Some useful ideas to consider when teaching writing to EFL students.

1. M.Ed. Maria Luisa Mu

2. The writing process
PLANNING DRAFTING
FINAL VERSION? EDITING
FINAL
VERSION

3. Characteristics of the written text
Permanence
Explicitness
Density
Detachment
Organization

4. Characteristics of the written text
Slowness of production, speed of
reception
Standard language
A learnt skill
Sheer amount and importance

5. Purposes of writing
The expression of ideas, the conveying
of a message to the reader.
Writing as an end in itself
Writing as both a means and end
Writing as a means

6. Writing as an end
Students are writing real messages
for real audiences.
The choice of writing tasks will
depend on why students are
studying English.

7. Writing as a means
Reinforcement writing
Preparation writing
Activity writing
Look for examples in your textbook
What type of writing texts are students
asked to create?

8. Generating ideas
The buzz group: a collaborative
model.
Individuals, pairs and groups.
Pyramid planning:Students think
about a topic individually and then
discuss it in pairs and then in
groups.

9. Generating ideas
Note making: the spaghetti
approach, the spidergram or mind
map.
Ordered points
For and against

10. Making a plan
Board fill
For and against
Main idea magnets
Papers in a hat

11. Responding and correcting
Responding: we are concerned with
the content and design of the writing
more than with the accuracy of the
text.
Correcting: we indicate when
something is not right: syntax,
concord, collocation.

12. Ways of correcting students´work
Selective correction
Using marking scales
Using correction symbols
Reformulation
Peer review
Practical activity

13. Chinese proverb

14. Metacognitive activity
What have you learned?
What have you remembered?
What have you decided to do as a
consequence of these sessions?