Harmer chapter 18 - Writing
Writing conventions
Writing text Has a number of conventions which separate it out from speaking.
Handwriting
Students whose native-language orthography is very different from English should get special training for ex practice in the formation of individual letters. Handwriting is still important for personal letters, written assignments, and most exams.
Spelling
Bad spelling is perceived as a lack of education or care. One of the reasons that spelling is difficult is that the correspondence between the sound of a word and the way it is spelt is not always obvious. When students work on different phonemes it is important to draw their attention to the common spelling of those phonemes and to look at different ways of pronouncing the same letters or exercises to discover spelling rules. Not all varieties of English spell the same words in the same way. The best way to help improve their spelling is through reading, especially extensively.
Layout and punctuation
These ale non-transferable from one community or language to another. Punctuation is frequently matter of personal style. Different genres of writing are laid out differently.
Approaches to student writing
We need to choose whether we want students to focus more on process of writing than its product, whether we want them to study different written genres, whether we want to encourage creative writing.
Process and product
A process approach aims to get the heart of the various skills that should be employed then writing.
- Writing and genre
In genre students study texts they are going to be writing before they embark on their own writing. They look at typical models of such letters before starting to compose their own. Making notes of particular vocabulary and grammar constructions in the letters. Its important to know the topic, the conventions and style of the genre, and the context in which it will be read, and by whom.
Creative writing
Imaginative task as writing poetry, stories, and plays. Creative writing is a journey of self-discovery, and self-discovery promotes effective learning. Creative writing also provokes the kind of input-output relationship.
Writing as a cooperative activity
Cooperative writing works well with both process and genre-based approaches. Writing in groups can be greatly motivating fir students.
The roles of the teacher
Motivator - to motivate the students, creating the right conditions for the generation of ideas, persuading of the usefulness of the activity, and encouraging them to make as much effort as possible.
Resource - to supply information and language where necessary.
Feedback provider - respond positively and encouragingly to the content of what the students have written.
Writing lesson sequences
The lesson task should be adequate to the level of students knowledge.
For example :
writing conventions
identifying genre features
writing for fun, concentrating on writing correctly
abbreviations and other note-taking conventions
coherence