I get slightly exasperated when students’ parents ask me if there is a list of phrases that their child can memorise to get ready for their composition examinations. I don’t blame the parents for asking this because it comforts them and shows that there are aids for their children to help them score well. As long as there is something tangible in front of students to do, parents will be satisfied. Memorising the same phrases can help children, especially those who genuinely don’t know what to write, but for children who are able to tell a story chronologically and can elaborate on scenes to a certain degree shouldn’t be memorising phrases. They should learn how to think.
Disclaimer: Views expressed here are my own.
Memorising phrases doesn’t teach children how to write at all. This method of looking for patterns in test papers, knowing the secret and tricks behind question types and putting down the standard answer is a staple of how education works. Students can put in the correct answers using this universal strategy, but it doesn’t get them interested in the subjects and it doesn’t get them interested in writing. It only gets them to pass examinations. (This is why we have so many people who follow what is required and do what they do because it’s required. They don’t develop any interests besides working and watching Netflix.)
Sure, there are only so many topics that the schools can test and they boil down to these few plots:
- returning a lot wallet
- saving someone from drowning
- describing a fire
- doing a dare/something wrong like cheating
and so on. The way we’re teaching writing is not right; with these stock topics there will always be stock phrases that fit these topics. You can have students go into the exam halls and just ‘vomit out’ a plot that they have written before. There is no craft and there is no thinking because the syllabus is structured in such a way that they should put in the correct answer.
But if you want to learn to write, how should you do it? Here’s what you can do:
- Observe people
Don’t stare at someone on public transport–it’s rude–but observe how people walk and talk to each other. Their mannerisms help convey how they feel. This helps with showing feelings in school compositions, but of course, I’d encourage writers to go one step further and characterise the person. Maybe this particular character twirls their hair when they are nervous or starts biting their nails? People fidget a lot and in different ways so it’s great to observe and take notes. Great writers are also great observers so look at people’s facial expressions and learn how they react and move on real life and transfer it to your work.
- Note down how writers write when reading
People should read what they like; no sense forcing children into reading so-called educational stuff or model composition books because these books may not be interesting to them. Let them read everything — Roald Dahl books, the Percy Jackson series, and Harry Potter — whatever floats their boat. But people should read closely and observe language conventions, such as using full stops and commas, and how the writer writes dialogue and describes the landscape. Even till today, I am continuously amazed at the very creative similes that writers come up with. Some children use the phrases from these books, and it’s OK because it’s a stepping stone for them and it shows them how to be creative. Later, they can come up with their own similes or use their own words. Reading closely and being aware of how language works will equip readers with the tools on how to write.
- Have fun!
This sounds like the fluffiest piece of advice ever, but we’re so focused on getting the ideal marks or grades that we lose sight of what’s important — letting children have fun and explore with the language. Whatever they write doesn’t have to be “for school” — they can write about superheroes that fart and aliens. Writing a nonsense story may seem impractical and silly to a lot of adults but this helps them cultivate a love for language. The language skills they acquire will be beneficial for writing school compositions, as long as teachers and parents tell them that they cannot write such things at school (such is the rigidity of the syllabus). Removing obstacles like having to be good and having to score will cultivate their love for writing because now fun is the most important thing.
This is how we help children get interested in writing. We have to show them that language opens up many worlds before them and it can be used on so many scenarios, including fun and creative ways. Remove all the hang ups about scoring and you’ll get kids who love to write because it’s fun, and who are willing to make mistakes along the way. Learning is far from getting the correct answer all the time–it’s about making mistakes and improving on them.