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Using a genre approach for writing

As we saw in the last post, all real life writing is embedded in a social situation: we
write for a specific purpose and audience. We can, of course, also do this in the
classroom, but often we are engaged more in rehearsing skills that can later be
applied outside the class.
However, the genre approach to writing still places a lot of emphasis on the context
and purpose for which the writing is produced. By genre we mean different types of
writing such as narrative, report, informal letter and so on. Each of these has quite
specific features in terms of organization and language, and the genre approach
usually takes a model and gets the students to analyses these features, before
producing something similar.
This approach undoubtedly has its roots in the product approach. A typical product
writing lesson might involve:
1 Reading and analyzing a model
2 Controlled writing, such as writing individual sentences using a substitution table
3 Freer or guided writing (such as using notes given to construct one or two of the
paragraphs in a letter -the rest being already given)
4 Free writing of a parallel text.
In the same way, however, that there is a big difference between PPP (presentation,
practice, production) and more modern paradigms, such as Scott Thornburys
awareness, appropriation and autonomy, there is actually the same kind of
difference between product writing and genre-based approaches.
Thornburys awareness is about giving students the opportunity to notice features
of language, rather than having language presented to them on a plate. In writing,
as in speaking, this is about exposing learners to features of written language and
setting tasks which will help them to notice the salient features.
Appropriation is about making something your own; not just repeating patterns but
actually assimilating the new language into your personal store. Thornbury makes a
memorable contrast between controlled practice and practised control. The

difference he says is that in the latter, the students are working on controlling the
language, rather than the teacher trying to control what language the students can
use. This can obviously apply just as well to writing as to speaking.
Autonomy is about using the language under real operating conditions. When
looking at writing, this doesnt necessarily mean that the writing has to have a real
audience (though it can), but that the learners have complete control over the
message they want to convey. They arent just reproducing a model.
At the top of the post is an example from Real Life Advanced (an upper secondary
coursebook) of how I have tried to take a genre approach to writing. Its is very
easily generalizable to any genre of writing or level.
1 Through a lead-in discussion and a few questions, students first deal with the
meaning of the text. Its a travel anecdote or narrative.
2 Next the learners look at how the text is structured. This follows Labovs Standard
Western Narrative, and is a useful little structure to learn as a lot of different kinds
of narratives (such as excuses, examples of past experience you might give at a job
interview and so on will follow the same basic stages)
There are also some questions about the tenses used. This is something which
students focused on earlier in the unit, so, as well as fleshing out the narrative
structure, it acts as a review.
3 Then we start to unpack some of the language in the text. (Incidentally, I would
highly recommend Scott Thornburys video on unpacking a text) Here were
focusing on adverbs. Students compare the examples of adverbs they can find in
the text with the rules and examples in the box.
4 The next exercise is intended to give students the opportunity to get some control
over the language, putting the rules into action. They arent just drilling correct
sentences; theyre having to think about how to use the language correctly and
appropriately.
5 The learners then prepare to write their own story. They are encouraged to use
the same structure, but the content is personal to them and their experiences or
knowledge. You may notice that there are prompt questions referring to colours and

adjectives used to describe the background, and to what the characters say. These
points again refer back to previous activities in the unit (on adjectives and verbs of
speaking mumbled, whispered), providing the opportunity, or nudge, for students
to use this language again in a different context.

Clearly this kind of approach can be used for any kind of text. The key stages are:
1 Read the model for meaning first, dont just see it as a model, but as a piece of
communication.
2 Focus on the organization. Different genres of texts have different organizing
principles. Research or think about how this genre of writing usually starts and
finishes. Is the content in any particular order? For example, an IELTS Part 1 Writing
Task, describing a graph, usually begins by stating what the graph shows, then may
provide an overview before detailing the key pieces of information (or the overview
may come at the end). You could get students to look at examples and draw flow
charts of how they perceive the organization.
3 Unpack the language. You can choose some language which seems particularly
relevant to the task or you might use corpora to identify language on which to
focus. Putting several texts of the genre you want your students to learn to write
into a text based concordance, such as that at www.lextutor.ca should give you
some useful information about the kind of language students could usefully be
encouraged to notice.
4 Provide practice to help students gain more control of the language
5 Help students to put together what they have noticed to help them write their
own text. Make sure that the text is more than just reproducing a model, ideally that
it has some personal meaning. For example, in the IELTS text type mentioned
above, perhaps they could write up the results of their own surveys?

Process Writing
Process writing is an approach to incorporating writing skills from the very beginning of the
English learning process. It was developed by Gail Heald-Taylor in her book Whole Language
Strategies for ESL Students. Process writing focuses on allowing students - especially young
learners - to write with plenty of room left for error. Standard correction begins slowly, and
children are encouraged to communicate through writing, despite limited understanding of
structure.
Process writing can also be used in an adult ESL / EFL setting to encourage learners to start
working on their writing skills from a beginning level. If you are teaching adults, the first thing
learners need to understand is that their writing skills will be well below their native language
writing skills. This seems rather obvious, but adults are often hesitant to produce written - or
spoken - word that is not up to the same level as their native language skills. By easing your
students' fears about producing sub-par written work, you can help encourage them to improve
their writing abilities.
Only mistakes made in grammar and vocabulary that has been covered up to the current point
in time should be corrected. Process writing is all about the process of writing. Students are
striving to come to terms with writing in English by writing in English. Allowing for mistakes and
refining based on materials covered in class- instead of "perfect English" - will help students
incorporate skills at a natural pace, and improve their understanding of materials discussed in
class in a natural progression.

Here is a short overview of how you can incorporate process writing into your students' learning
routine:
Aim: Improve writing skills from beginning levels of English
Activity: Process writing - journals
Level: Beginning to advanced
Materials Needed: Notebook for each student

Outline:

Encourage learners to write in their journal at least a few times a week. Explain the idea
of process writing, and how mistakes aren't important at this stage. If you are teaching
higher levels, you can vary this by stating that mistakes in grammar and syntax on
material not yet covered aren't important, and that this will be a great way to review

material covered in past levels.

Students should write on the front side of each page only. Teachers will provide notes on
the writing on the back. Remember to focus only on material covered in class when

correctly student work.

Start this activity by modeling the first journal entry as a class.
Ask students to come up with various themes that could be covered in a journal
(hobbies, work-related themes, observations of family and friends, etc.). Write these

themes on the board.

Ask each student to choose a theme and write a short journal entry based on this theme.
If students do not know a particular vocabulary item, they should be encouraged to
describe this item (for example: the thing which turns on the TV), or draw the item.

Collect the journals the first time in class and do a quick, superficial correction of each

student's journal. Ask students to rewrite their work based on your comments.
After this first session, collect students' workbooks once a week and correct only one

piece of their writing. Ask students to rewrite this piece.

Ask students to come up with various themes that could be covered in a journal
(hobbies, work-related themes, observations of family and friends, etc.). Write these

themes on the board.

Ask each student to choose a theme and write a short journal entry based on this theme.
If students do not know a particular vocabulary item, they should be encouraged to

describe this item (for example: the thing which turns on the TV), or draw the item.
Collect the journals the first time in class and do a quick, superficial correction of each

student's journal. Ask students to rewrite their work based on your comments.
After this first session, collect students' workbooks once a week and correct only one
piece of their writing. Ask students to rewrite this piece.

http://elt-resourceful.com/2012/12/12/using-a-genre-approach-for-writing/