Genre

Genre

1. Genre represents the norms of different kinds of writing. If we want them to write newspaper articles, we have them study real examples to discover facts about constructions and specific language use which are common to that genre.

2. Three essential features of genre writing

   • Firstly: writers have to think carefully about context they are writing.
   • Secondly: they need to identify the audience they are writing for.
   • Thirdly: they have to look at how typically effective examples of writing in the genre are constructed.

3. Creative Writing

   • The term creative writing suggests imaginative tasks, such as writing poetry, stories and plays.

4. Writing as a collaborative activity

   • Collaborative writing can be immensely successful if the students are sitting around a computer monitor. Writing in groups whether as part of a long process or as part of a shorter sequences, can be greatly motivating for students including as it does, not only writing.

5. Building the writing habit

   • Building the writing habit can be done with a range of activities. We can promote instant writing by dictating half a sentence which the students have to complete quickly. The greatest incentive for students to write is when we give them interesting and enjoyable tasks to do.

6. The role of the teacher

   • Motivator: one of our principal roles in writing tasks will be to motivate the students, creating the right conditions for the generation of ideas, persuading them of the usefulness of activity and encouraging them to make as much effort as possible for maximum benefit.
   • Resource: we need to tell the students that we are available to assist them and we should be prepared to look at their work as it progresses offering advice and suggestions in a constructive and tactful way.
   • Feedback provider: teachers should respond positively and encouragingly, especially to the content of what the students have written.

7. Writing for learning is the kind of writing we do to help our students learn language or to test them on that language. Example: write three sentences using the going to future.

8. Writing skills: we will have to use such writing for writing tasks as often as is appropriate (language practice).