Mida, miks ja kuidas kirjutab Eesti gümnaasiumiõpilane
What, why and how an Estonian high school student writes

Summary/Abstract: The article looks into the texts that students write in Estonian high schools: what types of texts are written and why, what is emphasized in the writing tasks and what are the students’ stances on writing in and outside school. The article is based on a survey that was conducted among Estonian high school students. The analysis of the students’ responses shows that writing in Estonian high schools is mostly oriented towards the preparation for the state exam is Estonian, with the exam format (essay) dictating what and how is written during the studies. In general, the teaching of writing seems to be mostly focused on the superficial aspects of texts. For nearly half of the texts the students said they were writing in school, they could not give a purpose why they were writing them. The guidelines that students are given for written assignments also primarily concern formal requirements. Consequently, students find the writing tasks at school boring and uninspiring, and are discouraged by overly strict requirements and time pressure. On the other hand, the responses reveal that students appreciate being able to express their thoughts and acquire new knowledge through writing, and many of them also write outside school. Thus, high school students are willing and able to engage in meaningful writing if the writing assignments meet their interests and give them an opportunity to develop their skills. It is proposed that a wider implementation of process writing in high schools could help making writing tasks more useful and rewarding for students.

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