Effective teaching of writing skills to second language learners

Dr.N.Ramesh,  Associate professor, Centre for Applied Linguistics and Translation Studies, niversity of Hyderabad, yderabad – 500046, Telangana , India

Abstract

The instruction of pupils in a second language has always been an engaging endeavour because of the potential for personal growth it offers. According to Freedman et al. (2014), Writing requires that pupils are actually taught how to construct coherent sentences with proper spellings and grammatical structures in a second language. The phrase "classroom tactics" refers to the intricate modifications that speakers of a second language make as they learn their new language. Cognitive learning techniques and metacognitive learning strategies are two examples of the numerous types of learning strategies that might exist (Cohen, 2014). In order to get any benefit from the experience, it is necessary for students to actively participate in the writing activities. In classes where students are studying a second language, teachers may boost their students' motivation by walking them through the many phases needed in good writing (Santangelo & Graham, 2015). It is necessary to tailor the writing activities to the students’ requirements and pursuits. In addition, wherever it is feasible, a connection should be made between these activities and the actual world. 

(Hopkins, 2014; Airey, 2016) It is necessary to implement a technique that is successful in order to motivate students to participate in writing activities, as well as to refine and develop their writing talents. The instructors must have a firm grasp on the competencies that need to be honed and the components that make it easier to acquire knowledge in the areas of focus. In the last twenty years, the study of learning to write in a second language (also known as L2) has developed into a well-established topic (Hyland, 2016; Alharbi, 2017). When teaching writing to students learning a second language, it is important for instructors to choose a focus area that may act as a learning tool for their students. Furthermore, according to Angelova and Zhao (2016), language instructors should place the majority of their emphasis on the subject matter that encourages the greatest amount of student interaction. According to Entwistle and Ramsden (2015), combining these goals with a pragmatic approach helps students achieve greater comprehension and more effective learning. 

According to Wood et al. (2016), once educators are certain that their pupils have an interest in participating in activities designed to improve their writing abilities, the primary emphasis of their attention shifts to the participation of pupils in an effort to foster a positive learning experience that is sustainable over the long term. The development of sensitive context pedagogies has been beneficial in better understanding the texts that are provided in classrooms, the methods that students write, and the substantial usage of text within the groups that are being addressed (Ariffin, 2016). Teachers who instruct writing to students learning a second language are increasingly transitioning into the role of researcher as a result of their students' increased comprehension of written material (Pressley & Allington, 2014; Arzt & Kost, 2016). According to Burns (2013) and Bailey (2016), action research is defined as a structured research-reflection cycle that is democratised via the use of newly acquired knowledge and skills in educational settings. 

The most frequent factors that make studying and writing in a second language more challenging are first language literacy, proficiency in the target language, and disparities in rhetorical approaches to the text (Archibald, 2001; Barkaoui, 2016). The right kind of education may help students improve their proficiency across a range of language areas. Very few models (Grabe, the year 2001; Chun et al., 2016, and in Collier et al., 2016) describe the role of direction and instruction in the learning of a second language. This is true even if there has been an increase in people's desire to study and write in a second language. As stated by Richards and Rodgers (2014) and Crusan et al. (2016), learners must advance past their beginning writing skills and use target language in order to produce meaningful writing that engages readers.

According to Cornell et al. (2016), the process of teaching writing to students learning a second language may be broken down into two primary categories: writing to communicate and learning to write. As stated by Richards and Rodgers (2014) and Crusan et al. (2016), learners must advance past their beginning writing skills and use target language in order to produce meaningful writing that engages readers. This is a requirement for passing the course. Researchers have shown a correlation between proficiency in a language and the ability to choose and employ words and phrases that are suitable for the activity at hand. According to Cumming (2001) and da Costa (et al., 2016), the language skills of L2 learners are a good indicator of their level of language competence. It is necessary for the instructors to choose the approach that is both the most successful and the most efficient in terms of making the designated writing space more accessible. First and foremost, instructors of students learning a second language need to choose appropriate methods for teaching writing to students learning a second language (Dahlberg, 2016). These methods need to inspire students to study a second language with enthusiasm rather than dissuade them from doing so. 

In the current investigation, helpful strategies for the development of writing abilities among learners of a second language have been examined. In addition, several practical instructional strategies that help to improving the writing abilities of those who are learning a second language have also been discussed. The research has concentrated on several approaches for benchmarking, including as brainstorming, writing fables, speed writing, loop writing, and short sagas. The term "bench marking" refers to these several methods.