Approaches to Writing in EFL/ ESL

Context: Balancing Product and

Process in Writing Class at
Tertiary Level
Ad. Kamrul Hasan & Mohd. Moniruzzaman Akhand
 Approaches to Writing: Product

Introduction Stage one: Stage two:

Traditional approach Students study Controlled
in which students are model texts and practice of the
encouraged to mimic then the features of highlighted
a model text the genre are features in
highlighted isolation

Stage three: Stage four:

Ideas are organised End Product
 Approaches to Writing: Process
Stage 1: Stage 2: Stage 3:
Brainstorming Planning & Mind Mapping -
Generating ideas Structuring- Organise ideas into
and Discussion Exchange ideas mind maps
into note form

Stage 6:
Stage 4: Stage 5:
Editing
Writing first drafts Peer Feedback-
Improvements are
In pairs or groups Drafts are
made based on
exchanged
peer feed-back

Stage 7: Stage 8:
Final draft is written Evaluation &
Teachers Feedback
 Applying Process Approach in
Classroom
Give students
some time to start
brainstorming
Asks students Encourage a
to do a lot of variety of
writing prewriting &
planning
Assign student to strategies
Precautions Schedule brief
peer groups for to face
focused feedback conferences
or drafts for discussions

Practice Encourage
Formative questions from
assessment students
 Differences between Product & Process
Text as a Approach
resource Initiate model
for text
compariso
n
Ideas as Approach to
starting Organisatio
teach
point n of ideas
writing
Process Produc
Writing t
Contains Writing
Collaborativ various Individua
e steps for l
application

Emphasis Emphasi
on creative s on end
process product
 Genre
Approach

Abstract, Emphasizes
socially the
recognized teaching of
ways of using Genre particular
language Approach genre
according
to students
Focus on need
conventions Emphasizes
that a piece of more on the
writing needs reader
 Comparison of Genre and Process
Writing is a Orientations Writing a
thinking social
process activity

Emphasis Emphasis
Approach to
on on reader
teach
creative expectatio
writing
writer Process Genre ns
Makes Writing Writing Makes
processes Contains textual
of writing various conventions
transparent steps for transparent
application
Overlooke Over
d L2 -attention
language on written
difficulties products
Genre: What Teachers Think
Heather Kay and Tony Dudley-Evans
 Genre: Definitions and
Examples
A staged, goal-
oriented, purposeful
Martin (1984)
activity in which
speakers engage as
members of our
culture

Comprises a class of
Swales (1990) Definitions of Genre communicative events

A communicative
purpose which brings
Martin & any genre into being,
Swales shaping the
schematic or
beginning middle
 Genre-based Teaching
Approaches

Steps First Second Third

Step Step Step
Students choose
Genre is A text of genre is
and research a
Activit introduced constructed
topic, and
y through a jointly by teacher
prepare their
model text and students.
own texts of the
genre
 Genre: Its Pedagogic Potential

Enables students Provides a useful

to enter a framework for
particular students and
discourse teachers
community

Giving students
Discover how
writers organize Benefits sense of security
by offering them
texts
models as guide

Promotes flexible Suitable for

thinking & beginners in
Informed English language
creativity
Genre: Its Pedagogic Potential
Approach is
prescriptive
rather than
descriptive
Prove to be text
centred
Students will
approach which
expect to be Pitfalls
focus on the
told how to and product rather
write Potential than students
Dangers
Cause demotivation Restrictive
in the learner under and lead to
the hands of lack of
unimaginative creativity
teachers
 Genre: Its Pedagogic Potential

Adopt lesson that

facilitates rather
Assimilates data than inhibits
Immerse students
from various
with many
sources into
examples on the
students personal
genre
view How to
Utilise language
activities that will Overcome? Combine genre
allow the concept of and process
genre to be approach
liberated
Ensure that the
structures given Discuss the text
allow variations with students
such as culture beforehand
 Genre: The Implications

Aware of the Combine genre

genres students Implication and process
need to be able to s in approach The
understand and Writing Process
produce
Classrooms

Application of
genre based
activities, e.g:
Role play, gap
filling and
reordering
Teaching Literacy through Writing

Kamehameha Schools
 Writing Process Today
Grammatical
changes and
conventional
editing occur
during the revision
or editing stage Writers were
Holistic process
that Characteris given to plan,
emphasizes the tics of the draft, edit
actual process and revise
Writing their work
of writing
Process
Enables and Students will be
encourages taught review and
new ideas revise several
drafts
 Logical steps of The Writing
Process
Pre Writing Drafting & Sharing &
Getting ready to Revising Responding
write Write and refine Share work to
Decide on a topic paragraphs gain feedback
Brainstorm Focus on Peer Editing
Organise Ideas communication Writing
of meaning Workshops

Publishing
Revising &
Celebrate and
Editing
Revise Content showcase finished
Proofread for products
Build confidence
writing
in students as
conventions
Text writers
 Existing Research about the Writing
Process

Given opportunity
Effective way to to share their work
teach students to through writing
be good writers workshops & peer
writing
Advantages

Students were Teach students to

taught to share recognise the
and communicate value of writing
their ideas and purpose in
through words creating solid work
Importance of Pre-writing and Re-writing

Pre- Writing Re-Writing

Writing is
Skilled writers recursive, which
spend more time allows writers to
organising and revise their work
planning their continually
writing

Allows writers to
Access take into account
information that new ideas and
will enhance thoughts and
writing incorporate into
writing
 Difference between Process and Genre
Approach
Use computers in at
least one stage of
writing process
Expose students Pre-Writing
to: Exercises
Planning How Writing Teachers talk to
Defining the Process help students
audience and beforehand on
purpose
Learners
what they
Using outside Achieve planned to write
resources Higher Ask students to
Composing more Scores visibly planned
than one draft out their writing
Save students work
in portfolio
Genre-Based Approach To
Teach Writing
Miyoun (Sophia) Kim
 Difference between Process and Genre
Approach
Process
Approach

Pre- Writing Revising Editing

Idea gathering Peers editing Correcting
Process of for comments mechanical
writing a rough Make errors
outline modifications Spelling or
Get feedback punctuations
from teachers
Differences between the Process & Genre
Approach
Help students
free severe
worries over
writing
Intimately Activate
attached to a memories of
social purpose prior reading
Genre
or writing
Approac
Focus on the
viewpoint of
h
Exposed to
the reader many
than on the examples of
writer Learning takes same genre
place through
imitation and
exploration
 Application of Genre Approach

K-6 syllabus in New South

Wales Emphasizes how the
resources of language system can
be used to make appropriate
meaning

Application English Education and

in Writing Workplace
Aimed at the formation of a job
Classes application letter
Literacy and Education Research
An instructional approach to help
students master various school
genres: Reports, expositions,
procedures & explanation.
 The Benefits of the Genre Approach in
Teaching
Benefits

Appreciate Brings together

models or formal and
examples which functional
shows what they properties of a
have to achieve language
linguistically

Prior knowledge
Provides an formed will
understanding make it easier
why for students to
communication produce
is the way it is acceptable
structures in
writing
The Problems of the Genre Approach to
Teaching
Underestimates
the skills
required to
produce one
content More suitable
for beginners

Learners
attitude will be Problems
largely passive
due to many
input given by
teacher Limiting
creativity

Neglect
learners self-
sufficiency
 Comparative Analysis of Process Versus Product
Approach of Teaching Writing in Malaysian Schools
Sarala@Thulasi A/P Palapanadan, Abdul Rahim bin Salam and
Fauziah Bte Ismail
Comparisons of Process and Product
Approach
Differences

Process Product
Approach Approach
Focus more on Focus on the
process of linguistic
writing rather accuracy in the
than end end product
product Text as a
Text as a resource for
resource for imitation
comparison Focus on
Focused on organisation of
purpose and ideas and writer
reader is is emphasised
emphasised
Collaborative Individual
 Dilemma on Methods

Students will try

Very model to write in their
based own style but
tend to get
Critique deprive of the
Can lead on autonomy of
students to expression
become
Product
plagiarist Approac Overlook the
communicative
h aspects of
Students might language by giving
become too much attention
dependent to grammar
writers
 Dilemma on Methods

Errors are tolerated

Time and it might caused
consuming the errors to
fossilized in
students
Critiques on
Process
Approach
Teachers are Teachers need
unable to finish more time to
activities in one read and
or two lessons increase
workload
 What are the
Solutions?
L2 learners Provide a model
struggle with to help students
their first start with their
sentence first sentence

Important to Merge
provide input to Solution brainstorming and
students to planning stages in
generate
s
process and
meaningful product approach
learning

Need to discuss Start essays

to produce a using
work efficiently highlighted
features in pair
or groups
A Process Genre Approach to
Teaching Writing
Richard Badger and Goodith White
 Product Approaches

Learners will familiarize themselves

Familiariz with a set of descriptions of houses.
ing E.g. Prepositions and the names of
rooms in a house.

Learners produce simple sentences

Controlle about the houses from a substitution
A Typical d table
Product Guided Learners produce a piece of guided
Class Writing writing based on a picture of a house

Learners write a description of their

Free own home.
Writing
 Process Approaches

Pre- Brainstorm on topic of houses

writing
Select and structure ideas to provide
Drafting a plan for the description of the
house
A Typical Revision Revise first draft working individually
Process or groups
Class Final Edit or proof read the text
Draft
Evaluatio Final product is for teacher to
n evaluate.
 Genre Approaches

Examine authentic descriptions of

houses written by estate agents
Modelling Carry out analysis of the text:
Looking at grammar or patterns of
vocabs
Social context to sell a house
A Typical Construct With varying degrees of help,
Genre produce partial texts
ing
Class
Working on their own, learners would
then produce complete texts
Producin reflecting the social contexts and the
g language of the original description
of the house
 Comparing Product, Process and
Genres

Approac Product Process Genre

h
Weakne Prior Regard all writing See learners as
ss knowledge of as being largely passive
learners are produced by
undervalued same set of
processes Undervalued the
skills needed to
Offers learners produce a text
insufficient input
to write
successfully
 Comparing Product, Process and
Genres

Approac Product Process Genre

h
Strengt Recognize the Learners Acknowledge
h need for understand that writing
learners to be the takes place in a
given importance of social situation
linguistic the skills and is a
knowledge involved in reflection of a
about texts writing particular
purpose
 Writing in the Process Genre
Approach
Example:
Purpose: Write to
Include processes sell the house
by which writers Tenor: Appeal to
produce a text specific audience
reflecting language
Writing in a Field: Include
used in a particular Process crucial information
text Genre Mode: Ways to
Approach present
descriptions

Provide sufficient
support for learners
to identify the
purpose and social
context of a text