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involve choosing the right kind of activities with appropriate level of challenge. An engaging writing task is one that involves students not just intellectually but emotionally as well; it amuses them, intrigues them, or makes them feel good. When students are ‘switched on’ by engaging tasks there is a good chance that some of their doubts about writing will disappear. What engages people may be different for different students. For example,
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Music can be used to awaken the students creativity. Pictures can have effect for those who are stimulated by visual point. Some respond to kinaesthetic stimulation. What students need to build confidence and enthusiasm Information &task information - students need to have the necessary information to complete the task. This means that they need to understand clearly what we want them to do and they need, also, to be absolutely clear about any of the topic detail that we give them. If we ask them to write a description of an object, student should have a clear understanding of the topic and proper guidance to accomplish the task. Language - This involves offering students suitable or contextual words,phrases,and parts of sentences to complete the task. Ideas - Teachers need to be able to suggest ideas to help students when they get stuck. For some this may be just a word or two. For others we may need to dictate a half sentence or even something more substantial. One of the skills of a good writing teacher is to be able to throw out suggestions without crowding out the individual students with too much oppressive detail. Patterns &Schemes – One way of helping students to write, even when they may think they do not have many ideas, is to give them a pattern or a scheme to follow. In this case students are given a frame to write in and, while this may make the task less creatively free, it does offer the writers support. When students are involved in this kind of process writing which aim to build the writing habit – whose principle aim is to have students writing fluently and enthusiastically, often with more spontaneity and less actual preparation . Students participate actively in the tasks. Instant writing and collaborative writing are two other areas of Habit building. Instant Writing There are stages in any lesson where students can be asked to write on the spot, without much in the way of preparation or warning; this is instant writing. This writing is not part of a long writing process; it can be used whenever the teacher feels it is appropriate. The tasks may each take only ten or fifteen minutes or be even shorter; but a regular diet of such tasks will boost students’ confidence. The following activities provide some examples of instant writing Dictating sentences for completion A very simple way of getting students to write creatively is to dictate part of a sentence which they have to complete about themselves. Volume 3 Issue 1
April 2014