Writing Classes

Writing Classes

--Rebat Dhakal

Over the years, I’ve read not so many, but a few books on writing skills and attended the classes and seminars on how to write. And what not, I have been teaching writing to my students for the past few years. But… what a shame! I should say; I still have the problem of getting started and organized.

I have also listened to the long sighs of frustration of the language teachers that their students are not doing well in writing and then the discussion of the fact that students are largely unmotivated to the writing classes. And although I, too, have fallen into this occasional ‘staff-room talk’ about the students’ failure, now I find myself regretting of our ignorance that we are not motivating them to writing by doing the same chore (unenjoyable task) year after year without bringing variety and fun activities in them. I know they like concrete examples, specified formats, thorough explanations of difficult concepts, and opportunities to have their questions answered. Yet I have not been so successful in applying what I could have done.

It seems clear that students are not necessarily unmotivated or unwilling learners; they are simply uninvolved in the depersonalization of the traditional classroom. They are willing to learn; they simply may not be able to endure the way they are taught. I now know that if I really want to see my students motivated in writing, I have to be motivated to rethink how it is I am teaching them writing.