EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO WRITING ON THE IMPROVEMENT OF STUDENTS’ WRITING PERFORMANCE

Abstract

Students’ motivation to improve writing skills has increased over the last decade in North Macedonia with the incorporation of the obligatory final state exam in English that each high school student has to take before graduation. The last part of the exam requires that students express their writing skill in two assignments, including an essay, which are followed by a two-fold grading system where each written assignment is evaluated by two different trained evaluators. Therefore, writing as a skill takes up an important part in the evaluation of students’ proficiency level of English as a Foreign Language. While learners struggle in learning how to write properly in English, teachers face problems in finding suitable ways in which writing can be taught. One of the main reasons why teachers cannot achieve satisfactory results is the fact that they have to find a way to integrate writing along with other skills when facing lack of time and lack of a composition class. Considering students’ needs to improve writing and identifying their difficulty in mastering this skill, I decided to conduct a study that would give insights into different types of writing. This study examines two approaches to writing: controlled and free writing. It was carried out with two groups of high school students aged 17-18 who participated in a two-month instruction and intensive course in writing. The participants were tested on their writing skills before and after the writing instruction. Considering that all students were attending intermediate level of English language instruction, they could all participate regardless of their proficiency level or ability to write. The method of assessment of this study was a qualitative one, in terms of performance assessment, which included qualitative activities such as portfolios. The outcomes of this case study prove the hypothesis that students respond better and improve their writing performance when the teacher uses the free writing approach rather than the controlled writing approach. Furthermore, students who have been engaged in free writing groups and have practiced the use of drafts and unrestricted composing have shown more progress than students who have learned fixed patterns. This research proved useful for students taking part in it because they were offered an opportunity to develop their writing abilities and prepare themselves for the upcoming state exam. Beneficiaries of the findings of the research are also teachers and learners of English as a Second Language who face the same problems.