Teaching Reading and Writing

The process of writing

Mat Wright

www.teachingenglish.org.uk

Teaching Reading and Writing

The process of writing

Learning outcomes
This module of teaching reading and writing focuses on the stages in the process of writing, from pre-writing,
drafting and editing, through to publishing. By the end of the module you will be able to:
identify the stages required for process writing
explore activities which support learners at each stage
explain how the teacher manages a process writing lesson
consider how to apply teaching techniques to your own teaching.

1 Before you watch

a. When a journalist writes a magazine article, what stages of a process does he/she go through?

b. When you write an important letter, do you go through similar stages in the process of writing?

Try to compare your answers with a partner.

TeachingEnglish British Council 2015

Teaching Reading and Writing

The process of writing

2 Watch
2.1 Process writing: Part 1
Watch and listen to the commentary at the beginning of the video Process writing: Part 1 (00:00 to 01:17).
Then pause the video and answer the following questions.
a. What four stages of the writing process does the trainer mention?
1. ....................................................
2. ....................................................
3. ....................................................
4. ....................................................
b. How does the consultant apply this process to teaching writing?

2.2 Applying the writing process

a. Before you continue watching, look at the writing process stages. Match each stage to a description.
Pre-writing

Drafting

Using your plan & ideas to write a rough first version

Presenting the piece of writing to the readers

Editing

Checking, making alterations and re-writing

Publishing

Generating ideas and planning what to write

TeachingEnglish British Council 2015

Teaching Reading and Writing

The process of writing
b. Look at the following writing sub-skills and match each one to a stage of the writing process.

planning

evaluation

brainstorming

re-ordering

structuring

mind-mapping

revising

checking

forming opinions

restructuring

focusing on grammar
and vocabulary

presenting finished
piece to readers

putting ideas into

sentences

selecting/
rejecting ideas

Process writing stages

planning out the

paragraphs

Sub-skills

Pre-writing

Drafting

Editing

Publishing

c. How could you apply this process approach with your learners?

d. What else would you like to know about the process approach to teaching writing?
Write some questions below:

TeachingEnglish British Council 2015

Teaching Reading and Writing

The process of writing

2.3 A process writing lesson

a. Watch the rest of the video Process writing: Part 1 (01:18 to 26:23), which shows the four stages as part of a
process writing class. Use the table below to answer the following questions:
1. What sub-skills are practised within each stage?
2. What is the role of the teacher in each stage? (Note, It is the same through each stage.)
Stage

Sub-skills practised

Role of the teacher

Brainstorming,
Pre-writing
(01:18 to 10:00)

Drafting
(10:10 to 15:50)

Editing
(16:00 to 22:30)

Publishing
(22:40 to 26:00)

b. Answer these questions about the process writing lesson. Watch again if necessary.
What kinds of activities do you see learners doing in pairs?
How is the word processing application used?
Activities

Application

c. Look back at the questions you wrote on the previous page Have they been answered?

TeachingEnglish British Council 2015

Teaching Reading and Writing

The process of writing

2.4 Lesson feedback, learning points and goals

Watch the video Process writing: Part 2 (00:00 to 05:39). Make notes using the following headings:
Lesson feedback for learners:
What was the easiest activity? The most fun? The most difficult?
Learning points and goals:
Note down five learning points and goals that students will take away from this lesson.
Lesson feedback (00:28 to 01:10)

Learning points and goals (01:20 to 05:07)

Easiest:

Most fun:

Most difficult:

3 Publishing learners written work

a. Which of the following ideas for publishing learners written work would you like to try with your learners?
Why?
Idea

Description

Read aloud

Learners read stories, articles, descriptions and other texts to classmates.

Role play

Learners role play characters in a story or correspondents in a letter.

Presentation

Learners make presentations to the class on topics of interest that they

have covered in their writing.

Wall display

Put written pieces on the wall so that the class can read their friends work.

Classroom library

Build a library of completed pieces of writing divided into topics/genres.

Learners can borrow classmates work to read.

Class magazine

Start a termly class magazine. Ask learners to suggest ideas for content which
would then form the basis of writing lessons.

Comments book

Have a book where learners could write positive, constructive comments

about their classmates writing.

Try ()

b. Why have you selected these ideas?

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Teaching Reading and Writing

The process of writing

4 Reflection
a. Look at the following quotes. To what extent do you agree?

The writing process we have described operates whether people are writing emails, texting their
friends, writing shopping lists, providing compositions for their English teachers or putting
together a doctoral thesis. How much attention we give to the different stages of the process ...
will largely depend ... on what kind of writing we are doing, what medium we are using, what the
content and length of our piece is and who we are doing it for.
Harmer, J., (2004), How to Teach Writing, Pearson

Practice in suggesting corrections in their classmates work helps learners to recognise errors in
their own. When learners have to explain points to a partner, their own understanding is redefined
and clarified. It requires them to think carefully about clarity and acceptability in writing.
Hedge, T., (1998), Writing, OUP

b. How could you use a process approach with younger learners?

What aspects of the lesson in the video would you keep, adapt or change?

Compare your reflections with a partner, if possible.

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Transcripts and answers

Teaching Reading and Writing

The process of writing

Transcripts of trainers talk

2.1 Process writing: Part 1
When we write an important letter, we dont just sit down, write it and then send it off. We spend time
planning what well say, we spend time writing, changing and when were happy with what weve written
we send it off.
We follow, if you like, a kind of process pre-writing, drafting, editing and publishing.
So how does this process apply to teaching writing with our learners? Well it means that we should
practise all the skills needed for the four stages of the process.
Now lets take a look at how this can work in practice with a mixed nationality class of young adults.
These students are taking part in a process writing lesson to help them prepare for a specific IELTs exam
question where they have to write a discursive essay of about 250 words. Now watch the film and make
notes to answer the questions in the viewing task. The answers will appear at the end of the sequence.

2.4 Lesson feedback, learning points and goals

In this section, students give feedback on the lesson activities. Take a look and answer the questions in
the viewing task.
In this final section, the students share what theyve learned from the lesson. They also share learning
goals that theyll work on to continue improving their writing. Take a look and answer the question in the
viewing task.

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Teaching Reading and Writing

The process of writing

Answers
2.1 Process writing: Part 1
a. The stages of the writing process:
1. pre-writing
2. drafting
3. editing
4. publishing
b. When teaching writing we should follow this process with our students too, teaching and practising the skills
for each stage of the process.

2.2 Applying the process

a.
Pre-writing

Drafting

Using your plan & ideas to write a rough first version

Presenting the piece of writing to the readers

Editing

Checking, making alterations and re-writing

Publishing

Generating ideas and planning what to write

b.
Process writing stages

Sub-skills

Pre-writing

Brainstorming, mind-mapping, planning, forming opinions.

Drafting

Selecting/rejecting ideas, structuring, planning out paragraphs,

putting ideas into sentences

Editing

Revising, checking, re-ordering, re-structuring,

focusing on grammar and vocabulary.

Publishing

Presenting finished piece to readers, evaluation.

10

TeachingEnglish British Council 2015

Teaching Reading and Writing

The process of writing

2.3 A process writing lesson

Stage

Sub-skills practised

Role of the teacher

Brainstorming generating & comparing ideas

Pre-writing

Forming opinions
Mind-mapping
Planning
Selecting and rejecting ideas

Drafting

Structuring (the argument)

Focusing learners on the task

Planning out the paragraphs

Generating ideas

Revising
Checking
Editing

Checking language
Encouraging peer
collaboration and evaluation

Re-ordering
Restructuring
Focusing on language

Publishing

Presenting the finished

piece to readers
Evaluation

Activities
Pair work activiites include:
Brainstorming and sharing ideas to include in
the essay

Application
The word processing application is used for drafting,
editing and evaluating each others work

writing the first drafts

drafting, editing and evaluating their own
and each others work
checking.

2.4 Lesson feedback, learning points and goals

Lesson feedback
Easiest: brainstorming

Learning points and goals

Structuring and ordering ideas.
Listing key words.

Most fun: editing the draft / correcting

Mind-mapping ideas.
Learning from other students.

Most difficult: editing

11

Spending time editing

TeachingEnglish British Council 2015

With thanks to Christopher Lewis and his class at INTO, Manchester, UK, for their contribution to the video
footage
Session notes developed by Marianne Tudor-Craig.
Video produced by Jane Boylan.

British Council 2015 / E021

The British Council is the United Kingdoms international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities.