If there is anyone out there, who concerns about our children’s English writing especially in secondary schools, who actually advocates writing as an effective practice to train students’ logical thinking, delivering thoughts through words fluently and systematically either vocal or written? If yes, we are in the same boat.
As a school teacher, at times, I am quite at a loss to the matter of fact that writing seems to be a taboo and a mission impossible for many weak students and surprisingly it even goes the same to some students in elite classes. This is so due to some foreseen but excusably reasons.
Well, It is believed that students do lack of self confidence in writing in English language, lack of proficiency in grammar, language structure and also the ways of doing it. Most of all, students do not get enough exposure to writing.
In some worrying yet shocking cases, students are only given one to two or even none essay writing throughout the year. To make things worse, some educators have a tendency believing that students’ can’t write. Ridiculously, some even desperately think that writing is done by memorizing model essays and they call this as writing.
In fact, writing is not merely written to score in exams. It is trained to make their minds roam freely with pleasures and gradually find it a wonderful journey in expressing one’s ideas effectively.
Writing can be well nurtured if students are given chances to do so. Therefore, educators should encourage the young blood to discover their true-self via doing self reflection on their own behaviors as they write, observing human nature, people or things happening around them and hence gain experiences, awareness, philosophy of life and most of all wisdom.
Please don’t doubt students’ ability in writing, please don’t kill but build their interest, please go extra miles to support, facilitate and tolerate their mistakes made, please make them feel that writing Is a pleasurable pass time that students can enjoy in the world of language.
Teachers and parents should encourage our children to explore freewriting, journals, articles, story, poems or go blogging. We try to create an environment for our children to use a foreign language confidently and courageously as a preparation for them to stand on the stage of world one-day with grace.
Believe me that children are more learnable than we think, more appreciative than they seem, and more creative than we believe. Let’s hand in hand, make our children become thinkers with souls, not thinkerers without minds. In short, writing is that counts
3 comments:
Indeed, Senpai. I truly believe that through writing, we can access a student's creativity in thinking. Our brains are a wonder that works in it's mysterious ways. Well of course there will be students who have difficulties putting their thoughts down on paper and i believe this is due to so many reasons. At the end of the day, students themselves should be able to improve themselves despite the many things that teachers provide =) My suggestion is that we should expose them to different types of writing genres and get them to read more. No newspapers cos the type of writing can only promote academic writing, not creative writing. Novels, stories and such do help more. Also, we can encourage them to join really simple contests like story writing, online contests and stuff. Believe me, that's my platform for what I'm doing now - to write more =)
True Chun Li,
I am in the same boat with you. Some of my selected students are working toward what you have mentioned. We as professionals in teaching line, let's work harder to make dear students creative, expressive and confident. Yahoooo.....
As a student,I agree with your statement.
I also fear writing before that.I can still remember when I attend your first tuition class,need to write an essay,a bit difficult for me to write it out during that time.Because writing also includes thinking.I have to think for the point and the story's continuity.
Anyway,after a lot of writing practice,I can see my improvement.Less grammar mistakes are seen.The outcome is satisfied.
On the other way,I learn it by blogging.I experience a lot of problem ya,couldn't express out my feelings by English,can't understand the meaning and vocabulary.Almost every of my friends ask me why I type my blog with English.I smile and just answer,"I want my English to improve,so I do that".They doubt with me,but I prove I can!Someone dig at me before,he say I am showing off my language ability.I intend to give up and struggling before.But,at last,I overcome the obstacles.I love my mother tongue too,but there are seldom chances for me to use English in school,this is just a way I did to write.
Haha,hmm..I might influenced by you.I love writing now.There aren't any short cut can be taken to make ourself improve or write out a piece of good work,and the best way are through writing:)
Gambate together!
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