAL WRITING

a) Public Writing Intended for organisations or institutions. -Letters of Enquiry, complaint and request. - Form Filling - Applications - Faxes - Curriculum Vitae b) Social Writing These help us to establish and maintain social relations with those around us. - Letters - Invitations -Notes of thanks, congratulations, of condolence - Telephone messages - Instructions to friends and family. - E-mails - SMS - Online chats c)Professional Writing Specialised texts related to professional tasks (Legal, commercial, educational, advertising, medical, journalism) which have clearly defined characteristics. - Agendas - Minutes - Memoranda - Articles - Public Notices - Contracts - Advertisements - Business Letters - Market research - Specifications
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7.1. Who for? The audience

• Pupil needs to write with either a real or
  imaginary reader in mind.
• The choice of appropriate style and content will
  depend on the audience we are writing for.
• The teacher should not become the only reader of
  their work.

Classmates Exchanging written work with
classmates for them to make suggestions or
corrections, using the principle of Peer
Teaching. Reading work out loud for the rest of
the class to hear. Anonymous letters unsigned or
unaddressed letters - the sender or the receiver
have to be guessed e.g. Be my Valentine!
Home-made Books we refer here to an
easy-to-make low-cost book that is made by the
pupils themselves. The teacher explains to the
pupils how to make the books (Cancelas 1997).
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7.1. Who for? The audience

• Other students in the school make a newspaper,
  magazine or other mini projects (exhibitions) to
  share with pupils from other classes.
• The student himself, writing a poem, a few notes,
  or a draft for his eyes only.

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7.1. Who for? The audience

• A real outside audience
• Pen friends
• Pen pals, Key pals or cyberpals
• Internet chats
• SMS messages
• Writing for information
• Parents
• Friends
• Fictional characters

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7.1. Who for? The audience

• An imaginary outside audience.
• We can create displays of their work class
  surveys.
• Royal Mail post box will encourage pupils to
  write letters to their teacher

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7.1. Who for? The audience

• Royal Mail post box will encourage pupils to
  write letters to their teacher, headmaster, or
  other pupils to express their complaints,
  opinions, suggestions or congratulations.
• English Notice Board where they can write news
  that interests them and that they want to share
  with the rest of the class.

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7.1. Who for? The audience

• The clothes-line allows us to carry out many
  activities in the English classroom.

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7.1. Who for? The audience

• We can provide a Book of Envelopes where they can
  put their letters written to the person whose
  address is on the front of each envelope.

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7.1. Why? The purpose

• Writing always has a purpose which will determine
  the expressions, vocabulary, style, format, etc.
  that should be used.
• The writer should have a reason for writing and
  this will depend on age, interests and needs.

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7.1. Why? The purpose

• We could propose exercises that fulfil some of
  the following requirements
• They make you think in order to solve a problem.
• They are entertaining.
• They communicate something, such as letters or
  notes.
• They have a specific use for the pupils the
  words of a song, a recipe, facts and figures,
  etc.

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8.1. The Controlled-to-Free Approach

• 8.2. The Free-Writing Approach
• Intermediate-level students.
• Quantity rather than quality.
• Content and fluency rather than form.

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The Paragraph-Pattern Approach

• The focus here is on text organisation.
• Students copy, analyse and imitate model
  paragraphs and passages.

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The Grammar-Syntax-Organisation Approach

• Teach students to connect the purpose of a
  written text to the most appropriate forms
  required to convey the message.
• Attention is paid to grammar and syntax, as well
  as to appropriate choice of vocabulary and the
  structure of the piece of writing

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The Communicative Approach

• The purpose and addressee of a piece of writing
  are the focal points of this approach.
• Addressees other than the teacher.
• It is believed that writers work better when
  writing for a real reader.

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The Communicative Approach

• Describe yourself, but Your penpal from
  England is coming to stay with you for the first
  time. Write a letter describing yourself so that
  he/she will recognise you when you go to meet
  him/her at the station.

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The Process Approach to Writing

• Composing processes writers make use of in
  writing, such as
• planning (also called pre-writing)
• drafting
• Composing
• creating and developing
• and revising (or editing).

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The Process Approach to Writing

• The aim of this approach is to help the student
  answer the question How do I write this? by
  developing their use of composing processes.

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Pre-writing activities

• Class discussion of the topic, brainstorming or
  list making).
• Think about what they are going to write.
• Who they are writing for.
• organise their work, etc
• Students then respond to these ideas in writing
  (the drafting stage).

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Writing

• Drafting improved upon with the help of feedback
  from the teacher and/or other students
• Creating
• The final stage is Revising

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The Eclectic Approach

• Teachers use what they consider to be the most
  useful techniques from each approach, according
  to the teaching context they are working in, the
  stage their pupils are at, etc.

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9. IMPORTANCE OF WRITING IN TEFL

• It is above all a useful learning tool
• It helps to consolidate and reinforce the
  learning of other knowledge (grammar, vocabulary,
  etc.).
• It is a useful communication channel.
• It adds another physical dimension to the
  learning process.

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TOWARDS A METHODOLOGY FOR THE TEACHING OF
WRITING FAMILIARIZATION, CONTROLLED WRITING,
GUIDED WRITING AND FREE WRITING

• A series of stages has been established where the
  activities become increasingly more complex.
• Familiarisation with written texts writing
  words, simple grammatical phrases, routines or
  prefabricated language is the first step before
  pupils can produce their first written sentences.

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TOWARDS A METHODOLOGY FOR THE TEACHING OF
WRITING FAMILIARIZATION, CONTROLLED WRITING,
GUIDED WRITING AND FREE WRITING

• copying, tracing and handling language, focused
  mainly on spelling and vocabulary. Possible
  activities crosswords, anagrams, jumbled
  letters, put the words in one sentence, labelling
  objects and pictures, hangman, etc.

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TOWARDS A METHODOLOGY FOR THE TEACHING OF
WRITING FAMILIARIZATION, CONTROLLED WRITING,
GUIDED WRITING AND FREE WRITING

• Controlled Writing Controlling the pupils
  production and reducing the possibility of
  mistakes.
• very little communicative function

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TOWARDS A METHODOLOGY FOR THE TEACHING OF
WRITING FAMILIARIZATION, CONTROLLED WRITING,
GUIDED WRITING AND FREE WRITING

• Guided Writing Here the learner begins to
  produce written sentences following very precise
  guidelines provided by the teacher or the
  textbook, which usually lead to predictable
  results.

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TOWARDS A METHODOLOGY FOR THE TEACHING OF
WRITING FAMILIARIZATION, CONTROLLED WRITING,
GUIDED WRITING AND FREE WRITING

• Free Writing Also known as Creative, Expressive
  writing or Writing for Fluency.

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11.3. Teaching Aids

• Slotboard large board with a row of pockets
  along the bottom.
• The pupil inserts cards with words on them in the
  pockets to create sentences.
• Flashcards

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11.3. Teaching Aids

• Displaying Charts

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11.3. Teaching Aids

• Word displays
• Sentence markers

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11.3. Teaching Aids

• Games from scrabble to help with spelling, or
  snap.
• Dominoes
• Puzzles
• Visual Material (Pictures, drawings, photographs,
  wallcharts, etc.)

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11.3. Teaching Aids

• Roll Sentences the children write sentences in
  strips which can be rotated around a cardboard
  tube to make new sentences.
• Frames Big Books to initiate children in
  writing.
• Activity Books. Workbooks and worksheets are
  widely used in our Education System

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11.3. Teaching Aids

• Computers Use of emails and correspondence with
  penpals (http//www.ks-connection.org/penpal/
  penpal.html) as a way of giving authenticity to
  written communication. Chats are another form of
  communication written in real time

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11.3. Teaching Aids

• We should not forget the existence of specific
  computer programmes designed for different levels
  and age-groups to practise this skill.
• Hot Potatoes, available at http//web.uvic.ca/hrd
  /halfbaked/ is a good example.

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11.4. The Use of Individual, Pair and Group
Techniques.

• Although the aim is for each pupil to develop
  writing techniques, it does not have to be an
  individual task relegated to homework assignments.

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11.4. The Use of Individual, Pair and Group
Techniques

• Techniques for pair work.
• games such as Back Writing or Palm Writing.
  The pupil writes a word on the back or palm of a
  classmate, who has to guess the word.
• Techniques for Group work.
• Group work is very productive.
• pupils can benefit from the knowledge of their
  classmates and overcome their fear of expressing
  themselves as the work, and therefore the
  mistakes, are collective

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11.4. The Use of Individual, Pair and Group
Techniques

• Consequences Learners work in groups of
  seven, and they have to write their answers to a
  series of questions. The first one writes his/her
  answer then folds the piece of paper and passes
  it on to the next person who writes the answer to
  the second question. When they have all finished
  they unfold the sheet of paper, read it aloud and
  then write a text with the information.

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11.4. The Use of Individual, Pair and Group
Techniques

• We can assign projects that involve a collective
  writing exercise such as a class newspaper or
  magazine, making a class dictionary or writing an
  English diary.

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11.5. Writing at Elementary Levels

• Change teachers attitudes to writing
• Learning to write is a gradual, dynamic,
  progressive and developmental process.
• Writing ability develops through meaningful
  writing experiences.

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11.5. Writing at Elementary Levels

• We will focus on meaning rather than accuracy.
• Children should write about what they have talked
  about or read about.
• The writing process should be planned and
  established.
• Play with words, sentences and texts .

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11.5. Writing at Elementary Levels

• Introduce motivating and funny activities.
• Encouraging risk-taking.
• Acceptance of the mistakes.
• Be positive. Praise and respect all efforts.

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11.5. Writing at Elementary Levels.

• For young children visual aids (pictures,
  flashcards, cardwords) are very important.
• Encourage children to be autonomous (consult
  dictionaries, spell-checkers, computers, books,
  etc.)

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11.5. Writing at Elementary Levels.

• Our starting point is that the pupils know how to
  write in their L1.
• We will move step by step, starting with
  spelling, writing words, forming phrases,
  punctuation, paragraphs, and ending with the
  creation of whole texts.

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11.5. Writing at Elementary Levels.

• We will follow the classic stages mentioned in
  section 11
• Familiarisation,
• Controlled Writing,
• Guided writing and
• Free Writing.

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11.5. Writing at Elementary Levels.

• Writing activities go from being tightly
  controlled to being completely free.
• We should familiarise the pupil with writing and
  most activities will be aimed at learning the
  alphabet, presenting techniques for learning how
  to spell, and writing words.

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11.5. Writing at Elementary Levels.
Complete these words with oe ue oo u oa o 1. A c____ and a l___ rry on the road. 2. The sky is bl___ and the s___n is yellow. 3. P___t on your sh___s, cr___ss the w___d and go to sch___l!
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11.5. Writing at Elementary Levels.
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11.5. Writing at Elementary Levels.

• Learning spelling is a difficult process due to
  the complexity of the English language, which has
  44 phonemes represented by only 26 letters.
• Strategies used to improve spelling
• Traditional and
• multisensorial techniques

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11.5. Writing at Elementary Levels.

• Traditional strategies are
• a) learn individual words off by heart.
• b) Apply spelling rules (such as i before e
  except after c and teach Letter Patterns.

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11.5. Writing at Elementary Levels.
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11.5. Writing at Elementary Levels.

• Games such as
• Hangman.
• Complete the word.
• Start at the end or Start with the letter.

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11.5. Writing at Elementary Levels.

• Guided Writing
• Use copying in a way which encourages pupils to
  think using crosswords, or anagrams, and
  matching, sequencing or classifying activities.

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11.5. Writing at Elementary Levels.
ANAGRAMS Name of animals - OESMU............. -TRA -LULB.. ERITG.............. EYNDOK..........
dice, foggy, mountain, punky, butcher, bike, warden, rucksack, freezing, face, cinema, cool, tent, surfboard, path, path, warm dice, foggy, mountain, punky, butcher, bike, warden, rucksack, freezing, face, cinema, cool, tent, surfboard, path, path, warm dice, foggy, mountain, punky, butcher, bike, warden, rucksack, freezing, face, cinema, cool, tent, surfboard, path, path, warm dice, foggy, mountain, punky, butcher, bike, warden, rucksack, freezing, face, cinema, cool, tent, surfboard, path, path, warm
WEATHER PEOPLE ENTERTAINMENTS HIKING




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11.5. Writing at Elementary Levels.

• Dictation
• The runner and the scribe two pupils sit one in
  front of the other at a distance from the board,
  where there is a text written in small letters.
  One of the students, the runner, goes up to the
  board, reads a sentence, then goes back and
  dictates the sentence from memory to the
  scribe, who writes it down. When they reach a
  mark in the text, they swap roles. The exercise
  is then corrected by means of a listening
  exercise.

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11.5. Writing at Elementary Levels.

• A text is placed outside the classroom.
• A pupil goes out to the text, reads a sentence,
  then comes back into the room and dictates the
  sentence from memory to the rest of the class.

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11.5. Writing at Elementary Levels.

• Dictogloss. The teacher dictates a story and at
  certain stages asks learners to write, within a
  time limit, part of the text as a creative
  writing exercise.

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11.5. Writing at Elementary Levels

• Controlled writing at Sentence Level.
• To develop students' awareness of organising
  thoughts into a logical sequence.
• Use media such as slotboards and displaying
  boards.
• Pupils manipulate the language on cards and the
  whole class practises, plays and produces
  sentences before moving on to a more abstract
  plane.

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11.5. Writing at Elementary Levels

• The resulting phrases are then corrected or
  improved by the whole class.

PUT THE WORDS INTO 1 SENTENCE eats cat a fish lot my of _____________________________________
MARK WORD BOUNDARIES Theangrywomanwalkedintotheforest. Tworedbusesstoppedatthetrafficlights Thehensonmyfarmlayalotofeggs
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11.5. Writing at Elementary Levels

• Copy and rearrange exercises In Primary
  Education pupils should be given a variety of
  written texts adapted to their level and
  interests (letters, postcards, adverts, comics,
  tales, nursery rhymes, etc.) to become familiar
  with them.

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11.5. Writing at Elementary Levels

• Fill-in Exercises,
• Picture Gaps and
• Opposites"

OPPOSITES It was a very hot day and Susan was very happy. Her mother had given her a big bag of delicious sweets and she wanted to share them with her friends. The bag was quite heavy and she was walking quickly so she soon got tired. She sat down and went to sleep. When she woke up the bag was empty!
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11.5. Writing at Elementary Levels

• Pupils are given a basic text with no adjectives
  or adverbs. They have to rewrite the text
  including a list of words provided by the
  teacher, or, for higher ability groups, complete
  the text with their own words.

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11.5. Writing at Elementary Levels

• Information transfer activities information
  presented in tables provides material to write
  simple phrases and paragraphs. I
• Guided compositions we can show them picture
  storyboards with vignettes for them to describe
  and write a composition following the given
  storyline.

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12. SOME SUGGESTIONS ON MARKING WRITING

• Marking is a vital part of the writing process.
• As guidance is fundamental for the pupils to
  learn from their mistakes, and make the necessary
  progress in the acquisition of this skill.

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12. SOME SUGGESTIONS ON MARKING WRITING

• There is a tendency to mark written work by
  looking for grammatical errors, incorrect use of
  punctuation or misspelling.
• Before picking up our red pens Read the pupils
  work from beginning to end, looking for strengths
  as well as weaknesses.

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12.2 Teacher correction/Peer correction/Self
correction.

• Teacher correction.
• It is preferable to mark work during class with
  the learner present in order to get more
  immediate feedback.
• Written comments can be effective and should be
  personal and encouraging.
• Super work, (students name)! Well done,
  (students name)!I like this picture very much,
  (students name) This is not your best work,
  (students name) Oh dear, (students name)!

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12. SOME SUGGESTIONS ON MARKING WRITING

• Peer correction.
• Pupils often learn from each others mistakes.
• Pupils become more involved in the
  teaching-learning process
• The teachers marking load is lightened.
• Pupils often find it less traumatic to write if
  they know their work will be marked by one of
  their peers.

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12. SOME SUGGESTIONS ON MARKING WRITING

• Self correction.
• More useful when marking controlled or guided
  writing exercises and fairly limited in the case
  of free writing
• They need to develop the ability to read their
  own work critically

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12.3 Checklists and lists of symbols.
yes no
Spelling
Punctuation
Grammar
Vocabulary
Ideas
Organisation
Handwriting
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12.3 Checklists and lists of symbols.
P punctuation error S spelling error something is missing
WW wrong word used WO wrong word order // new paragraph needed
R-O run-on-sentence V verb tense error ? I dont understand this
Agr agreement (subject-verb, adjective-noun or noun-pronoun) good well done I like this