DEVELOPING FUTURE ENGLISH TEACHERS’ WRITING SKILLS USING CHECKLISTS

Abstract

The article examines new approaches to teaching writing and ways of developing future English teachers’ writing skills using rubrics and rubric checklists. Writing is determined as a complex skill, which includes metacognitive skills, production and knowledge resources. Product-oriented, process-oriented and genre approaches to teaching writing have been specified. The curriculum requirements for the fourth year of study at pedagogical universities have been analysed and writing skills of the fourth year students have been outlined, writing skills and genres have been determined. The correlation between the students’ writing skills and Common European Framework of Reference levels of language proficiency has been made and C1 level has been determined as a target level for fourth year students. The procedure of familiarising students with Cambridge Advanced English examination rubric scale for writing tasks and introduction of a checklist have been described. The process of developing future English teachers’ writing skills using checklists has been analysed. The advantages and disadvantages of checklists as self- and peer assessment tools have been enumerated. It has been concluded that using rubrics and checklists helps students to become more active learners and improve their performance, understand the link between learning objectives and desired outcome by articulating required elements of a successful assignment; assist in the problem solving process as students attempt to determine what factors are important, reduce uncertainty and ambiguity. Based on positive feedback from students and improved writing skills of students a general conclusion has been made about the effectiveness of checklists for developing future English teachers’ writing skills.