Writing from different perspectives

Introduction

Writing can be naturally integrated into the foreign language classroom in a number of ways. Pupils can write different types of texts in different ways and for different purposes. The aims of this project are to illustrate the following about writing:

· It should be regarded as a natural way of communicating
· It can be naturally linked to oral language and reading
· It can be both an individual and shared experience
· It can be an interactive experience
· It can be challenging and fun
· It can be promoted by ICT

Early writing activities

Recent research suggests that it is an advantage to introduce reading and writing as early as possible. The argument is that early literacy will lead to learners developing their reading and writing skills faster and deeper. Initially, simple activities at the word or sentence level are advisable in order to provide young learners with basic skills and the opportunity to build up their confidence in writing.

Video example of early writing activities: View video, streamed View video, MPEG, high bandwidth View video, MPEG, low bandwidth

Astrid Namtvedt uses pictures with her 5th grade pupils to practise orally what they will later write down. Pictures are a ‘must’ for both oral and written practice at the primary level. In this example, pictures of items of food are used to elicit both vocabulary and sentences. Pupils say the words, place them into sentences that have some personal meaning, and then put their examples into writing. They thus move from the word to the sentence level, and from oral to written language.

The theme here is food. The teacher starts by asking the pupils which items of fruit the pictures show. She then asks them to put the items of food into a context by saying what their favourite fruit is and when they last ate it. The pupils elicit sentences such as I ate watermelon yesterday and are asked to write them down. By creating sentences of this kind, pupils personalise language, that is they say something that is meaningful to their own world of experience. By writing the sentences down, pupils reinforce what they have said orally. It is worth noting how the teacher chats with her pupils in an informal and friendly manner while performing this activity.
Pictures can stimulate language practice, including writing, in a number of ways. Pictures of different fruits, for instance, can be used in the following ways:

Picture showing an apple:
Teacher: Do you like this fruit?
Pupil: No, I don’t like apples.

Picture showing a banana:
Teacher: When did you last eat a banana?
Pupil: I ate a banana this morning.

Picture showing an orange:
Teacher: What are you going to eat when you go home?
Pupil: I’m going to eat an orange.

Although this activity shows pupils interacting with the teacher, they can just as easily use pictures to work in pairs or groups. Ideally the teacher can use large pictures to practise vocabulary and/or structures with the whole class first, especially by using choral repetition (getting all the pupils to repeat words and sentences), and then allow the pupils to continue practising in pairs or groups.

Pictures may be collected from magazines, the Internet or computer programmes, such as My First Dictionary. It is also possible to buy sets of picture cards, such as those produced by Okani, for pair and group practice.

Other examples of writing activities suitable for the earliest grades are:

· The teacher holds up cards with individual words and then removes them. The pupils write the words.

· The teacher holds up cards with sentences and then removes them. The pupils write the sentences.

· The teacher holds up cards with individual words (eg cat). The pupils construct sentences around the word (eg I have a cat).

· Environmental print: Pupils find interesting pictures and hang them on the walls. They write words and sentences that match each picture.

· The teacher creates a story based on words/ ideas elicited from the pupils and writes it on the blackboard/overhead transparency.

It is at all times important that the teacher shows willingness to write with and for pupils, thus acting as a model and inspirer of their written language. By doing this, the teacher shows the pupils that he/she is also a writer and expects writing from them as well.

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