Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
and join them together with and or but (using commas correctly) before asking them
to do the same thing. We might ask them to read a short text and say where the
capital letters are and why. They might look at a text and be asked what he, she or
it refer to, so that they understand how we use pronouns to refer backwards and
forwards in a piece of writing. Sometimes we will demonstrate paragraph
construction (topic and exemplification sentences, for example) before getting them
to write their own paragraphs. We will get them to look at letters to identify common
layout patterns, and we should let them work with Internet E-mail messages too if
we have the facilities. At more advanced levels we will get them to analyse more
complex devices for cohesion and coherence in a text and we will have them focus
on different kinds of writing (narratives, argumentative essays, business reports) to
prepare them for trying these out for themselves.
Activities to activate writing
Exercises which encourage students to activate their written knowledge are of a
different character. Instead of getting students to think about how writing takes
place we will put them in real or imagined situations where they want or need to
write to communicate with someone else. At beginner levels we will get them to
write messages to each other or write postcards. An enduringly popular activity is to
get them to read/write agony letters to an imaginary magazine and then answer
the letters as realistically as possible. In dealing with writing activation we should
encourage students creativity. There are ways of provoking the most reluctant pupil
to try out poetry, for example, and the writing of soap opera episodes, stories,
advertisements, newspaper articles, etc. are not only motivating but also
educationally useful and creative.
When should students write?
One of the best times for students to write is when they are on their own, at home,
doing homework. At this time they will be able to think things through, working at
their own pace and in their own time. Writing is not only for students at home,
however; writing in class (where they have backup from peers and the teacher) also
has many advantages. Here, activities can be either individual (perhaps timed in
exam classes) or collaborative. Individual writing tasks change the atmosphere of
the room, quietening it down, encouraging more intense concentration. When
students are writing on their own the teacher can go round helping those who are
having difficulty. Collaborative writing is just as effective in a different way. Students
can write stories in groups, design advertisements, make up news bulletins or write
scenes to be acted out. Each student can contribute to the process; each can learn
from the others. It is especially useful if they can crowd round a computer screen
using a word processor, since changing text and making corrections is much more
immediate and interesting. Collaborative writing tasks not only encourage cooperation - which is in itself motivating - but by involving more than one student in
the task they allow individuals to benefit from the insights and enthusiasms of
others.
What happens when writing has finished?
The correction of students work is an important part of a teachers job. The majority
of homework is written and the ways we assign it, mark it and return it are of vital
importance. One of the things that irritates students most (quite rightly) is when
teachers insist on the prompt delivery of homework but then take weeks to return it.
Another thing that can be very demotivating is to get homework back completely
covered in corrections. It is important, therefore, to return students work within a
reasonable time period, and to consider carefully how you are going to deal with the
mistakes you find. Some teachers use written codes (V for vocabulary, Sp for
spelling, G for grammar, etc.). They put a small mark under the word or phrase and
then write the code letter in the margin. Students then know what to look for when
they come to re-write their material. Another option is to tell students that you are
only going to correct one particular aspect of writing (e.g. spelling, paragraph
construction or the use of verb tenses). This has the advantage of focusing their
efforts - while ensuring that their work will not be over-corrected. Some writing, of
course, shouldnt be too heavily corrected, anyway. When you encourage students
to write creatively, it is important to respond to what they write just as much as to
how they write it. Students appreciate a response to their ideas, not just their
language. When you give back written work it is important to give students time to
investigate the reasons for mistakes and, where appropriate, to re-write their work.
Key points
Make sure that: