Encouraging Engineering Students to Write Simple Essays
Thevy Rajaretnam MARA University of Technology (UiTM) This teaching technique can be used to encourage students enrolled in a proficiency course in any institution of higher learning to write simple cohesive essays. The objective of this technique is to provide a conducive environment in which students can enjoy learning to write a variety of text types - letters, presentations, articles and reviews.
Background
The teaching technique described here was used on a class of 26 diploma level students in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, MARA University of Technology, Malaysia. As diploma level students, they are required to undergo the Preparatory English Program, a course that is designed not only to remedy the students` weakness in the use of English but also to raise their proficiency level.
During the fourteen-week program, (six contact hours per week) they are taught basic grammar, reading skills and writing skills. The aim of the writing component is to prepare students to write error-free sentences and logical, cohesive essays with grammatical accuracy.
Preparation
In the first three weeks of the program, remedial work was carried out to improve the students` mastery of some basic grammar rules. Using a reference-cum-practice grammar book complete with an answer key, the students were taught how to use the book as independent learners.
They were given a choice in the approach they could use when working on the selected chapters. One approach was they could attempt the practice exercises, check the answers against the answer key and then read the relevant grammar points for which their answers were wrong. The other alternative was for them to read the grammar points, attempt the practice exercises and then check the answers against the answer key. If any student required further help, he or she then asked the lecturer for clarification. The lecturer would then explain to the student individually.
In the fourth week, the students began to write simple expository and descriptive essays of about 200 words each.
The Approach
A product/process approach was used. In the early stages they began by writing on topics they were familiar with so that they had the content to write about. They were also provided the schema or the background knowledge necessary to write on a given topic. The schema came through three ways - the lecturer, peers or examples of the genre they have to imitate.
As far as possible, students were from the beginning trained to see writing as a genuine activity. They wrote for a purpose and for an audience and as such their products included letters, articles, presentations and reviews. They were given time to brainstorm for ideas, draft the products, revise them and have them edited before the final products were submitted for grading. Initially students were given a choice on whether they prefer revision and editing by their peers or by their lecturer. They chose to have their work revised and edited by the lecturer.
So, all drafts were written on transparencies using waterproof pens. Each writing assignment was projected on the screen and the lecturer edited the work line by line, explaining why she has to make the changes. After having conducted revision and editing using this approach, the lecturer then began first to underline the parts of the sentences that needed to be edited. The students themselves suggested how these could be improved. In time, most of the suggestions came from the students themselves.
Throughout the various stages in the writing process, students were allowed to work in a non-threatening environment. They worked in groups of four or five. They used dictionaries. They consulted their peers in the other groups. They chose the people they wanted to work with. They were allowed to sit anywhere in the classroom and the lecturer did not walk around to monitor the students` progress. Instead, they would call for the lecturer if they needed her advice or help. The lecturer would then walk to the group, sit with them and help them. After which she would return to her seat and wait for other groups to call for her.
A total of six topics were used. It took about two to four contact hours per week to complete one activity. The remaining contact hours were used to teach the other components in the syllabus. By the time the six topics had been covered, it was the ninth week of the semester. From the tenth to the fourteenth week, the students began to work individually on examination-type grammar, reading and writing activities.
The Topics
The six topics used to help students to write simple, cohesive 200-word essays with grammatical accuracy are as follows.
Assignment 1
Getting to know you Since this is your first writing activity, write a letter to your lecturer telling her about yourself and the members in your group. Try and limit yourself to about 150 to 200 words.
Assignment 2
Copies of an article entitled "Cane ... no pain, no gain" from The New Straits Times (one of the local English Language dailies) dated June 30, 2000 about a spade of incidents of criminal acts involving school children were distributed to the students. As part of this article, the journalists had also