A Comparison of functional-national approach and grammar-syntax-organization approach in teaching writing in english as a foreign language

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study, which consists of five chapters, attempts to compare two of the approaches, i.e. the Grammar-Syntax-Organization approach and the Functional-Notional approach in teaching writing in English to students learning English as a foreing language. The study was administered to a control group, who were taught writing througtvthe Grammar-Syntax-Organization approach and to an experimental group, who were taught writing through the Functional-Notional approach during a 15 week teaching period. In the first chapter, a strong emphasis is made on the differences among the definitions of 'transcription', 'composition', and 'writing'.The purpose for teaching writing to foreign language students and the writing skills to be developed in the students are presented. This is followed by brief summaries of the approaches to teaching writing in foreign language. The basic concepts and principles of writing in a foreign language are summarized. Finally, the reasons for choosing these two approaches are explained, which is preceded a comparison of the approaches mentioned above. The second chapter deals with attitudes towards writing in foreign language by means of comparing writing and speech first in native language and then in foreign language. Writing is also compared with reading and listening in foreign language. Moreover, approaches to İİforeign language teaching are reviewed with special emphasis on the place of writing in these approaches. This is followed by a review of studies on teaching writing in English as a foreign language. Chapter three is concerned with the researcfrdesign, selection of subjects, data collection and data analysis. Limitations and methodological assumptions are also given in this chapter. The data obtained from the tests administered to the groups are statistically calculated and interpreted in chapter four. Chapter five discusses the statistical interpretations and concludes that both of the approaches compared in this study develop writing skills significantly within groups. But the Functional-Notional approach seems to have advantage in helping students develop ideas and express them in English easily. TTT