Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Second Edition

A basic methodology for written work
In writing, as in other aspects of language teaching, the
questions for the teacher to ask himself are: Is the task
appropriate for the needs of the students? Is the task within
the reach of the students? Is it only just within their reach, so
that they will be really challenged as they try to complete it?
And will they find it enjoyable? In this section ways of
dealing with the answers to the second and third questions
will be explored. If the teacher is sympathetic and
enthusiastic, and the first three questions can be answered
with ‘Yes’, the last should follow.
In dealing with written work, there are a number of ways
in which the teacher can bring the task to the level of his
class. Basically, this means making the exact solutions to the
writing problem more and more explicit the lower down the
educational system we go. The teacher can grade the task in
the following ways:
1 He can limit the length of the written material to be
produced.
2 He can increase the amount of class preparation for the
task.
3 He can provide guidance on the final form of the written
work, for example with picture prompts, or word prompts,
or memory prompts as a result of the oral preparation.
4 He can encourage students to collaborate in the actual
process of writing.
5 He can allow cross-checking between the draft stage and
the writing of the final product.
6 He can limit the complexity of the writing task itself.
7 He can demand that the task be completed either slowly or
quickly.
Any combination of these methods can be used to bring the
task to the level of the class.
These strategies provide the teacher with ways of
organising his work in the class, but what should be the basis
for the development? It is in fact possible to construct a very
detailed specification of stages in composition work, which
advances from what is really only a copying exercise to
become gradually freer and freer until advanced writing of a

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Writing
122
situationalised or free kind has been developed. To illustrate
this principle, consider the gradual advance in the following
three stages:  
Stage 5 
 
(shown to the class)
(read to the class)  
Father has just come home from work. He has bought a
copy of the Evening News. Mother has just begun sewing
John’s shirt. John has just returned from a game of
football. Mary has started her homework. Father has
recently bought a new radio. They have not turned it on
because Mary is studying. When Mother has finished
sewing John’s shirt she will cook supper. Mary will help
her to prepare the supper. She will clean up when they
have finished eating.

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Writing
123
(given to the class)
1 Where has Father just come from?
2 What has he bought?
3 What has Mother just begun?
4 Where has John just returned from?
5 What has Mary started?
6 What has Father recently bought?
7 Why have they not turned it on?
8 What will Mother do when she has finished sewing?
9 Who will help her to prepare the supper?
10 What will Mary do when they have finished eating?
Stage 6. Rajabu’s journey
(given to the class and then taken away)
Read the following.
After the train had stopped, Rajabu woke up. He was lying
on the seat in an empty compartment. He had fallen asleep
twenty minutes before, and now he was feeling very stiff.
He stretched himself and then he realised that he had been
asleep. His heart began beating very fast, for he suddenly
felt frightened. While he was asleep, he had forgotten why
he had come in this train.
After a second he remembered everything. He remem-
bered that the train was going to Mwanza, and that a man
in red trousers had been in his compartment. The thought
of the man in red trousers made Rajabu look round quickly,
for there was no one else in the compartment now and
Rajabu was all alone.
Then Rajabu remembered his box of clothes which
had been under the seat. He poked under the seat
quickly, but the box had gone. Rajabu now felt terrified,
for he had just bought those clothes and they were all
new. He went to the window and then looked out. In the
distance he saw the man with red trousers running along
the road from the station. He was carrying Rajabu’s box.
The man had taken the box and got out of the train while
Rajabu was asleep. Rajabu opened the door, but he
couldn’t get out because the train was already moving.

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Writing
124
The man in red trousers had got away with all Rajabu’s
new clothes!
(given to the class)
Answer the following questions. By answering the questions,
you will find that you are re-telling the story you have just
read. Do not start each answer on a new line, but write
continuously, like an ordinary composition. If two questions
are together on the same line, try to join your two (or more)
answers into one sentence.