THE GRAMMAR-SYNTAX-ORGANIZATION APPROACHTeam:Chavez Ganillo SaratielEspinosa Camacho KarlaTapia Fernández Diana

What is it?

•According to M. Scott (1996, p. 146) this approach requires students to focus on several features of writing at once.

•“The writing tasks are designed to make

students to pay attention to grammar and syntax while also giving them words such as first, then, and finally to organize their text.” (M. Scott, 1996, p.146)

Emphasis

•Grammar + syntax + organization.

Focus

•To make a link between:

▫Purpose

▫Form

▫Message

Activities

•Organizing and also choosing appropriate grammar and vocabulary.

Simple Description with Visuals•Have students examine a picture and

ask them to name the objects in it.

•Then ask students to write a paragraph to describe the picture. The procedure for the activity may be as follows:

Simple Description with Visuals 1. Look at the picture.

2. Label the objects in the picture, then write a paragraph to describe the picture.

* Provide students with expressions and language structure, such as: “In the classroom there is” and have students complete the paragraph.

Completing a Description ParagraphFunction Words

• Give students a picture and have them complete a description by supplying the prepositions and expressions required by the context.

• The procedure for this activity may be as follows:

Completing a Description Paragrapha) Examine the picture and complete the

paragraph:

• This is a picture of Mary’s room. Her bed is ____ the window. ____ the bed and the window is a small chest of drawers. There is a bookcase ____ her bed on the ____. She has a radio that is ____ the book case, and she puts her books _____ the book case ______ three shelves. _____ the room. She has a very nice desk where she prepares her work for school.

Writing a Description from Questions•Have students examine a picture and

use a set of questions as a guide to write a short description of the picture.

•The procedure for this activity may be as follows:

Writing a Description from QuestionsA. Examine the picture and write a description

of it, using the questions below as guide lines.

Questions : 1. Does Alexa have a nice room? 2. What kind of things does she have in the room? 3. What do you like in Alexa’s room? 4. Do you have a room like Alexa’s room?

B. Describe your room in a few sentences.

•Show the picture of a group of people sitting somewhere and talking.

•Ask the following questions and ask them to form a conversation based on it.

a) Who do you think are talking?b) Where are they sitting?c) What are they talking about?

Make a conversation for the situation.

Slash Sentences

•Give students a set of sentence cues and have them write a short narrative paragraph.

•The procedure for this activity may be as follows:

Slash SentencesA) Make complete sentences according to the model.

Model: The Smiths / Summer / in the country/ spend The Smiths spend Summer in the country.

1. all / family / In the morning / to get up / arround / 8’oclock. 2. Mr. Smith / the kitchen / coffee / to prepare / to go down strairs. 3. his / wife / then / breakfast / to go outside / in / the garden.

B) Join the sentences into one single paragraph

Sentence Combining • Give students a set of propositions and have

them combine them into complete sentences. The procedure for this activity may be as follows:

• Provide students with set of propositions: 1. The man is tall. 2. The man has dark hair. 3. The man is standing by the door. 4. The man looks suspicious

• Have students combine the propositions in one sentence.

Sentence Combining

a) Join the following sentences to create a single one.

1. The man is tall. 2. The man has dark hair. 3. The man is standing by the door. 4. The man looks suspicious

References

•M. Scott, V. (1996). Teaching foreing language writing. In Rethinking Foreign Language Teaching (p. 146). Boston: Heinle & Heinle Publishers.

•Ghaith, G. (February 11, 2002). Writing. Retrieved on September 19, 2011. From http://www.nadasisland.com/ghaith-writing.html#approaches