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What is Write Away Right Away?

Write Away Right Away is a low-intermediate level writing course designed specifically for Japanese university students. The text can be used as the main writing coursebook in a four-skills program, or as a supplementary text in mixed-skills courses.

What kind of syllabus does Write Away Right Away have?

Write Away Right Away emphasizes the process approach to writing. The students learn that writing is not a first time perfected activity―every composition is edited, revised, and rewritten. Although writing as a process is emphasized, more traditional areas of writing instruction are included as well. Through controlled writing tasks, students practice the language they will need for their composition. The tasks are practical, enjoyable, interactive, and communicative.

Write Away Right Away was designed for students who dislike or fear writing. Through stimulating and personal activities, students learn that writing can be interesting and enjoyable. The text includes individual work, pair work, group work, and project work to increase student motivation. Moreover, many of the tasks in Write Away Right Away are designed so that students write to an audience other than the teacher.

Since the majority of university students in Japan are unlikely to go on to use academic English, Write Away Right Away focuses less on academic writing and more on practical, realistic types of writing which students may actually need. The writing tasks included build not only the learners' writing skills, but help build their general English skills as well. The text contains twelve units of factual, creative, and personal writing.

Additionally, throughout the course students practice journal writing and freewriting. Journals are written to provide a communicative exchange between the instructor and student, to improve writing fluency, and to practice language students are learning in other courses. Freewriting is done to help students to think in English, to increase writing speed and fluency, and to overcome writer's block.

At the end of each unit is a Fun Writing Activity. These activities allow the students to practice less controlled types of writing, and also give a needed break before moving on to more controlled activities in the upcoming unit.

In addition to the twelve units, Teacher's Notes with answer keys are available in printable PDF format from our website.

What makes Write Away Right Away unique?

• The majority of texts claiming to be designed for the Japanese market are, in fact, aimed at a larger Asian/world market. Write Away Right Away is able to meet the needs of Japanese students better because it focuses on the needs of a specific population.
• There are very few writing texts that have the variety of activities found in Write Away Right Away. Because rigid uniformity often leads to boredom, the units do not follow a repeated pattern as most texts do. The units progress from presentation to controlled practice, and then on to less controlled practice. But the text accomplishes this with different kinds of activities for each unit.
• Write Away Right Away has been used successfully at universities throughout Japan with both poorly motivated and highly motivated students. Now in its second edition, the course has been updated and revised to make it even better than before.