When teaching writing, talking does not immediately strike me as an important element. In fact, I used to think that the less talking we did in class the better because then students would have more time for writing. However, I've found that dedicating time for talking about writing in the classroom has great value.
My class transferred online early last year which meant I had to make changes to how I delivered lessons. One of the factors I came across was 'engagement'--keeping learners engaged during online lessons. I found that discussions were a simple way to build in engagement. For example, before a lesson about essay writing, I asked students to share their experiences of writing essays. Through these discussions, I thought I could ensure that students were mentally present in the lesson rather than just a box on a screen. They did keep the students engaged, but the discussions did even more than that. Here's what happens when students are given space to talk about writing.
Students see they are not alone
On beginning our fiction unit, I asked the students to talk about their experiences writing fiction. One theme that arose was the experience of writing freely when they were younger, but feeling they had lost that now that they are older. As a child they felt they could write anything, but now as a 19 or 20-year-old they felt more self-conscious and less creative. Other students could relate to this feeling of being more risk-averse as an adult (as could I). It was a wonderful conversation. We felt a sense of solidarity.
Students can solve writing problems together
Following on from the conversation above, I asked the students what we could do to deal with our seeming loss of ability to take risks and be creative. Students were eagerly participating and listening as we worked together to try to solve a real writing challenge. They started to see that their ideas could have value in helping others as they worked through different obstacles together in conversation.
Students begin to see themselves as 'real writers'
Engaging with writing challenges and being able to share their successes and failures validates students' experiences. Through discussion, they learn that others (including their teacher and professional authors) struggle with the same things. Bringing ideas about writing into conversation prompts students to be more conscious as they engage in the writing process. They begin to take on the identity and responsibility of being a writer. This produces one of the most important elements of motivation--autonomy.
How to incorporate talk into writing lessons?
Many of us already begin our lessons with a question. "How do we revise?" "What is a summary?" But we dive into the lesson without allowing students to struggle with the question for themselves. Talking doesn't need to take up a lot of the lesson time. Here are a few ideas.
Turn the lesson topic into a question
If the topic is writing emails, you could ask the students whether they write emails and if they've ever had any problems with email (e.g. forgetting attachments, misunderstandings, etc.). Pairs or small groups can chat for a couple of minutes then a few students could be invited to share with the whole class.
Ask questions you would want to engage with
People love talking about themselves, so ask students about their opinions and experiences. For example, if the topic is about research you could ask the students to share their successes and challenges with research or their own researching techniques.
Use a reading to spark discussion
Ask students to come to class prepared to discuss an assigned reading. Some excellent articles and essays that student might like to discuss include Stephen Krashen's Secrets of Writing, Anne Lamott's Shitty First Drafts, Robert Louis Stevenson's A College Magazine (Part 1), and Joan Didion's On Keeping a Notebook.
There has been some research into the value of talk in the writing classroom, mostly focused on young learners; however, I've found that older students can benefit a lot as well. Why not try incorporating more talk into writing lessons?
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