SUB-SKILLS IN WRITING
Organizational and Editing Skills for Cohesive Writing
Organizational and editing skills are key sub-skills in writing that greatly impact the
clarity and effectiveness of written communication in ESL/EFL contexts. Organizational
skills involve the ability to structure ideas logically, ensuring that a piece of writing has a
clear introduction, coherent body, and a concise conclusion. This skill is vital for both
academic and professional writing, where the ability to present ideas in a structured manner
is essential (Hyland, 2003). Teaching these skills can involve exercises such as outlining,
mind mapping, or paragraph ordering, which help students visualize and structure their
ideas effectively.
Editing skills, on the other hand, focus on refining a written piece by correcting
grammatical errors, improving sentence structure, and ensuring clarity of expression
(Hedge, 2005). It is an iterative process where students learn to review and revise their
work, focusing on aspects like word choice, sentence variety, and overall flow. Techniques
such as peer editing, where students exchange drafts and provide feedback, can be
particularly effective in developing these skills.
Fostering Creativity and Accuracy in Writing Tasks
Balancing creativity and accuracy in writing is crucial for ESL/EFL learners. While
accuracy is important for clear communication, creativity allows for the expression of
individuality and engagement with the writing process (Kroll, 1990). Encouraging creative
writing tasks such as stories, poems, or personal essays can motivate students to use
language in innovative ways and develop a personal writing style. These tasks can be
particularly engaging for learners, as they provide freedom to explore language beyond the
confines of structured, academic writing.
To foster accuracy, regular practice with different types of writing tasks, such as
reports, essays, and reviews, is important. These tasks should emphasize correct
grammar, punctuation, and style, tailored to the specific genre (Paltridge, 2004). Providing
models of good writing and using rubrics that clearly define expectations for accuracy can
guide students in understanding the standards for quality writing in different contexts.
In summary, developing organizational and editing skills, along with fostering
creativity and accuracy, is essential in teaching writing sub-skills to ESL/EFL learners.
These skills equip students not only with the ability to produce clear and coherent texts but
also with the creativity to express themselves effectively and engagingly in written form.
WRITING PROCESS – AN OVERVIEW
Well-written documents, whether essays, memos, letters, reports, instructions, or
some other genre or form, do not move perfectly from a writer’s thoughts and imagination
through the keyboard or pen and onto the screen or paper. Strong writing emerges
through a process or series of steps. Writers may or may not engage in these steps
purposefully, but understanding how specific skills, tools, and practices can be used at
each point of the process helps the development of a document proceed more smoothly.
The general steps of the writing process can be divided into five stages:
1. Prewriting
2. Outlining
3. Drafting
4. Revising
5. Editing
Though each stage is recognizable, writing is primarily recursive; in other words, it
covers the same ground and techniques multiple times. When writing (especially when
typing, where the delete and backspace keys are easily accessible), a writer does not
smoothly type a sentence without stopping. Instead, a writer may type a few words, decide
one word does not work, and delete it before continuing. When constructing a paragraph,
the writer may return to the middle of it and add a transitional phrase or word before
continuing to another section. Even after a first draft is complete, a writer may realize they
are missing an idea and go back to conduct some prewriting and/or outlining of a section,
and then return to revise the remainder of the document.
Overall, writing does not proceed in a straight line. Furthermore, the tools and
strategies for each stage are helpful to understand and apply at the appropriate times in
your work.
References:
EFLCafe.net. (n.d.). Understanding and teaching language sub-skills in ESL/EFL.
https://eflcafe.net/understanding-and-teaching-language-sub-skills-in-esl-efl/
Pattison, K., Francis, J., Jr., & Hagstrom-Schmidt, N. (2022). The writing process: An
overview. In M. McKinney, K. Pattison, S. LeMire, K. Anders, & N. Hagstrom-Schmidt
(Eds.), Howdy or Hello? Technical and Professional Communication (2nd ed.). Texas
A&M University.
