Teaching writing skill

Major approaches to teaching writing: Product vs process
Stage 1: Ss are given a model to analyze its typical features. They are also asked to pay attention to the language and structures of the model.
Stage 2: Ss work in pairs or groups to find out the ideas for the writing topic.
Stage 3: Ss write the outline for their writing.
Stage 4: Ss write the first drafts individually.

Major approaches to teaching writing: Product vs process

Stage 5: Ss exchange their papers with other Ss to get comments.
Stage 6: Ss get the paper back and write another version, making any changes basing on their friends’ feedback.
Stage 7: Ss may submit their writing to the teacher for assessment.
Stage 8: T may correct one or two certain writing papers. T reminds Ss of common errors and the right use of necessary structures as well as vocabulary.
Types of writing activities
I/ Controlled writing
1. Purpose: for students at elementary level, this can help students learn new words, structures.
2. Activities:
Substitution/ Transformation.
Gap-filling
Completing the sentences
Describing the pictures
Re-ordering words to make complete sentences
Using the cued words/phrases to make sentences
Types of writing activities
ll. Guided writing (freer writing)
1. Purpose: Students move from controlled exercises to freer paragraph writing. This is quite a difficult task. However, Ss will make this transition more easily and learn more if we guide their writing.
2. There are two main ways of doing this:
By giving a short text as model.
By doing oral preparation for the writing. Ss make suggestions, T builds up an outline or list of key expressions on the board. The Ss often use this as a basis for their writing.
Types of writing activities
lll/ Free writing
1. Characteristics:
no suggestion.
encourages Ss’ creativity and is often more interesting to Ss.
errors and mistakes are unpredictable.
2. Types
Paragraph writing
Essay writing
Enhancing students’ writing ability
1. Make good preparation for the writing tasks by providing Ss with relevant structures and vocabulary before they write their own.
2. Modify the writing tasks; give simpler tasks until they improve.
3. Give practice in planning, organizing and expressing information.
4. Give model or target essay.
5. Keep a record of common mistakes. Focus on one or two per lesson.
6. Insist on corrections. Test them later.
7. Do writing as group work. (The good help the weak.)
Correcting written assignments
1. T asks Ss to exchange their paper with other Ss for peer correction.
2. T goes around, collecting mistakes and errors.
3. T collects some writings for quick feedback.
4. T writes Ss’ typical errors on the board and elicits self and peer correction. T provides correction only when Ss are not able to correct the errors.
5. Then T gives general comments on the writings. T may also collect some papers for marking at home.

GHI CHÚ CHO GV
Khi GV sửa bài viết của HS, GV cÇn sử dụng hệ thống viết tắt như sau:
– sp = spelling mistake
– G or g = grammar mistake
– wo = word order
– t = tense
– A = article
– voc = vocabulary
– P = punctuation
– Reph. = rephrase
– ww = wrong word
– Adj = adjective
– Adv = adverb
– c= countable
– u = uncountable
– ^ = missing word