Ciencias de la Educación   

Artículo de Investigación  

Estrategias para mejorar la habilidad de escribir en Inglés

Strategies to improve the ability to write in English

Estratégias para melhorar a capacidade de escrever em inglês

Correspondencia: mcifuentes@utb.edu.ec

         *Recibido: 29 de mayo del 2022 *Aceptado: 02 de junio de 2022 * Publicado: 17 de julio de 2022

I. Magíster en Innovación Educativa, Licenciada en Ciencias de la Educación, Mención Idiomas (Inglés- Frances), Docente titular Universidad Técnica de Babahoyo, Ecuador.

II. Master in Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Licenciada en Ciencias de la Educación, Mención Idiomas (Inglés-Frances), Docente titular Universidad Técnica de Babahoyo, Ecuador.

III. Master in Bussines Administration, Contador Público Autorizado, Docente Titular, Universidad Técnica de Babahoyo, Ecuador.

IV. Ingeniera en Gestión Empresarial, Docente, Universidad Técnica de Babahoyo, Ecuador.

Resumen

Objetivo: En el tratamiento didáctico de la habilidad de escribir en inglés persisten dificultades que han generado deficiencias en los estudiantes para construir textos escritos en este idioma. El objetivo del trabajo que se presenta es, precisamente, ofrecer un método para hacer de la escritura en inglés un proceso integrador que desarrolle y demuestre niveles de desarrollo de la competencia comunicativa de los estudiantes, desde la disciplina Práctica Integral del Idioma Inglés.

Métodos: Para el desarrollo del estudio se utilizaron como métodos fundamentales de investigación la sistematización en la práctica pedagógica y la modelación.

 Resultado: El resultado y aporte esencial del estudio es el fundamento y descripción del enfoque proceso-producto orientado a la acción.

Conclusión: El enfoque proceso-producto combina los elementos procedimentales con los lingüístico-comunicativos para lograr un método acorde tanto con las exigencias lingüísticas como con las creativas-comunicativas que caracterizan la comunicación en el código escrito. Palabras clave: desarrollo del lenguaje, escritura, procedimientos de enseñanza, evaluación de habilidades.

Palabras Claves: didáctico; práctica pedagógica; niveles; enfoques; Métodos de búsqueda.

Abstract

Objective: In the didactic treatment of the ability to write in English, difficulties persist that have generated deficiencies in students to construct written texts in this language. The objective of the work that is presented is, precisely, to offer a method to make writing in English an integrating process that develops and demonstrates levels of development of the communicative competence of students, from the Integral Practice discipline of the English Language.

Methods: For the development of the study, systematization in pedagogical practice and modeling were used as fundamental research methods.

 Result: The result and essential contribution of the study is the foundation and description of the action-oriented process-product approach.

Conclusion: The process-product approach combines the procedural elements with the linguistic-communicative ones to achieve a method that is consistent with both the linguistic demands and the creative-communicative ones that characterize communication in the written code. Keywords: language development, writing, teaching procedures, skills assessment.

Keywords: didactic; pedagogical practice; levels; approaches; research methods.

Resumo

Objetivo: No tratamento didático da habilidade de escrever em inglês, persistem dificuldades que geraram deficiências nos alunos para construir textos escritos nessa língua. O objetivo do trabalho que se apresenta é, justamente, oferecer um método para tornar a escrita em inglês um processo integrador que desenvolva e demonstre níveis de desenvolvimento da competência comunicativa dos alunos, da disciplina Prática Integral da Língua Inglesa.

Métodos: Para o desenvolvimento do estudo, a sistematização na prática pedagógica e a modelagem foram utilizadas como métodos fundamentais de pesquisa.

 Resultado: O resultado e contribuição essencial do estudo é a fundamentação e descrição da abordagem processo-produto orientada para a ação.

Conclusão: A abordagem processo-produto combina os elementos procedimentais com os linguístico-comunicativos para alcançar um método compatível tanto com as demandas linguísticas quanto com as criativas-comunicativas que caracterizam a comunicação no código escrito. Palavras-chave: desenvolvimento da linguagem, escrita, procedimentos de ensino, avaliação de habilidades.

Palavras-chave: didático; prática pedagógica; níveis; abordagens; métodos de pesquisa.

Introduction

The teaching-learning of the English language in the Foreign Languages career ensures the acquisition and mastery of the language and speech systems of this language, as determining factors to achieve concrete achievements in the oral or written textual construction in the academic fields, labor, research and social. Correspondingly, the efficiency of the teaching and learning of writing in English as a foreign language during the training of the education professional for the teaching of foreign languages, determines the levels of competence in the use of the oral and written codes of this language. language, which he will demonstrate in the exercise of his functions once it graduates.

The gradual transformations that are taking place in the teaching and learning of English as a foreign language in Ecuadorian Higher Education are aimed at the training of professionals capable of establishing efficient relationships with the use of the foreign language, as a tool for their training, their self -improvement and its permanent academic, work and research update and as a way to establish professional and interpersonal communication relationships with professionals from other latitudes.

 Correspondingly, Ecuadorian universities must offer a quality linguistic education, which prepares the professional to face the challenges imposed by a contemporary professional world, in which the command of foreign languages, particularly English as the most widely spoken and widespread language, has gone from being a requirement to being a necessity inherent to the demonstration of professional skills. However, although there is an understanding of this need and the fundamental actions for its satisfaction have begun to be specified, there remains in the ways of thinking and acting of university professors and students a tendency to value oral expression hierarchically as the most important communicative form in the training of the professional, dismissing, above all, the role played by written expression in English, in the academic, investigative, communicative actions of the graduate in interaction with the national and foreign professional universe with which he will interact.

 The diagnosis of the current and prospective situation of the teaching-learning of writing in English in the Foreign Languages (English) career reveals insufficiencies that transcend the context of professional performance of the graduates and express an inadequate correspondence between this process and the aspirations and demands of the academic-labor and research environment in which the professional in training works at the 21st century university.

Therefore, it is convenient that the student becomes familiar with the type of text before practicing the skills involved in its writing and any aspect that is taught must be shown through a model, that is, provide a model in which the student finds support, but at the same time can enrich and vary according to their communication needs. In the teaching-learning process of a foreign language, this model is generally provided by the teacher, who must decide from the variety of approaches, methods and techniques described by the abundant theoretical definitions, which approach should be followed according to the needs of the students. students and those imposed by the context and purpose of writing, to teach writing in the foreign language.

The authors of this work share in the first place the idea that the teacher should focus attention both on the writing process and on its result or product; In this sense, she must show and demonstrate the necessary steps to learn to write, starting from the simple to the complex until the proposed goal is achieved. Another aspect of singular relevance and equally controversial is the determination of what to teach and in what order. Both a process-focused approach and a product-first approach should be considered. In the training of a foreign language teacher, the linguistic, spelling, grammatical, lexical, syntactic aspects (teaching oriented to the written product), or the procedural elements to be developed before writing, while writing, after writing, are equally important. when editing and finally when publishing (teaching oriented to the writing process). This process-oriented approach has a particular significance for this career, it is not only the appropriation of procedural knowledge, but also tools that will bear fruit first for learning the foreign language and then for teaching it. (Castro, 2017).

 The product approach assumes the writing activity as a global skill, in which a series of previously exercised skills are put into practice: grammar, spelling, punctuation, mechanics, etc. This approach focuses on the evaluation of the written composition as a result or finished product, so its main purpose is the development of textual competence from a mainly linguistic perspective (Madrigal, 2015).

According to Richards (cited by Madrigal, 2015), the main features of the product approach are summarized in that:

• Specific texts are written that the apprentices require, be it institutional or personal writing.

• Focuses on patterns and forms of organization of different textual sequences such as narration, description, exposition, argumentation to be used in writing essays or reports.

• Grammar rules are presented in model compositions, that is, texts that serve as examples for learners to use in their writing.

• Sentences are corrected; Emphasis is given to grammatical rules.

• The student is offered models or guides to follow and controls to avoid making mistakes;

 • Aspects such as calligraphy, spelling, punctuation, spelling are taught (2015, p. 210).

The process approach, on the other hand, tries to understand the composition process through the development of activities, skills and strategies that are put into practice during writing. Through this approach, the writer is trained in the development of cognitive processes necessary to elaborate his written product, emphasis is placed on the development of logical thinking skills and strategic skills, part of the creation of a social circumstance that It requires producing a text, until concluding with the writing, correction and publication of the same.

In this way, the final text is perceived as the result of a process that involves not only the elements that occur internally in the writer's mind, but also those that come from the outside, that is, the circumstances that induce or motivate writing. One stops thinking, then, that the final text is a product, a finished work without discerning or understanding how Madrigal (2015) came to it, and this product is evaluated as the result of various moments, steps or intermediate strategies that must be used during the writing and creation process (Cassany, 1990, p. 72-73).

Consequently, and coinciding with this author himself, in the classroom where one learns to write based on this approach, the emphasis is placed on the student and not on the written text, and attention is guided towards the recognition of individuality and the need of the author, rather than towards the requirements, demands and characteristics of a certain text. In contrast to other approaches, particularly the product approach, the teacher's role is aimed at guiding and advising the student's work; tell him how he can work, what techniques he can use, read his drafts and show him his weaknesses (Cassany, p. 74)

Based on the analyzes carried out, the authors defend a conception based on an action-oriented process-product approach; that is to say, that from a procedural perspective, in which the writer deploys strategic actions to organize, execute and control his writing process, the treatment is integrated with the linguistic, pragmatic, discursive, and syntactic elements that are essential to achieve effective communication in writing. foreign language and fulfill the stated communicative purpose.

In the treatment of writing with a process-product approach, the skills that this combination of approaches presupposes and that constitute its fundamental objectives are synthesized. These are: 1. Determining and/or limiting the topic When the student prepares, it is necessary to consider the subject about which he is going to write, this preparation includes the entire system of contextual, sociocultural, and historical relationships around the topic, as well as its own experience.

The topic is a specific part of this subject, so going through it, questioning it, discovering its relationships and determining which of them to write about is a complex process in which the student must be trained to move towards independence in achieving it.

2. Define the purpose and audience when writing It is important to train the student in defining the purpose of writing before beginning to write. Among the purposes to be determined are: entertain, explain, inform, persuade. Likewise, knowing the recipients to whom it will be addressed, you must develop the skills to determine, based on your knowledge of the subject, what register you will use (formal, less formal, informal), what linguistic elements will intervene (vocabulary, grammar, etc. .), what strategies will be used to gain their attention and achieve communication, among other aspects. In summary, when defining the purpose and the potential readers, one must consider: what am I going to write about? (Theme); who am I going to write for? (Reader); what am I writing for? (The purpose).

3. Anticipate, structure and formulate the possible questions that the reader would ask in order to be able to structure the message appropriately.

4. Project, prioritize and organize ideas. After specifying what to write about, for whom and for what purpose, it is necessary to train the students in the conformation of the central idea, which is nothing more than a specific, special thought or feeling about the specific matter that you want them to write about. reader do not miss. Once the central idea is defined, the student must be trained in the elaboration or determination of the topic sentence that contains the specific topic and the central idea about the topic and that can be at the beginning or at the end of the text depending on the purpose of the writer ( it may be that the central idea is identified from the beginning or it keeps the reader in suspense until the end).

It is in this step where the supporting ideas are also determined, which will be organized in paragraphs according to the topic sentences that will be developed in each one. This projection, hierarchization and organization must also contemplate the linguistic markers of the topic, style, purpose, general vocabulary and syntactic structures that will favor the fulfillment of the next step. Making schemes, concept maps, diagrams or other content organizers is an effective planning and projection tool for all these elements.

5. Structure the information in paragraphs. Understands the structuring of paragraphs of five to eight sentences that revolve around the topic sentence and that are organized in a logical order to develop the central idea. When the previous step has been carried out efficiently, and even when the scheme has been used to plan the writing and the lexical-syntactic elements necessary to write have been determined, this structuring is much easier and more productive in linguistic and stylistic terms.

 6. Use consistent and precise strategies. Paragraphs can be organized using different patterns: whether the paragraph is descriptive, narrative, expository, or persuasive, its organization will depend on the mental pattern of the author. When the events are narrated according to how they occurred, a textual construction strategy or a pattern of chronological order is deployed.

This is a very effective strategy when writing narrative paragraphs. In the particular work with this type of text, the linguistic elements necessary to achieve correctness, unity, cohesion and coherence must be identified, for example, the use of adverbs of frequency, connectors, the structure of sentences (basic and extended) , among others.

When a person, a scene, an object, etc., is described, the strategy of organizing the information spatially or according to the place is used, which shows how it is related to where the events occur and what characteristics it has. this location, among other elements, in the work with linguistic knowledge, the use of adjectives, their syntactic relationship with nouns, the order in which adjectives should be located in the sentence, their invariability, among others, can be intentionally addressed. other aspects. When information is grouped by common elements, the strategy used is called classification and it is very useful in writing scientific and academic texts about certain subjects, phenomena, etc.

 7. Using mechanics and punctuation correctly.

8. Write correctly. (Handwriting and spelling, format selection and font scoring).

 9. Write the writing.

10. Deploy meta-cognitive strategies for the analysis of the entire process and its result.

11. Employ effective self-correction and self-assessment strategies; organize and implement tools for self-questioning and re-design of the different steps. The described abilities and their fundamental operations are inserted in a hierarchical organization of the writing process that establishes stages and concrete actions for their didactic treatment.

This conception constitutes a starting point for the didactic proposal that is presented and that has the following characteristics:

• It is organized from a procedural perspective, taking into account both the process of writing and the result of writing.

 • Attends to and highlights the predictive, writing and correction work, with the linguistic, pragmatic, syntactic, sociocultural and style elements, typical of the written text.

• It enriches the relationship “writing stages-skills of written expression”, from the reorganization and inclusion of sub-skills corresponding to the purposes of contemporary professional training.

• It favors the modification, both by the student and by the teacher, of the stages and actions proposed, according to their individual needs and the educational realities with which they interact, respectively.

Method for perfecting work with written expression in English

Based on the foundations presented in the previous section, in which the use of an action-oriented process-product approach is defended, a method structured in stages and procedures is proposed.

 First stage: preparation prior to writing

• Design actions so that the student manages to plan the writing of it.

• Favor the search for information about the subject through tasks for training in research techniques (Carvajal, Colunga and Montejo, 2013; and Montejo, 2016).

• Direct actions to model ways to determine the audience, the purpose and the format or type of text.

• Design learning tasks to guide the student towards the determination of the topic, and the respective delimitation of the specific topic, the central idea and the topic sentence.

 • Model, through graphic resources, ways to select the lexical-grammatical and syntactic structures of the register, which correspond according to the style, the audience, the type of text.

Second stage: drafting

• Guide the writing process from attention to organization and form (elements of style as well as elements of language and speech).

• Model, guide and systematize the elaboration of the logical scheme of the text.

• Direct (in the initial stages) and guide (as the student acquires greater independence) the process of inclusion, combination and adjustment of the linguistic, pragmatic, syntactic, sociocultural elements determined in previous phases, in the very construction of the text.

 • Design actions to train the student in intensive and extensive work with the draft.

Third stage: editing

• Implement actions for self-correction, cross-correction, group correction, correction by the teacher, depending on the fit to the topic; the fulfillment of the objective; the development and adjustment to the designed plan; property and correctness in textual organization, grammar, syntax, use and style; and the assignment of extension tasks so that the student seeks, based on her individual needs, ways to improve the writing.

Fourth stage: revision/correction

• Guide teaching tasks, preferably of an independent nature, to: check punctuation, use of capital letters, spelling and calligraphy; make all the corrections of the lexical, grammatical, syntactic structures; make a copy if necessary; correct it; react to suggestions; write and edit final copy; revise and edit, repeatedly, until satisfied. Fifth stage: meta-cognitive reflection about the process and the product of writing

• Guide and develop didactic actions that allow and train the student in meta-cognitive reflection about the writing process.

• Design learning tasks aimed at the socialization and analysis of the results of the meta-cognitive reflection process and the arrival at conclusions based on self-improvement.

 • Take advantage of this space (both in the process and in the result), to guide, execute and control new processes and written products.

The stages and actions proposed can and should be modified by the student, depending on their individual needs, once they have mastered the procedures and have developed the skills described for writing in the foreign language. It is up to the teacher to adapt these proposals to the educational realities with which he interacts, as an expedited way to achieve this purpose.

Conclusions

Written expression constitutes a communicative activity that integrates complex mental, linguistic, and stylistic processes, in whose interrelation rests the effectiveness of communication in the written code. Professional training in the domain of this language must observe and didactically treat these theoretical conceptions to ensure that students master and develop the skills associated with written expression as a process and that this is not just a linguistic product resulting from intensive treatment of other forms. of the comunication.

The proposal presented is based on the adoption of an action-oriented process-product approach, in which procedural elements are combined with linguistic-communicative elements to achieve a coherent method both with the demands from the linguistic point of view and with the the creative-communicative ones that characterize communication in the written code.

Referencias

1. Bibliografía Atiénzar, O. A. (2008). Metodología para la construcción textual escrita basada en la competencia ideocultural-comunicativa en la disciplina Práctica Integral de la Lengua Inglesa. Tesis doctoral inédita. Camagüey: Universidad de Ciencias Pedagógicas "José Martí".

2. Carvajal, B. M., Colunga, S., & Montejo, M. N. (2013). Competencias informacionales en la formación del profesional. Humanidades Médicas, 13(2), 526-545. Acceso: 03/06/2017. Disponible en: http://scielo.sld.cu/scielo.php?pid=S172781202013000200013&script=sci_arttext&tlng=pt

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5. Council of Europe. (2002). Common European Framework of reference for languages: Learning, teaching assessment. Access: 03/07/2017. Available at: http://www.coe.int/lang-CEFR

6. Madrigal, M. (2015). El enfoque al producto y el enfoque al proceso: dos metodologías complementarias para enseñar la expresión escrita en los cursos de una L2. Revista de Filología y Lingüística de la Universidad de Costa Rica, 41(extraordinario), 203-2015. Acceso: 03/07/2017. Disponible en: https://revistas.ucr.ac.cr/index.php/filyling/article/view/23751/23922

7. Maloney-Cahill, C. (1991). Writing: The Creative Process. En Terroux, G. & Woods, H. Teaching English in a World at Peace (págs. 113-131). Montreal: University.

8. Montejo, M. N. (2016). La preparación y edición de artículos científicos en el proceso de formación del investigador. Pedagogía Universitaria, 21(1), 16-28. Acceso: 03/07/2017. Disponible en: https://cvi.mes.edu.cu/peduniv/article/view706/pdf_78

9. Terroux, G. (1991). Writing: Focus on the Product. En Terroux, G. & Wood, H. Teaching English in a World at Peace (págs. 89-112). Montreal: McGill University.

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