GUIDELINE FOR TEACHING AND WRITING ESSAYS ... - Thutong

1. INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this guideline is to briefly guide teachers and learners on the aspects of
writing and presenting. Furthermore, the guideline presents and shares information with
regards to producing various texts and their uses. This will enable learners to attain and
successfully demonstrate Learning Outcome 3 (LO 3), which aims to ensure that ‘The learner
is able to write and present for a wide range of purposes and audiences using conventions
and formats appropriate to diverse contexts.’
This guideline may be used by teachers and learners of English Home, First and Second
Additional Languages. The document will also enable learners to prepare for the Writing
Paper (Paper 3) which requires learners to choose and write three of the various writing texts
dealt with during the course of the year.
2. PROCESS WRITING
Writing and designing texts is a process and learners need the opportunity to put this
process into practice. They should:
• decide on the purpose and audience of a text to be written and/or designed;
• brainstorm ideas using, for example mind maps, flow charts or lists;
• consult relevant sources, select relevant information and organise ideas;
• produce a first draft which takes into account purpose, audience, topic and genre;
• read drafts critically and get feedback from others (classmates);
• edit and proofread the draft;
• produce a well-designed final version.
Note!
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Learners should write every day. Learners should often be given the opportunity to
write freely without an assessment requirement.
In more formal writing, teachers are advised to assess a particular skill or sub-skill
being dealt with during that particular stage of the process. For example, all language
skills need not be addressed during each step of the process.
Peers should also learn to edit one another’s work as this interaction is an important
part of the process of writing and improves own and other’s awareness of the
process.
An important aspect of this Learning Outcome is the presentation of written work. It
can be shared with peers, teachers, the school as a whole, parents and/or a wider
range of stakeholders. The learner should take pride in a rounded, complete product.
Learners should be informed about the characteristics and requirements of different
kinds of creative texts. A short description of the kinds of writing texts that learners are
required to produce is provided below.
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