Weaving (and recycling) texts. Some tips on how to organize a written composition

Abstract

This paper offers a practical guide to improving the organization of written texts in the context of the secondary-level Spanish language classroom. Many of the traditional composition activities become frustrating for both teachers and students because they take a holistic approach that rarely produces visible results. In order to develop students’ expressive ability in writing it is necessary to practice the different elements of text organization separately. After some general reflections about writing, the internal logic of paragraphs and the role of grammar, we describe a set of structured activities, each of them intended to focus attention on a specific aspect of text organization. Each exercise also serves to demonstrate a proper understanding of grammatical notions such as the argument structure of predicates, patterns relationship between meaning and discourse markers are key to improving text organization skills.