Mark O. James studied whether L2 students were preoccupied with surface error correction during the process of generating texts and whether this regular interruption in composition resulted in poorer writing quality. He also wanted to know whether the L2 perceptions of their behaviours accurately reflected observed behaviours and if there were significant differences in fluency of composition between Polynesian and Chinese students. The data was collected by using a behavioural protocol analysis: asking for a rough draft outline of the essay, as well as recording students writing their essays. They then coded on a timeline each time the students paused to think, were distracted, wrote, re-scanned portions of the essay, re-read the entire essay, or revised the text. The students were asked to answer a questionnaire, that was developed specifically for the study, by placing an “X” under the descriptor that best described them or their opinion: “always”, “often”, “sometimes”, “never”, i.e. “I waste too much time before I start writing”. The questionnaire had 25 questions to see the various aspects of the students perceived composing behaviour and attitudes about composition (only 9 were analyzed for information to see if the subjects perception matched their observed behaviours) . In addition, the essays were rated by two trained raters, the scores allow for the analysis of the relationship between composition and writing proficiency. Participants were 8 students of Polynesian and Chinese ethnicity (4 of each, 7 were female with only 1 Chinese male) at an English language institute in Hawaii. The students were not aware of who was being observed, they were approached to answer the questionnaire and return it the next day. Their essa...
... middle of paper ...
... 4th 2011.
Fra´quiz, Marý´a E. , Cinthia S. Salinas. "Newcomers developing English literacy through historical thinking and digitized primary sources ." ScienceDirect. Journal of Second Language Writing 20, (2011) 182–195. PDF. October 4th 2011.
James, Mark O.. "L2 Writing Fluency: A Pilot Study." Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, March 3-7, 1992. PDF. October 6th 2011.
Kibler, Amanda. "How Teachers and Adolescent L2 Writers Describe Content Area Writing." ScienceDirect. Journal of Second Language Writing 20, (2011) 182–195. PDF. October 6th 2011.
Majid, Abdul Hameed Abdul, Siti Hamin Stapa. "The Use of First Language in Developing Ideas in Second Language Writing." ScienceDirect. Journal of Second Language Writing 20, (2011) 182–195. PDF. October 6th 2011.
English Language Learners (ELL) require thoughtful and careful instruction for both reading and writing education. Both of these skills are necessary for a bright future and to be a functioning citizen in Canada. Those that do not possess considerable literacy levels will be effectively 'locked out' from so much knowledge, information and ideas that are part of the culture of society (Christie 1990, 20). Having a low level of literacy usually means acquiring an unskilled job. The relationship between literacy levels and poverty is something that should not be ignored (Gibbons, 2002). Developing literacy skills in ELLs is a daunting task and especially with students that have not developed those skills in their first language originally. Through the Curriculum Cycle and proper scaffolding of writing strategies, this paper will provide a lesson plan that will help develop an ELL's writing skills. It will include many different tools that will help students gain an understanding and confidence of the narrative writing form.
However, these techniques that I fostered as a child proved lacking when I entered middle school. It turns out that in comparison to my previous writing, I was no longer writing for my own self-improvement or joy; I was now writing to please someone who was grading the work. After many dissatisfying remarks about my writing, the self-conscious feelings I had as a child crept up on me once again. I felt the need to impress and be perfect. For every paper I wrote from then on, there was that little voice in the back of my head telling me that I had to try twice as hard because English was my second language. For a very long time, I was not able to write a paper without scrutinizing it harshly. “The oppressor,” as Anne Lammot states in “Bird by Bird,” kept me from what I truly wanted to write and made me focus on the unattainable goal of being perfect. Perfection is something that “… limit[s] us…[and] keep[s] us from experiencing life” (Lammott 30). The purpose was not to write for me, but for others, and that was my flaw; I was just writing to please. Technicality was my only worry and I did not worry if what I was writing actually had
Several people have trouble writing college level essays and believe that they are unable to improve their writing skills. In “the Inspired Writer vs. The Real Writer,” Sarah Allen argues how no one is born naturally good at writing. Sarah Allen also states how even professional writers have trouble with the task of writing. Others, such as Lennie Irvin, agree. In Irvin’s article “What is ‘Academic’ Writing?” states how there are misconceptions about writing. Furthermore, Mike Bunn’s article “How to Read Like a Writer” shows ways on how one can improve their writing skills. Allen, Bunn, and Irvin are correct to say how no one is born naturally good writers. Now that we know this, we should find ways to help improve our writing skills, and
Learning to read and write are both considered to be fundamental human skills, that we begin to learn from the day we start school. As time advances, as do our minds, and we are expected to evolve in our reading and writing skills. Finishing high school is a large milestone for the lives of young adults; however, there is so much to learn in order to reach the next big milestone. To be a writer in college can challenge our preconceived thoughts on how we write. Although some skills remain unchanged, high school graduates are faced with overcoming new ways of doing a skill that seems so simple that it is practically innate. The definition of writing skills for college students is much different than high school. However, considering we have come so far it is time to go over the information we already know and challenge ourselves with ideas that we are yet to learn more about.
Being a new teacher of English, I find the assessment of compositions to be a concept I question and struggle with on a regular basis. Having consulted several colleagues, mentors, administrators, and fellow graduate students, I have come to the conclusion that there is no easy answer to this tedious yet ever important question. While there are many inlets and outlets to this dilemma, for the sake of time I will touch on only three. While all three are very different in terms of concepts, rituals, and conducts, they all come together to one common goal - helping students express themselves in terms of writing.
There are various ways writers can evaluate their techniques applied in writing. The genre of writing about writing can be approached in various ways – from a process paper to sharing personal experience. The elements that go into this specific genre include answers to the five most important questions who, what, where, and why they write. Anne Lamott, Junot Diaz, Kent Haruf, and Susan Sontag discuss these ideas in their individual investigations. These authors create different experiences for the reader, but these same themes emerge: fears of failing, personal feelings toward writing, and most importantly personal insight on the importance of writing and what works and does not work in their writing procedures.
Writing can have many goals: to inform, to persuade, or to entertain, but in each section of writing the major
As a second language learner I have never expected myself to be a perfect writer throughout the semester. Even If English was my first language still, I would not be a perfect writer. It is not about first or second language, it is about how well I understand the learning objectives. Then organizing and writing with my own ideas and putting them in my paper. I am going to be honest, I am not good at English subject and English subject is my strongest weakness than the other subjects. In this paper I will discuss and analyze my own writing, reflecting on the ways that my writing has improved throughout the semester.
Grabe, W. & Kaplan, R.B. (1996) Theory and practice of writing Addison Wesley Longman Limited, Harlow, Essex, England. Martlew, M. (1983) The Psychology of Written Language, Developmental and Educational Perspectives, John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Chichester, U.K. Protherough, R. (1983)
Writing can be a very difficult process for those who do not know how to go about constructing
In the beginning of English 101 I was what you call a novice writer a person who only wrote what they felt was required. However, certain techniques that I learned in English 101 made me realize that writing was not about filling requirements; it’s about speaking out, exploring and proving a point. “Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go.” (Trimble, 17) In John Trimble’s quote he tries to point out that writing is something that you grow with and learn as you go along. I believe this growth was achieved with a technique that was introduced to me by my professor called repetitive revision. What I found out was that revision of your essays helps in recognizing your mistakes and enhances the flow of your essays. By providing me...
Every animal on the planet is capable of communicating, be it verbally, physically, or possibly by some means yet discovered. Writing on the other hand is a form of communication exclusive to human beings (and maybe the occasional ape). Children are taught to read and write almost as soon as they can speak. Writing becomes a part of everyday life, and because of this it is easy to forget that writing "is a means of "communication [one] must consciously learn" (Heffernan and Lincoln 3). For this reason writing in college can be a challenge for even the most skilled of writers. While the basics of academic writing may seem like common knowledge, knowing them and understanding them can prove to be quite different. In the writing center it is our job to help writers take what they know about writing, and begin to understand it. Understanding is the basis for ...
With the modern age’s influx of new forms of communication, the skill of writing has taken a back seat for most people in their daily lives as brevity has become of greater importance. The more you can say in fewer – and often shorter – words, the better. While this is acceptable for those who have already developed the necessary motor and mental skills required to write well, it is increasingly worrisome for children who have not yet mastered these abilities, and could potentially set them back for most of their lives. Creative and persuasive writing is incredibly important and should be stressed in education to avoid future academic difficulty and promote a stronger intellectual generation.
The ability to write well is not a naturally acquired skill; it is usually learned or culturally transmitted as a set of practices in formal instructional settings or other environments. Writing skills must be practiced and learned through experience. Writing also involves composing, which implies the ability either to tell or retell pieces of information in the form of narratives or description, or to transform information into new texts, as in expository or argumentative writing. Perhaps it is best viewed as a continuum of activities that range from the more mechanical or formal aspects of “writing down” on the one end, to the more complex act of composing on the other end (Omaggio Hadley, 1993). It is undoubtedly the act of
As a result, students may write too quickly without revising or considering their words [21][23]. This can lead to errors and less thoughtful writing [24].