learning theory. None the less, it is possible to structure the development of writing skills in the foreign language situation,
and there are a number of strong reasons for this being desirable.
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It seems convenient, then, to structure a writing course through three main stages. These will be: i controlled writing,
ii guided writing, and iii free writing. A paragraph with blanks to be filled may be a legitimate early part of a writing
programme, and can be considered a controlled composition, as is one in which, for example, picture prompts, or memory of a
model presented by the teacher, leads to the students reproducing more or less exactly the same final product as each other. On the
other hand a composition in which the teacher provides the situation and helps the class to prepare the written work, either
through written or oral assistance, is a guided composition, because each piece of work is different in the language used, even
if the content and organisation are basically the same throughout the class. A free composition usually means a composition in
which only the title is provided, and everything else is done by the student.
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8. Goals of the Writing Programme
In most language teaching courses, the language is taught sentence pattern by sentence pattern, with vocabulary being fitted
in according to the situations used to illustrate the sentence patterns being presented. Even in courses designed on different
lines, there is a tendency for language to be presented as a number of separate items, related to situation or communicative
act. And when writing is used to reinforce work which has been initially presented, it often reinforces either at the direct sentence
level, or in relation to dialogues or situations which are not those usually expressed through writing.
It is the responsibility of the writing programe particularly to train students to produce sequences of sentences which express
their meaning most effectively. None the less, the ability to put sentences together effectively needs systematic encouragement,
37
Ibid., p. 119.
38
Ibid., p. 119.
and sometimes explicit teaching, and part of the work in a writing course involves teaching students to be sensitive to the rules of
discourse in English.
Clearly it is not possible to teach explicitly everything a writer needs to know about English, but fortunately for teachers
the learning of language takes place to a great extent unconsciously. A successful writing course must select the
conventions and styles which are most likely to be useful to the students, but a great deal of the sensitivity which the students
need in the use of language will develop unconsciously from spin-off from their reading and talking in the rest of the English
course, so writing cannot be seen as something completely separated from the other activities.
In addition, Clark asserted that because students do not learn to write by having knowledge poured into their heads, one of the
most important goals of a writing class is to enable students to develop an effective writing “process,” so that they can continue
to learn after the class has ended.
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9. Strategies in Teaching Writing
