This week's reading is all about teaching writing, which is especially relevant to me since I am teaching a composition class.
Teaching ESl writing and writing in general has several big debates in it. One of the debates is product vs. process.
What is more important - focusing on a good product (traditional), or focusing on how to write and revise (Elbow and further on)? It's a many folded argument, process writing allows students to grasp the essentials of writing steps, necessity of the revision process, the need to draft etc. However, in real world it is mostly product people are concerned with. In my teaching I focus on writing process that would lead to a good product.
Another thing that every writing teacher has to consider is the first language influence (contrastive rhetoric theory of Kaplan). I notice how in my bi-language career I am switching from the Russian paradigm to the English one.
2 comments:
From my learning experience, I agree that process writing is a good strategy, which buily my writing skill step by step.
I like it too.
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