English 311,"Introduction
to Linguistics"
Improving Writing Skills in ESL Students
by Crystal Santos
Writing enhances language acquisition as learner’s experiment with words,
sentences, and larger chunks of writing to communicate their ideas effectively
and to reinforce the grammar and vocabulary they are learning in class (Bello,
1997). There are two main approaches to writing: Free Writing, and Process
Writing. Both of these approaches can be adapted to ESL children and ESL adults.
I have tried both of these methods in my ESL class that I teach. The children
enjoyed them both. But before we can talk about these two approaches, we need to
talk about what writing is, how ESL children develop writing skills, how
schools should promote writing for ESL students, and what the purpose is for
writing in the ESL classroom.
Writing is defined as the creation of original text using the individuals'
intellectual and linguistic resources, rather than copying someone else’s
text, using a prepared list of words to create sentences or stories, filling in
the blanks, or practicing handwriting (Hudelson, 1988). ESL children develop as
writers from early childhood when working to make sense of written language.
Children make predictions about how written language works and create texts
based on these predictions (Hudelson, 1988). Studies have shown that the process
of writing is similar for both first and second language learners. The following
is a list of conclusions that can be made about ESL children’s writing
development:
1) ESL learners, while they are still learning English, can write; they can
create their own meaning.
2) ESL learners can respond to the works of others and can use another
learner’s responses to their work to make substantive revisions in their
creations.
3) Texts produced by ESL writers look very much like those produced by
young native speakers. These texts demonstrate that the writers are making
predictions about how the written language works. As the writers’
predictions change, the texts change.
4) Children approach writing and develop as writers differently from one
another.
5) The classroom environment has a significant impact on ESL children’s
development as writers.
6) Culture may affect the writers’ view of writing, of the functions or
purposes for writing, and of themselves as writers.
7) The ability to write in the native language facilitates the child’s
ESL writing in several different ways. Native language writing provides
learners with information about the purposes of writing. Writing ability in
the native language provides second language learners with both linguistic and
nonlinguistic resources that they can use as they approach second language
writing (Hudelson, 1988).
Schools should promote writing for ESL children. Ways that they can do this
is for the teacher to provide time for writing on a regular basis. Teachers
should encourage their ESL students to write about things that are familiar to
them. The following are suggestions for writing activities in the classroom:
- Use diaries or journals to promote fluency in writing and to help
students see writing as one means of self-expression.
- Utilize personal narratives and writing workshop techniques to help
learners become comfortable with the craft of drafting, sharing, and revising
their pieces.
- Make the reading-writing connection by exposing ESL learners to a wide
variety of literary forms in reading and then provide opportunities for
learners to construct their own forms to share with others.
- Incorporate various writing activities into content-area units so that
ESL learners will experience the kinds of writing that will be expected in
disciplines across the curriculum (Hudelson, 1988).
There are three main purposes for writing. The first purpose is to practice
the language. The second is to experiment with the language. It is to encourage
learners to attempt to write things they want to express, even if they are
unsure how to do it. The last purpose is communication. Interactive writing
activities such as letter writing, electronic mail interactions, and dialogue
journals do have these qualities and thus strengthen the link between written
and oral language (Rabideau, 1993).
The first approach to improving ESL students writing skills is through a
method called Free Writing. Free Writing is writing for a period of time in
class on a topic of interest to them. This writing can take many forms,
including quick writes, which are time-limited, done individually, and not
always shared; and dialogue journals, written to a teacher, a classmate or other
partners who then responds. These writings may be kept in a portfolio or
notebook. From these pieces, themes may emerge that can act as springboards for
more extensive writing that is discussed, revised, edited, and published (Bello,
1997).
The second approach to improving ESL students writing skills is through a
method called Process Writing. Process Writing usually is structured in this
way:
- Prewriting: Stimulates students to write through inspiring ideas,
unlocking creativity, and providing vocabulary. Students brainstorm to
generate lists of ideas, words, and reactions.
- First Draft Writing: Incorporates strategies developed in
brainstorming. Concentrating on getting ideas down on paper, without worrying
about spelling or grammar.
- Responding: Responses to writing come from a variety of sources:
self, teacher, parents, friends, and peer-response groups. The purpose is to
reinforce the positive aspects of the writing.
- Revising: Begins based on the comments and responses from the
previous stage. The main concern is clarity.
- Final Draft Writing: Should be ready for publication and the
student should be satisfied with the way the piece reads.
- Publishing: Of crucial importance is the act of sharing this
special writing beyond the peer group and teacher (Arroyo, Brown, Young,
1994).
An interview as a process writing activity would be a great idea. With this
activity you would pair up two students together and have them interview each
other and go through all of the steps of process writing. This is a good idea
because then students would be able to interact with each other and learn about
each other. “The interview process provides for the acquisition and refinement
of a variety of cognitive skills. Since talk is an essential element of
interviewing, oral-based language development is stimulated (Arroyo; Brown;
Young, 1994).”
I used the idea of interviewing with my class, and it worked really well. The
article had suggested using a frame, which is designed to help students with
their sentence structure. The children would fill in the blanks based on the
answers that they received from the questions that they asked their partner in the
interview. An example of the frame is seen below this paragraph. My students and
I learned a lot about each other, and it was the first time that
they had done any structured writing. When they were done with the final paper,
they enjoyed being able to share it with the rest of the class.
___________ Interview by ___________ (#1) _________ is _________ (#2)
years old and is from ___________. (#3) He/She has lived here ________.
(#4)
Things that he/she likes are ______________(#5), _____________, and
__________.
He/She doesn’t like ____________(#6), _____________ and __________.
Her/his
favorite color is ___________(#7) and music she/he likes to listen to
is___________(#8), _________, and ___________. When _________ grows up,
she/he wants to _____________ (#9) I think _______________.
(Arroyo; Brown; Young, 1994).
These are a list of activities that can be done which may lead into either of
the two writing approaches listed above (Bello, 1997). They are
-Assessing Needs: Having learners write about what they want to learn
and why is an excellent way for the teacher to conduct a class needs
assessments.
- Reacting to a Text or Stimulus: Learners can record their reactions
to various stimuli--for example a piece of music; a photograph or drawing, a
sound such as water being poured; or even smells, such as the aroma of
different spices flowers.
- Writing Letters: Letters of complaint (while studying consumerism)
cover letters (while preparing for employment), or letters of advice (while
studying newspaper features) allow learners to practice some of the types of
writing that are useful in their daily lives.
- Analyzing and Synthesizing Information: Using maps learners can
write directions from getting from one location to another.
- Making Lists: Lists can help learners generate vocabulary and
provide the basis for larger pieces. Some lists could be favorite foods, things
missed about one’s country; or things liked in the United States (Bello,
1997).
For ESL students the writing process will help them with all aspects of the
English language. The following list is what to expect from your ESL students
after being involved in many writing activities (Arroyo; Brown, Young, 1994):
A) Rely on invented spelling and punctuation.
B) Increase the length of their writing because they gain control of the
topic (based on their own experiences).
C) Gain grater confidence in their emergent language skills.
D) Increase their vocabulary.
E) Gain greater control of syntax.
F) Reflect different story patterns because of stylistic variation.
G) Rely on the influence of structured texts (e.g., textbooks) resulting in
conflicts with discourse patterns.
H) Increase pragmatics and language as social tools.
I) Gain oral reading skills.
J) Increase interest in writing through publishing.
The writing that takes place in an ESL classroom is authentic to the student.
It is very personal to the student. It is a way to express themselves in the new
language that they are trying to learn. If the topic that they are writing about
has to deal with them, then they will be more apt to finish it. It is work that
they can be proud of. “Because of the writing process, all aspects of
language-listening, speaking, reading, and writing are followed” (Arroyo;
Brown; Young, 1994).
The Free Writing and Process Writing approach are the two best ways to
improve an ESL student's writing skills. Doing these two methods will help ESL
students with all of their literacy skills. Teachers just need to implement
writing in the classroom as much as they can. It is very important, and can be included with all core subjects that need to be taught throughout the school day.
Each student should keep a journal and at the end of each day have them write
what they learned in each subject that was taught for the day. That would be an
excellent activity. It would be their time to reflect on what they did or did
not understand in each area that was covered for the day. It would also help the
teacher to read the journals and if several students are having trouble with the
same subject. Then the teacher would be able to go back and review without
having the children say out loud that they didn’t understand the concept.
I close this with a quote from the Nobel Prize-winning author Nadine Gordimer
(1982) “All great writing is deeply personal and heartfelt. Teachers need to
provide learners with opportunities to write about topics that are relevant to
their lives, too participate in various writing activities, and to feel that
their writing has value.”
Works Cited
Arroyo, Patricia; Brown, Marcia; Young, Martha Stimulating Writing in
ESL/Bilingual Classrooms. The Journal of Educational Issues of Language
Minority Students. Spring 1994. http://www.ncbe.gwu.edu/miscpubs/jeilms/vol13/stimul13.htm
Bello, Tom Improving ESL Learners’ Writing Skills. Eric Digest
National Center for ESL Literacy Education. June 1997. http://www.cal.org/ncle/digests/writing.htm
Chamot-Uhl, Anna; O’Mailley, J. Michael The Calla Handbook Addison
Wesley, Massachusetts. 1994.
Hudelson, Sarah Children’s Writing in ESL Eric Digests. December
1988. http://www.ed.gov/database/ERIC_Digests/ed303046.html
Rabideau, Dan Integrating Reading and Writing into Adult ESL Instruction
Eric Digests. March, 1993. http://www.ed.gov/database/ERIC_Digests/ed358749.html
