Findings and Suggestions
This chapter examines the
implications of the findings and offers some suggestions to the
people involved with the teaching and testing of written
English. The present study traces the developments in the area
of teaching and testing written English, from ancient days to
the present and devises effective techniques and materials,
which are suited to our situation. There is enough
evidence to believe that the techniques used in the study
(3.2.4.a to g) and the materials tried out (Appendix 7a and b)
will be effective in secondary schools of Gujarat.
However to use these techniques and materials teachers may
requires a certain amount of orientation and hence some of the
observations made during the experiment are recorded in the
following sections.
5.1 Implications for
teaching writing 1. The present study reveals
that in the teaching of writing as it is done today, learners
are engaged in the writing activities for the sake of writing,
in other words, there is no specific purpose (1.3.2 and
appendices 4 and 6). As against this when learners have
to write for a specific purpose (3.2 and appendix 9) the task
generates a more genuine response.
2. Composition work as
it is undertaken today is mostly teacher controlled.
Teacher assigns the topic, asks a certain number of questions
based on the topic, makes the learner practice the answers to
these questions orally and then makes him write a composition
(1.3.2.c). Here according to the learners, the teacher is
the intended reader. They are also aware of the responses
expected from them by the teacher. The passages and even
letters written by the majority of the learners match word for
word (appendix 4a, b, and c). As against this when
learners made to realise that one message can be conveyed in a
number of ways and are made to think more of appropriacy rather
than accuracy (3.2.4 f), they
produce better pieces of written work (Appendix 9a).
3. When learners are
assigned writing tasks like a ‘Visit to a Zoo’ merely because
there is such a visit described in the coursebook, learners
produce write – ups which are reproductions of coursebook
lessons (Appendix 4b and c). They mechanically write
sentences like ‘We enjoyed our visit to the Zoo’ even if they
have not actually visited a zoo. Writing activities
become more meaningful when the learners are set realistic
writing tasks within the constraints of the classroom
situation, like working in pairs to collect information about
each other and record it (Task 2) or writing letters to each
other in class (task 6). When learners are given a chance
to express their own ideas and feelings they reveal their
ability to produce better pieces of writing which bear the
stamp of individuality (Task 7).
4. When learners are
given questions in a particular order, the answers of which
written in the same order go to make a paragraph (1.3) learners
do not get practice in writing ‘texts’, wherein to form a
meaningful passage, the graphic symbols, words and sentences
need to be arranged properly and linked together. When
learners are given a chance to think about the order of
sentences given in a jumped order (Task 1) and when they are
made to jot down the points, organize them properly and write a
paragraph (Task 5) they produce better paragraphs (
4.2.2.e)
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