samo19

STRATEGI
C
WRITING
APPROAC
H

201
2

Outlines the effectiveness of process writing strategies in

improving learners composition. The basis of the process
writing strategies have been adapted to develop a
systematic writing strategy, known as Strategic Writing
Approach (SWAP),to help UPSR students to improve their
writing abilities

samo19

1. Introduction
Kim,Y. & Kim, J. (2005: 4) have quoted Hyland (2003) as stating that the process
approach to teaching writing sees, the writer as an independent producer of texts so
that teachers allow their students time and opportunity to develop students abilities to
plan, define a rhetorical problem, and propose and evaluate solutions. Response is crucial
in assisting learners to move through the stages of the writing process, and various means
of providing feedback are used, including teacher-student conferences, peer response,
audio taped feedback, and reformulation. This model views writing as ongoing, either in a
linear progression or in a circular (recursive) fashion. The writing task would involve the
writer engaging in the processes of planning, translating, drafting and revising. These
processes interact with each other and may be recursive besides giving room for peer
feedback as a means to revise their written work.

Effective writing is precisely organized, comprehensively researched and distinctly

presented (Kolin: 1990).

Purposes for writing

a) to entertain- relating to a friend something that had happened to you
b) to inform- telling someone about an operation that you have undergone
c) to persuade- having an intention to make someone agree to an idea

The writing process can be divided into 3 main stages; pre- writing, while- writing
and post- writing.
a) Pre-writing stage involves 3 tasks; selecting the topic, generating ideas and organizing
ideas
b) While- writing stage involves 4 tasks; drafting, getting feedback/ conferencing,
revising and editing
c) Post- writing stage involves 2 tasks; presentation and display

Select topic
2

samo19

Generating
ideas
Organize ideas

Pre- writing

Drafting
Getting
feedback/conferenci
ng
Revising

While- writing

Editing
Presenting

Post- writing

Displaying

Figure 1: Writing stages

2. Concept of Strategic Writing Approach
The Strategic Writing Approach (SWAP) was developed based on the fundamentals of
the process approach to writing. According to the SWAP, the writer, as an independent
producer of texts, would employ the knowledge of composing text to produce a good writing.
In so doing, the writer would move through the stages of writing which has been dictated
through formal instruction; the recursive writing process involves the processes of planning,
translating, drafting and revising the text.

3. Processes involved in SWAP

The writing process in SWAP requires the writer to move through the different writing
processes; planning, translating, drafting and revising the text.
Plannin
g

Translatin
g

Drafting

Revisi
ng

3.1 Planning the writing (SECTION A)

This is the first stage in the writing process. During this stage the writer is required to
come up with a logical story for the stimulus provided. Developing a logical idea for the
stimulus provided would help the writer to develop the writing product.

samo19

Example:

Where?: At the vegetable garden

Do what?: A family is pruning and harvesting their vegetables
Who?: 1. Father- a) squatting down next to the cabbages
- b) harvesting the cabbages
2. Mother- a) standing near the long bean vines
- b) harvesting the long beans
3. Son
- a) squatting down
b) turning the soil with a rake
3.2 Translating ideas onto paper
This stage involves the writer engaging in 2 activities; word categorizing and
constructing word phrases.
a) The suggested vocabulary would be categorized into different word groups based on their
function; nouns, verbs, adjectives, prepositions and articles. Drawing up the columns
below would help in categorizing.
Nouns

Verbs

Adjectives

Prepositions

Articles

Example:
Suggested vocabulary: farmer, family, vegetables, son, pruning, harvesting, carefully, tightly,
into, near

Nouns
Farmer
Family
Vegetables
Son

Verbs
Pruning
Harvesting

Adjectives
Carefully
Tightly

Prepositions
Into
Near

Articles

samo19

b) The idea when constructing word phrases is to begin from the Verbs column, and when the
verbs provided are insufficient, the writer could list out other appropriate verbs which are
related to the stimulus. Using the verbs, the writer would associate other words (nouns,
adjectives, preposition, articles, etc). This activity could be carried out more
systematically using the COPA method, which is explained below:

C (Characters)O (Objects)P (Place)A (Actions)Example:

C (Characters)- family, father, mother, son
O (Objects)- basket, hats, rake
P (Place)- at the vegetable
A (Actions)- pruning the vegetables
harvesting the cabbages
harvesting the long beans
weeding
turning the soil
squatting next to the cabbages
standing near the long bean vines
putting the cabbages into the basket
3.3 Writing the first draft
The writer should begin writing the first draft by using the word phrases which has
been constructed in the Actions column. However, for Part A (Question 1), the writer should
use the sentence structures which have been suggested. The sentence structures help students
to construct a variety of sentences.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

There is/are ____________________________________________

The _________________is/are ____________________________
The _________________ who is/are _________________ is/are ________________
The _________________ that is/are __________________ is/are ________________
The _________________ is/are __________________ while ___________________

Example:
a) There is a family at their vegetable garden.
b) The family is pruning and harvesting their vegetables.
5

samo19

c) The father who is squatting next to the cabbages is harvesting the cabbages.
d) The mother that is standing near the long bean vines is harvesting the long beans.
e) The son is squatting down while turning the soil with a rake.

3.4 Revising and writing the final product

The writer is required to check for errors in the first draft before re- writing the final
product. Good writers could add new words, especially adverbs, to make the sentences better.
Example:
a)
b)
c)
d)

There is a family at their vegetable garden.

The family is pruning and harvesting their vegetables.
The father who is squatting next to the cabbages is harvesting the cabbages carefully.
The mother that is standing straight near the long bean vines is harvesting the long
beans.

e)The son is squatting down while quietly turning the soil with a rake.

3.1 Planning the writing (SECTION A)

samo19

Picture 1:
Where?: At the zoo
Do what?: Went to the zoo
Who?: 1. Teacher, a student (Alia), her friends- in the school bus
Picture 2:
Where?: At the zoo
Do what?: See the animals at the zoo
Who?: 1. Teacher, Alia, her friends (They)- feel excited because they could see many
different kinds of animals at the zoo

Picture 3:
Where?: At the zoo
Do what?: See the animals
Who?: 1.Alia- felt disappointed to see that the animals were sad and thin
2. Animals- do not have the freedom that they had in the wilderness
3.2 Translating ideas onto paper
Alia, her teacher and friends went to the zoo. They went by school bus.
They felt excited. They could see many different types of wild animals at the zoo.
Alia was disappointed to see that the animals looked sad and thin. They did not have
the freedom that they had living in the wilderness.
7

samo19

3.3 Re- riting the composition

Last weekend, Alia, her teacher and friends went to the zoo. They went by
school bus.
They felt excited because they could see many different types of wild animals at
the zoo.
Alia was disappointed to see that the animals looked sad and thin. They also did not
have the freedom that they had living in the wilderness.

COMMONLY USED VERBS

Present
Ask
Break
Bring
Buy
Change
Clean
Comb
Complain
Cough
Count
Cut
Dance
Do
Draw
Drink
Drive
Eat
Explain
Fall
Fill
Find

Present
continuous
Asking
Breaking
Bringing
Buying
Changing
Cleaning
Combing
Complaining
Coughing
Counting
Cutting
Dancing
Doing
Drawing
Drinking
Driving
Eating
Explaining
Falling
Filling
Finding

Past tense

Past participle

Asked
Broke
Brought
Bought
Changed
Cleaned
Combed
Complained
Coughed
Counted
Cut
Danced
Did
Drew
Drank
Drove
Ate
Explained
Fell
Filled
Found

have/has asked
have/ has broken
have/has brought
have/has bought
have/has changed
have/has cleaned
have/has combed
have/has complained
have/has coughed
have/has counted
have/has cut
have/has danced
have/has done
have/has drawn
have/has drank
have/has driven
have/has eaten
have/has explained
have/has fallen
have/has filled
have/has found

B. Malaysia
equivalent
Tanya
Patah
Bawa
Beli
Tukar
Bersihkan
Menyikat
Mengadu
Batuk
Hitung
Potong
Menari
Buat
Lukis
Minum
Pandu
Makan
Menerangkan
Jatuh
Penuh
Jumpa

samo19

Fit
Fix
Fly
Give
Go
Have
Hear
Learn
Leave
Listen
Look
Make
Open
Close
Organize
Pay
Pitch
Play
Put
Read
Reply
Run
See
Sell
Present
Send
Shut
Sign
Sing
Sit
Sleep
Smoke
Speak
Spell
Spend
Stand
Study
Swim
Squat
Take
Talk
Teach
Tell
Think
Travel
Turn off
Turn on

Fitting
Fixing
Flying
Giving
Going
Having
Hearing
Learning
Leaving
Listening
Looking
Making
Opening
Closing
Organizing
Paying
Pitching
Playing
Putting
Reading
Replying
Running
Seeing
Selling
Present
continuous
Sending
Shutting
Signing
Singing
Sitting
Sleeping
Smoking
Speaking
Spelling
Spending
Standing
Studying
Swimming
Squatting
Taking
Talking
Teaching
Telling
Thinking
Travelling
Turning off
Turning on

Fitted
Fixed
Flew
Gave
Went
Had
Heard
Learned
Left
Listened
Looked
Made
Opened
Closed
Organized
Paid
Pitched
Played
Put
Read
Replied
Ran
Saw
Sold
Past tense

have/has fitted
have/has fixed
have/has flown
have/has given
have/have given
have/has had
have/has heard
have/has learned
have/has left
have/has listened
have/has looked
have/has made
have/has opened
have/has closed
have/has organized
have/has paid
have/has pitched
have/has played
have/has put
have/has put
have/has replied
have/has ran
have/has seen
have/has sold
Past participle

Sent
Shut
Signed
Sang
Sat
Slept
Smoked
Spoke
Spelt
Spent
Stood
Studied
Swam
Squatted
Took
Talked
Taught
Told
Thought
Travelled
Turned off
Turned on

Have/has sent
Have/has shut
Have/has signed
Have/has sang
Have/has sat
Have/has slept
Have/has smoked
Have/has spoke
Have/has spelt
Have/has spent
Have/has stood
Have/has studied
Have/has swam
Have/has squatted
Have/has taken
Have/has talked
Have/has taught
Have/has told
Have/has thought
Have/has travelled
Have/has turned off
Have/has turned on

Padan
Baiki
Terbang
Beri
Pergi
Mempunyai
Mendengar
Pelajari
Tinggalkan
Dengar
Pandang
Buat
Buka
Tutup
Menganjurkan
Bayar
Mendirikan
Main
Letak
Baca
Balas
Lari
Lihat
Jual
B. Malaysia
equivalent
Hantar
Tutup
Tandatangan
Nyanyi
Duduk
Tidur
Hisap
Ucap
Eja
Belanja
Berdiri
Belajar
Berenang
Mencakung
Ambil
Cakap
Ajar
Beritahu
Fikir
Merantau
Tutup
Buka

samo19

Type
Use
Wait
Walk
Wake up
Watch
Work
Write

Typing
Using
Waiting
Walking
Waking up
Watching
Working
Writing

Typed
Used
Waited
Walked
Woke up
Watched
Worked
Wrote

Have/has typed
Have/has used
Have/has waited
Have/has walked
Have/has waken up
Have/has watched
Have/has worked
Have/has written

10

Taip
Guna
Tunggu
Jalan
Bangun
Tonton
Bekerja
Tulis