muhammad nawaz eal instructor strategies for teaching writing to pre-intermediate learners lydia...
TRANSCRIPT
MUHAMMAD NAWAZEAL INSTRUCTOR
Strategies for Teaching Writing to Pre-Intermediate Learners
LYDIA MANSEAL INSTRUCTOR
TESL Nova Scotia Conference October 25, 2014
Outline
• Introduction• Common challenges facing pre-Intermediate writers• Using casual talk about students' lives to generate writing• Using action verbs and bringing realia help achieve a writing
task• Working with vocabulary relevant to students' lives to help
students build writing• Focussing the writing task on an audience for a real purpose• Using the writing process in an integrated skills lesson• Using mini whiteboards and pictures for micro-writing
practice
Common Challenges Facing Pre-Intermediate Writers
• Vocabulary• Confidence and content to complete the writing task• Sentence structure • Varying their sentence structure
Using casual talk about students' lives to generate writing
• Weekend talk in post weekend classes• Writing personal headlines • Posting headlines on the bulletin board• A headline might read "A Fun Visit to All Hallows
Eve and Thanks Giving Festival”• Interactive discussion on headlines • Putting stories to writing (personal narrative)• "Headline News" experience helps generate
writing that is focused, detailed, and well ordered
Using action verbs and bringing realia to the class
• Working with action verbs around any practical scenario
• For example, “Cooking at Home” • Action verbs and pictures – matching activity• Reading a recipe with the action verbs made bold• Groups discussion to brainstorm foods that could be
chopped, fried, boiled, etc. • Writing task to generate personal recipes using action
verbs• Other practical topics:
Working with vocabulary relevant to students' lives to help them build writing
• Task-based lesson with new vocabulary more relevant to students' lives
• Active tasks on vocabulary - in pairs and groups • Modify, transform, illustrate, reuse, match with
definitions and check pronunciation• Make extensive use of the dictionary and thesaurus • A follow-up writing task (paragraph/email/
instructions) • Students can be given a task to bring pictures next day
which illustrate new vocabulay
Focussing the writing task on an audience for a real purpose
• Abstract and hypothetical writing tasks are usually challenging
• Writing to a potential audience for a real purpose makes it more achievable
• Brainstorm concrete purpose and audience in groups
• Personalize the topic • Write a short note/email/paragraph in
authentic writing
Using the writing process in an integrated skills lesson
• An integrated skills lesson • Pre-writing group discussions • Reading models and samples, • Listening to people talking about a similar situation • Discussing the topic and taking notes • Writing the first draft• Reviewing and editing with a self-assessment checklist• Peer or group review • Teacher’s feedback and correction in a comfortable
environment• Revised / final draft
Mini Whiteboards
A really quick way to see who’s got it, who doesn’t have a clue, and when to move on.
Sentence Construction• Make a sentence with 7 words about…• Make a sentence with 8 words about….• Make a sentence with 10 words about.... using the
conjunction “but”
Mini-Whiteboards & CardsSubjects :
Verbs:
Time Phrases:
Conjunctions:
Modals:
Questions:
the teacher
invent
all of the children his family
shop think study
in the morning
yesterday Since 2005
neveroftentomorrow
and butbecause despite
when who what
shouldcouldwouldmust
Let’s Practice!
studymy sister at the moment
Let’s Practice!
studyall of the students tomorrow
Where
Let’s Practice!
The English teachers this afternoon so
Let’s Practice!
startemployees
mustbecause
When to use it:
• Preparing for a guest speaker
• Writing a notice (safety, keeping the kitchen clean, email policies) –
What Why
should must
becausewhen if
How
http://bit.ly/10fLCZ8
Task: Write a safety notice for the volunteers working in the library
What nouns, verbs,
and adjectives can be
used to describe this
picture?
Identify 5 unsafe things.
http://intellidatasystems.com/pct/download.shtml
What nouns, verbs,
and adjectives can be
used to describe this
picture?
Identify 4 unsafe things.
Task: You are a landlord of an apartment. Write a notice for your tenants with some safety rules.
When to use it:
• Writing a note/letter/e-mail explaining something (landlord, friend, manager, teacher, neighbour)
• A kijiji ad
If because butwhen
For several years usually If when
What information did they give about the bike?
What verb tenses do you see?
Can you spot any compound or complex sentences?
•
Benefits• Can see immediately who and how many have understood• Students have to negotiate with a partner how to write the
sentence correctly.• Students have to self edit• Immediate and tailored feedback specific to each student’s
needs. • Fun and motivating for students
Summary
• Task-based lessons help students learn structure and vocabulary in context
• Casual talk, focusing on the real audience, action verbs, and realia help students generate writing
• Mini-white boards help students improve their sentence structure
Thank You!