Process writing

What and why?

The English author E. M. Forster once said 'How can I know what I think until I see what I say?' By this, he meant that it was only through trying to get his ideas on to paper that he could discover what his ideas were. Recent research into WRITING has confirmed this: 'good writers' do not simply transfer their ideas from their heads on to paper. The act of writing is also an act of thinking, and writing goes through a process as ideas evolve and change. Rather like working on a sculpture or painting, writing involves putting down a first idea, 'standing back', looking at it and continually rewriting it. Students need to be encouraged to go through these stages, and to look at their writing through the eyes of a reader. They can also gain a lot by seeing writing as a way of helping them develop their own ideas.

Practical ideas

• A process approach to writing involves getting the students to take their writing through different stages: getting ideas, making notes, planning, drafting, getting feedback, revising and finalising. The optional Activity Units and creative writing tasks in CEWw can be used to encourage students to do this.
• You can also involve students in process writing through OPEN-ENDED TASKS which require them to use their imagination. For example, an item of clothing can be used to stimulate the students' imagination and create a story. Similarly, a story can be created around a series of sounds. Students can also be involved in writing poems.
• Students can get a lot of ideas by BRAINSTORMING in groups first.
• If you ask the students to produce a longer text, you can put them into writing groups, so that they can get FEEDBACK from each other. You can ask the students to spend a fixed amount of time giving feedback on each person's work.
• When students are asked to comment on other students' work, they are often very negative. It is always easy to be negative - you can insist that they have to make positive suggestions.
• You can make POSTERS of the studentsÕ work, showing the different stages that they have gone through.
• Try to view writing as an opportunity for the students' learning - not just for assessment.
• Writing naturally involves making mistakes, and it is through making mistakes that we learn. You can encourage the students to experiment and 'take risks' with their English, and to try to find ways to express their own ideas.
• If you want to grade some writing, make it clear to the students that the stages that they go through will not be graded and that you will only grade the final piece of work.
• You can also involve students in EVALUATION of their own work. You could try to agree with the students what qualities a grade A piece of work would have, then a grade B and so on. They can then compare their own with the grade descriptions.