TEACHING WRITING SKILL BASED ON PROCESS GENRE APPROACH IN COMMUNITY LEARNING CONTEXT

 

Mahmood Ahmad Azhar¹, Shumaila Kiran², Tenzila Khan³

¹Dr., Lahore Leads University, dr_azhar1@yahoo.com

 ²Lahore Leads University

³Lahore Leads University

 

Abstract

Present study aims at examining the adaptation and implementation of Process Genre Approach for the development and enhancement of writing skill of ESL learners in a community learning context in Pakistan. Teaching writing skill in any foreign language is taken very complex and tedious because mostly ESL teachers trail great number of approaches to teach writing. Though Process and Product approaches have dominated the teaching of writing over the last twenty years in ESL classroom, but Genre approach during the last ten years also came out as one of the great effective methods (Swales, 1990; Tribble, 1996). In this connection, present study discusses the relationship between Process approach and Genre approach, and also suggests that a combination of Process and Genre approach called Process-Genre approach, when implemented in letter and spirit in a language class room in Pakistan, can be more productive especially in the perspective of community learning program.

Present study is quantitative in nature comprising 66 participants, who were instructed and taught English writing skill using Process Genre approach, as a part of community learning program.  In-class proficiency tests were used as a tool for the purpose of data collection which were later analyzed by the researchers. Results exhibited the effectiveness of implementation of said approach for community learning purpose.

Findings were found showing effectiveness of Process Genre approach at multifarious levels: from learners’ target language lexicon learning, to the formulation of correct syntactic patterns and structures. Learners were even found more autonomous in using various writing techniques more creatively and productively.

 

Keywords: Process –Genre approach, adaptation, writing skill, community learning, effectiveness