The Importance of Developing Reading for Improved Writing Skills in the Literature on Adult Student's Learning

By Sumar Yousef Ghizan

This literature review examined the importance of reading and writing skills, and their influence on learning. The description of selected teaching methodologies for development of students language skills and approaches to language learning and acquisition are the main core of this study. Its significance is in highlighting methods for teaching languages that value meaningful learning through the implementation and usage of the natural and communicative approaches. The literature review includes resources that cover the students learning styles, teachers role and the educators vision for a better future for the learner whos going to acquire not only a language but also strategies applicable in real life situations beyond school. The researcher concluded that investing in the development of the students reading and writing skills provides opportunities for meaningful learning to occur. Also, the study revealed factors may speed the learning process and other factors may hinder it. The researcher has recommended the application of rubric-referenced self-assessment on the development of writing and critical thinking skills.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Feb 20, 2016
• ISBN: 9781514433331

Sumar Yousef Ghizan

Sumar Ghizan is a very talented Language expert in the field of EFL/ESL and language acquisition in Canada and all over the world. She has more than 21 years of experience in the field of English Language Teaching and communication skills. She taught Graduate and Undergraduate Students at New York Institute of Technology for many years, also at St. Clair College, along with other educational institutions inside and outside Canada where she taught syntax 1 and 2, Phonetics, and Advanced Writing along with all levels of English Language skills. Now currently, she will be working with multicultural and diverse team to study language components like culture and art also music. Her next book will have photos for the places she travelled to, in different times and occasions to study and explore varieties that unite us as human beings and things that we share in every language and culture trying to focus on things that unite us as human kind race also to find similarities among all nations. Dr. Sumar Ghizan is exploring how the environmental and whether factors affect the activities associated to people’s communication and patterns of cooperation. She is going to hold interviews with native speakers from various different backgrounds all over the world, then after that she is going to analyze the data, then report them after applying a mathematical model designed carefully to improve the measurement tools for her thorough study. Her research interest remains in the field of Language acquisition and development, most currently, with a wider sense to explore more deeper aspects to language and communication skills connected to its’ components.

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Copyright © 2015 by Sumar Yousef Ghizan. 612193

ISBN:   Softcover         978-1-5144-3332-4

EBook              978-1-5144-3333-1

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Rev. date: 01/27/2016

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The Importance of Developing Reading for Improved Writing

Skills in the literature on Adult Student’s learning

Dr. Kara Smith

Faculty of Education and Academic Development

Dr. Dragana Martinovic, Advisor

Faculty of Education and Academic Development

21 September 2015

AUTHOR’S DECLARTION OF ORIGINALITY

I hereby certify that I am the sole author of this major paper and that no part of this major paper has been published or submitted for publication.

I certify that, to the best of my knowledge, my major paper does not infringe upon anyone’s copyright nor violate any proprietary rights and that any ideas, techniques, quotations, or any other material from the work of other people included in my major paper, published or otherwise, are fully acknowledged in accordance with the standard referencing practices. Furthermore, to the extent that I have included copyrighted material that surpasses the bounds of fair dealing within the meaning of the Canada Copyright Act, I certify that I have obtained a written permission from the copyright owner(s) to include such material(s) in my thesis and have included copies of such copyright clearances to my appendix.

I declare that this is a true copy of my major paper, including any final revisions, as approved by my major paper committee and the Graduate Studies office, and that this major paper has not been submitted for a higher degree to any other University or Institution.

ABSTRACT

This literature review examined the importance of reading and writing skills, and their influence on learning. The description of selected teaching methodologies for development of students’ language skills and approaches to language learning and acquisition are the main core of this study. Its significance is in highlighting methods for teaching languages that value meaningful learning through the implementation and usage of the natural and communicative approaches. The literature review includes resources that cover the students’ learning styles, teachers’ role and the educators’ vision for a better future for the learner who’s going to acquire not only a language but also strategies applicable in real life situations beyond school. The researcher concluded that investing in the development of the students’ reading and writing skills provides opportunities for meaningful learning to occur. Also, the study revealed factors may speed the learning process and other factors may hinder it. The researcher has recommended the application of rubric-referenced self-assessment on the development of writing and critical thinking skills.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I acknowledge the instant Academic support and continuous guidance of my Supervisor Professor Dragana Martinovic who has been a role model and an example to follow all the years long. Her advice and recommendations made me reach the findings of my study and successfully defend it on time and I am very grateful to her in every each semester and indebted to her for constant efforts to encourage me to finish this study successfully.

I also acknowledge Dr. Kara Smith for her recommendations and opinions. Her views enriched this study. With valuable directions and guiding notes, I could graduate from the Master of Education Program successfully.

To my friends, family and colleagues, I do really appreciate everything you did and every word you said to encourage me and support my willingness to obtain my degree from the University that I loved the most, The University of Windsor where the best memories were crafted in my schema forever.

Contents

AUTHOR’S DECLARTION OF ORIGINALITY

ABSTRACT

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

1. Chapter One: INTRODUCTION

Statement of the Problem

Research Questions

Definitions and Terminology

Significance of the Study

Limitations of the Study

2. Chapter Two: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Writing Skills Development and its Importance

Writing History and tools of writing; Historical background and abbreviated flashback to Writing Skills

Reading and writing

Vocabulary and writing

I: Vocabulary Development

II: Strategies for teachers to develop vocabulary based on best language teaching methodologies

Cognitive Competence and Learning Performance

Evaluation and Assessment for Writing Skills

3. Chapter Three: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

References

Appendix I

Appendix II

Appendix III

Appendix IV

Appendix V

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Existing in a world that is heaving with Mega data resources and a constant flow of information, reading and writing are important skills to investigate and study thoroughly. To cope with the tremendous, enormously vast amounts of knowledge resources, the development of reading and writing for language learners becomes a necessity. While studying language development whether for the learners or the users of that particular language, the skills which should be focused on are the skills of reading and writing along with the other language skills and components. Many students and language teachers and authors reported it, Ghizan (2012) as well Nunan (1989). Both English as a Second Language speakers (ESL) and native speakers of English reported that they directly or indirectly encountered various challenges influenced by lack of their writing skills all through the years of studying in schools, colleges and universities. Reading and writing might be considered the most demanding skills that require training, practice, and studying to develop language learning and acquisition.

With reference to a number of authors, writing might be considered a gift so this may lead us to raise the question if the author or writer is born or made, but either way s/he has to be taught how to write (Nunan, 1989; White, 1981). As a lot of authors agree, the literate person is expected to master both reading and writing skills, and achieve high levels of literacy and numeracy also communication so as to be considered educated and literate. To design any curriculum, there should be minimal learning outcomes that are expected to be attained by a literate learner. Reading and writing, along with other skills and knowledge base, are of a high priority for all educational institutions. This is due to the impact of those skills on learning performance in particular, and cognitive competence in general. The prominent focus of this study is to explore the influence of reading and writing skills development on learning performance and the students’ cognitive competence in general within a particular stage of their development which is adulthood. This study will explore the influence of writing skills development on learning performance of adult learners.

Writing is a skill that is interrelated to the skill of reading (Brooks, 2007) but both are dealt with differently using distinct teaching techniques based on different language and educational theories and there is a relationship between them as stated by many authors. The most important thing is that English Language Teachers who teaches writing select what best suits their students and matches their own and their department’s pedagogical philosophy (such as Hayes, 1983; Malmstrom and Lee, 1908). While teaching these skills to students, teachers might see learners who are already talented but as many theorists discussed it (Routman, 2000), practice and training to develop a skill is a must.

To sum up, this research investigated the relationship between two language skills, reading and writing, and the effect of developing those skills on the students’ learning competence and academic performance in general. It tackled direct and indirect factors that positively influence the learning process, its evaluation and assessment. In addition, it examines the dimensions of the language acquisition process and related teaching methodologies. The study takes into consideration the theoretical background as well as application. It presents some useful evaluation models and relates to educational psychological principles, such as motivation to learn.

The correlation between reading and writing is a major premise in this study. Studying the effect of motivation as a driving force to enhance the learner’s capacity and encourage him/her to acquire knowledge in