Writing as a means of communication is one of the basic skills students must master at university level since into the language curriculum the 4 skills are addressed. This project aimed at fostering the writing process through a blended environment in fourth semester students from the Engineering Faculty at Universidad Santo Tomás, Tunja Colombia following writing stages proposed by Hamp-Lyons & Heasley (1987); the participants had the chance to produce any kind of writing as a way of expression. Two writing activities were developed and to gather data field notes, students’ documents and a semi-structured interview were implemented; firstly, to keep a permanent registration of any important aspect, detail or information related to the focus of this study, secondly to provide information about students´ progress in writing, considering the process from the beginning to the end; and thirdly, to collect more data such as strengths, weaknesses and needs of the project to improve my practice focused on fostering the writing production.
Data analysis showed that writing is fostered if students follow stages and receive feedback from the teacher. Three main findings were as follows:
Students´ writing production can be fostered when following stages to scaffold writing process.
Language rules are important for students when building up any kind of text.
Timely and meaningfully feedback is crucial to show students mistakes for accepting and self reflecting on them.
Finally, students fostered their written production when being in contact with different stages; those stages provided them not only a sense of start writing something but a sense of showing them how to do it. However, most of the students were not as steady as it was expected, and it might regard to a motivation matter. Therefore, knowing that learning is mostly based on motivation, it is essential to consider some strategies to increase students’ involvement in writing activities.
Reflection: Writing an abstract might be seen as a not complex task , but it is something that also takes time because people usually want to include every single detail of his/her research. But when having clear what an abstract addresses it is clear for the write produce the text.
Bearing in mind the reading by Elton-Chalcraft, S., Hansen, A. & Twiselton, S. (2008) I consider important to share the findings with my community because:
My university let me carry out the research project, for that reason as a moral obligation I need to share with them the outcomes I achieved because they might help them to incorporate my experience in their teaching practice.
This research project might be the interest of my colleagues and might serve as a support for new coming research because it focuses on a particular issue. (Develop further questions)
Teachers’ staff may reflect upon and build up an open space for discussion about the implications of this research study.
It might increase students’ awareness about the use of English as a foreign language when writing any given text.
The way I can disseminate the findings are for example:
Summoning all of my colleagues to tell the gotten experience.
Writing an article for the university about this research to be published in the virtual magazine of the Language Department.
I might also write a short summary of my research for be published at the place where I studied Modern languages.
Sharing the experience with some teachers form different schools at this town in an open conference for telling teaching experiences.
References
Elton-Chalcraft, S., Hansen, A. & Twiselton, S. (2008). Doing Classroom Research: A Step-by-Step Guide for Student Teachers. Berkshire, GBR: Open University Press. pp. 152-157.
The following is the description of the pre stage planning in order to write an article which might be published if it is accepted, taking into account the chapter “Getting started” by Peat, J. (2005). § Choose the appropriate Journal in order to know what requirements it asks for. § To start planning it is necessary to bear in mind the question to be answered, the analyses to be reported always keeping in mind the target journal (page 15). § To write the topic sentences, relevant information and headings I might address for the first attempt in writing (Grotty). Share this draft with my tutor since I do not have a co-author. The second draft might be circulated among my co workers who might help me providing feedback to start a second draft (presentable). The third draft will be revised by my tutor again and possibly with my peers (Good). Finally, to polish the final (Excellent) paper in order to submit it to the journal (Final document). Then, taking into account that Peat (2005: p14) states that reporting is usually confined to the IMRAD it is necessary to bear in mind the items mention in table 2.1 on page 15 to start planning y paper. Here is what he proposes.
The purpose of my article is to address specifically the answer of the research question and the essential information that readers need to know about results that I report. Therefore the article must not be so long since it might be rejected by the journal and it might happen when mentioning absolutely everything that one mentions about the research area.
Finally, all mentioned above might be done according with the Journal I am aiming at. Hence, considering the match of my subject, personality and scope of PROFILE journal I have decided to choose it. This Journal was selected because it ¨promotes the publication of works based on research, reflections and innovations in English language teaching¨ (PROFILE Issues in Teacher’s Professional Development, Journal); furthermore, Profile (UNAL) and Folios(UPN) are the highest ranked journals in our field in Colombia. They are in A2.
About the Authorship the responsible about the content and design will be Adriana Maritza Rivera Barreto and Vancouver guidelines will be consider on authorship.
Reference
Peat, J. (2005). Scientific Writing: Easy When You Know How. London, GBR: BMJ Publishing Group. (pp. 12-47).
Reflection: Writing an article thinking about that it might be published is something motivating, however, it is important to be aware that it takes time and I am not talking about weeks but months and even years. Therefore, feedback plays a crucial role when writing an article and although one might be dissapointed when receiving it, you must understand that it is a process.
Different outcomes about how students considered writing were provided from the analysis of the three implemented instruments, giving as a result the presentation of three categories: Dealing with writing, Managing language rules and The role of feedback. Once these three categories were studied and evaluated, it could be noticed how they were just the support of each one. In the category ¨Dealing with writing¨, it was found out in the results that if we want to foster a writing process, our students really need a starting point on how to begin writing. When the teacher showed them the road towards a better writing, they were encouraged in order to dare themselves about their capacity to write, once they were illustrated about how to do something on writing, they started having the idea of what to put in writing.
Connecting the ¨Dealing with writing ¨ category with the second one ¨Managing language rules¨, it is noticed that from the initial moment the first category pushed them to do something about writing. They felt the need of having an idea not only about what process to follow in order to write (writing stages) but what kind of elements they needed in order to support the first category. In other words, the second category which was about language aspects was just an obvious support that students needed when they followed stages, since it was not about to know what to do but to have elements to start doing it.
Finally, the first and second category, as they had been briefly explained before, needed a very outstanding component that was about feedback. When it is talked about supportiveness ¨The role of feedback ¨ category contributed in this project to the process of fostering writing, then, it was very important to take it as the touch that shaped the way as students organized their writing (writing stages) and what they used to deal with it (rules).
Reflection: When you have developed you categories and you have answered the research question (s) you are ready to draw the final conclusions. Remember you need to remind the reader of your initial research objectives too, besides the purpose is to inform the reader rather than persuading and finally it is required to make a original contribution.
The name of this category was given from the expectations that the two writing activities rose up in students from the first to the last day of every writing activity. Firstly, this category addresses the main question of this project, since it analyzes the results of a writing process after applying two writing activities.It is shown how students tended to work better in the sense of organization, content and development text if they are led by a structured plan that shows them what to do and how to do it in order to write.Throughout the application of the writing activities, students followed the process of the stages proposed by Hamp & Heasley (1987) after being taught in class what has clear evidence in their documents, besides they also displayed how these stages supported them for fostering their productions.Below, it is displayed 2 excerpts from one same student showing his drafting and final paper respectively:
¨In our lifes, sometimes we can be in front of problems, for example, we could have problems in our houses, work or in the school. A problem can be presented in front of us in any moment. A very common problem could be with our family. It`d be because of us.¨ (S7)
¨ In the time we are living, we can be facing problems without knowing how to solve. These problems can be in our houses, in our work even in the university.¨ (S7).
The samples above illustrate how students had a better production at writing when they follow stages or steps and.It is because students started dealingwith a kind of scheme that begunwith a brain storming stage, where students statedmain ideas theywould like to talk about; a draft stage, students linked their ideas and tried to make them work together in order tocommunicate; re- writing stage, here writers re- thought and organized their written piece; revision stage, they started getting their productionsalmost done just with some details to work on; editing stage, it was just the final presentation of students’ written production.
Ending up with this first category, it can be concluded that students had to be led to write having acommunicative purpose to do it or something that makes sense for them, not forgetting that we had to take advantage of what they want in order to make them write, since we can expect whatever from them, if inputs grant them ideas and consideration to foster their writing ability. As Harmer (1991) states, if we are working on solving communicative problems in this case writing, the management of structured activities focused on involving students in solving the given communicative problems will provide them models as a way to solve them.
In writing, it is crucial to plan a group of strategies about attitudes and contents to conduct them to write. The writing fact is not just to make others write but, to guide them about how they could write what will help writers foster their writing ability just by the practice of writing.
Managing language rules
The name of this category was given just from the need students felt about grammar issues, words selection and, paragraphs structures once they were asked to write. It was noticed how students did like writing but, they thought it was funny how grammar made them commit mistakes, and they felt embarrassed because, although they knew some rules, they did not understand why they went over and over mistakes. Every single question they got once more was just an expression or feeling they had in order to foster their writing. Although students had to follow certain stages to get a composition, another process became important at the same time, it was to follow rules on grammar, words selection or paragraph structure.
Throughout the development of the writing activities, students recognized how the grammar, words selection or paragraph structure turned into a fact to deal with. In the field notes, it is shown how they were asking about grammar issues, words selection or paragraph structure in writing such us: conjugation, number, right words, punctuation and tenses. All this information could be found at the field notes; here there are two examples from field notes:
Septemeber 23rd, 2009
¨…Other group of students feel worried about the use of grammar in their writing productions, because they sometimes did not understand what was wrong in some parts.¨
September 28th, 2009
¨… Interest towards raising awareness regarding grammar has been displayed by students… students ask explanation about word order or tense or verbs depending on their writings.¨
From these field notes it is clear to notice that, in spite of grammar issues, words selection or paragraph structure were not the focus, it was relevant how its rules are important at students’ writing productions for building up meaning about reality that surrounds them in language learning.
Although language issues provides convention that allow us to emit well done sentences, it is required to be aware of making rules works right; but rules are not enough without sagacity to make it mean whatever we want to Yule (1985). Finally, in language issues, teachers must lead students to recognize what a language means, but this fact must not be focused on just meaning since, students also need to learn what kind of grammar that language brings in and how it should be used Harmer (1991).
The role of feedback
This second category is titled The Role of Feedback, since it dealt with the importance that students gave to the comments provided by their teacher and the role of the contributions played in students’ documents.
As it was already stated, on writing is important to follow steps in order to reach a better composition. We also realized how language rules play an important part in students’ development, but it is also essential, the teacher´s support in the language performance of his/her students.In the taken students’ samples it is evident their improvements from the second stage (drafting) until the last one (editing), which means that it could not be completed if feedback was not timely and meaningfully offered by the teacher, having students accepting their mistakes and self reflect on them to be aware about the use of English as a foreign language. In addition, as stated by Brookhart (2008. p.9) ¨ good feedback should be part of a classroom assessment environment in which students see constructive criticism as a good thing and understand that learning cannot occur without practice¨.
During the process of feedback, the teacher always used an error analysis from Hedge (1988) to give feedback having students reflect on the kind of mistakes they made and, support them in the process of fostering this ability.
Finally, teachers need to continue searching for the best way to display writing activities appealing for students and have them understand that errors take part of their language process (Ellis, 1994). Hence, the duty as teachers, tutors and instructors in writing is to monitor what kind of writing process students are dealing with and, what their needs are, because from their needs it would be easier to let students know how to improve writing skills.
References
Brookhart, Susan M.( 2008). How to Give Effective Feedback to Your Students. Alexandria, VA, USA: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development.
Ellis, R. (1994). The Study of Second Language Acquisition. Oxford University Press.
Hamp, L. Heasley, B. (1987). Study Writing: A course in written English for academic and professional purposes. Cambridge University Press. Printed in the United Kingdom.
Harmer, J. (1991) . The practice of English Language Teaching. Longman Group. U.K limitated.
Yule, G. (1985). The study of Language. An introduction. Cambridge University press.
Reflection: After arranging the repeating ideas and in order to arrive at this point, themes are now developed along with the theoretical constructs and narrative. I have to say that this information is under construction because to get a final version of the data analysis takes time. Interpretation is a key element for developing this section and at the same time guidance to have it ready.
I am Adriana Rivera, I graduated from UPTC with my Bachelor of Spanish-English.
While being involved in teacher training program, I had the opportunity to travel to the States for one school year as an assistant teacher in a high school; at the same time, I studied at Saint Thomas University and at the College of Saint Catherine.
Presently, I am taking my Master in English Language Teaching Autonomous Learning Environments at La Universidad de La Sabana and I am finishing third semester. Additionally, I am preparing to get the ICELT – In-Service Certificate in English Language Teaching issued by the University of Cambridge, England. This is a cross curricular component of the Master’s programme, which provides balance between theory and practice in the different areas of the programme.
Teaching at USTA - Tunja has been a wonderful opportunity for me. I enjoy working with students to help them meet their academic goals. Also, I find the campus environment quite pleasant as it permits frequent encounters with kind people. I hope to be a positive addition to the university. The last thing to say is just to reiterate how excited I am to be involved in this project.
