The Effects of "Share Your Thoughts”, an Unedited Writing Intervention in the Performance of Grade 7 in English

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Expressing one's opinion in writing is one of the most difficult skills to teach in English especially for non -English speaking country like the Philippines. Different factors such as the environment, family orientation and economic status are integral part for the development of communication skills

Another reason is the fear of students to be criticized by their peers/classmates in their group discussions (which is one of the common activities of the K to 12 programs) In addition to this, the PHILIRI, an assessment tool which was conducted last May of 2016 showed that 47% of the total population of the incoming G7 students was found out to be in the Frustration Level. Next to reading comprehension problem is the students' expression in writing.

Writing skill, however, is the most neglected part in many public schools. Many students lost their interest because they believe that written expressions are difficult to do and at the same time their written works are flattered with errors. Errors in spelling, construction, choice of words, and limited vocabulary make them feel inferior.

The researcher considers the problem crucial, publishing their written opinion and post them without the teacher editing their work is a way of encouraging the students to write and share their thoughts.

METHODS

The researcher used the sampling method. The pretest and the post test results were utilized.

RESULTS

The intervention given which is the unedited expression of thoughts in a given writing prompts to the students yielded positive results in their written expressions. More so,s the students gained their self-esteem and increase their participation rate in most group discussions.

DISCUSSIONS

Learning in an environment where students are comfortable and feel accepted will surely make learning enjoyable. The carefully designed interventions and prompts especially when these activities touched the hearts of the learners will definitely yield positive learning outcomes.