APPLICATION
OF THE TECHNIQUES IN TEACHING WRITING
DEFINITION OF WRITING
What is writing?
Writing is a method of representing
language in visual form. Writing systems use sets of symbols to represent the
sounds of speech, and may also have symbols for such things as punctuation and
numerals.
Writing is the representation of language in a textual medium through the use of a set of signs or
symbols (known as a writing system). It
is distinguished from illustration, such as cave drawing and painting, and non-symbolic preservation of language
via non-textual media, such as magnetic tape
audio.
WHY DO WE TEACH WRITING?
Writing helps you
express yourself.
Writing prepares you for school and employment (both of which in most cases require a lot of it).
Writing is how much of the world communicates. If you don't write, you cut yourself off from a large community (including this one, incidentally).
Writing can be a great tool to help you know more about the way you think... writing can solidify ideas and thoughts, and allow you to reflect on them better than if the ideas remained evolving in your head.
Writing is one of the ways that we translate our thoughts for other people. Some people are better at expressing themselves in writing than any other way, and you thus get a better translation when you read what they have to say rather than hearing them speak.
Writing assists you with other language tasks as well... writing helps you learn how to form language, how to spell, how to ... put together a plot. You learn how to make a logical argument, or how to persuade, mainly through writing. Speaking can help you learn those things as well, but it is easier to self-examine and evaluate how to improve when you have something concrete in front of you, and can revise.
Writing prepares you for school and employment (both of which in most cases require a lot of it).
Writing is how much of the world communicates. If you don't write, you cut yourself off from a large community (including this one, incidentally).
Writing can be a great tool to help you know more about the way you think... writing can solidify ideas and thoughts, and allow you to reflect on them better than if the ideas remained evolving in your head.
Writing is one of the ways that we translate our thoughts for other people. Some people are better at expressing themselves in writing than any other way, and you thus get a better translation when you read what they have to say rather than hearing them speak.
Writing assists you with other language tasks as well... writing helps you learn how to form language, how to spell, how to ... put together a plot. You learn how to make a logical argument, or how to persuade, mainly through writing. Speaking can help you learn those things as well, but it is easier to self-examine and evaluate how to improve when you have something concrete in front of you, and can revise.
- Writing is the primary basis upon which your work, your learning, and your intellect will be judged—in college, in the workplace, and in the community.
- Writing expresses who you are as a person.
- Writing is portable and permanent. It makes your thinking visible.
- Writing helps you move easily among facts, inferences, and opinions without getting confused—and without confusing your reader.
- Writing promotes your ability to pose worthwhile questions.
- Writing fosters your ability to explain a complex position to readers, and to yourself.
- Writing helps others give you feedback.
- Writing helps you refine your ideas when you give others feedback.
- Writing requires that you anticipate your readers’ needs. Your ability to do so demonstrates your intellectual flexibility and maturity.
- Writing ideas down preserves them so that you can reflect upon them later.
- Writing out your ideas permits you to evaluate the adequacy of your argument.
- Writing stimulates you to extend a line of thought beyond your first impressions or gut responses.
- Writing helps you understand how truth is established in a given discipline.
- Writing equips you with the communication and thinking skills you need to participate effectively in democracy.
- Writing is an essential job skill.
THE PROBLEM THE STUDENTS HAVE IN
WRITING
1. Losing track of why you've been
asked to write
Writing is simply proof that you can clearly think about certain topics, offer convincing arguments, and perhaps find outside support of your claims. Many young writers too quickly get caught up in technical aspects (agonizing over sources, punctuation, and MLA/APA formatting).
Writing is simply proof that you can clearly think about certain topics, offer convincing arguments, and perhaps find outside support of your claims. Many young writers too quickly get caught up in technical aspects (agonizing over sources, punctuation, and MLA/APA formatting).
2. Sitting down at a computer and
starting to just type up the paper you will hand in
If you were asked to drive to Texas, would you just jump in a car and slam the pedal to the metal? Probably not. You might chart out directions, make sure your tank is full, and/or listen to traffic reports to avoid delays and find alternate routes. In writing, planning gets you going the right way, keeps you from veering off course, and puts you at ease since you know how you can reach your destination.
If you were asked to drive to Texas, would you just jump in a car and slam the pedal to the metal? Probably not. You might chart out directions, make sure your tank is full, and/or listen to traffic reports to avoid delays and find alternate routes. In writing, planning gets you going the right way, keeps you from veering off course, and puts you at ease since you know how you can reach your destination.
3. Writing without a clear
understanding of your assignment
How is your summary paper coming along? Wait, is it supposed to be a summary or a compare/contrast paper? If your professor gives you an assignment sheet, read it carefully and hold onto it. If your professor verbally explains the assignment, take detailed notes. If you know what is expected of you, then you will be in a better position to achieve your goals.
How is your summary paper coming along? Wait, is it supposed to be a summary or a compare/contrast paper? If your professor gives you an assignment sheet, read it carefully and hold onto it. If your professor verbally explains the assignment, take detailed notes. If you know what is expected of you, then you will be in a better position to achieve your goals.
4. Making grammar your first (or
only) concern
Grammar, spelling, and punctuation are important, but don't worry about them prematurely--these concerns may hinder your thought process and often impose "writer's block" where it doesn't belong. If you allow time for drafts and revision, then you can take care of grammar after you have fleshed out all of your ideas.
Grammar, spelling, and punctuation are important, but don't worry about them prematurely--these concerns may hinder your thought process and often impose "writer's block" where it doesn't belong. If you allow time for drafts and revision, then you can take care of grammar after you have fleshed out all of your ideas.
5. Not talking to your professors
about your work
Students often ask us to interpret assignments, grades, and written comments and feedback. Your professors are the source of these matters, so you should speak to them. Make an appointment to talk to your professor during office hours (approaching a professor after class as she is gathering her materials and heading off to her next class or the bus may not be ideal). Also, when you approach instructors they realize you care about class--and that is often a desirable trait.
Students often ask us to interpret assignments, grades, and written comments and feedback. Your professors are the source of these matters, so you should speak to them. Make an appointment to talk to your professor during office hours (approaching a professor after class as she is gathering her materials and heading off to her next class or the bus may not be ideal). Also, when you approach instructors they realize you care about class--and that is often a desirable trait.
6. Incorrectly obeying Spellcheck
and Grammarcheck; using contractions in academic writing
Spellchecked your paper, no more red squiggly lines under your words, so you're all set, right? Maybe not. Spellcheck simply helps you make sure all the words in your writing exist in the English language. You're righting mite bee spell checked, butt eye wood knot wrest their. All those correctly spelled words may be the wrong words (these careless errors are the new spelling mistakes of the computer generation).
Spellchecked your paper, no more red squiggly lines under your words, so you're all set, right? Maybe not. Spellcheck simply helps you make sure all the words in your writing exist in the English language. You're righting mite bee spell checked, butt eye wood knot wrest their. All those correctly spelled words may be the wrong words (these careless errors are the new spelling mistakes of the computer generation).
Also, beware of Grammarcheck. The
computer often does not know what you're trying to say, so don't blindly let a
machine think and rewrite for you.
Contractions (changing a phrase like
"do not" into "don't") are often too casual for academic
writing. Yet the bigger problem arises when writers make the common mistake of
incorrectly switching "its" for "it's," "your"
for "you're," "wont" for "won't," and so forth.
These signs of carelessness won't be caught by Spellcheck.
7. Including lines like,
"Webster's Dictionary defines (insert word relevant for your paper) as . .
."
This technique is a lazy, boring cliché. Don't waste space; defining terms in your own words makes for more powerful writing.
This technique is a lazy, boring cliché. Don't waste space; defining terms in your own words makes for more powerful writing.
8. Improperly proofreading
When you simply "look over" your paper before handing it in, you may get caught up in the flow of your thoughts as opposed to finding typographical/structural errors. One of many techniques is covering part of your paper so you're forced to read line for line and not skip ahead as you proofread.
When you simply "look over" your paper before handing it in, you may get caught up in the flow of your thoughts as opposed to finding typographical/structural errors. One of many techniques is covering part of your paper so you're forced to read line for line and not skip ahead as you proofread.
Have you ever cooked a meal for
someone, perhaps slaved over the stove? Maybe you gathered the freshest herbs
and went to that specialty store for the right cheese. Yet if you set your
delicious dish down and there is a big, curly hair on it, chances are your
efforts will not be appreciated. Proofreading errors often function like curly
hairs in an otherwise well-prepared meal. Don't underestimate the importance of
proofreading.
9. Thinking or saying I can't write
or I stink at writing
You can think. Most of you can speak your ideas more clearly than you can write them. Don't sell yourself short. You may be getting caught up in little things that in the past have been deemed your writing weaknesses. There is no trick to writing, no switch to flip that separates good writers from bad ones. The more you write (and read) the less you will stink at writing.
You can think. Most of you can speak your ideas more clearly than you can write them. Don't sell yourself short. You may be getting caught up in little things that in the past have been deemed your writing weaknesses. There is no trick to writing, no switch to flip that separates good writers from bad ones. The more you write (and read) the less you will stink at writing.
If you were asked to run a marathon,
would you just show up the morning of the run and be off with the starter's
pistol? Not likely; you would probably train beforehand, build up your skills,
find some proper stretching techniques, break in your sneakers, and so forth.
If you sit down and hope to type up a strong paper in one shot, you may be
setting yourself up to fail.
10. Not giving yourself enough time
The biggest mistake students make is not giving themselves enough time to think, plan, write, revise, and rewrite their work. Start early, then you'll have time to scrap poor ideas, enhance weak ones, and devote time to higher-order concerns (e.g. organization) and lower-order concerns (e.g. grammar).
The biggest mistake students make is not giving themselves enough time to think, plan, write, revise, and rewrite their work. Start early, then you'll have time to scrap poor ideas, enhance weak ones, and devote time to higher-order concerns (e.g. organization) and lower-order concerns (e.g. grammar).
Have you ever tried to get into
better physical shape? If you workout once, you cannot jump on the scale or
stare in the mirror expecting immediate results. You need to give yourself time
to look like Shania Twain or write like Mark Twain.
Top Twenty Specific Problems
The
following links deal with the twenty most common problems that I have found in
grading student papers. Students will laugh if I mention these problems in
class, but almost every student paper will include at least one of these
problems -- and I've seen more than a few papers and exams that make over half
of these mistakes.
1. "It's" versus "Its"
(consistently
the #1 problem in student papers)
·
It's: A contraction, meaning "it
is" (as in "It's time for dinner")
·
Its: A possessive (as in "The dog
was wagging its tail")
2. "To," "Too," and
"Two"
(usually a
close second behind it's-its)
·
To: Basic multi-purpose function word
(as in "My goal is to die a millionaire")
·
Too: Adjective, meaning
"very" or "excessively" (as in "The Tigers were too inexperienced
to challenge the Yankees for the pennant")
·
Two: The number between one and three
(as in "Two losses to open a football season is two too
many")
3. "Who's" versus "Whose"
·
Who's: A contraction, meaning "who
is" (as in "Who's coming to dinner?")
·
Whose: A possessive (as in "Whose dinner
is this?")
4. "Affect" versus "Effect"
·
Affect
(verb): "To
influence" (as in "President Clinton hoped to affect the
outcome of the Russian elections")
·
Effect
(verb): "To
bring about" (as in "President Clinton hoped to effect a
change in Russian policies")
·
Effect
(noun):
"Consequence", "result" (as in "Every cause should
have at least one effect")
·
Affect
(noun): Feeling,
affection; the conscious subjective aspect of an emotion considered apart from
bodily changes (pronounced AF-fect; this is probably NOT the word that you mean
to use in international relations)
5. "There," "Their," and
"They're"
·
There: Refers to location (as in
"that dog over there")
·
Their: A possessive (as in "They're
going to bring their new car")
·
They're: A contraction, meaning "they
are" (as in "They're on their way")
6. "Accept" versus "Except"
·
Accept: A verb, indicating one's consent
or approval (as in "The president accepted his
counterpart's proposal to submit their dispute to arbitration")
·
Except: A preposition, conjunction, or
verb, indicating exclusion or objection (as in "Every country except the
United States agreed to accept the conference's recommendations")
7. "Have" versus "Of"
·
The correct
phrases are "could have," "should have," and
"would have" -- not "could of," "should
of," or "would of."
8. "Principle" versus "Principal"
·
Principle: A noun, meaning "a
fundamental law, doctrine, or assumption" or "a rule or code of
conduct" (as in "My principles prevented me from
cheating on that final exam")
·
Principal: An adjective, meaning "most
important, consequential, or influential" (as in "The principal problem
facing Bolivia's economy is the country's lack of a seaport")
9. "Dominate" versus "Dominant"
·
Dominate: A verb (as in "Mexico's
soccer team is going to dominate the next World Cup
competition")
·
Dominant:An adjective (as in "The
United States was the dominant economic actor after World War
II")
10. "Lead" versus "Led"
·
Lead
(pronounced "led"): A metallic element (as in "Superman's X-ray
vision can not penetrate lead-lined walls")
·
Lead
(pronounced "leed"): Verb, meaning "to guide" or "to
direct" (as in "In the business world you must lead,
follow, or get out of the way")
·
Led: The past form of the verb "to
lead" (as in "He led the llama to pasture")
11. "Populous" versus "Populace"
·
Populous: An adjective, meaning
"densely populated" (as in "A country's capital is not
necessarily its most populous city")
·
Populace: A noun, referring to a set of
people living in a certain area (as in "The entire populace was
affected by the radioactive fallout")
12. "Where" versus "Were"
·
Where: Refers to a place or location (as
in "Where do you think you are going?")
·
Were: A past form of the verb "to
be" (as in "they were going to the store")
13. "Than" versus "Then"
·
Than: Used to compare (as in "I
would rather receive an A than a B")
·
Then: Refers to time / chronology (as in
"He answered first one question, then another") or
consequences (as in "if both countries are democracies, then they
will solve their problems short of war")
14. "Do" versus "Due"
·
Do: A verb, meaning "to bring to
pass," "to carry out," or "to accomplish" (as in
"What are you trying to do?")
·
Due: Similar to "attributable
to" or "because of" (as in "John's low grade on the test
was due to his failure to study") -- also "something
that is owed" (as in a debt or a right)
15. "Lose" versus "Loose"
·
Lose: A verb, meaning the opposite of
win (as in "It is most painful to lose to a hated
rival")
·
Loose: An adjective, meaning "not
securely attached" (as in "The hinge was coming loose")
16. "That," "Which," and
"Who"
·
That: A defining, or restrictive,
pronoun. "That" is used to indicate which object is being discussed,
and should not follow a comma (as in "The car that is
parked in the garage is red")
·
Which: A nondefining, or nonrestrictive,
pronoun. "Which" adds some new detail about a specific object that
has already been mentioned, and should follow a comma (as in "My new
car, which is red, is parked in the garage")
·
Who: A personal pronoun.
"Who" should be used in place of "that" or
"which" in discussing a person (as in "The student who did
the most work got an A for the course" or "Bob, who did
more work than his classmates, got an A for the course")
17. "e.g.," "i.e.,"
"etc.," and "et al."
·
e.g.: "For example," from the
Latin "exempli gratia" (as in "Research on the
evolution of interstate rivalry (e.g., Hensel 1996)..."). See
also Jack Lynch's Grammar and Style Guide
·
i.e.: "That is," from the
Latin "id est" (as in "The goal of this web
page -- i.e., improving your writing skills -- is...")
·
etc.: "And so forth" /
"and others of the same kind," from the Latin "et
cetera." See also the UVIC Writer's Guide
·
et al.: "And others," from the
Latin "et alii" [masc.], "et
aliae" [fem.], or "et alia" [neutral]
(as in "Singer, et al., found an important difference between
the 19th and 20th centuries").
18. "Now," "Know," and
"No"
·
Now: Refers to the present time (as in
"What we need now is a good rainstorm")
·
Know: A verb, reflecting recognition or
understanding (as in "I know everything there is to know about
this subject")
·
No: The opposite of yes (as in "No,
you can't eat that last cookie!")
19. "Border" versus "Boarder"
·
Border: In international relations, the
line on a map that separates two or more geographic units.
·
Boarder: "One who boards," such
as someone who is paying for meals and lodging or someone whose job involves
going aboard seagoing vessels.
·
So the
correct international relations term is "border," as in the
"Canadian border." A "Canadian boarder" refers
to someone from the Great White North who is renting a room, rather than a line
on a map separating Canada from Minnesota or New York.
20. "Block" versus "Bloc"
·
Bloc: In international relations, a
combination of individuals, groups, or countries united by treaty or sharing a
common purpose.
·
So the
correct international relations term is "bloc," as in the
"Western bloc" and "Soviet bloc" in
the Cold War. A "Soviet block" would be a small cube of wood with a hammer
and sickle or pictures of Lenin (making for a very unusual child's toy).
HOW CAN YOU ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO
WRITE?
As Zemelman & Daniels (1988)
point out, "If students are engaged with explaining something they care
about to an audience they truly wish to reach, in a classroom where they know
their ideas will be respected, they're more likely to write without
hesitation" (p. 165). With this same idea in mind, Dornan, Rosen, &
Wilson (2003) encourage teachers to create a classroom atmosphere where
students have some authority over topic choices, where teachers focus on what
students can do to build on successes, where teachers share their own writing
and writing processes with their students, and where teachers refuse to allow
verbal or non-verbal put-downs of student writing.
One of the primary ways to encourage
students to write is to provide a safe and supportive atmosphere for writing in
the classroom. A classroom is safe and supportive for writing when writing is
purposeful, students are encouraged to engage fully in the process, the teacher
coaches students through the process when necessary, and expectations are
reasonable, challenging, and clear.
Making writing purposeful
Students
generally respond more positively to assignments when they understand the value
and purpose of the activity. One way to make the value and purpose apparent is
to have students write for a real audience that will actually receive the
writing. When students write letters to the editor, children's books for
elementary school students, interview questions for a veteran, program notes
for a dance recital, or instructions for a bike repair to be used at a cycle
shop, they may feel a greater motivation to write. However, even when the
finished product won't be shared beyond the classroom, teachers can help students
see the goals of the assignment in order to understand what skills or concept
knowledge the activity will help develop. And, if a writing assignment doesn't
have a clear purpose, the teacher may even reconsider why it is being assigned.
Engaging students fully in the process
Rather
than simply assigning a topic and collecting the final product, teachers can
remind students that writing is a recursive process involving planning, acting,
reflecting, and revising. Teachers can honor parts of the process by giving
students the time and support necessary to engage in all parts of the process
as appropriate. Students can be encouraged to take part in these parts of the
process when the teacher allows class time, at least with early assignments, to
model the writing process and help students understand how to engage in them.
However, teachers also need to remind students that not all writing activities
will need to go through all stages of the process.
Coaching students
Teachers
can provide support for students during the writing process by modeling
writing, engaging students in writing conferences, responding to drafts in
progress, coordinating the use of peer writing groups, or providing
opportunities for individual reflection during the writing process. Students
can be encouraged during coaching to grow as writers and thinkers through the
use of targeted, specific praise and authentic, probing questions about their
writing. Students receive little encouragement to write when the only feedback
is primarily negative and only comes after the final composition has been
submitted. Instead, teachers can be coached who show interest in individual
progress, individualize instruction appropriately, encourage development of
specific skills in the context of the whole, and encourage the student to
succeed by building on what he or she can already do.
Making expectations reasonable,
challenging, and clear
One
way to make expectations reasonable is to be aware of individual student needs,
interests, and aptitudes. Writing assignments need to be developmentally
appropriate for the particular students involved. However, students also need
to be stretched beyond what they can do comfortably. Students can be challenged
when teachers make each writing assignment take them a step further in their
thinking, content knowledge, or writing skills. Assignments can also be made
clear through class discussion about expectations and the use of a rubric which
outlines the expectations and indicates how the final product will be evaluated.
Involving students in the creation of grading criteria is a way to encourage
class discussion about expectations as well as make sure the expectations are
clear.
Tips for teaching writing
Teaching writing is important, and
it is also difficult. If you give learners the chance to write often, and the
chance to revise and refine their writing, you will be building the foundation
for successful writing. Above all . . .
Make
writing meaningful. Young writers can express themselves
about topics that are important to them. These can include their families,
special events in the community, topics in social studies, and many more.
The key is to provide students with
a balance of guidance and choice; the goal of this balance is to guide them
toward interesting and important ideas, and to enable them to find their way to
meaningful materials within these topics.
Here are a few other tips:
Invite
young writers to write freely,
without worrying about correctness. Children who are just learning to write can
build language structures and expression, even if they use imaginary spellings
and strange punctuation.
You can teach young children to
spell in many ways, including spelling out loud, spelling games, and crossword
puzzles. However, when they write and are too concerned about correct spelling
and punctuation, they have difficulty building a deeper, more intuitive (and
more fundamentally important) relationship to language.
The central goal of writing at all levels should be effective
communication of an idea.
The central rule for teachers of
writing should be to create the chance for meaningful
communication.
Invite
young learners to dictate stories to
a "scribe," who could be you, the teacher, a volunteer from the
community, or an older student. (Remind the learner to be patient and speak
slowly.) The young storytellers can then illustrate their stories. This exercise
builds a bridge between speaking and writing.
Ask
young learners to write about their own lives and experiences. Whether it's a holiday, or their experience with their
grandparents, or any other experience outside the classroom, young writers write
best when they write about something they know well.
Engage
young writers in short bursts of writing. For
children under the ages of 8 or 9, it's very tiring to hold the pencil or
chalk, make the letters, and remain focused on the message to be communicated.
Writing often, for brief periods, is much more effective than trying to write
for a long period of time.
Encourage
writers to keep journals or diaries. Writing
is one way of structuring thought. Journal writing is important because it's not public. It can represent, for
the writer, a chance to write in the most free way. For this reason, if you are
planning to collect and review their journals, you should let students know
this in advance.
Give
writers the chance to revise. Professional
writers may spend up to 85 percent of their time revising their first drafts.
In classroom writing assignments, it's vitally important to encourage students
to write freely, in their own words, and to try to cover all their thoughts on
a topic. (Revision is more important for students over the ages of 8 or 9, who
have begun to write more naturally to express themselves.)
(When learners can write and revise
with computers, using word processing applications, revision is both easier and
more effective.
Make
opportunities for every imaginable kind of writing. When older learners write about how they considered a
mathematics problem, about the way the weather affects the lives of their
family members, or about objects and processes that they encounter in science,
they are using writing as an effective tool.
Publish
writing to make it meaningful. Learners'
writing can be "published" on the walls of the classroom. It can also
be shared with learners in other classes, with families and the community, and
with others. When learners write letters to a community leader or a resource
expert, whether to ask questions, offer opinions, or simply express
appreciation for a visit, they have the chance to write about things that are
important to them. When their work is going to be published in some way,
students are writing with a purpose.
GUIDELINES FOR A PROCESS WRITING
ACTIVITY
Source
: Compiled materials
Teaching and Learning Strategy by
Miss Krisma
When we are writing we have to do
something similar except that we do it with letters rather than sounds. We put
these together to form words, phrases, clauses, and sentences, and put
sentences together to make a coherent text.
When we write we should think about
the readers. Who are they? What is our relationship with them? Why are they
going to read what we write? We then need to adjust the content and style
accordingly by using formal or informal language and the appropriate layout and
conventions. We can break down the writing process into three stages :
v Preparation : think about the reader; consider why we are writing; think
about the content; decide the appropriate layout and style.
v Draft : put our ideas together in a draft form. This is probably all we
need for things like shopping lists and memos, but for longer texts we need to
do more work.
v Editing and rewriting : we will probably need to rewrite several
times so that the text is coherent, clear, and has few or no mistakes.
The writing process
Generate
/ gather ideas for content (brainstorming)
Organize
and order ideas
Write
first draft
Edit
content for meaning
Write
second draft
Edit
language and spelling
Write
final draft
The process of writing and rewriting does not just develop
in a straight line. For example : you might decide at the first draft stage to
re-order some of the ideas, or to take some ideas out and put different ones
in. So when we write we move backwards and forwards between the different
stages.
Brainstorming
is coming up with ideas of things to write about. A good way to do this is just
to take a sheet of paper and jot down whatever comes to your head. You can do
this in a list, or make a map, or connect things with lines and circles --
however you want to do it.
Prewriting
includes anything you do before you actually begin to write. This includes
coming up with basic ideas, researching information, and talking things over
with friends and advisors. You can also start your outline during this stage of
the writing process.
Drafting
is the stage where you begin to put your ideas into sentences and paragraphs.
At this stage, don't worry about spelling and punctuation - just get those
thoughts down on paper. Your first draft is more like a conversation with
yourself, discussing what you know and how you are going to go about telling
your story.
PeerReviewing
Let your friends and colleagues read your paper or story. You may or may not take their advice, but you should pay attention to any grammar or spelling errors they point out. If you're writing nonfiction, make note of any places where they say they got confused, so you can explain a little better in that part. If you're writing fiction or poetry, make note of any places where they said they got bored or thought you were being "flowery" or lecturing; you can think about changing those parts to make it flow better.
Let your friends and colleagues read your paper or story. You may or may not take their advice, but you should pay attention to any grammar or spelling errors they point out. If you're writing nonfiction, make note of any places where they say they got confused, so you can explain a little better in that part. If you're writing fiction or poetry, make note of any places where they said they got bored or thought you were being "flowery" or lecturing; you can think about changing those parts to make it flow better.
Revising
means thinking about your readers and changing your draft so that they will
understand what you are trying to say. This is the stage where you decide
whether you need more explanation or organization. Make sure that your writing
is as clear and concise as you can make it, and define any terms that you need
to. Be certain that you have said exactly what you mean to say, and that your
logic is consistent and correct.
In
the final stage, check your grammar and spelling. Make certain that your
manuscript is printed in the correct format, and that you have used an
easy-to-read font. This is the stage where you can ask someone to read over
your work and double-check for errors. One warning: don't start editing until
you have finished all of the other stages. If you stop in the middle to worry
about edits, you will get side-tracked and never finish the story at all.
Send
your paper, article, poem, story, or book off to that publisher!
MENTION AND EXPLAIN SOME TECHNIQUE
IN TEACHING WRITING
• Dictation
The teacher reads the passage three times. The first time the teacher
reads it at a normal speed, while the students just listen. The second time he
reads the passage phrase by phrase, pausing long enough to allow students to
write down what they have heard. The last time the teacher again reads at a
normal speed, and students check their work.
• Paragraph writing
The teacher in this class asked the students to write a paragraph in
their own words on the major geographical features of the United States. They
could have done this from memory, or they could have used the reading passage
in the lesson as a model.
• Dicto-Comp
Here, the paragraph is read by the computer at normal speed, usually two
or three times; then the teacher asks the students to rewrite the paragraph.
• Grammatical Transformation
Language teacher also used this technique. The activities like change the
tenses in a paragraph, change direct speech to indirect speech, from active to
passive voice, etc.
• Song
The teacher can ask the students to write the missing lyrics of a song.
• Picture
Picture is also technique in teaching writing. The teacher can ask the
students to write description of a picture.
• Games
So many games can be applied in teaching writing, like I do love Stop
the Bus Games and making lots of words from these letters.
• Story
The teacher gives the students four to five words, then the students have
to create their own story from those words.
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