Composition

Composition is an art of self-expression. It is also called the expressive aspect of language. According to Bhatiya and Bhatiya :-
It is the expression of the child's throughts his own ideas, feelings and obser- vations. It includes both the process and the product of composing. It refers to the process of collecting thoughts, arranging them in a rational sequence and ulti- mately expressing them in accordance with recognised standards of form. The product may take the shape of a letter, an application, a paragraph, a story, an essay, a description or narration, a poem.
Thus teaching of composition develops the skill of expression in the stu- dents. If is a process of collecting thoughts and arranging them in a particular process.

Classification of Composition :-

There are two types of composition which can be shown as follows -

(i) Oral Composition -Oral composition is regarded as the most im- portant aspect of learning and teaching English. In primary classes, oral com- position is the natural and proper preliminary to written composition. Even in higher classes its importance can't be because speech is the vital and essen- tial form of learning. At every stage of teaching, oral composition should proced written composition.

According to Laurie - "The habit of oral composition should be kept up during the whole school period."
According to Wren  :- "Composition should begin with the power of speech and should be oral long before it is written."

The Importance of Oral Composition- Oral composition is needed face to face communication and is used in every span of life. It is important since in learning english it is comperative that the learner should be fluent in speaking english without developing the power of oral composition one cannot be either a good lecturer or a good speaker. It play an important role in learn- ing, speaking and in communication in the following ways -

1. It develops confidence in communicating with others.
2. It refines pronunciation of the words.
3. It is simple and it saves time.
4. It forms foundation for written composition.
5. It enables students to participate in public ceremonies like speeches, talks, entertainment etc.
6. It helps students to think clearly.

Aims of Teaching of Oral composition -The following are some of the objectives of teaching composition -

(i) To enable the students to express their thoughts, feelings, ideas, freely.
(ii) To give practice in using the English language.
(iii) To promote a clear thinking.
(iv) To create suitable situations in the class-room.

The oral composition may be taught by following techniques :
• Repettion.
• Asking questions. 
• Giving orders.
• Asking to read.
• Making Conversation.

Written Composition -Written composition is a procedure in which the students learn how to put down their ideas into writing of their own. It may start from writing one or a few lines on a subject to write exhaustively in the form of an essay, story, poerty, letter or passage. The written composition may be of the following types -

(i) Expository writing.
(iii) Descriptive writing.
(ii) Argumentative writing.
(iv) Narrative writing.

Aims of Teaching of Written Composition :-The aims of teaching of written compostion are as following -
(i) To enable the students to write legible, beautifully and correctly.
(ii) To recall adequate and appropriate vocabulary and use it properly.
(iii) To develop in them a habit of clear and logical presentation of facts.
(iv) To develop the communicative competence in the students.
(v) To enable the sutdents to write freely and at adequate speed.
(vi) To stimulate them to think about the situation provided.
(vii) To teach them new to organise thoughts and idea in accordance with the accepted usage.
(viii) To enable the students to use the tools of writing such as punctuation marks, spleling, grammar etc.
(ix) To enlarge their working as well as recognition of vocabulary.
(x) To give them practice in the use of English.

The written composition may be taught by following devices  :-
(a) Guided Composition-
• Substitution tables.
• Transformation of sentences.
• Composition of incomplete sentences.
• Dictation.
• Reproduction.

(b) Free Compositon  :-
• Paragraph construction.
• Essay writing.
• Story writing.
• Descriptive writing.
• Letter and application writing.
• Narrative writing.
• Precis writing.

Difference between guided composition and free composition - Composition is one of the most important branch of teaching in recent year increased attention is given to it that resulting in a great improvement in teaching methodology. One of the aims of teaching english is to enable the students to express themselves correctly in the written and spoken from. In this way these are two types of composition.
1. Oral Composition,
2. Written Composition.

Both of them are further divided into two kinds  :
(A) Grided composition, (B) Free composition.

Guided Composition : From begining stage the students should be properly and strictly guided by the therefore learning composition whether and or written. It is because students are imitators by nature. On the basis of proper guidence they get improvement their knowledge of composition stu- dents are provided with spacific situations ideas, structure and vocabulary under this process. The teacher supplies vocabulary and guides the students for composition. Thus the students have to go according to the teachers di rection. The control of teacher is rather loose because within the given habit the students have a choice of combination of word-groups and composition of ideas. Teacher is mainly concerned with selection and correction of the compo- sition. It is directed writing and close ended.

Free Composition  : Free composition is taught at the later stage of the students. As the name suggests, in the free composition the students are free to make use of vocabulary and structure of theis own to express their related to the scheduled topic. By the way the student learn how to use these own ideas is their own language.

Thus the guided or controlled composition gives favourit result at early stages language learning e.g. at the junior school level where the students are guided by controlled pattern and vocabulary. Free composition comes much, later when the students reach higherlasses and are confident to embark upon new territories. There is no restriction on pupils for use of vocabulary and structure and they are forced to think freely.

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