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60EFFECTIVE TEACHING WRITING TO YOUNG LEARNERS IN EFL CLASSES
Musayeva G.
Researcher,
Namangan Institute of Engineering and Technology
Namangan, Uzbekistan
Abstract
This article gives information about how to improve primary school pupils' writing skills and develop it in an effective way. Besides, it helps language teachers to choose activities according to their knowledge and age. Many teachers have problems with teaching writing as writing is considered as one of the most difficult skills among all. That's why it is important how to teach this skill. Language learners have obstacles with writing as well. Because they dont know how to start and how to write the given assignement.
Keywords: process writing, drafting, writing, proof writing, components, writing skills, effective writing, drafting, mind mapping.
Language is the salient way of expressing our thoughts. We use language for planning our lives and exchanging our ideas. Globalization has given rise to English as a global language and learning it has become inevitable to communicate with the world. In many countries including Uzbekistan, English is the second language and it is a compulsory subject in our curriculum from the elementary level. It is an endemic part of our life and in today's world we will not be able to survive without English. Recent studies have revealed some evidence that young learners learn second language better compared to adult learners. In our country, though students are taught English at an early age, they cannot achieve fluency and accuracy in English which nowadays is pre-requisite for higher studies, getting a decent job and above all for business[1].The effective way to make a learner proficient in English is to develop all the four basic language skills-listening, reading, speaking and writing. Listening and reading are the receptive skills and work as an input for the learners and gradually prepare the learners for the productive skills, speaking and writing. Amongst all four skills teaching writing is most challenging, more specifically teaching writing to young learners is a genuine challenge for the teachers. It is an imperative language skill, which needs to be developed from an early age. Young learners do not feel motivated to write rather they like to speak more in an ESL class. In our educational system students do not get enough chance to write according to their own wish. In some schools, they have creative writing classes where students get the chance for free writing. The objective behind it is to make the students independent and activate their thought process. From teachers' side it is important to select the right lesson and design it according to the age group. If the students do not like the lesson, the whole class will be unproductive. Teachers have to take care of student's motivation, their level of writing and preferred way of leaming before preparing any task. It is difficult to draw young learners' attention and keep it focused for longer time. For doing this a teacher has to follow some teaching methods as well as teaching techniques to facilitate effective leaming. To develop my paper, I will first look at the theories of teaching and leaming writing, how learners can be motivated in class, and what triggered their mind to write. This paper will focus on the theo-
ries applied in the classroom from my own teaching experience followed by some effective criterion of teaching writing to young learners and how a teacher can help the learner to develop the writing skill at an early age [2].
As writing is a productive skill, picture is the most effective source, which is mainly visual stimulus to motivate young learners for teaching writing. Andrew Wright (2004) pointed out some important role that pictures play to help the teachers to teach writing. According to him picture can motivate learners to pay attention and take part in the lesson, it brings the context of any situation through which they can express their ideas, and most importantly pictures can be described in many ways that will develop learner's writing and organization ski 11 as well. Furthermore teachers can give a choice to the students so that they can choose their own topic. Before setting the task for elementary level students, according to Jeremy Harmer (1998), "teacher should make it sure that students have enough language competency to complete the task". At the same time teachers should be alert while checking the task. If teachers do excessive correction in elementary level it may have a negative impact. Hamler (1998) also points out, "over correction could have a demotivating effect on the students" and suggests, "Teachers can tell the students that for a particular piece of writing they will correct mistakes of particular aspects of language like-grammar, punctuation, spelling or organization"[3]. From teaching writing to correcting it, the whole process is amalgamated which gradually develop the writing skill of second language learners.
Young learners are energetic, lively and it is easier to motivate and every language teacher should make the best use of it. Throughout my internship I worked on several aspects of language teaching and found that to make the students confident and competent in writing, providing feedback was the most crucial factor. Students responded well on the topic for writing but they were not eager to write. Furthermore, they did not correct their write up though I encouraged them. In that case providing effective feedback is one of the important tasks for ESL teacher. Materials used for writing were rather well designed to engage the students but the problem lied with giving feedback. Initially I provided written feedback which according to Ken Hyland (2003) played a central role in most L2 writing class.
He added, "Many students see their teacher's feedback as crucial to their improvements as writers" [4]. Before commenting on written work, first teacher has to remove the stigma of overcorrection from students' mind which undermines the students. The nature of response also varies according to learner's level. To make the students aware of their errors teacher can allocate one class every alternate week for grammar correction combined with classroom discussion between teacher-students which will be valued by students as well as effective for them. Teachers should make a balance between positive and negative feedback. Besides written comments, teacher can also engage students to check each others copy which is referred as peer feedback by Ken Hyland (2003)[5]. Teacher can point out some common errors and according to that students can check their copies. This process will make them responsible to correct their work. On top of that they will be able to judge the written work and in the end this practice will make them independent. In our present classroom environment this practice can easily be done as it does not require any extra facilities. It only needs a manageable class size not more than 25 students. What it requires is teachers' dedication towards their work and sincerity to ensure effective implementation of proposed solutions for successful teaching writing to young learners.
Besides motivation, young learners have other learning strategies that teachers have to consider while teaching. Teachers' duty is to identify specific learning strategies what a group of learners or individual learners already have and at the same time help them to adopt different strategies. According to Vivian Cook (1996: pg-l06) there are some good learning strategies
1. Find a learning style that suits you
2. Involve yourself in the language learning process
3. Develop an awareness of language both as system and as communication
4. Pay constant attention to expanding your language knowledge.
The process of learning second language should be initiated at an early age as it is proved that young learners are better learners than adult learners. Cook (1996) claimed, "People who start learning English as an adult never managed to learn it properly and other who learns it as a child is indistinguishable from the natives", which supports Lenneberg's critical period hypothesis theory [6].
Ur (2005: pg-286) suggests "for schoolchildren learning a foreign language will be well only if the teacher find a way to activate and encourage their desire to invest effort in the learning activity". For young learners extrinsic or instrumental motivation works well where teachers play a vital role and they need to focus on the nature of motivation students have. Penny Ur (2005: pg-278) has found some sources of extrinsic motivation that works for young learners while learning second language. Some are discussed below:
Success and its rewards: This is the single most important feature in realizing extrinsic motivation. Learners who have succeeded m past tasks will be more willing to engage with the next on[7].
Tests: The motivating power of tests appears clearly, learners who know they are going to be tested on specific material next week will normally be more motivated to study it carefully.
Competition: Learners will often be motivated to give their best not for the sake of learning itself but in order to bear their opponents in a competition.
Ur has done a research on how a leamer's age influences language learning. Assumptions made by her are given below:
Young children learn languages better than the older ones.
Foreign language learning in school should be started at an early age as possible.
It is easier to interest and motivate children than adults.
Conclusion: This article is all about engaging students in writing class for successful learning and it is the reflection of my internship. In this report I have focused on the teaching procedure to young learners for writing and how it differs from teaching adults. To improve writing skill it needs practice and constant attention especially to young learners who are sensitive towards learning. Teachers have to deal with them adroitly. In the elementary level, teachers play a vital role to develop writing skill. While checking the scripts teachers have to be lenient as because they are the only sources of motivation for the young learners [8].
Learners' motivation plays prime role to engage the students into classroom activity which is the most challenging work for the teacher. Whenever teachers provide positive feedback and support learners' ideas, it works greatly. Leamers' self esteem goes up automatically and they participate. Giving feedback remains a problem as different students take the feedback in a different way. To solve the problem in this paper I have proposed some recommendations to improve the writing skill which are quite easily applicable in our classroom environment. Teachers just need to take care off the learners' need, what kind of feedback they need rather overcorrecting them which work well. Without writing skill second language learning wi11 remain incomplete and to ensure that students have to learn it from an early age.
References
1. Harmer, J. How to teach English: An introduction to the practice of English language teaching. Edinburgh Gate, Harlow, England: Addison Wesley Longman. Hyland, K. Writing and teaching writing (1998)-45 p.
2. In J.C. Richards (Ed.), Second language writing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Kroll, BSecond language writing: research insights for the classroom. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (1990) p24-25.
3. Leki, L. Understanding ESL writers: A guide for teachers. Portsmouth, NH: Hein Hemann. Matsuda, P. K. Second language writing in the twentieth century: A situated history perspective (1992) p-67-69
4. In B. Kroll (Ed.) Exploring the dynamics of second language writing Cambridge: Cambridge University Press(pp. 15-34).
5. Nunan, D. Language teaching methodology: A textbook for teachers(1998) p-34-45.
6. Harmer, J. How to teach English: An introduction to the practice of English language teaching. Edinburgh Gate, Harlow, England: Addison Wesley Longman. Hyland, K. (2003). Writing and teaching writing (1991) p.34-45.
7. New York: Addison Wesley Longman. Elbow, P. Writing without teachers. New York: Oxford University Press(1973) p.57-68.
8. Fujieda, Y. A brief history sketch of second language writing studies: Kyoai Gakuen Maebashi Koku-sai Daigaku Ronsyuu(2006)p.48-89.
TEACHING ENGLISH: METHOS AND TEACHER'S ROLE
Nazirova O.
Researcher,
Namangan Institute of Engineering and Technology
Namangan, Uzbekistan
Abstract
In this article was discussed importance and opportunities of using different teaching methods in English language teaching according to modern requirements. As we know, modern education is not just training, but the formation of personality, a person who is able to think critically, to give his assessment of the events taking place in the world. What we give our students should be necessary and useful to them. To give attention to the education quality, students' education as a main product that is expected from education quality system is of much greater demand in comparison to the past and teachers role in this process was widely explained.
Key words: language teaching, Higher Education, Requirements, methods, components, classroom teaching, communication, facilitator.
Education in higher educational establishment is very important currently. Modern world is rapidly changing day by day and has caused the Higher Education System to face a great variety of challenges. Therefore, training more eager, thoughtful individuals in interdisciplinary fields is required [1]. Thus, research and exploration to figure out useful and effective teaching and learning methods are one of the most important necessities of educational systems [2]; Professors have a determining role in training such people in the mentioned field [3]. A university is a place where new ideas come to the world; roots strike and grow tall and sturdy. It is a unique space, which covers the entire universe of knowledge. It is a place where creative minds converge, interact with each other and construct visions of new realities. Established notions of truth are challenged in the pursuit of knowledge. To be able to do all this, getting help from experienced teachers can be very useful and effective.
To give attention to the education quality, students' education as a main product that is expected from education quality system is of much greater demand in comparison to the past. There has always been emphasis on equal attention to research and teaching quality and establishing a bond between these two before making any decision; however, studies show that the already given attention to research in universities does not meet the educational quality requirements.
Paying attention to this task in higher education is considered as a major one, so in their instruction, teachers and educators must pay attention to learners and learning approach; along with these two factors, the educators should move forward to attain new teaching approaches. In the traditional system, instruction was teacher-oriented or centered and the students' needs, demands and interests were not considered. This is when students' instruction must change into a method in which their needs are considered and as a result of
the mentioned method active behavior change occurs in them [4]. Thats why we the teachers must always work on ourselves and use different teaching methods and techniques in order to motivate and engage them in learning foreign language.
Teaching must include two major components sending and receiving information. Ultimately, a teacher tries his or her best to impart knowledge as the way he understood it. The use of innovative methods in educational institutions has the potential not only to improve education, but also to empower people, strengthen governance and galvanize the effort to achieve the human development goal for the country. with a number of educational options available before the present generation learners, the newer trends seem to have emerged in the field of education that have entirely changed the face of traditional system of education. Recent trends, methods, methodologies and developments portray the vital role of education sector in general with its internalization of the education process, stress on quality above quantity, increase in the adoption of technologies, necessity for professional talent etc. The theories and methods are constantly evolving in the field of English language teaching (ELT) also. In this article presents the famous trends in the ELT that have been used practically in recent times in the entire world with specific reference to the trends prevalent during the previous decades.
The history of foreign language has always been an important practical concern. It was Latin which dominates various fields like education, commerce, religion and government in the western world. In XVIth century French, Italian and English languagesachieve lot of importance as result of political changes in Europe. As the status of Latin language from that of living language to teaching subject in school curriculum. The study of classical Latin and analysis of its grammar becomes the model from Foreign Languages study from
