Effective Strategies for Improving Writing Skills of Elementary English Language Learners

Literature Review 

Creating an Environment Conducive for ESL Writers 

 

Data consistently shows that ESL students on all levels score lower in writing than any 

other domain. It is the last domain of second language learning to fully develop. Researchers 

have discovered many reasons for this problem, and a key part of it is how they feel about 

themselves as writers. Becoming a proficient writer of English is a problem for many ESL 

students as they believe that they simply cannot write English.  This becomes more prominent in 

the upper grade levels of elementary school and beyond. This feeling of incompetency leads to 

self-doubt and anxiety in writing and can hinder the process of achieving writing proficiency 

(Thomas, 1993). Researchers believe that it is not the task of writing that is deemed so 

intimidating, but more so the feedback and assessment of that writing by instructors and/or peers 

(Kasper & Petrello, 1998).  

Before the 1970’s, writing instruction focused on rules of grammar (Pour-Mohammadi, 

Zainol Abidin, & Cheong Lai, 2012).  Today research shows that it is more important to create 

an environment that encourages students to take risks in their writing which means less 

concentration on conventional rules of writing and more on expression of ideas (Shaughnessy, 

---

 

7 

 

 

1998).  To do so, means being less critical at the beginning of the writing process in terms of 

errors, be it grammatical or otherwise.  By not being focused on the errors of a writing piece, a 

student feels permitted to express his thoughts more freely. Overlooking the grammatical errors 

and focusing on the ideas is a skill to be acquired for certain, but a skill that is essential if 

educators desire a decrease in student frustration and an increased level of actual writing. 

Furthermore, when creative ideas are not hindered by concerns of using correct form, ESL 

students are more likely to progress. This shift of focus is what MacGowan-Gilhooly (1991) calls 

a Fluency First Approach.  She believes that only after students have learned to express 

themselves can they then move toward correction of grammatical errors. With this approach, 

MacGowan-Gilhooly (1991) saw higher pass rates among her ESL students.  

 

In addition to the Fluency First Approach, Kasper and Petrello (1998) also suggest that 

the type of feedback teachers provide plays a very significant role in decreasing writing anxiety 

of ESL students. Mary Beaven (1977) found that teachers who used shared experiences, 

discussed students’ thoughts, and requested additional information as feedback were most 

successful in decreasing students’ frustration thus making them feel more confident. Examples of 

such feedback would be task oriented questions like: Could you give more information? Could 

you start your writing in a way that relates to your main purpose of the paper? This type of 

feedback is meant to encourage and provoke more thought regarding ideas rather than correcting 

conventional errors.  This type of student/teacher conferencing should also include opportunities 

for students to ask questions regarding the writing process or the product itself (Hyland 2000).