Writing Report Editing

7/28/2019 Writing Report Editing

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Adriana Cabrera Fiat

Helping students develop the writing skill.

There are a wide range of writing activities that can be included inside and

outside the classroom. However, there are some important things I take into

account when introducing any of these activities. That is to say, writing should

be enjoyable, a way of conveying thoughts and feelings, as well as a way of

communicating with others.

In general, with beginner writers I focus on the meaning of what they wish to

say rather than the form so that they can begin to think of themselves as

capable writers. In this way, they would be willing to take risks so as to express

their own ideas in detail. Once this has been achieved, I introduce the process

of editing and re-writing.

Reflecting on some reasons why my students are reluctant to write:

On a whole, students have had little positive writing experiences and they are

afraid of spelling incorrectly, or producing pieces of writing which look sloppy.

Moreover, they are not used to writing even in their mother tongue and thus

having to acquire a new habit in foreign language, can be quite the challenge.

Some steps I usually follow to help students develop the writing skill:

First I help students discover what they want to say or write about. I believe that

it is the teacher who has to guide students to prepare and present their ideas

for writing, activating their prior knowledge and experiences, as well as

introducing and practising useful vocabulary they will need at the moment of

putting pen onto paper. .

Secondly, I assist them in planning and gathering information, according to the

topic and type of writing.

It is a good idea to give students good models, practising form as well as

meaning. For instance, the teacher and students create a cooperative writing

either orally or on the board. I also provide them as much authentic writing as

possible. If there is enough time, I encourage group or pair writing before

independent writing. This can be done in class or outside, although in class is


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prefereable. Once this stage has been completed, they swap their pieces of

writing for correction. The independent writing stage can be done for homework.

Students should be aware of the fact that independent writing has many stages,

that is to say: drafting, revising (I always have students read over what they

have written) and editing. It is crucial to give students time to write and rewrite

their production.

Last but not least, it is essential to give proper feedback. I tend to give positive

feedback on the content of their work. Then, on the process of rereading,

revising and editing, I encourage them to correct their own work. This is not an

easy task; however, it gives them a sense of independence and ownership. I do

not expect them to correct everything, but at least it is worth encouraging them

to do so. Feedback should be given along with the composition process, not just

at the end.

As far as I see it, there is no single writing process that everyone follows. It can

be taken into account the pinball machine metaphor, in which the teacher can

plan a certain sequence of events; however, he/she might find the whole

process taking a very different course depending on each student. This includesmany points to consider; to mention: class participation, reading course

materials, brainstorming, listing, clustering, talking to classmates, searching the

internet, starting a draft, spell-checking and editing among others.

Finally, I ask my students to keep a portfolio of their writings. It should include

not only the editing, but also the previous versions. I make them be aware of

their own process, needs, progress and achievements. They are fully aware

that I also use this as part of their assessment and I strongly recommend it to

other teachers as well.

Bibliography

Marianne Celse-Murcia,,Heinle (2001)Teaching English as a Second or Foreign

Language.

Nunan, David (1998) Second Language Teaching & Learning

Nunan, David (2011)Teaching English to Young Learners


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Harmer, Jeremy (2012) Teacher Knowledge

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Writing Report Editing