BOOK1Unit4

Relevance to the Detriment of Accuracy: The Future of the Writing Skill

By

Oscar Ndayizeye, Agrégé TEFL

Higher Teacher Training School of Burundi (Yogyakarta Mercu Buana University)

Background The problem Scope &Setting Objectives Research Questions Research Design Key Findings Conclusion

Background….Writing Skill:………‘Writing’: contribution in the ‘whole-student’ development in both ESL or in EFL settings.

Writing can also play a role in many of the activities in which the goal is oral production, reading comprehension, etc., (Lázaro, 1996: 89)

“Writing-for-learning”= Focuses on end-product as the main thing (e.g A student writes a grammatical paragraph)

Or “writing-for-writing”= Focuses on the process (getting learners to the early stage of becoming professional: adds, short story, novel, ….

The Problem

Does YMBU teacher students’ low performance in writing skill in English hamper their future career as teachers of English?

How is the writing skill viewed in 21st century?

Scope and setting

This case study was carried at Universitas Mercu Buana Yogyakarta, especially in sixth semester/English Education classes (Campus 1&2)

March-July 2015

Skill studied: Writing

Research objectives

To analyse the Yogyakarta Mercu Buana University sixth semester English teacher students’ writing skill,

To shed light on the usefulness of writing skill in 21st century,

To show that scaffolding both students’ writing relevance and accuracy is a pillar to their holistic development

Research Questions

How useful is the writing skill in the 21st century?

Is there any match between the Yogyakarta Mercu Buana University sixth semester English teacher students’ current writing skill in English and the expected level of their writing skill?

Research De &Methodology

• Research type: Descriptive (Qualitative) Survey • Population: The sixth semester English Education

Teacher students, YMBU (Campus 1&2)• Sampling: Non-probability sample• Sampling Technique: Boosted sampling• Instrument: Test• Data analysis: Content Analysis

Findings

Tabeled-form Frequency Line

Discussion

Non-mastery of these aspects in the subjects’ writing is indicative:•Purpose of writing: people writing to express something, a frequency of 35 unclear meaning is meaning-loaded!

•Audience: wrong choice of a suitable wh-question, modal verbs use unsuitability (lack of correct register), dangling modifiers, and collocation inappropriateness >>>> non-pragmaticality

•Vocabulary and grammar: little consideration of context , grammatical rules ( articles, pronouns, prepositions, and sentence structures ill-forms), and word order•Punctuation and mechanics: spelling (47 cases) and punctuation (14 cases) misuses or mistakes fall short of expectations for a learner at such an academic level.

Conclusion and suggestions There is little match between the Yogyakarta Mercu Buana University

sixth semester English teacher students performance in writing skill and their level of study

This kind of lack is likely to jeopardise their entry-level employment skill and may lead many but an observer to casting doubts on their future writing skill teaching

<<<<>>> >Teachers of career courses or supportive ones in English language education, should ensure that students’ writing is fully monitored from low age given its paramount role in the “Holistic student development”

BOOK1Unit4

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