How to Develop Writing Skills in a Foreign Language?

Abstract

Writing is potentially the most difficult skill for Foreign Language (FL) learners to master (Nunan 1999). It motivates thinking, that is, it can help learners to organise their ideas, and develop their critical thinking skills to summarise, analyse, and criticize (Rao, 2007). In this paper, the authors analyze the role of reading in the process of developing writing skills. The literature review shows that there is a close interconnection between the two skills. The relationship has long been a subject of considerable debate, and the mutually beneficial influence of the two skills has been confirmed. It is essential to understand the interrelation between reading and writing in order to develop these skills effectively. The authors analyse how a reading passage can be exploited to boost writing skills. In particular, how a reading passage can be used as a model, as a source of ideas, and as a sample of language use, which eventually advances writing skills. The authors studied several coursebooks to analyse how reading is used in the process of teaching writing. Observations and recommendations are shared at the end of the article. Namely, the authors confirm the idea of integration is widely exploited by the textbook writers. Moreover, every reading passage is looked at from different perspectives and is used for several purposes.