Teaching composition in English Language Teaching (ELT) focuses on enabling students to produce coherent and meaningful written (or sometimes spoken) texts in English. It's about equipping learners with the necessary language skills, cognitive abilities, and organizational strategies to express their ideas effectively.
Based on the provided reference, teaching composition inherently involves the knowledge of sufficient English vocabulary, structures and spellings. It aims for students to develop fluency in not only speaking and reading, but crucially, in writing English. Beyond just linguistic proficiency, successful composition also requires students to have sufficient ideas and possess a level of mental development such that they can arrange ideas in a sequence.
Key Aspects of Teaching Composition in ELT
Teaching composition addresses several fundamental areas to ensure students can create well-formed pieces of writing. These aspects are directly tied to the requirements highlighted in the reference.
1. Language Proficiency
The bedrock of effective composition is a solid command of the English language. This includes:
- Vocabulary: Knowing enough words to express ideas accurately and nuancedly.
- Structures: Understanding and correctly using English grammar and sentence patterns.
- Spellings: Writing words correctly to ensure clarity and credibility.
- Writing Mechanics: Beyond spelling, this includes punctuation, capitalization, and paragraphing.
The goal is for students to move from simply understanding language to actively using it to construct their own messages in written form.
2. Idea Generation
Composition isn't just about language; it's also about having something to say. Teaching composition helps students:
- Brainstorming: Techniques to come up with ideas on a given topic.
- Topic Exploration: Developing and expanding on initial thoughts.
- Developing Content: Ensuring there are sufficient ideas to meet the requirements of the writing task.
3. Idea Organization
Once ideas are generated, they need to be presented logically so that the reader can easily follow the message. This aligns with the need for students to be able to arrange ideas in a sequence and have the necessary level of mental development to structure their thoughts.
Teaching focuses on:
- Outlining: Planning the structure of the composition (introduction, body paragraphs, conclusion).
- Sequencing: Ordering ideas logically (chronological, thematic, cause/effect, etc.).
- Cohesion and Coherence: Using linking words and phrases to connect ideas smoothly and ensuring the overall piece makes sense.
How Teaching Composition Happens
While the reference focuses on student requirements, the teaching process involves activities and strategies designed to build these skills.
| Skill Area | Teaching Focus | Examples of Activities |
|---|---|---|
| Language (Vocab, Structures, Spelling) | Building linguistic foundation specific to writing | Sentence combining exercises, gap fills, vocabulary builders, grammar practice tailored to writing. |
| Ideas Generation | Stimulating creativity and content development | Brainstorming sessions, freewriting, mind mapping, discussions on topics, research skills. |
| Ideas Organization | Structuring thoughts logically for clear communication | Creating outlines, sequencing sentences or paragraphs, using transition words exercises, analyzing model texts. |
| Writing Practice | Applying all skills in producing texts | Drafting paragraphs/essays, peer review, revision workshops, writing different genres (narrative, descriptive, argumentative). |
Effective composition teaching integrates these elements, ensuring students can not only produce grammatically correct sentences but also develop and present their ideas in a clear, organized, and engaging manner for a specific audience. It involves guiding students through the entire writing process, from initial idea to final draft.
In essence, teaching composition in ELT is about nurturing students' ability to communicate effectively in writing, requiring a blend of linguistic skill, creative thinking, and structured organization, as underscored by the need for sufficient English vocabulary, structures and spellings, sufficient ideas, and the ability to arrange ideas in a sequence.
