Using Students’ Answer Scripts in Developing Writing Skills at Tertiary Level:

Abstract

It is not unusual for the English Language teachers, especially in Bangladesh to come across students of different levels (advanced, intermediate, and beginner) in a class that makes it harder to plan any unique method to be applied for all of them at a time, especially in the case of teaching writing. A unique method in teaching writing is also unsuitable because there is a risk of having some demotivated students. Consequently, the task becomes challenging for the teacher as the outcome of students’ achievement is inadequate. While expertise in English calls for developing four skills – reading, writing, listening, and speaking – in Bangladesh, there is hardly any noticeable or effective method being used developing those skills. Most importantly, little attention is paid to the implementation of effective teaching strategies to develop writing skills. This paper attempts to discuss and explore the potential of reusing students’ written scripts in teaching writing. Students will engage with samples of earlier writing to identify and correct the grammatical and spelling mistakes, rearrange the ideas, and then reproduce it, thereby improving their writing skills. Students’ written scripts, which are often disposed of after being checked, can be reproduced for the students to teach writing by allowing them to encounter different varieties of English language styles and common errors.