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The Product Approach
Britishey Training Centre
Overview
This video introduces the "Product Approach" to teaching writing, a five-stage framework designed to guide students through the process of producing a written piece. The approach emphasizes leading students into the topic, providing a model text for reading and analysis, focusing on genre conventions and language, dedicating ample time for the writing task itself, and finally, offering constructive feedback. The presenter demonstrates each stage with a practical example of teaching students to write an email offering advice.
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Chapters
- The Product Approach is a writing framework with distinct stages.
- Every teaching framework should begin with a 'leading' stage to capture student attention and interest.
- The effectiveness of the leading stage depends on understanding the writing task's topic.
Capturing student attention at the outset is crucial for engagement and setting the stage for effective learning.
The presenter starts by asking teachers about their challenges in teaching writing, a teacher-centered leading technique.
- The reading stage provides students with a model text, an example of the 'product' they will create.
- This stage is essential because learners often need to see how a specific type of writing is done before attempting it themselves.
- Students must be given a clear purpose for reading, such as identifying specific information or problems within the text.
Exposure to a well-crafted example helps students understand the expectations and structure of the writing task, demystifying the process.
Students are given an email from a teacher complaining about writing lessons and asked to identify the main problems the teacher is facing.
- Genre analysis involves breaking down the specific type of writing (genre) students will produce.
- This stage focuses on two key components: the ideas to be conveyed and the language needed to convey them.
- The teacher should prioritize ideas or language based on the students' specific needs for the task.
Analyzing the genre helps students understand not just what to say, but also how to say it effectively, covering both content and linguistic aspects.
Students are asked to brainstorm points for advising the teacher in the email, focusing on expressing opinions and giving advice, and then to generate specific phrases for these functions.
- This is the core stage where students apply what they've learned to produce their own written piece.
- Sufficient time must be allocated for students to complete the writing task, as it's the culmination of the previous stages.
- The goal is for students to synthesize ideas and language learned into a coherent piece of writing.
This stage allows students to practice and consolidate their learning, moving from understanding to active creation.
Students are given 15 minutes to write an email giving advice to the teacher, incorporating ideas and language discussed in the genre analysis.
- Feedback is crucial and should address both content (ideas) and language (accuracy).
- Content feedback should often be prioritized to validate the student's message and effort.
- Language feedback can be delivered collectively (addressing common errors) or personally (individualized corrections).
Effective feedback helps students identify strengths and weaknesses, guiding them toward improvement and reinforcing learning.
A 'gallery walk' activity is used for content feedback, where students read and discuss each other's work, followed by a discussion of collective language feedback using correction codes like 'G' for grammar.
- Feedback can be direct (teacher corrects errors) or indirect (teacher uses codes for students to self-correct).
- Indirect feedback using correction codes (e.g., 'G' for grammar, 'V' for vocabulary) encourages student autonomy.
- Both direct and indirect feedback have advantages and disadvantages regarding student engagement and teacher workload.
Understanding different feedback methods allows teachers to choose the most effective approach based on student needs, time constraints, and learning goals.
The presenter explains how using a code like 'G' next to 'I has seen the match' prompts the student to identify and correct the grammar error themselves.
Key takeaways
- The Product Approach is a structured method for teaching writing, moving from engagement to production and refinement.
- Effective writing instruction begins with capturing student interest through a 'leading' activity.
- Providing clear models and analyzing the genre are essential steps before students begin writing.
- Students need sufficient time and clear purpose during the writing task itself.
- Feedback should be balanced, prioritizing content initially and then addressing language accuracy.
- Teachers can employ various strategies for language feedback, including peer review, collective correction, and indirect methods using codes.
- The ultimate goal of the Product Approach is to prepare students for real-world writing tasks by mirroring authentic communication.
Key terms
Product ApproachLeadingReading StageGenre AnalysisWriting TaskFeedbackContent FeedbackLanguage FeedbackDirect FeedbackIndirect FeedbackCorrection CodesGallery Walk
Test your understanding
- What are the five main stages of the Product Approach and in what order should they be presented?
- Why is a 'leading' stage important at the beginning of a writing lesson?
- How does the 'reading' stage in the Product Approach prepare students for the writing task?
- What are the two main components analyzed during the 'genre analysis' stage, and how should a teacher decide which to focus on?
- What is the difference between direct and indirect language feedback, and what are the benefits of using correction codes?