week 12 - Williams

Williams proposed that output may be helpful in developing input and further pointed out that “it may also help them to notice ‘holes’ in their own competence; that is, in the act of production, learners may notice that they do not have the knowledge to say or write what they want to convey” (p. 14). I found her statement really interesting because I just read an article not too long ago about the similar suggestion. Huang (2009) pointed out that difficult words in textbooks might not be as practical for students because they do not know how to use them in the written assignment. However, through the process of writing stories, student writers can be flexible using their own words to express themselves, but at the same time expand their vocabulary. Through expressive writing, students can gradually understand what they need in order to make their expressions meaningful.

The author also mentioned about using conversations to enhance the quality of writing. I am curious about how this activity can be done. Does this activity work for any language levels? Do teachers need to give brief explanations about what students should do (we can’t assume that students know where to start or what to look for in their peer’s writing)? I was thinking if it is okay for students to use their first language(s) to discuss their writing (in EFL context). I thinking that talking to our classmates can add more perspectives toward our writing and their questions toward our writing can give us a chance to think deeper. It is just like that we always get more information when we interview people than give out questionnaires.

Huang, Y.-C. (2009). Writing wordless picture books to facilitate English
writing. Asian EFL Journal Professional Teaching Articles, 38, 20-34.