Developing Writing Skills in English - Essay Example

Teaching English as a Foreign Language: Developing Writing Skills March 26, INTRODUCTION Writing is a complicated process, often spiraling when done in a foreign language. Learners who intend to develop working competency in English as a second language face syntax, lexicon and task objective challenges, which deter them from molding effective writing skills. It is not in doubt that writing in English can be challenging for adult students for non native speakers, particularly in academic and in formal settings. Languages differ in dimensions and the effect of the difference between a first language, for instance Arabic, with the challenges of learning a second one illustrates the disparity. A mastery of writing sub skills can greatly aid a learner in developing effective writing skills and eliminate the bottlenecks for a success in the production of genre specific written works. Generally, writing sub-skills are divided into; arrangement of ideas and examples, communicative quality and coherence cohesion, and sentence structure vocabulary. This paper explores the aspect of teaching English as a second language and considering the sub-skills needed for writing, and then discusses major problems learners has when writing in L2 and how they may be assisted to overcome the challenges. CHALLENGES L2 STUDENTS FACE WHEN LEARNING TO WRITE IN ENGLISH Typological Problems In linguistics, typology refer to the study of word order, yet ESL students encounter this problem as the word forms in their native language might be different from word forms in English. In English, the primal word orders that arouse interest consist of the constituent order of a clause. The decipherable order of subject, object, and verb plus the organization of modifies in noun a phrase form a unique union to relay an idea through a sentence. ESL students whose L1 a relaxed usage of the word order, but rather through inflexion might face problem when dotting down a sentence, without incurring syntactic error. The linguistic patterns in English, normally exhibit a subject-verb-object agreement. On the other hand, normative-accusative languages such as Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, have in their structures major nouns and clauses that are consist of subject and object. In most Slavic and Baltic languages such as Ukrainian, Russian, and Latvian amongst other, connectors that link subject, verb and object are not present. When they directly translate and write a sentence from their native language to English, the end result would be a hanging sentence that lacks the vital. This makes the sentence incorrect and fails to properly relay the message, as the sentence is just a mere amalgamation of words, quite in contravention to what Raimes (1983:11) asserted, “writing implies a connection of text not merely a single sentence....” Genre and ESL/EFL writing Instruction Genre has always been used in different contexts, particularly in the performed arts, where the word has been used to differentiate classifications of music, for instance hip hop from rock and roll. The analysis of genre is hugely theoretical; however the applied linguists have focused on the meaning of the word to relate it to a style of writing. The English has certain established ways of writing, for instance, obituary writing, there is a wide cross cultural way of writing this document. Of concern to the researchers, is the implication of the dependence on writing in the first language and its impact on English as a L2. The specific rhetorical areas that are fore-grounded when an individual is writing with the focus on identified audiences and communities. Finally, the difference in the writing processes and that depends on the timing and the pressures that are involved when the task is being carried out. Punctuation problems Punctuation marks in English are basic compared to languages such as French, Spanish and Portuguese. Students whose L1 languages are in this category are quite may face problem because in these languages, punctuation marks are used to bring out certain sounds. A language such as Greek uses semicolon as a question mark instead of the conventional question mark sign used in English. In English, the use of punctuation in written works is as it disambiguates the meaning of sentences and paragraphs. It is common for basic sentences in English to incorporate spacing, commas and full stop. In a research on Malaysian secondary students studying English, Ghabool, Mariadass & Kashef (2012) found out that mistakes in punctuation were common in their essay writings. The students had incorrectly placed semi colon, colon, apostrophe, question marks and commas in sentences. Correct pronunciations define a correctly written work; the former is a precursor of the former, for in written work, and particularly the inter-dentals. Vocabulary Problems Phrasal verbs, prepositions, and the size of lexicon might cause considerable problems to first time learners of English. Particularly, the syntactic patterns of the phrasal verbs are not familiar among Slavic languages. The correct usage of prepositions among the ESL is a painstaking process. The incorrect usage of prepositions in a sentence might change the meaning from its intended perception to a totally different meaning. Commonly ‘in’ and on pose continuous challenge to the ESL students. Additionally, for the EFL students learning English, at times English spelling fails to follow alphabetic consistency. In English, linguists refer to this phenomenon as the idiosyncrasies of spelling, a feature derived from the huge borrowing of words from Norman French, Latin and Greek. Such anomalies in spelling of certain English words have often leaded to disparities and overlie of spelling patterns. EFL students often confronted with difficulty of building ideas coherently and consistently due to a limited vocabulary wealth. The correct diacritic form of words in English, borrows heavily from the Germanic languages. Limited vocabulary for an ESL student can be caused by a number of factors, but majorly phonetic orientation of the student.  Basically, the foundations of learning English lie with a thorough understanding of the sounds of vocabularies and vowels. Often sounds and sound-symbol relationships differ from a normal English word, and can prove challenging to first time leaner. Grammatical Errors a Challenge to ESL Learners The huge abundance of the idiomatic usage in the English language poses a problem to the ESL students. Additionally, writing in the correct tense, use of functions of auxiliaries, modal verbs, and the right articles is very difficult to grasp for learners. The usage of indefinite article and the definite article is a grave concern; sampled works of ESL writers has persistently shown that the situation is dire. Modal verbs are used to covey certain special message, however, certain students whose L1 is Vietnam may incorrectly use or even omit them from a sentence, watering down the intended meaning. Grammar in the English language context is wide and broad; a careful and progressive ESL learner will eventually clear all the hurdles towards achieving self efficacy in the language Writing Conventions Unlike most indo-European languages, adult students accustomed to writing in Semitic inspired writing styles such as in Arabic, Hebrew, and Amharic face gigantic problems in adapting to the English writing style. Majorly, the Arabic texts are written from left to right and read in the same manner, and the fonts are distinctive, as they are cursive. ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES Addressing Typological Problems Syntax is a common problem faced by ESL when they are writing. To fix such anomalies, a teacher must employ certain strategies to eliminate the mistake, particularly, if the influence arises from native language influence. The teacher must make sure that he/she stresses to the students the need for the subject; verb and object to be in agreement (refer to Appendix 4). Adult students might find the concept more difficult to digress than younger students due to their familiarity with familiarity with their L1. Hedge (2005) refer to the writing process as complex, therefore a first step towards a better understanding of the issue would be make the students read sentences.  Addressing Pronunciation Problems Pronunciation, unlike accents can be taught and a student change to the positive. Persistent exposure the sounds of English words can aid in alleviating the problem. Research has shown that persistent and repetitive workings on grammar errors can improve writing fluency (refer to Appendix 2). Dictionaries provide the perfect avenue to effectively assist the students in getting pronunciation of words correct. Thorough teachings on grammar and vocabulary could prove to be the most effective way in improving the writing skills of an L2 learner. Actually, to produce legible writings, grammar and vocabulary development should be fostered in developing the initial ideas. However, most good writers often focus on the content first, then re look into grammar and vocabulary later; this is ineffective as back pedaling the aspects of writing can prove grave to the student. For a clear and concise grasps of the English language and to address challenges posed by grammar errors, a direct and explicit usage of grammar, syntax, and morphological patterns should be taught (refer to Appendix 1). Perhaps, such a direct, bold and explicit move would bring positive outcomes to the learners. For learners who in their native languages they do not use the roman scripts, alphabetic and phonetic sound becomes the firms stage of the learning process. As the student advance their knowledge of English, the teacher may help the student develop their vocabulary comprehension by, assisting the student in writing a concept in native language then translating to English. This approach, advanced by Tribble (1996) helps students develop more in the real process of writing.  On the other hand, Harmer (2004) proposes that the key to mastery of the writing skills lie with reading. Addressing Vocabulary and Grammar Problems Grasping the ropes of a well developed sentence structure and vocabulary is the hallmark of student who is progressing well on language growth. To effectively achieve a developed sentence structure and vocabulary, five key factors must be met. First, the usage of appropriate, topic related and proper vocabulary, which includes effective knowledge on adjectives, nouns, verbs, prepositions, articles amongst others, idioms, expressions and collocations, must be taken into account (Ball, 1986). Second, correct spelling, punctuation and knowledge of capitalization must also be taken into account. A teacher must stress to the students the value of owning a dictionary, so that they may refer to it, whenever, they feel confused over the spelling of a word. There are words that are commonly spelt incorrectly (refer to appendix 3) and a consistent use of the dictionary might assist in polishing the grasps of such words. Third, accurate usage of verb tenses and independent and subordinate clauses needs to be properly developed, this is referred to as an appropriate and correct usage of syntax. Fourth, the usage of sentence fragments and fused sentences needs to be avoided. Fifth, usage of synonyms and antonyms needs to be accurate and appropriate. Addressing posed by writing conventions Unlike the lexical and grammar challenges, a writing convention problem demands a lot of work commitment on the part of the student to get used to the English conventions. For a new student, teaching writing should commence from the root; the alphabets, sounds, punctuation marks and other gritty areas, but beginner’s details in English. As the student progresses in the grasps of the new writing system, and so should be the depth in developing critical aspects in English. CONCLUSION L2 writing in English is a challenge that emanates from various factors, but key are the internal language dynamics. Grammar, morphological patterns, vocabulary, arrangements presents challenges to the learners of English as a second language. Differences in the permissibility of a sentence structure between a language native to the L2 learner and the English language are a key factor that blocks a leaner from grasping the effective writing skills. Repetitive exposure to the correct usage of the English language can prove fruitful in the endeavor to better a writing skill. REFERENCES Ball, W. E. (1986). Writing English script: an overlooked skill. ELT Journal. 40, 291-298. Ghabool, N., Mariadass, M. E. A., & Kashef, S. H. (2012). Investigating Malaysian ESL Students Writing Problems on Conventions, Punctuation, and Language Use at Secondary School Level. Journal of Studies in Education. 2, 130. Harmer, J. (2004). How to teach writing. Harlow, Longman. Hedge, T. (2005). Writing. Oxford, Oxford University Press. Raimes, A. (1983). Techniques in teaching writing. New York, NY, Oxford University Press. Tribble, C. (1996). Writing. Oxford, Oxford University Press. Appendix 1 PHRASAL VERBS | Using phrasal verbs in everyday situations 1 1. She ___________ the red dress instead of the blue one. a) put on b) placed on c) put off 2. He’s not at work today = He’s ___________ today a) up b) on c) off/out 3. The prisoners were ___________ by the police. a) taken away b) taken off c) taken on 4. I was ___________ ( = surprised) by his reaction. a) taken away b) put on c) taken aback 5. You’re ___________! = You’re trying to trick me (* not in a bad way*) a) putting me off b) putting me on c) putting me out 6. Jim was tired of digging, so his friend ___________. a) helped him in b) helped him over c) helped him out 7. He ___________ his father = He’s similar to his father a) takes after b) takes about c) takes after 8. He ___________ at 7:00 this morning. a) woke about b) woke up c) woke in 9. To string someone ___________ means to keep someone in a state of deception or false hope. a) along b) around c) away 10. I don’t really know this city. Could you __________ a bit? ( = show me where everything is) a) show me inside b) show me around c) show me down ANSWERS: 1) a 2) c 3) a 4) c 5) b 6) c 7) c 8) b 9) a 10) b Adapted from http://www.eslpdf.com/esl-pdfs/english-phrasal-verbs1.pdf Appendix 3 Instructions: Choose the correct answer. Q1 - Which is the correct spelling? a) Believe b) Beleive Q2 - Which is the correct spelling? a) Receive b) Recieve Q3 - Which is the correct spelling? a) Freind b) Friend Q4 - Which is the correct spelling? a) Weird b) Wierd Q5 - Which is the correct spelling? a) Deceive b) Decieve Q6 - Which is the correct spelling? a) Thier b) Their Q7 - Which is the correct spelling? a) Acheive b) Achieve Q8 - Which is the correct spelling? a) Theif b) Thief Q9 - Which is the correct spelling? a) Sieve b) Seive Q10 - Which is the correct spelling? a) Seize b) Sieze Answers 1) a 2) a 3) b 4) a 5) a 6) b 7) b 8) b 9)a 10) a Adapted from at http://www.usingenglish.com/handouts/329.html#wgLJOGJ5ma0zCOCO.99 Appendix 4 The Subject of a sentence is what the sentence is about. The Verb in a sentence is the action word. The Object receives the action of the verb.  The cat ate the mouse. The cat ate what? A mouse! -- “A mouse” is the object. John hit his sister. John hit whom? His sister! -- “His sister” is the object. Write a subject (on the red line) and an object (on the blue line) to complete each sentence below. 1. _________________ bought _________________.   2. __________________ likes __________________.   3. __________________ made __________________.   4. ________________ is carrying ________________.   5. ___________________ bit ___________________. 6. __________________ used ___________________.   7. __________________ is cleaning _______________. 8. _______________ is watching _________________.   9. ________________ washes___________________.   10. _________________ took ___________________. Adapted from http://stickyball.net/esl-grammar-worksheets.html?id=398 Read More