Learning the Nuances of Written English by fusing the Strategies of Spoken English Learning: An Approach to EFL Students

Study conducted to enhance the written English skills of students using classroom discussions / oral activities conducted in the class

Background Majority of the courses use written English as a major parameter when it comes to assessment and interestingly while preparing the learners to examinations the ELT teachers are encouraged to use the techniques that tilt towards the spoken aspects of the language.

This paper aims to address the issue of enhancing the written skills of the engineering students who are seemingly better off in the arena of spoken English.

clustering, peer writing and project writing Methods for writing Making mind maps Brainstorming Other methods : clustering, peer writing and project writing

describing diagrams or discussing current issues Methods for Speaking describing pictures in pairs or making up a story from a series of pictures describing diagrams or discussing current issues role play group discussion, debates, refutations

Experiment An attempt to make use of the learners’ superior spoken skills and to translate them into effective written English skills

Outline of the approach Target Group: Undergraduate Engineering Students ( English medium background)   Target Skills: Vocabulary, structure and tone ( Written English) Method: The classroom is divided into groups or pairs and Group is assigned a specific topic. An oral discussion takes place where students make use of the points noted down in the paper. The group / pair is later asked to present their views on the topic in a written form as an article. The difference in the structure, vocabulary and tone is analyzed. Proposed oral activities: Group Discussions/ Debates

Sample Exercise The following exercise is a sample activity held in an undergraduate engineering (first semester) English class. Oral Activity : Panel Discussion Written Activity: Five Paragraph Essay The students were divided into five groups where each group had a total of eight members. A topic on current issue, i.e. Is reservation in education sector an injustice to merit?, is chosen for discussion.

Rules The members within a group discuss the topic and decide on a clear stand on the issue. The major points in support of the stand would be noted down by the group members. The group selects a representative to speak. The representative would express the views of the group in the panel Discussion Students assess the speech of their group in the evaluation sheet.  

Evaluation Sheet Vocabulary Sentence Structure Tone Group No: Name : Meek Erroneous Satirical Rude Non-standard Arrogant Aggressive Incomplete Dominant Refined Acceptable Moderate Appropriate Persuasive Figurative Sophisticated Controlled Group No: Name :  

Speech activity was followed by a written exercise. Every member of the group was asked to write a five paragraph essay on the same topic. Students present the arguments by using the points noted down by their group. This exercise was a take home assignment

Peer evaluation of the essay (inter group evaluation) Evaluation sheet identical to that of speech activity was given to the students procedure of assessment was repeated.

Analysis of Evaluation Great variation in vocabulary , tone and structure in written form as against speech VOCABULARY ORAL WRITTEN RUDE 05 % - AGGRESSIVE 70% 20 % APPROPRIATE 10% 60% FIGURATIVE 05% 20%

Analysis of Evaluation TONE ORAL WRITTEN Satirical 25% 10% Dominant 45% 05% Moderate 20% 60% Persuasive

Analysis of Evaluation SENTENCE STRUCTURE ORAL WRITTEN Erroneous 10% 40% Non-standard 15% 25% Acceptable 30% 20% Appropriate 45%

Conclusions Need to adopt different style in vocabulary, tone and sentence structure when one switches over from spoken to written English Teacher needs to spend a few minutes with individual student in analyzing the particular written assignment Need to translate the students’ ability to express their ideas in spoken English into effective written form of communication

Reference Cushing Weigle, Sara. Assessing Writing. London: Cambridge University Press, 2002. Davison, John and John Moss. Issues in English Teaching. London: Routledge, 2000. Hedge, Tricia. Writing. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. Luoma, Sari. Assessing Speaking. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004. Ur, Penny. A Course in Language Teaching: Practice and Theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996. White, Ron and Valerie Arndt. Process writing. Harlow: Longman, 1991.