Teaching Reading and Writing
The process of writing
Mat Wright
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Teaching Reading and Writing
The process of writing
Learning outcomes
This module of teaching reading and writing focuses on the stages in the process of writing, from pre-writing,
drafting and editing, through to publishing. By the end of the module you will be able to:
identify the stages required for process writing
explore activities which support learners at each stage
explain how the teacher manages a process writing lesson
consider how to apply teaching techniques to your own teaching.
1 Before you watch
a. When a journalist writes a magazine article, what stages of a process does he/she go through?
b. When you write an important letter, do you go through similar stages in the process of writing?
Try to compare your answers with a partner.
TeachingEnglish British Council 2015
Teaching Reading and Writing
The process of writing
2 Watch
2.1 Process writing: Part 1
Watch and listen to the commentary at the beginning of the video Process writing: Part 1 (00:00 to 01:17).
Then pause the video and answer the following questions.
a. What four stages of the writing process does the trainer mention?
1. ....................................................
2. ....................................................
3. ....................................................
4. ....................................................
b. How does the consultant apply this process to teaching writing?
2.2 Applying the writing process
a. Before you continue watching, look at the writing process stages. Match each stage to a description.
Pre-writing
Drafting
Using your plan & ideas to write a rough first version
Presenting the piece of writing to the readers
Editing
Checking, making alterations and re-writing
Publishing
Generating ideas and planning what to write
TeachingEnglish British Council 2015
Teaching Reading and Writing
The process of writing
b. Look at the following writing sub-skills and match each one to a stage of the writing process.
planning
evaluation
brainstorming
re-ordering
structuring
mind-mapping
revising
checking
forming opinions
restructuring
focusing on grammar
and vocabulary
presenting finished
piece to readers
putting ideas into
sentences
selecting/
rejecting ideas
Process writing stages
planning out the
paragraphs
Sub-skills
Pre-writing
Drafting
Editing
Publishing
c. How could you apply this process approach with your learners?
d. What else would you like to know about the process approach to teaching writing?
Write some questions below:
TeachingEnglish British Council 2015
Teaching Reading and Writing
The process of writing
2.3 A process writing lesson
a. Watch the rest of the video Process writing: Part 1 (01:18 to 26:23), which shows the four stages as part of a
process writing class. Use the table below to answer the following questions:
1. What sub-skills are practised within each stage?
2. What is the role of the teacher in each stage? (Note, It is the same through each stage.)
Stage
Sub-skills practised
Role of the teacher
Brainstorming,
Pre-writing
(01:18 to 10:00)
Drafting
(10:10 to 15:50)
Editing
(16:00 to 22:30)
Publishing
(22:40 to 26:00)
b. Answer these questions about the process writing lesson. Watch again if necessary.
What kinds of activities do you see learners doing in pairs?
How is the word processing application used?
Activities
Application
c. Look back at the questions you wrote on the previous page Have they been answered?
TeachingEnglish British Council 2015
Teaching Reading and Writing
The process of writing
2.4 Lesson feedback, learning points and goals
Watch the video Process writing: Part 2 (00:00 to 05:39). Make notes using the following headings:
Lesson feedback for learners:
What was the easiest activity? The most fun? The most difficult?
Learning points and goals:
Note down five learning points and goals that students will take away from this lesson.
Lesson feedback (00:28 to 01:10)
Learning points and goals (01:20 to 05:07)
Easiest:
Most fun:
Most difficult:
3 Publishing learners written work
a. Which of the following ideas for publishing learners written work would you like to try with your learners?
Why?
Idea
Description
Read aloud
Learners read stories, articles, descriptions and other texts to classmates.
Role play
Learners role play characters in a story or correspondents in a letter.
Presentation
Learners make presentations to the class on topics of interest that they
have covered in their writing.
Wall display
Put written pieces on the wall so that the class can read their friends work.
Classroom library
Build a library of completed pieces of writing divided into topics/genres.
Learners can borrow classmates work to read.
Class magazine
Start a termly class magazine. Ask learners to suggest ideas for content which
would then form the basis of writing lessons.
Comments book
Have a book where learners could write positive, constructive comments
about their classmates writing.
Try ()
b. Why have you selected these ideas?
TeachingEnglish British Council 2015
Teaching Reading and Writing
The process of writing
4 Reflection
a. Look at the following quotes. To what extent do you agree?
The writing process we have described operates whether people are writing emails, texting their
friends, writing shopping lists, providing compositions for their English teachers or putting
together a doctoral thesis. How much attention we give to the different stages of the process ...
will largely depend ... on what kind of writing we are doing, what medium we are using, what the
content and length of our piece is and who we are doing it for.
Harmer, J., (2004), How to Teach Writing, Pearson
Practice in suggesting corrections in their classmates work helps learners to recognise errors in
their own. When learners have to explain points to a partner, their own understanding is redefined
and clarified. It requires them to think carefully about clarity and acceptability in writing.
Hedge, T., (1998), Writing, OUP
b. How could you use a process approach with younger learners?
What aspects of the lesson in the video would you keep, adapt or change?
Compare your reflections with a partner, if possible.
TeachingEnglish British Council 2015
Transcripts and answers
Teaching Reading and Writing
The process of writing
Transcripts of trainers talk
2.1 Process writing: Part 1
When we write an important letter, we dont just sit down, write it and then send it off. We spend time
planning what well say, we spend time writing, changing and when were happy with what weve written
we send it off.
We follow, if you like, a kind of process pre-writing, drafting, editing and publishing.
So how does this process apply to teaching writing with our learners? Well it means that we should
practise all the skills needed for the four stages of the process.
Now lets take a look at how this can work in practice with a mixed nationality class of young adults.
These students are taking part in a process writing lesson to help them prepare for a specific IELTs exam
question where they have to write a discursive essay of about 250 words. Now watch the film and make
notes to answer the questions in the viewing task. The answers will appear at the end of the sequence.
2.4 Lesson feedback, learning points and goals
In this section, students give feedback on the lesson activities. Take a look and answer the questions in
the viewing task.
In this final section, the students share what theyve learned from the lesson. They also share learning
goals that theyll work on to continue improving their writing. Take a look and answer the question in the
viewing task.
TeachingEnglish British Council 2015
Teaching Reading and Writing
The process of writing
Answers
2.1 Process writing: Part 1
a. The stages of the writing process:
1. pre-writing
2. drafting
3. editing
4. publishing
b. When teaching writing we should follow this process with our students too, teaching and practising the skills
for each stage of the process.
2.2 Applying the process
a.
Pre-writing
Drafting
Using your plan & ideas to write a rough first version
Presenting the piece of writing to the readers
Editing
Checking, making alterations and re-writing
Publishing
Generating ideas and planning what to write
b.
Process writing stages
Sub-skills
Pre-writing
Brainstorming, mind-mapping, planning, forming opinions.
Drafting
Selecting/rejecting ideas, structuring, planning out paragraphs,
putting ideas into sentences
Editing
Revising, checking, re-ordering, re-structuring,
focusing on grammar and vocabulary.
Publishing
Presenting finished piece to readers, evaluation.
10
TeachingEnglish British Council 2015
Teaching Reading and Writing
The process of writing
2.3 A process writing lesson
Stage
Sub-skills practised
Role of the teacher
Brainstorming generating & comparing ideas
Pre-writing
Forming opinions
Mind-mapping
Planning
Selecting and rejecting ideas
Drafting
Structuring (the argument)
Focusing learners on the task
Planning out the paragraphs
Generating ideas
Revising
Checking
Editing
Checking language
Encouraging peer
collaboration and evaluation
Re-ordering
Restructuring
Focusing on language
Publishing
Presenting the finished
piece to readers
Evaluation
Activities
Pair work activiites include:
Brainstorming and sharing ideas to include in
the essay
Application
The word processing application is used for drafting,
editing and evaluating each others work
writing the first drafts
drafting, editing and evaluating their own
and each others work
checking.
2.4 Lesson feedback, learning points and goals
Lesson feedback
Easiest: brainstorming
Learning points and goals
Structuring and ordering ideas.
Listing key words.
Most fun: editing the draft / correcting
Mind-mapping ideas.
Learning from other students.
Most difficult: editing
11
Spending time editing
TeachingEnglish British Council 2015
With thanks to Christopher Lewis and his class at INTO, Manchester, UK, for their contribution to the video
footage
Session notes developed by Marianne Tudor-Craig.
Video produced by Jane Boylan.
British Council 2015 / E021
The British Council is the United Kingdoms international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities.