Direction of an Item of an Exam

The following statements is given to direct my students to rewrite a letter, but I don't know wheter my students understand what they are expected to do. Please check it for me.

Direction: Please rewrite the following letter to make the meaning of the letter clear, and to use appropriate grammar, mechanics, words, etc.

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Originally Posted by ziawj2

The following statements is given to direct my students to rewrite a letter, but I don't know whether my students understand what they are expected to do. Please check it for me.

Direction: Please rewrite the following letter to make the meaning of the letter clear, and to use appropriate grammar, mechanics, words, etc.

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Did you write the statement yourself or is this an exercise taken from a book? If it's an exercise from a book, I would leave the instruction as it is. Students need to get used to the wording of exercise instructions. If, however, you constructed the statement yourself, then I must say the following.

With all due respect, you are the teacher. Only you know whether your students will understand it or not. You see them at each and every class. You know their level. You will have written such directions for them before. Did they understand the last one? The one before that? When you were a learner at their level, would you have understood the instruction?

How about wording instead of words?
What exactly do you mean by mechanics and are they familiar with the term?

Also, I wonder whether the heading 'Direction' adds anything. After the words 'Please rewrite...' it's possible to work out what it means; its only function seems to me to be to mislead. If you need a heading, I would use 'Instructions'.

b

Instructions: Rewrite the following letter.
Make certain that the meaning is clear, and that you have used proper grammar, wording and usage.

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Originally Posted by emsr2d2

Did you write the statement yourself or is this an exercise taken from a book? If it's an exercise from a book, I would leave the instruction as it is. Students need to get used to the wording of exercise instructions. If, however, you constructed the statement yourself, then I must say the following.

With all due respect, you are the teacher. Only you know whether your students will understand it or not. You see them at each and every class. You know their level. You will have written such directions for them before. Did they understand the last one? The one before that? When you were a learner at their level, would you have understood the instruction?

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Thank you for your pertinent comments! I will pay attention to "my students' level" in my class later.

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Originally Posted by BobK

Also, I wonder whether the heading 'Direction' adds anything. After the words 'Please rewrite...' it's possible to work out what it means; its only function seems to me to be to mislead. If you need a heading, I would use 'Instructions'.

b

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Could you explain more clearly, what is the difference between "direction" and "instruction"? In many textbooks or exam papers, the examiner uses the former word.

I would use Instructions for students. I have seen Direction used for the invigilator when they have to give an instruction to the students- something for them to read out- for instance, the text to read before playing a recording, etc.

I've chiefly (only?) seen the plural, often in the context of 'Directions for use' (instructions for using things) or on medicaments. Of course, in Asian English the collocations are probably different. If Chinese students are accustomed to seeing the wotd 'Direction' I wouldn't interfere; personally, though, I would find it confusing (not seriously confusing, but odd-looking).

b

PS another common collocation: 'stage directions' (such as 'Turns upstage' or - one of my favourites - 'Exit, pursued by a bear')