PET Writing

Aims of the seminar

to provide information about PET writing

components

to examine writing tasks and classroom teaching

ideas

to discuss student performance and assessment

to introduce the British Council website for

English teachers

PET Writing Component

Format Task Focus Marks

1 5 sentence transformations

grammatical control / reformulation

5

2 short messages content and communication

5

3 extended writing

range and control

15

Targeted Structures

lexical chunks: take time to do something/spend time doing

opposites: quickly/slowly (adverbs)

permission (lack of): could not/not allowed to

expressing possession: There was/It had

parts of speech: The sun shone/it was sunny

With this class we looked at:

prepositions e.g. ...down the river

use of pronouns e.g. Before we left...

verb forms e.g. We cooked...

use of articles e.g. ...on the boat

use of linkers e.g. ...and... / ...because...

singular / plural e.g. parts

lexical chunks e.g. ‘every day’ (not ‘all days’)

Teaching Idea: Dictogloss

1. Write a short text around a topic using

PET structures and simple linkers.

2. Read it out loud at a normal speed. Students

write down key words.

3. Students reconstruct text in groups.

4. Students compare with original text.

Features of Dictogloss

student-centred approach to grammar

flexible - different students / classes notice different features

motivates students – they want to know if their text is right or

not, and why

more memorable than a teacher explanation

covers a wide range of grammar and lexis in one lesson –

good for exam preparation

Writing Part 2

How important is it to include all three content points?

How important is the word limit?

How important is accuracy?

Teaching Idea: Peer – Evaluation Checklist

1. Students write a first draft of their message

2. Two students swap texts, read their partner’s text and answer the checklist questions

3. They hand them back and use the feedback to improve the original version

Teaching Idea: Functional Language

PET writing Part 2 requires knowledge of functional language:

ask... invite... suggest... thank...

Writing Part 3 Topic-based (story or letter)

Extended writing: about 100 words

Assessment is based on range, organisation and accuracy

Reordered Story

During a lifetime there are so many days you could call

the most important day of your life. It could be the day

you choose which school you are going to, or what job

you want to do for the rest of your life. Another important

day is when you get married, or when you choose where

to live. But most of all, it is a very important day when

you give birth to a child. Because I think that changes

everything you have been doing until then. Then you

have to realise that somebody is more important than

yourself.

Teaching Idea: Reordering Sentences

1. Cut up good model text into separate

sentences and jumble them

2. Students try to recreate correct order

3. Class looks at HOW they decided on order:

organisation / linkers / referencing

Teaching Idea: Guided Discovery Genre Approach

1. Give out two good model letters

2. Ask students to analyse the texts, looking for common features of this genre

3. Students write their own letter, incorporating these features

Advantages of Guided Discovery and Genre Approach

Students work things out for themselves so they are involved and active.

The lesson should be more memorable. Looking at several model texts helps

students recognise typical features of the genre.