In Ghana, a common phenomenon has been observed among students who can articulate their thoughts during classroom discussions but struggle to put their ideas into writing. Their written sentences are often short, disorganized, and riddled with grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors. This issue has prompted educators to rethink their approach to teaching writing skills.
A mentorship program between an experienced English tutor, Mr. Isaac Nyarko Antwi, and a final-year English student, Ms. Michealla Koduah, at the University of Education, Winneba, has shed light on the challenges facing developing writers. Michealla, who is undertaking her teaching internship at Kumasi Girls’ Senior High School, identified mother-tongue interference as a significant obstacle. When learners think in their local language and translate directly into English, it can affect sentence structure and distort meaning.
Limited vocabulary and the fear of making grammatical mistakes are also major hurdles for many students. Michealla noted that some learners may understand a topic well but lack the vocabulary to express their views confidently. Instead of dismissing these students as weak, educators should focus on helping them develop the language needed to express their knowledge effectively.
To address these challenges, Mr. Antwi and Michealla have developed practical strategies to support struggling writers. One approach involves helping learners develop a simple idea step by step. By asking questions and encouraging students to provide reasons, examples, and explanations, educators can guide them in building connected ideas and forming paragraphs.
The duo also emphasizes the importance of making writing practical and enjoyable. Activities such as sentence expansion, arranging jumbled sentences, picture composition, group writing, and short daily writing exercises can provide learners with regular opportunities to practice writing. These activities can help build confidence and improve writing skills.
Effective feedback is also crucial in the writing development process. Michealla suggests that instead of marking every error, teachers should focus on a few major errors at a time and allow learners to correct them. This approach can help learners see progress and build confidence in their writing abilities.
The relationship between reading and writing is also vital. Michealla stresses the importance of encouraging learners to read widely to improve their writing skills. By reading storybooks and academic materials, learners are exposed to new vocabulary and writing styles, which can help them become better writers.
Key points
- Educators should focus on helping learners develop the language needed to express their knowledge effectively.
- Practical strategies such as sentence expansion and group writing can help build confidence and improve writing skills.
- Effective feedback and a focus on reading and writing can also support the development of confident writers.
