RWS

• The 4 Macro Skills

  • Listening
  • Speaking
  • Reading
  • Writing
• Receptive Skills


  Listening and Reading
• Productive Skills


  Speaking and Writing
• Reading


  The process of looking at a series of written symbols and getting meaning from them
• Reading


  • Involves recognition, comprehension, and fluency
• Reading Comprehension


  The ability to process text, understand its meaning, and to integrate with what the reader already knows
• Importance of Reading


  • Strengthens the Brain and improves memory
  • Improves one's Vocabulary and Language Skills
  • Provides exploration and discovery
• Writing


  The process of using symbols (letters of the alphabet, punctuation and spaces) to communicate thoughts and ideas in a readable form
• Language


  The principal method of human communication, consisting of words used in a structured and conventional way and conveyed by speech, writing, or gesture
• Discourse


  A formal and often lengthy discussion of a topic, where concepts and insights are arranged in an organized and logical manner
• Purposes of Discourse


  • To inform
  • To persuade
  • To entertain
• Argumentative Discourse


  The writer aims to persuade the audience or readers by presenting valid claims or counterclaims, each supported by evidence, to prove a point
• Argumentative Discourse


  • Studies
  • Experts' opinions
  • Statistical data
• Descriptive Discourse


  Based on the main impression of the author about the topic or subject, influenced by prior knowledge, culture, environment, and experiences
• Expository Discourse


  Aims to inform, clarify, and explain a phenomenon. It defines what something is and provides an in-depth discussion about topics that are usually less explored. It gives reader instructions on how something is done.
• Narrative Discourse


  Like storytelling, it recalls events chronologically. It is told in the first-, second-, or third-person point of view. Its structure may be linear or nonlinear.
• Graphic Organizers


  • Concept maps
  • Mind maps
• Common Graphic Features


  • Chart
  • Diagram
  • Flowchart
  • Graph
  • Illustration
  • Map
  • Photo
  • Realia
  • Table
  • Timeline
• Mind Map


  Used to represent your knowledge of a concept or idea. Useful for brainstorming and exploring topics or ideas.
• Venn Diagram


  Used to show the similarities and differences between two or more people, objects, or ideas. It uses overlapping circles to represent different objects or ideas that share similar traits in some way.
• Flowchart


  Used to show the different steps in a process. It contains information on the stages of a process in the order that it must be completed.

  
• Hierarchical Topical Organizer


  Shows the order of ideas and their place in a hierarchy.
• Brainstorming


  A method for generating ideas to solve a design problem. It's a beneficial preliminary stage that helps writers know precisely what's going into their projects.
• Outline


  A general plan of the material that is to be presented in a speech or a paper. It helps construct and organize ideas in a sequential manner and thoughtful flow. It breaks down a text into its main ideas and its supporting arguments or supporting details.
• Topic Outline


  A list of the main points and supporting ideas that the writer intends to discuss in writing. It uses keywords or key phrases instead of complete sentences.
• Parts of a Topic Outline

  • Headings (main ideas, indicated by Roman numerals)
  • Subheadings (supporting ideas, indicated by capital letters and indented)
  • Sub-subheadings (specific details or concrete examples of the supporting ideas)
• Paragraph


  A group of sentences that convey an idea. Each sentence works together as part of a unit to create an overall thought or impression. It has three parts: topic sentence, supporting sentences and conclusion.
• Topic Sentence


  Serves two functions: it functions as the thesis of your paragraph and it pushes the thesis of your paragraph forward and presents an arguable point.
• Supporting Evidence/Analysis


  Sentences that support the main thesis of the paragraph. It shows examples and other related details to support your main point.
• Concluding Observation


  Provides a final and closing idea that leads to the next step in your argument. It also provides the summary that was mentioned in the topic sentence and supporting details.
• Pattern of Narration


  Focuses on narrating or telling a story. It emphasizes what, when, and where something happened. Its purpose comes along with effective sequencing order of events in a chronological order.
• Pattern of Description


  Gives characteristics or details on what an object, a person or a place looks like. It uses powerful and appropriate adjectives and the five senses (sight, smell, taste, hear, touch) to create a clear image on a reader's mind.
• Types of Description


  • Objective description (factual and scientific characteristics)
  • Subjective description (writer's own perspective or impressions)
• Pattern of Definition


  Explains or gives a comprehensive understanding of a concept, a term or an idea. It provides a general definition, then gives clear details to support.
• Pattern of Classification


  Divides and organizes ideas or concepts in classes, groups or categories based on criteria and relationships between the items. It uses the "Principle of Classification" to determine the special significance that one is looking for in the items.
• Pattern of Cause and Effect

  A cause/effect paragraph shows either the reasons or the results of something. A paragraph giving causes answers "Why does/did this happen?". A paragraph giving effects answers "What are/were the results of this?"
• Cause and Effect


  • Since I was up all night with my sick child, I'm exhausted this morning.
• Pattern of Comparison and Contrast

  A compare/contrast paragraph shows either the similarities or the differences between two things. Compare answers "What do they have in common?". Contrast answers "How do they differ?"
• Writing uses a system called language
• To inform – A discourse that aims to inform provides a descriptive and comprehensive discussion on the topic. It points out what one should know about a topic or subject