Writing is a complex cognitive process that requires planning, drafting, editing, and revising. It differs from speaking in several key ways. Writing is not spontaneous and allows time for reflection before producing language. It also transcends time and space as the reader does not need to be present, and writers can consider a broader audience. Additionally, writing follows certain organizational structures and has fewer linguistic signs than speaking. The writing process is nonlinear and iterative, as writers refine their ideas over several drafts before reaching the final version.
2. Writing as a process
• Writing is not a spontaneous skill or acquired easily, in fact, it is
viewed as ‘probably the most difficult thing to do in language’
(Nunan,1999:271).
• Writing is a ‘complex, cognitive process that requires sustained
intellectual effort over a considerable period of time’ (Nunan,
1999:273)
• Writing is used for a wide variety of purposes; it is produced in
many different forms.
• The writing process is known as what the writer goes through in
order to produce something in its final written form.
3. ELEMENTS ON THE WRITING
PROCESS
PLANNING
-the generation, selection and sorting of ideas
to write about, consideration of purpose and
audience which will influence genre selection
and organisation.
When planning, writers have to think about three main issues. In the
first place they have to consider the purpose of their writing since this
will influence (amongst other things) not only the type of text they wish
to produce, but also the language they use, and the information they
choose to include. Secondly, experienced writers think of the audience
they are writing for, since this will influence not only the shape of the
writing (how it is laid out, how the paragraphs are structured, etc.), but
also the choice of language
DRAFTING
the recording of ideas with attention to meaning
making, grammar, spelling, punctuation and
handwriting (or keyboarding).
Writers must make a draft of their piece of writing, it will be a first
attempt that will be amended later on in the editing element of the
process.
Multiple drafts may be produced by trying to get to the final
version of the piece of writing.
4. EDITING
Once writers have produced a draft
they then, usually, read through what
they have written to see where it works
and where it doesn't. Perhaps the order
of the information is not clear. Perhaps
the way something is written is
ambiguous or confusing. They may then
use a different form of words for a
particular sentence. The polishing of the
draft in readiness for publication, which
includes editing for spelling, text layout,
grammar, capitalisation and
punctuation.
FINAL REVISION
Once writers have edited their
draft, making the changes they
consider to be necessary, they
produce their final version. This
may look considerably different
from both the original plan and
the first draft, because things
have changed in the editing
process. But the writer is now
ready to send the written test to
5. Difference between writing and
speaking
both in terms of their forms and in the processes that writers and
speakers go through to produce language.
when speaking and writing look very much the same - and are done in
much the same way.
TIME AND SPACE
spoken communication operates in the here-and-now world of immediate interaction, writing
transcends time and space.
PARTICIPANTS
Communication takes place between people who can see each other, in most cases we choose
our words on the basis of who these co-participants are. There's an important in knowing who
we are writing for.
6. PROCESS
In face-to-face communication there is little, if any, time lag
between production and reception.
Thought becomes word with great speed, and is absorbed as it
appears.
Thought becomes word with great speed, and is absorbed as it
appears.
Speaking is not always a process-free act either. Careful
speakers involve themselves in planning and drafting in their
heads before they start to speak or before a pre-arranged
7. ORGANIZATION AND
LANGUAGE
• A lot of writing follows a defined discourse organization; typical
English paragraph construction, for example, has a topic
sentence followed by exemplification, then perhaps exceptions
or further exemplification, and then a resolution or conclusion.
Two of the most dissimilarities between speaking and writing are
the level of correctness and the issue of well-formedness.
Another significant difference between speaking and writing has
to do with lexical density, meaning the proportion of content
words to grammatical (or function) words used.
8. SIGN AND SYMBOLS
• Both writing and speaking have their own signs, symbols, and
devices to make communication more effective.
Writing has fewer signs and symbols than speech but they can
be just as powerful, question marks and exclamation marks can
modify the import of what is written.
9. Importance of writing
• Accoring to Harmer(2004:31-33) there are some importance of
writing
• Writing encourages estudents to focus on accurate languagwe
use they think as they write, it may provoke well development
as they resolve problems which writing puts in their mind.
• Writing is often used as means of reinforcing language that has
been thought.
• Writing is frequently usefull as preparation for some other
activity