ihtoc3 david petrie keep calm and write on

Keep Calm and Write On

David Petrie, IH Coimbra.

David Petrie: Keep Calm & Write On

Seminar Overview:

1. Context: The language exam

2. Problems learners have with writing

3. An approach to exam writing –

CARROT

4. Activities to help your learners with

exam writing

i. Content

ii. Accuracy

iii. Range

iv. Register

v. Organisation

vi. Target Reader

5. Any Other Problems? Q & A.

6. Further Reading


The Context – a selection of English Language Exams:


Question:

What problems do your learners have

with writing for language exams?


Poll: Which of the following do your learners have trouble with? (check all that apply!)

• Including all the relevant content points / answering the question.

• Producing grammatically accurate language and using appropriate vocabulary

• Using a range of vocabulary and grammar and avoiding repetition

• Using an appropriate register for the task

• Organising their writing appropriately for the genre and with appropriate paragraphs

• Writing outside the box – seeing the task within the context of the task, not just as a piece of writing for the teacher / examiner.


Always remember the CARROT !

C ontent A ccuracy R ange R egister O rganisation T arget Reader


thoughts?


Content:

1. “wordled” (jumbled) rubrics / questions


Content:


2. Question creation.


Content:



3. Sample task assessment / peer assessment


Content:



3. Sample task assessment / peer assessment

4. What’s the writing “T.I.P” ? (theme / ideas / purpose)


Accuracy:

1. Spot the difference / Mistakes infogap task


Accuracy:


2. “Bad Model” running dictation / dictagloss


Accuracy:



3. Creating correction texts for each other.


Accuracy:



3. Creating correction texts for each other.

4. Correction codes for writing feedback


Range:

1. Synonym Tennis – a vocabulary back and forth


Range:


2. Re-making / re-wording repetitive texts


Range:



3. Question paraphrasing competition


Range:



3. Question paraphrasing competition

4. “Say that again” - a sentence paraphrasing circle

writing task


Register:

1. Register transformation tasks (bad model)


Register:


2. A lesson on register (www.onestopenglish.com)

http://www.onestopenglish.com/


Register:


2. A lesson on register (www.onestopenglish.com)

3. A register based role play version of “Postie Postie”

(acknowledgement to Peter Moran)



Organisation:

1. Genre diagrams / labelling tasks


Organisation:


2. Three basic discourse patterns (after Michael Hoey)


Organisation:



• TOPIC SENTENCE – GENERAL – SPECIFIC – EXAMPLE

• TOPIC SENTENCE – CLAIM – COUNTER CLAIM – (SUMMATION)

• TOPIC SENTENCE – PROBLEM – SOLUTION – (IMPLICATION / JUSTIFICATION)


Organisation:



• TOPIC SENTENCE – GENERAL – SPECIFIC – EXAMPLE

• TOPIC SENTENCE – CLAIM – COUNTER CLAIM – (SUMMATION)

• TOPIC SENTENCE – PROBLEM – SOLUTION – (IMPLICATION / JUSTIFICATION)

3. Jumbled texts / paragraphs


Target Reader:

1. Writer / reader role plays


Target Reader:


2. Target reader criteria creation – what would have the

best impact on you?


Target Reader:


2. Target reader criteria creation – what would have the

best impact on you?

3. Facebook style commenting (can be harsh & brutal)


CONTENT ACCURACY RANGE

Reconstitute “wordled” rubrics Spot the difference / info gaps Synonym tennis

Question Creation Bad model dictagloss / running dictation Re-writing repetitive texts

Sample task / Peer assessment Creating correction texts Question paraphrase competition

The writing “T.I.P.” Using correction codes for feedback “Say that again” circle writing

REGISTER ORGANISATION TARGET READER

Register transformation tasks Genre diagrams / labelling tasks Writer / reader role plays

“A lesson on Register” Three basic discourse patterns Target reader criteria creation

Register based “Postie Postie” Jumbled texts / paragraphs Facebook style commenting


Any questions?

Any problems from your experience that haven’t been covered that you’d like to raise?


References, Links & Further Reading:

Wordle: www.wordle.net Michael Hoey, “Textual Interaction”,

Routledge, 2000

A lesson on register:

www.onestopenglish.com

Tricia Hedge, “Writing – 2nd ed.”,

OUP, 2005

www.eltchat.org / twitter: #eltchat Sally Burgess & Katie Head, “How to

Teach for Exams”, Pearson, 2005.

https://www.teachers.cambridgeesol.or

g/ts/

Peter May, “Exam Classes”, OUP,

1996

http://www.wordle.net/


http://www.eltchat.org/

https://www.teachers.cambridgeesol.org/ts/

https://www.teachers.cambridgeesol.org/ts/

Keep Calm and Write On

David Petrie, IH Coimbra.

ihtoc3 david petrie keep calm and write on

Documents

basic discourse

rubrics questions2

implication

creating correction

register transformation

write ondavid

making

michael hoey