Abstract:
Writing is an extremely complex cognitive activity. Learners of English as a Second
Language need to produce pieces of writings in different genres. Therefore, teachers of
English as a Second Language are expected to provide writing models to guide the
learners. However, there is a counter-argument remaining that the learners replicate the
models as ideal ones instead of producing their writings. On the other hand, students may
face difficulties in writing a particular genre as a consequence of their lack of experience
in reading and writing. Therefore, this study was an investigation on the effective usage
of models in learning essay writing in the ESL writing classroom of second-year students
from the Faculty of Science, University of Jaffna. The data were collected by conducting
a pre-test and post-test. The students were divided into two as the control group and the
experimental group. SPSS statistical package and paired sample T-tests were used for
data analysis. The duration of this study was for four months. The experimental group
was given models as instruments to guide and modify their writing and produce original
pieces. Learners won’t be rewarded for having memorized full blocks of texts. After the
treatment period, a post-test was given to both groups to see the significant differences
between the two groups. Finally, in the post-test, the experimental group out-performed
the control group. At this juncture, the findings showed particular improvements on the
micro and macro level of writing especially the overall organization, content, and the
structure of sentences and paragraphs in writing. The results have some implications for
language teachers and material designers.
Keywords: English as a Second Language, Writing skill, Models, Micro and macro level
of writing
