Қазақстан Республикасының көптілді білім беру

Серия «Педагогика». № 4(76)/2014 
9 
UDC 378.096: 81’243 
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A.Zhetpisbayeva, B.A.Beiуsenbayeva  
Ye.A.Buketov Karaganda  State University  
(E-mail: aitzhanovna1958@mail.ru) 
Classroom activities for developing students writing skills 
The article  deals with some efficient ways to improve student writing. It also touches upon issues related to    
the content of teaching writing at the present stage of education development. The authors offer examples of 
creative tasks that have a stimulating effect on the process of  development writing skills  and  the creation of 
conditions to increase the interest and motivation of students to study a foreign language. The authors believe 
that teaching  based on communication should be considered to be the major factor contributing to increase 
motivation, since it is  the natural communication situations in teaching writing skills  that leads to higher 
levels of motivation and the quality of knowledge in teaching writing. 
Key words: critical thinking, feed back, motivation, project based work, collaboration work, encourage, 
writing skills. 
 
Writing is one of English skills that should be mastered by the students. It belongs to productive skill in 
which ones are expected to communicate their ideas with others in a written form. It is suggested to create 
meaningful activities in order to engage students in the learning process. Writing is one of the most reward-
ing yet one of the most challenging skills for English Language learners. Why so? Because writing is an ac-
curacy focused activity as well as an act of communication where one can practice their skills of using 
grammar, vocabulary and also put their ideas together in a coherent fashion. Through writing, students can 
express themselves. Writing involves processing, editing, and while writing, there is more time available to 
the students for thinking and accessing familiar language. Writing is a very important activity and set of 
skills to develop as part of your academic study. 
Many teachers connect writing to speaking, suggesting that a written piece consolidates language used 
in class. And yet, writing which is properly integrated with other classroom activities can become great way 
of consolidating language acquired in class. Students can be motivated to write when topics are interesting 
and relevant to them and when teachers allow them some choice: this choice may be a choice of a topic or of 
how to present their topic or regarding how much they should write. Writing can be a nice way to engage and 
motivate our shyer and quieter students. That is why many think that it’s better to give the writing task in the 
classroom rather than giving it for homework, as when writing is done in class, teachers can guide their stu-
dents through the whole process. The teacher will be able to facilitate and fix so students can actually gain 
many things aside from the practice of writing itself. 
Writing is a process which helps you to learn more deeply. When you are engaged in writing for your 
assessment tasks, you are engaged in a process of learning. Writing is not just something that happens at the 
end of learning. Instead, the process of writing starts from the very beginning of tackling an assessment task. 
During the process, you will need to analyse the task, read material relevant to the task, make notes and clar-
ify your understandings, draw together different views on the topic, critically weighing these up, and so on. 
All these activities contribute to your learning as you go about solving the problem that the writing task has 
posed. The kind of learning that you are expected to engage in at university level is deep learning, in which 
you are expected to understand many dimensions of a topic, and how they are related to each other, to ask 
critical questions, and to develop your own perspectives and viewpoints. For many people, the deepest learn-
ing occurs when they try to put their thoughts into words so that others can understand. A common experi-
ence for many people is that they are not really sure what they think about a complex topic until they start 
writing down their thoughts. Thus the process of writing can be seen as a means for discovering and consoli-
dating meaning and therefore a method for learning more deeply [1]. 
Writing is a product which demonstrates the quality of your learning. Without being able to ‘see’ your 
thinking through the words you speak and write, your lecturers would not be able to assess what is in your 
head. Thus your writing is a crucial product of your thinking which provides the evidence of what you have 
learned. Your lecturers can use this product to assess the quality of your learning and give you feedback to 
help you learn more from the experience. This is a very important part of the learning cycle in a university 
course, and you should aim to learn from your assessment feedback on every task you undertake.  

B.A.Zhetpisbayeva, B.A.Beiysenbayeva 
10 
Вестник Карагандинского университета 
Because writing is such a difficult skill to master, students often experience a lack of motivation, which 
is a notable characteristic of some second language learners. Motivation is a complex construct, and there are 
many factors that might inspire students to master a foreign language. For example, students might want to 
learn English for their careers, to study abroad or some other factors that teachers can use to motivate stu-
dents. In addition, all students have particular needs and interests, which teachers also can take into advan-
tage of to create motivating writing classes and activities. In fact, research from practicing teachers shows 
the  benefit of focusing  on students’ needs and interests when developing language lessons. According to 
Brooks and Grundy (1990,45), «when feelings are touched learners are totally involved in the writing and 
appear at times to be writing above their capability» [2]. 
A classroom project is a good way to motivate students to write because it offers the opportunity to 
match tasks with interesting topics that are relevant to the students. In this article we offer you some specific 
ways that project based work can help students become active, involved participants in writing tasks. 
Project work contains many features that are inherently motivating for the teaching of writing. Arends 
describes the following project-work  criteria that are essential to create motivation among students: 
1. Tasks are organized around socially important problems that are personally important for students. 
As this relates to writing, students should select topics which  resonate with what is  important in their lives. 
2. Tasks are characterized  by students collaborating with each other in pairs and small groups. While 
writing is a skill that people often do individually, peer collaboration and group work can be extremely 
stimulating for students, especially when they have a chance to freely express themselves. 
3. Students should investigate many subjects, such as politics, history, and science .As students use dif-
ferent subjects to analyze problems, their motivation and interest will increase. 
Another feature of project  work is the inclusion of all four skills (reading, speaking and listening).The 
collaboration that occurs in a project work requires students to discuss issues, analyze  different  problems, 
and provide feedback about other students’  work, which involves much speaking and listening in English. 
Taking into account these principles teachers can implement a successful writing project. The first step 
of project work is describing the problem. The second  step identifies the causes of the problem. The third 
step proposes a solution to the problem. The students should develop a draft of each part and at the end have 
a chance to revise and polish the complete essay. The teacher’s  task is  to explain the procedure and clarify 
questions if they arise. E.g. The stages of project work on the topic  «Poverty is a global problem». 
Step 1. Describing the problem. Students brainstorm to commit their initial ideas to paper. The follow-
ing questions may help them to begin the process. 
What is your definition of poverty? What do you think about the way poverty is  measured? What  coun-
tries in the world are poor? What is a life of poverty like? 
Students begin writing their ideas at this point. Then students divide into small groups and work to-
gether both in and out of class, to research the topic. Information can be collected from popular journals, 
newspapers and internet. Students can also interview  their friends  and ordinary citizens. 
Step 2. Determining the causes of the problem. Students brainstorm individually and in pairs about the 
causes of poverty.  They build their  research, think critically what is the main cause of poverty. They ex-
change their drafts, review questionnaire, compare their notes on the causes of the poverty with each other 
and join in  collaborative discussions to enhance their knowledge of the issue. 
Step 3. Proposing a solution to the problem. Students research possible solutions that could improve 
living standards and reduce poverty. Teacher can  suggest some questions that might help them: What are 
some obstacles that countries face in getting out of poverty? What is the role of international organizations 
in reducing poverty? Are there any things that citizens can do to help? 
At this point students can use their notes to begin free writing and developing their ideas regarding the 
solutions to poverty. Students work individually and collaboratively  in pairs to discuss the solutions they 
have thought about and researched. They use the results from the research, the data from the questionnaire 
and combine all their drafts and revise the complete text. Finally, students will do a final revision and submit 
their papers. 
Having activities that engage students is the best way to practice writing. The more practice students 
get, the more they will improve upon any skill, including writing. There are four main types of writing: nar-
rative, expository, descriptive and persuasive. Each type of writing can be practiced using different and in-
teresting ideas for activities. 
Narrative Writing. Narrative writing is about telling a story and is the type of writing most often in-
volved in creative or literary works. To practice this type of writing, students need to tell a story using a be-

Classroom activities for developing… 
Серия «Педагогика». № 4(76)/2014 
11 
ginning, middle and end. An amusing idea is to write a story imagining yourself as a pair of shoes. Before 
writing the actual story, students should create an outline of the plot and setting, and do brief character 
sketches. This helps to put the story together and can be a means to brainstorm ideas. Another idea is to write 
a narrative essay about the first day  at the university. 
Expository Writing. A daily journal entry is a good way to practice expository writing. This type of 
writing is informative, so keeping a journal allows students to inform the teacher (or whoever reads the jour-
nal) of what is going on in their everyday lives and what is on their minds. This can be a cathartic exercise 
for students, even if this journal activity is kept personal. Organization is important for this type of writing, 
so another good activity is to get students to explain how to do a task, step-by-step, such as saving music on 
an MP3 player or building a bird feeder [3]. 
Descriptive Writing. These activities should help the reader create a clear picture in his mind. Ask stu-
dents to recreate a scene from their favourite vacations. Let the students know that not only should they de-
scribe what they see, but other sensory details, such as what they hear, smell, taste and touch, create a com-
plete picture. Another writing idea — this one can be done in pairs — is to get a student to describe an object 
at home so another student can draw it. The better the description, the more accurate the drawing will be. 
Persuasive Writing. Pose a yes or no question and have students take a position on one side or the other. 
For example, should weekends be increased to three days instead of the current two days? Most students un-
doubtedly will say yes, but they should give good reasons to support their stance so that they can persuade 
the reader to formulate the same opinion. The best questions are relevant to the students. Another worthwhile 
activity is getting students to write a letter to their parents trying to get their permission for something Mom 
and Dad initially opposed. 
Engaging students  and encouraging them to write has become increasingly difficult in the classroom. 
Our students are bombarded with interactive and visual images constantly through the media and the internet 
and, as their teacher, it has become much harder for me to compete. Who wants to read or write an emotional 
descriptive piece when they can be fully immersed in this feeling through interactive game play? This chal-
lenge has led me to look at how I can use these media, and more dynamic approaches, to engage students  in 
wanting to use their literacy skills and to hook them into becoming creative and thoughtful writers. 
Using video. One way which is sure to engage  students is through the use of video, in particular TV 
and film. There is a wealth of materials on YouTube, and other platforms, which will help  students 
to explore and fully develop ideas. Always begin with the learning objective and ensure that video clips can 
fulfil the language and structural features of the relevant text type. 
For example, with my  2-year international relations students I use video news on the topic cooperation  
to help them to explore the key features of diplomatic sphere. Using the video news films I am able to cover 
everything from political news to economic and cultural issues in a much more inspiring manner than simply 
using a diplomatic text based resource. I then use  it as a way to discuss the role of diplomatic representation 
bodies,  the importance of maintaining  mutually advantageous  cooperation  and friendly  relationship  with 
foreign countries  for Kazakhstan  to help the students to structure their writing. 
By using visual prompts the students  feel more confident and ready to write. They have had time to 
build up and discuss their vocabulary and then adapt this to the writing they want to create. It also allows 
comprehension, text organisation and sentence structures to be taught in an exciting and meaningful way for 
the  students. 
Adding drama. Many drama techniques enable the students to become immersed into the life and world 
of a character. Encouraging conscience corridors, debates and improvisation engages the students can in-
crease their understanding of a text and their ability to express their opinions in written form. 
For example, taking a dramatic approach to understanding how it feels to be a soldier can lead to a far deeper 
understanding of war and how this might have affected the soldiers. In turn this helps them  to write more 
thoughtfully and creatively [4]. 
Activities. Teachers and learners may also have specific kinds of writing they want to do or specific 
skills that need to be developed. The following writing activities can be engaging and challenging and can 
add variety to writing instruction. They also develop important literacy skills. The writing that emerges from 
an activity may be an end in itself or may lead to more extensive writing, employing one of the approaches 
discussed above. 
Writing Letters: Letters of complaint (while studying consumerism), cover letters (while preparing for 
employment), or letters of advice (while studying newspaper features) allow learners to practice some of the 
types of writing that are useful in their daily lives. At beginning levels, learners can fill in the blanks with 

B.A.Zhetpisbayeva, B.A.Beiysenbayeva 
12 
Вестник Карагандинского университета 
content words such as, «The ____ is broken». At more advanced levels, learners can compose letters on their 
own or be guided by questions. 
Analyzing and Synthesizing Information: Adults frequently need to interpret information that appears in 
graphic form such as charts, drawings, and maps, or interpret and synthesize information from several 
sources. To prepare for this kind of writing, learners can complete grids based on information they gather 
from class or community surveys. For example, at the beginning level, a simple grid can ask for the names of 
the learners in the class and their native countries or languages. Groups of learners can work together to fill 
in parts of the grid and then share their information with the entire class to complete the grid. They can then 
use this information to write simple sentences describing their class, such as «There are nine Spanish speak-
ers and four Russian speakers in our class». At higher levels, learners can gather more extensive data and 
then write a descriptive paragraph or composition. Using maps, learners can write directions for getting from 
one location to another. After reading articles on a topic such as immigration, learners can write a letter to 
the editor or a summary of the information presented [5]. 
Making Lists: Lists can help learners generate vocabulary and provide the basis for larger pieces. For 
example, when studying banking, learners might enjoy listing how they would spend a million dollars. Other 
lists might be about favorite foods, places, or activities; wishes; things missed about one's country. For a be-
ginning learner, a few words might suffice. More proficient learners may write several sentences or more. 
Effective integration of reading and writing in any class begins with helping students build upon what 
they have already learned from previous courses or other sources of «old» information. Another foundational 
principle for making reading and writing central in learning is to remind students of their personal invest-
ment in what they are learning, particularly as it connects with their long-term professional goals. A related 
principle emphasizes the idea that academic knowledge has practical use outside the university. Analogies 
and examples from everyday knowledge can set up a positive social, emotional, and intellectual climate, 
which can motivate students.  
Because both reading and writing are cognitive processes that help students make sense of their worlds, 
they work best when they are closely connected. Effective reading-writing connections help students synthe-
size course content and assess new information. To foster effective reading and writing, you should:  
• Make sure that students understand how to read efficiently and why they are writing.  
• Identify and teach critical and discipline-specific reading and writing skills.  
• Allow time and opportunities for practice.  
• Provide feedback that fosters further integration of reading and writing.  
Integrating Reading and Writing to Improve Students’ Critical Literacy  
Reading is a way of understanding writing that comes from a different point of view, and it is most 
beneficial when it allows students to synthesize and evaluate rhetorical strategies and purposes. Writing, 
likewise, is a way of reproducing processes of synthesis and evaluation for rhetorical purposes. In order to 
improve students’ critical literacy, you can:  
• Provide an Appropriate Level of Challenge: Students learn best when you set up reasonable yet chal-
lenging goals that build on the literacy skills students already possess. One way to begin is to offer models of 
good discipline-specific writing, explaining what makes the writing effective. Analyzing models and anti-
models of effective writing can motivate students to read sources with a critical eye and to perform writing 
tasks with more confidence.  
• Allow Sufficient Time to Practice: This means devoting class time to reading/writing activities, not 
just expecting students to do them outside of the classroom. Some instructors resist using class time for these 
activities because it can reduce the total amount of material covered, but the emphasis on student reflection 
that is fostered by integrating reading and writing often yields deeper learning.  
• Evaluate Students’ Reading and Writing Practices: Many low-stakes writing assignments do not need 
to be graded formally, but student learning will be enhanced when you provide feedback. One way to do this 
is to model responses for the whole class, explaining how you would read a particular text or passage, and 
how you would write about it—making sure to explain why such strategies are effective and how they 
achieve the desired result.  
• Engage in Peer-Review Exercises: When encouraged to share their work, students can acquire a sense 
of community linked to reading and writing. You can provide specific guidelines for peer review so that stu-
dents can reinforce discipline-specific approaches to reading and writing.  
Strategy 1: «Read-to-Learn» and «Write-to-Learn» Exercises  
You can engage students in exercises that use writing to improve reading and exercises that use writing 
to help students shape their ideas.  

Classroom activities for developing… 
Серия «Педагогика». № 4(76)/2014 
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• Ask students to write in their texts:  Students are too often passive readers. If they are instructed to 
write notes in the margins of their books — where they can challenge new notions or ask questions — the 
reading process becomes far more active. Furthermore, when writing in the margins, students find that there 
is «room» on the page for their conversations—a visual reminder that all texts are part of an ongoing discus-
sion and are not the last word on a given subject [6]. 
• Require students to write short response papers: You might allow these brief writing exercises to be 
connected to one particular passage in the text (of the students’ choosing). Short response papers not only 
encourage students to write their way towards a more complete understanding of the texts, they can also 
serve as the basis for more productive class discussion. 
So, in conclusion we can  say, that learning to write in a foreign language is a demanding task that can 
easily leave students unmotivated. To combat this problem, teachers can apply their knowledge of current 
theories and methods to make writing instruction more successful. For example, familiarity with the process 
approach to writing allows a teacher to help students recognize the steps they go through to create a written 
text, which should lead to less stressful and more motivated writing. Additionally, an understanding of how 
to apply the principles of project work to a writing task lets the teacher incorporate elements that are sure to 
stimulate students to express themselves on paper: a relevant topic and an authentic purpose for writing; col-
laboration with their peers; use of all four skills; and a variety of activities to gather information. The end 
result is motivated students who are pleased that they have  created something that is useful and has meaning.  
The ability to express in written their thoughts in a foreign language must be developed consistently and 
constantly. With regular work on the texts, samples during the academic year  we  can achieve literacy of 
students and improve the logic of their statements. 
 
 
References 
1  Arends R.I. Learning to teach. 4th ed. Boston: McGraw Hill. 
2  Bunn M. (2011). How to read like a writer. In C. Lowe & P. Zemliansky (Eds.), Writing spaces: readings on writing, Volume 
2 (p. 71–86). Anderson, SC: Parlor Press.  
3  Brooks A., Grundy P. 1990. Writing for study purposes: A Teacher guide to developing individual writing skills. Cambridge: 
Cambridge University Press.  
4  Syverson M.A. (2006). A reference guide for the learning record. The Learning Record. Using Peer Review to Improve Stu-
dent Writing. (n.d.). Sweetland. 
5  Zimnyaya I.A. Questions of psychology. — 1986. — № 3. 
6  Ambrose S.A., Bridges M.W., DiPietro M., Lovett, M.C., Mayer R.E., Norman M.K. (2010). How Learning Works: Seven Re-
search-Based Principles for Smart Teaching. San Francisco, CA: Wiley.  
 
 
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