“As with premature discussions on set topics, all we are doing is to encourage him (student) to make mistakes.”
—L. G. Alexander当我在新概念的教材中发现这句话的时候，我突然间明白了很多学生和教师对写作敬而远之的原因。学习新概念的大部分学生都处于英语中级或中级预备阶段，在语言上他们如作者L. G. Alexander所说是不成熟的，他们只是一个蹒跚学步的孩子。但是教师的题目往往把学生推向一个巨大的任务（他们需要利用母语来思考新颖的想法，然后用稚气未脱的英语来翻译那些思想，他们查单词，拼凑句子），但这个任务往往把学生搞得疲惫不堪，在写的过程中他们不断地产生挫败感，没有任何的乐趣可言。而对于教师而言，他们拿到的作文不是期望中满意的回馈，而只是一个个disastrous result。写作教师往往必须通过支离破碎的英语梳理出学生的思路，然后帮着修改。有些时候，教师真的恨不得自己挥笔重写一篇。要知道，猜测别人的“心思”有多辛苦啊！

“I often ask my students to write down the complete sentences in their homework.”
—Julia Alexander在新概念作者夫人Julia Alexander的讲座中，她的重点更多地落在听力和语法教学上，但我注意到她每次提到写作时都会强调这句话。当时就对这句话很感兴趣，事后回顾新概念的写作部分，确实发现这套教材的写作重点是落在了词汇、句法和句型的应用上的。

从Practice & Progress到Developing Skills

纵观新概念二、三两册的写作部分，发现第二册是让学生在不断操练句型的过程中获得语言能力的提高，而第三册则是让已经打下一定语言基础的学生不断训练自己的写作技能。笔者整理了二三两册的写作部分的例子，从中我们不难看出教材是在辅助学生完成艰巨的写作任务，但同时也让学生在整个过程中有学以致用的成就感。
《新概念》写作设计的几大阶段相关课文举例第一阶段：句子内的逻辑关系，句子内动词的选择。第二册Unit Two
Lesson 27 (用正确的词填空)
I am very tall (so) (but) I must be careful.  Doorways are often low (and) (but) I usually (beat) (knock) my head against them.  My head always (hurts) (pains).  I have never (met) (recognized) a tall architect.  Have you?
第二阶段：句子与句子间的逻辑关系，连接句子组成语段第二册Unit Two
Lesson 41
1.        My wife has too many hats.  She has too many dresses.  (not only…but…as well)
2.        We have been invited to a party this evening.  She does not want to go.  (but)
3.        She keeps looking at all those dresses.  She keeps saying, ‘I haven’t got anything to wear!” (and)
第三阶段：根据给出的idea关键词写句子，强化句子的意识和句子间的逻辑关系第二册Unit Three
Lesson 59
用以下词组写出两到三个句子
My husband put the gate back—kept it locked—Rex returned—delighted at first—could not open the gate—dissatisfied—disappointed
第四阶段：段落扩写第三册Unit One
Lesson 7
Jane opened the oven door and saw that her meal was…she took the food out of the oven and…they both rushed to the oven and…At first, they didn’t know what…John wanted to…but Jane wouldn’t … ‘It’s best not to…’Jane said. ‘You can see that all the money…’Jane told John to…, so the next day…
第五阶段：根据大纲写篇章第三册Unit Two
Lesson 30
Title: The Ghost of Endly
Introduction: I noticed that work had been done overnight.  I decided to stay up all night—sat in barn
Development: I fell asleep—suddenly woke up—went to cowshed—it had already been cleaned—went out to fields—saw a figure working—rushed back to farmhouse—work up others—we went out—no one there
Conclusion: Sure it was a ghost—decided not to work at Endly Farm any longer—told story to villagers.

第六阶段：根据简单任务要求写篇章第三册Unit Three
Lesson 41
Write a composition in about 300 words on one of the following;
a.        Write an answer to the above passage pointing out the advantages of living in the country and the disadvantage of living in the city.
b.        Which part of your country would you prefer to live in and why?


其实，从以上课文的举例我们不难推测出《新概念》教材在写作部分传递给学生的是这样几大概念：
1）  对语言学习者而言，写作不是创作，只是一个不断应用所学语言的练习过程。
2）  写作的过程中有时不需要标新立异高深思想，用英语写一个故事也可以获得不小的成就感。
3）  写作的过程中只有不断地提高语言，才可以达到轻松自如地表到所思所想的境界。

因此，《新概念》的写作部分设计犹如一位长者搀扶着蹒跚学步的孩子,帮他们在跌跌撞撞中找到方向，让他们在不断练习中走得步履稳健，当然也让他们在写作的路上走得更加有成就感！