LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 16:10 October 2016
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.
         C. Subburaman, Ph.D. (Economics)
         N. Nadaraja Pillai, Ph.D.
         Renuga Devi, Ph.D.
         Soibam Rebika Devi, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A.

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Practicing Collaborative Writing in L2 Classrooms: Techniques and Achievements

Jahanara Begum, M.A. in English (Applied Linguistics and ELT)

Abstract

Teachers are often unwilling to do writing in L2 classrooms perhaps having a notion that it should be done individually and privately. However, if writing is incorporated in collaboration, it can facilitate the benefits of group activities in a mixed level L2 classroom. According to Vygotsky’s theory of ZPD (Zone of Proximal Development) working in collaboration can provide the learners with an opportunity of working at a level which is slightly above their regular capacity. Moreover, working in a group consisting of members of mixed ability often boosts the achievements in the L2 classrooms in a non-threatening environment. The aim of this article is to suggest that if the collaborative writing activities are carefully designed and monitored, it can foster the way of enhancing the writing proficiency. The article considers some directions for incorporating collaborative writing in L2 classrooms through certain activities which avail learners with the opportunity to pool ideas and provide each other with feedback in an interactive way and thus paves the way of achieving the desired goal.

Keywords: Writing proficiency, ZPD, interaction, group work, pair work,L2 proficiency, low- proficiency L2 learners, high-proficiency L2 learners.

Introduction

Collaborative writing involves interacting in pairs or small groups on a writing task. When an individual writer composes with a certain reader in mind or seeking assistance from others at some stage of their writing can be said to engage in collaborative writing. So writing is no longer an individual activity but an interactive process through which social abilities of the learners are reinforced. To promote interaction in the writing class, collaboration has been suggested to be advantageous. The benefits of practicing collaborative writing in L2 classrooms have been investigated by several ELT practitioners. In university courses the use of collaborative tasks are very common as they are believed to reflect the team writing often undertaken in the real world (Strauss, 2001).

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Jahanara Begum
M.A. in English (Applied Linguistics and ELT)
Lecturer, Department of English
Southeast University
jahan.seu@gmail.com

Postal Address: Southeast University; House#64, Road#18, Block#B, Banani, Dhaka-1213, Bangladesh
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