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Some questions:
• How much of the English writing theory in this presentation:
• do you know...
• do you regularly use...
• do you believe to be true...
• What are your experiences learning how to write English ...
• How do you expect to use your writing skills...
• What is the relationship between reading & extracting information
from texts and writing about them...
• How is English writing theory different from the writing practice
and theory in your native language...
Writing in English is like a game with balls & goals...
Writing in English is like the "game" you learned in your own
language... but in English the strategies and team-play are different....
All games that use a ball and a goal...
are not the same game!
In some games the ball is moved only with the hands, in some
games only with the feet, in some games with the hands and feet..
do you understand the rules of playing / writing in English?
But English traditions and rules for writing well are different from German...
English writing traditions are also different from those in Russian, Turkish,
Spanish, Italian Persian, French, Arabic, etc etc etc..
Goal #1
Learn the game-play, rules,
strategies and goals
for writing well in English...
"Writers need to develop "automaticity", the ability to automatically
juggle the many physical and cognitive aspects of writing without
consciously thinking about them. The only way to develop this
automaticity in writing is to practice, practice, practice."
Rewrite:
1. "German-language writing instruction emphasizes the transmission of
language."
2. "The transmission of knowledge is most important in German-language writing
instruction. " [passive voice]
Concept - "pyramid" - English vs German (discuss...)
Rewrite
She believes he will never leave her because he is sad and desperate and could
never find another woman who would marry him.
Concept: digressive-diverse vs linear-direct structures
(this can be true both in sentences and paragraphs)
English, main topic first: People should sort and recycle their trash in order to
help preserve the environment. Defined sub-topics: people/responsibility,
sort, recycle, environment... [note: some specific writing styles may differ from this]
German (and other languages) main topic at end: The environment is being
destroyed on many fronts. Trash, garbage, pollution... One important one to
help save the environment is to sort and recycle trash... In order to save our
environment, people must sort and recycle their trash.
Paragraph focuses on a single main topic
Original
The narrator says that Mr. Kelada is always interfering and acts like he knows
everything. The people on the ship give him the nickname Mr. Know-All. This
reinforces the reader’s negative way of thinking about Mr. Know-All.
Rewrite
#1 The narrator describes Mr. Kelada negatively and says that he is always
interfering and acts like he knows everything. Like the people on the ship, he
calls him by the nickname "Mr. Know-All."
#2 The reader gets a negative impression of Mr. Kelada from the narrator, who
says he is always interfering and acts like he knows everything. The people on
the ship even nickname him "Mr. Know-All."
Analysis: what is the main point of the paragraph?
Rewrite
The Stadtwerke München has committed to switching from traditional to
renewable sources within the next 15 years. To this end it has bought a
30% share in an offshore wind farm off the coast of North Wales.
• Native language:
– syntax, grammar (what is "natural" for you)
– thought-argumentation-discussion structures
– version of reader- or writer-oriented writing
– use of and emphasis on traditional writing forms in education
• Cultural point-of-view of life, the world, family, education, etc
• Educational system in your country
– where does "English" fit into the educational system in your
country?
• Teaching philsophy & practice of your previous teachers
– of the English teachers in your country
– of your individual English teachers
Let's discuss your thoughts and ideas...
1. What have you experienced in learning to write English?
2. Is there really a structural and philosophical difference between
English and other languages?
3. What are the differences between the English you've learned and
"native speaker" English?
4. What do you feel is most relevant to writing well in English? least
relevant?
5. What does "constructive criticism" mean and how should it be used to
give and receive suggestions and notes regarding your writing?
The End
Your thoughts?
"Language determines culture, so the extinction or change of a language also means the
loss of an individual culture, cultural alienation, a loss of heritage. Cultural imperialism
goes along with dominance of language and culture. "
Additional discussion topics
"Hermanns (1985) notes that British students of language and literature are
required to write one or two essays of no less than 3000 words each week. The
finished products are read out aloud in one-to-one tutorials, with the tutor asking
questions and offering comments. "
-- "Academic Writing and Culture: An Overview of Differences between English, French and German" - by
Dirk Siepmann, Siegen University, Siegen, Germany
Paragraph Topic Sentence sets the "permissions" for text
Wrong - Multiple "main" topics:
1. The text “Learning Virtues” is about the Asian and the Western approaches
to learning. 2. The narrator tells a story of a Chinese woman Jin Li, who was
recruited to learn about Western culture along with many other Chinese
students after the Cultural Revolution.
"In English the responsibility for communication lies with the writer – if
communication fails, we assume that the writer is at fault, that the writing was
insufficiently clear or well-organized. The writer must focus on the reader and making
things understandable and clear for the reader.
Author-oriented writing is focused on showing the writer's style mastery and
rhetorical skills (Italian and French are given as examples). Reader-oriented writing is
reader friendly, simple and designed for easy comprehension (English).
Clyne's (1987) study of academic papers indicates that writing by English speakers
favours a linear development, whereas writing in German is more marked by
digression, recapitulation and repetition.
English-speaking writers strive for readability by using a clear linear organization,
while German writers emphasize content over form and expect the reader to make
the connection. "
- David Limon, "Writing Across Culture"
University of Ljubljana, Department of Translation, Ljubljana, Slovenia
from "Writing, Testing and Culture" by Michael Clyne
(This and subsequent slides are open to questions & discussion...)
"Early on, Kaplan (1966) suggested that teaching reading and writing to
foreign students constitutes a different process from that of teaching
native speakers given the cultural differences inherent in rhetorical
patterns of the various languages with which learners interact. "
- from "Contrasting Rhetorical Patterns: Discovering Effects of First and Second Language
Writing Conventions" by Volkan İNCEÇAY, Yeditepe University
• "Paragraph unity" holds that every idea and fact
in the paragraph should contribute to the
development of a single topic, no matter how
interesting or significant a ‘digression’ might be. "
• -- from "Writing, Testing and Culture" By Michael Clyne
Topic Sentence sets focus for entire paragraph
Original
She wrote a book in which she describes the difference between Chinese learning
and western learning. In western learning there is great emphasis on questioning
authority, critical inquiry and sharing ideas in classroom, discussion. In Chinese
learning...
Rewrite
In her book, Jen Li describes the differences between Chinese and Western teaching
philosophies. Westerners emphasize questioning authority, critical inquiry and and
sharing ideas. The Chinese, however, emphasize...
Topic sentences – created from "Info List"
Info List for "Comparison of German, English & French..."
• Discusses German, English & French writing styles & traditions
• Saxonic = US and UK styles: data analysis
• Gallic = French: stylistic devices
• Teutonic = German: focused on theory development
Poor
The first writing style discussed in the article is German, which is called
"Teutonic" and focuses on theory development. Unlike the Teutonic style of
writing, the Saxonic focuses...
Rewrite
In the article the author discusses German, English and French writing styles
and traditions. The German writing style, which is called "Teutonic" focuses on
theory development. The English or "Saxonic," however, focuses on...
Paragraph coherency analysis...
"It was January 2009, I had just returned from my holidays in Spain, where I had visited
my big sister for 2 weeks, and I was waiting for my father who had told me on the phone
that he would pick me up at the airport in “Düsseldorf”. The holidays, which were the
last chance for me to relax and get away from it all before the Abitur examinations, were
beautiful! Tenerife, which lies in the Atlantic Ocean near the Maroccan Coast, is a really
exciting place to visit. On the one side there are numerous volcanos with mighty
eruptions and on the other side wonderful beaches with an incredible view of the wide
ocean. Also the architecture of the buildings, which are quite different from
Germany’s, fascinated me." -- student text, 2016
Analysis: define the topic
Englisch, Mittelstuffe Beispiel
Private households consume only 2 billion kilowatts of the total 7.5 billion
kilowatts the city uses per year. Three quarters are needed by corporate clients
like industries, businesses, the underground, hybrid cars.
Rewrite
The city uses 7.5 billion kilowatts per year, of which private households
consume only 2 billion. The remaining three-quarters are used by corporate
clients like industries, businesses, the underground and hybrid cars.
- from Staatsinstitut für Schulqualität München website