DEVELOPING WRITING SKILLS

As it has been said that the four skills are enter-related. They are not separate in actual practice. Of the four skills, writing develops very slowly. Writing is one of the two expressive arts in the field of language, the other being speaking. For a teacher of English, normally, spoken skill gets somewhat more practiced than the written one. But written work has its own place, its own utility and its own importance in the general scheme of learning of a language. Therefore, writing should be brought into use as soon as possible.

       Writing depends on mechanical as well as mental processes. The mechanical elements includes the motor ability to draw the letters of the alphabet and knowledge of the spelling and punctuation conventionally used in the language. Mental processes include on adequate knowledge of its grammar, vocabulary and usage. Therefore, writing aids may be categorized into following two major groups:

1.        Aids that reinforce the mechanical aspects.

2.        Aids that provide the learner with ideas to guide and enrich free expression.

        The first kind of aids provide materials and methods to help the learner shape the letters of the alphabet spell correctly and use punctuation according to acceptable standards. The second type of aids enrich meaningful ideas to express in writing.

APPROACHES TO TEACHING WRITING

The traditional approach to the teaching of writing is both unpsychological and illogical. It is often seen that on the very first day the teacher meets class of beginners in English, he wants them to have pen and exercise book in their hands and ask them to practice the alphabet of English. The children are made to write before they have heard to spoken word or spoken a “heard” word. Thus teaching of ABC……… both in writing and speech, is the first lesson which introduces the pupils to the word of English language. The approach is through visual symbols instead of through auditory symbols. The eye is trained at the cost of the ear. There lies all the fault. Besides the child is made to write his alphabet before his hand is trained in penmanship.

Movements of the hand are of great importance before the child should be made to write the alphabet. So child’s hand should be fully trained is various movements-------strokes, curves and strokes and curves. That is to say, training in penmanship must precede written work of any sort. F.G. French rightly warns” “Give writing its due: but, in the first three years, do not allow is to take up time which should be given to more useful kinds of English work”.

TEACHING THE MECHANICS OF WRITING

in the teaching of writing are meant for teaching for mechanics of writing that is, writing as a physical activity through which the child gets to learn the characteristics of good handwriting including control over hand-muscles. He brings with him sufficient experience of writing his mother-tongue or regional language. His muscles are well under control and he know

 how to handle a pen or pencil. These factors will be of great help to the teacher while he is ready to teach the writing skill to his pupils. There are a few essential of teaching this skill which must be met with.