Genre Approach to Teaching Writing

What is a genre-based approach?

• This approach identifies that writing is a social activity with particular power relations and social conventions. The approach explicitly identifies the social and linguistic conventions of different types of texts.
• The approach usually includes the following:Familiarization, controlled writing, guided writing and then free writing

Categorization of Genres

1. Primary

diary entries, personal e-mails, personal letters, fables, ICQ messages 

2. Secondary

different kinds of reports, office memos, recipes, instructions, travel brochures, school essays, etc.

3.Creative

nursery rhymes, poems, riddles, limericks, parodies, mixed genres (e.g., a historical narrative + a fiction), etc. 

Principles for choosing genres for a writing syllabus or a writing class 

• Consider the cognitive and linguistic level of your students and decide the choice of the primary, secondary and creative genres.
• Consult guidelines laid down in the school / language curriculum to see which genres are expected to be covered in your writing syllabus and why they should be included.
• Strike a balance.  Make sure your range of genres will allow students chances to relate their personal life (homely genres) to learn the skills which they require to gain access to higher level of education and to experience fun, creativity and the beauty of sounds and words 
  

  Assign a suitable, meaningful topic which can go with the target genre. For instance, a personal letter can be assigned with a topic of relating personal feelings about an incident.