TAROUDANT- It is common knowledge that children acquire spoken language naturally as a result of being exposed to the language spoken in their environment.
TAROUDANT- It is common knowledge that children acquire spoken language naturally as a result of being exposed to the language spoken in their environment.
In their early years children gain the ability to produce words, phrases and sentences to express desires, feelings, or greetings and to communicate with the external world around them. However, writing, as a language skill, and the ability to write “has to be consciously learned.” (Harmer, 2004, p. 3)
Writing has always been a difficult skill for both teachers and students. The perceived difficulty of writing comes not only from the students’ viewpoint, but “lamentably is also an opinion shared by many English teachers” (Ozarska, 2008). Writing is more challenging for students because it involves a different kind of mental process which includes skills like: planning, drafting, editing and final draft (Harmer, 2004). In order for a teacher to teach writing skills to students, s/he is obliged to master certain skills and be fluent in strategies and techniques to help students learn how to write effectively.
Given the fact that writing imposes certain difficulties for both teachers and learners, thinking of innovative ways and considering applicable tools to teach writing effectively is a prerequisite for teachers who are interested in writing. In this sense, writing, as a process, necessitates varied activities and diverse tools. Teaching students to write “demands the care and attention of language teachers.” (Harmer, 2004). Since most students fell reluctant and uncomfortable with writing, teachers are required to consider this fact, and vary their writing-based activities and take advantage of all the technological tools available so that they can motivate learners, devote enough “time building the writing habit,” (Harmer, 2004) and create a better classroom atmosphere for teaching the principles of composition and gain the attention of students. Making use of the technological advancements in teaching writing will definitely draw the attention of students who are interested in useful, advanced technological devices.
The number of people accessing the internet in Morocco has increased incredibly in the previous years (See table 1). According to the recent statistics provided by Internet World Statistics on June 30, 2012, more than 51% of Moroccans access the internet, making the country the top of the African countries with internet access. (See table 2).
Morocco Internet Usage and Population Growth:
Table 1: Source: Internet World Stats http://www.internetworldstats.com/af/ma.htm at 14:20.
Graph: African top 10 internet countries in 2012
It is clear that Morocco is undergoing remarkable changes in terms of using the internet. However, the average search traffic of the term “education” in recent years in Morocco is still limited (Google, 2008). This paradoxical result should draw the attention of teachers, educators, parents, as well as those in charge of education in Morocco. Therefore, efforts to make these ICT tools and services accessible is vital to the future of education.
To be continued…..
© Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed
___________________________________________________________
Works cited
Google. (2008). Google trends. Consulté le May 13, 2012, sur www.google.com: http://www.google.com/trends/?q=education&ctab=0&geo=MA&geor=all&date=all&sort=0
Harmer, J. (2004). How to teach writing (éd. 2007). England: Pearson Education Limited.
Harmer, J. (2004). How to teach Writing (éd. 2007). England: Pearson Education Limited.
Internet World Stats. (2010). Morocco Internet Usage and Marketing Report. Consulté le May Sunday, 2012, sur Internet World Stats: http://www.internetworldstats.com/af/ma.htm
Internet World Stats. (2012, April 26). Usage and Population Statistics. Consulté le May Sunday, 2012, sur Internet World Stats: http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats1.htm
Ozarska, M. (2008). Some Suggestions for Academic Writing Instruction at English Teacher Training Colleges. (M. Koller, Ed.) English teaching Forum , 46 (1), p. 30.
Raimes, A., & Jerskey, M. (2011). Keys for Writers (éd. 6). Boston: Wadsworth.
