| Writing is of great importance in English learning,but it is always a challenge for students.From the observation of an English writing class,the author has found that students do not show much interest nor willingness to participate in this setting.From their compositions,the author has also noticed such problems as loose structure,poor language use and weak cohesion.In order to address these problems,the author has conducted some action research,using interviews and in-class experiments,informed by theories of input and output as well as constructionist theory.During the experiments,the students were given information on writing assessment criteria and procedures.They were asked to get involved in marking each other’s compositions so that they could experience themselves what is good and what is poor in terms of composition writing.The response to composition writing was entirely authentic and new,as this was achieved by their own analysis of structure,language use and lexical cohesion.They learned to revise their compositions according to assessment criteria and gradually discovered how to write good versions themselves.The results of the study show that such a teaching approach can improve the teaching of writing skills to an effective degree,as students develop a better understanding of English writing.Teamwork centred on composition ensures that students take a more active part in English writing classes and consequently improve their English writing performance.The study has made two major findings:firstly,teachers have a sharper focus and clearer objectives in terms of writing teaching;secondly,students’ participation in writing classes helps to improve their learning outcomes,in this case,composition writing. |
