Using speaking to improve writing

Dr Dodie Brooks

The process of writing

Teacher’s role 1:1 Adding new vocabulary and grammar 2 Analysing a model

Students’ role3 1st draft check in pairs 2nd draftTeacher’s role 2:4 Revise mistakes + suggest new ideasto improve quality

Teacher’s Role

Stage 1:

• Improving vocabulary

• Developing sentences

• Organising text

Improving vocabulary 1

1 Collecting more verbs

1.1 for said

“What’s that” she ________.

Finding interesting verbs

• HOW: shout whisper cry gasp

• WHY: explain order add tell ask

1.2 for go He went down the streetHow did he go?He _______ down the street.

Finding interesting verbs

• HOW: run walk skip hop shuffle

meander wander amble scurry

1.3 Play a game “Go across the room”

Find as many ways as you can. Guess the action.

Improving vocabulary 2

2 Collecting more adjectives

2.1 describing light

The sky was ______ as she set

off on her adventure.

Finding adjectives

• LIGHT: dazzling bright clear

murky foggy dim

2.2 describing speed As he passed the castle he

_________ to look at the fish.

Finding adjectives

• SPEED: hurry rush amble

dawdle linger hesitate dash

delay slow race meander

3 Classifying words

• positive / negative; fast / slow

• put them in order

Application 1

3.1 Play a game: “Put these words in order”

• Brainstorm words for fear

• Write them on pieces of paper or card

• Let groups of Ss hold them in the correct order:

Application 2

3.2 Description: Make a poem about an alien

The Zog is:funnier than a cross-talk comedianfaster than the train to Tibetcleverer than Einstein’s father …friendlier than … kinder than …more interesting than …

Improving vocabulary 3

3 Collecting adverbs

• The boy spoke …

• Dogs behave …

• You should think … about that

softly seriously badly carefully sensibly

quietly loudly noisily rudely well fast

calmly well messily beautifully

Types of adverbs

1 HOW (manner)slowly happily merrily well2 WHERE (place)there here away outside inside3 WHEN (time)now soon later yesterday4 HOW OFTEN (frequency)ever regularly often usually never

Applications

1 Ask students to act a sentence as in a play. Guess the adverb.

“Where are you going?” he asked ____.

“Who’s there?” she called ______.

“Why did you do that?” asked mother __.

Developing sentences

1 Expanding sentences

2 Adding connectives

3 Linking two sentences together with conjunctions

4 Making complex sentences

1 Expanding sentences

1 Each add to the sentence in the group

The boy ate

The boy ate lunch

The boy ate a small lunch

The hungry boy ate a small lunch …

Another sentence

Tom found a key.

Expanding sentences 2

2 Completing sentences

The woman with the red umbrella (went into a

shop and bought herself a new red dress.)

George turned round and …

The children took the money and …

2 Adding connectives

1 Using conjunctions after although as as if as long asbefore if in case since unless whenever wherever whereas

It was raining. Fred went for a walk.Although it was raining, Fred went for awalk.

Clause Clause Conjunction

I went to the park

there was no one around

although / so

but / so as to nevertheless

I wanted to be alone

it was sunny when / before

whereas / as

after / unless

I could not eat my breakfast

all my friends came to tea

whereupon

before / as if

since / if

I had to finish my homework

there was a lot to be done

ctd

Adding conjunctions

How many suitable conjunctions can you find?

1 He ate his dinner. He was hungry.

2 Paul played the piano. He wanted to appear cleverer.

3 We went to the library. We wanted the answer.

Linking sentences

1 to make an order• first later on after that nextafter a while then finallyI saw the plane and then it seemed todisappear and then just when I thoughtthat it had gone it came back and then it landed on the lake and then out climbedmy favourite singer.

Sequences in time

meanwhile suddenly later next

at last a few days later after that then

the next day that afternoon finally

by this/that time a few hours later now

1 Put them into order.

2 Use them.

A possible order

1 now

2 meanwhile; suddenly

3 next; a few hours later; after that; that afternoon

4 then; later; a few days later; by this/that time

5 at last; finally

Improve it please!

I saw the plane and then it seemed

to disappear and then just when I

thought that it had gone it came

back and then it landed on the lake

and then out climbed my favourite singer.

Improve it please!

I saw the plane _______ it seemed to

disappear _________just when I

thought that it had gone it came

back ________ it landed on the lake

________ out climbed my favourite

singer.

Complex sentences

4 Joining sentences using who, which, where, when

The man was eating. He had black hairThe man who was eating had black hair.

The boy was playing football. He was as goodas a professional.Susan likes to buy clothes. She is pretty.

Play a game: change the attributive clause

The sentence: The ____ was tall /

large.1 The boy, who _______, was tall.

2 The tree, which ____________, was tall.

3 The house, where ________, was large.

Make other sentences.

3 Organising text (1)

• Brainstorm ideas

A rabbit is down a well. It is sittingon a rock surrounded by water.There is a rope with a buckethanging in the well. How can yousave the rabbit?

Organising text (2)

• Put them into order__ pull up the bucket

__ let the rabbit smell the carrot

__ encourage the rabbit to hop inside the

bucket

__ lower the bucket

__ put a carrot in the bucket

Organising text (3)

• Each stage/idea is one paragraph

• Add extra information1 Put the carrot in the bucket.

• Make sure that the carrot is large and fresh.

• Cut it into small pieces.

2 Lower the bucket.

Stage 2: student’s role

1 Write first try

2 Swap with a partner

3 Correct each other’s work for:

• Grammar

• Punctuation

• Spelling

4 Swap back writing, explain changes and rewrite

Advantages

1 Students take more responsibility for their work

2 Students learn to examine their own work more critically

3 Less pressure on teachers

Stage 3: Teacher’s role Correcting (1)is the moon in the sky. we will see the

moon two hours later. the moon

turns on Axis once day.

The earth takes the day spin. the

moon take twenty-seven days spin

on the acis. Moon takes a time to

circle earth one time. This why we

only see one said of moon.

Correcting (2)

Is the moon in the sky? We will see the

moon in two hours time The moon

turns on its axis once a day. The earth

takes one day to spin. The moon takes

twenty-seven days to spin on its axis.

The moon takes the same time to circle

the earth once. This is why we only see

one side of the moon.

Thank you

If you would like to please contact

me at:

dodie2000uk@yahoo.co.uk