Gyeonggi-do Institute for Foreign Language Education

Secondary Teacher’s Intensive Program, July 19th – August 13th, 2010

1. COURSE INFORMATION
Course Title: Essay Writing
Instructors: Christian Poon gifle.writing.christian@gmail.com
Darren Ng gifle.writing.darren@gmail.com
Course Website: http://giflewriting.pbworks.com

2. COURSE DESCRIPTION
The Writing module introduces students to the four-step writing process of
pre-writing, writing, editing, and sharing in essay writing. Additionally, students will learn
why writing is both a necessary communicative and reflective skill critical to their on-
going development as educators.

As trainees gain more confidence, experience, and skill, it is hoped that students will experience the
unique joy that comes from crafting writing that is sincere, passionate, and meaningful.

3. COURSE OBJECTIVES
1. Trainees will improve their proficiency in English essay writing through various individual and
group writing activities, web-publishing, and consultation session with their instructor. By the end
of the course, trainees should be able to independently produce a formal essay (of at least four
paragraphs) comparable to a paper written by a native English senior high school student.

2. As a secondary focus, trainees will also explore ways they can adapt the writing strategies taught
in class to their own classroom environments through group discussions and sharing sample
elementary writing activities.

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 Gyeonggi-do Institute for Foreign Language Education
Secondary Teacher’s Intensive Program, July 19th – August 13th, 2010

4. STUDENT EXPECTATIONS

Students are expected to assume the identity of an emerging writer.

Therefore, we expect our students to…

…come to class on time (at least 5 min before the bell)
…work well in a team environment.
…be diligent in their work.
…be patient with themselves, their classmates, and their instructors.
…be enthusiastic in their attitude towards learning.
…be open-minded when they experience something new.
…be helpful in their relations with others.
…be persistent in difficulty.
…be eager to share what they have learned both at GIFLE at their home schools.

We hope that our students will…

…constantly improve their skills as writers and teachers.
…not compare themselves to fellow trainees, but to how much they have improved since they first started.

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 Gyeonggi-do Institute for Foreign Language Education
Secondary Teacher’s Intensive Program, July 19th – August 13th, 2010

5. COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Students will be required to complete a formal essay on a topic approved by the instructor and a “Show
and Tell” presentation.

In addition, students will be asked to complete various additional assignments that will help them prepare
for their weekly writing focus. Assigned homework is due at the beginning of the class of the date
indicated on the course schedule in print format. Students must also email their writing task assignments
to their instructor and save their work on a USB memory stick device.

Session
Assignment
due
1 N/A
Review course syllabus
2 “Getting To Know You” survey
Select your essay topic
3 Prewriting Exercise
Write your Introduction paragraph
4 First draft of essay is due by your consultation date

5 N/A

Aug 9 Essay Final Draft is due @ 8:55am

Show and Tell discussion
6 and 7 “About Me” section on PBWorks
Upload your essay to PBWorks
8 N/A

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 Gyeonggi-do Institute for Foreign Language Education
Secondary Teacher’s Intensive Program, July 19th – August 13th, 2010

6. EVALUATION

Section Marks Description

Trainees will submit a 500-750 word essay that includes

significant revisions based on their own editing, peer and
Major Essay 80 instructor consultation feedback.

(See assignment handout for more details)

Trainees will select a writing activity, then demonstrate and

Show and Tell discuss how it can be applied to their own English classroom.
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Discussion
(See handout for more details)

Trainees will receive up to ten extra points for extra

contributions that benefit the classroom community.
Classroom
10
Contributions E.g. relevant articles, writing activity ideas, “Word of the Day”
contributions, curriculum posters, resources for class website,
etc.

Participation 5 For basic attendance and participation.

Total: 120 Marks

Late Assignment Policy

Trainees are expected to hand-in their assignments at the due dates indicated by their instructor. Failure
to do so will result in a 5% deduction per day towards their assignment. If a trainee is unable to hand-in
their assignment at the assigned due date, the trainee should request an extension from their instructor at
least 24 hours ahead of time.

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 Gyeonggi-do Institute for Foreign Language Education
Secondary Teacher’s Intensive Program, July 19th – August 13th, 2010

7. COURSE SCHEDULE

Session 1: Welcome to Writing Class!

Aims
1. To introduce trainees to the writing module, their instructor, and each other.
2. For trainees to reflect upon “Why is writing important?” in their role as EFL educators, and how to overcome common
barriers many Korean EFL teachers face when trying to write.

Class Schedule Assignments

1. Trainee Introductions 1. Complete the “Getting to Know You”
2. The Pile Game: Why is writing important? survey.
3. Course administration 2. Choose your essay topic.
4. Introduce the GIFLE Writing website 3. Review Course Syllabus.
5. Overview of major essay assignment

Session 2: The 4-Step Writing Process

Aims
1. Trainees will be introduced to their major writing assignment: composing a formal essay.
2. Trainees will learn how to use the 4-Step Writing Process (Prewriting, Writing, Editing, and Sharing) to develop more
effective essays.
3. Using examples of pre-writing for reference, trainees will create their own Pre-writing webs.

Class Schedule Assignments

1. The 4-Steps of Writing: An Overview 1. Pre-writing for your essay
2. Prewriting for an essay 2. Sign-up for your consultation
3. Formatting your essay properly

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 Gyeonggi-do Institute for Foreign Language Education
Secondary Teacher’s Intensive Program, July 19th – August 13th, 2010

Session 3: Essay Structure, Thesis Formula

Aims
1. Trainees will learn how to identify the essential structural components of essays and reproduce these elements in their
own writing.
2. Trainees will be introduced to the Thesis Formula and learn how to construct their own Thesis statements for their
“Introduction” paragraph.

Class Schedule Assignments

1. Components of an effective paragraph and essay 1. Compose an “Introduction” paragraph
2. “Mixed Up” Essay Re-Ordering Exercise (with Hook and Thesis)
3. How to write a good Hook 2. Sign-up for your consultation
4. How to write a good Thesis
5. Using the “Thesis Formula”

Session 4: English 101 and Body Paragraphs

Aims
1. Trainees will identify and correct common grammatical, stylistic, and formatting errors that beginning Korean EFL
writers often encounter through a group activity called, “English 101: Dos and Don’ts in English Academic
Writing.”
2. Trainees will gain a better understanding of the importance of editing their own writing and learn Editing
strategies through in-class discussion and editing time.
3. Trainees will learn about the components of an effective body paragraph and how to incorporate these elements
into their own writing.

Class Schedule Assignments

1. In-class sharing: your Hooks and Thesis sentences 1. Compose “Body” paragraphs and a
2. English Writing 101: Dos & Don’ts in English Academic “Conclusion” paragraph.
Writing 2. First draft of your Essay (Introduction,
3. Writers’ Workshop Body, and Conclusion) is due by your
consultation date.
3. Sign-up for your consultation

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 Gyeonggi-do Institute for Foreign Language Education
Secondary Teacher’s Intensive Program, July 19th – August 13th, 2010

Session 5: Referencing, Flow, Editing and Sharing

Aims
1. Trainees will learn the importance of referencing outside sources to strengthen their writing by using the MLA
referencing format.
2. Trainees will learn how to use linking words and various bridging techniques to create more coherent and cohesive
writing (flow) by completing an in-class worksheet in groups.
3. To increase trainee proficiency in creating flow, trainees will be introduced to the Linking Words Resource Pack.

Class Schedule Assignments

1. Introduction to referencing 1. Edit your paper using the strategies we
2. Creating Flow using Linking Words learned in class.
3. In-Class editing and sharing time 2. Ensure you have scheduled a Consultation
4. Group time to work on your Show and Tell date with your instructor
5. Mid-course Reflection 3. After your consultation, complete the
final draft of your essay and submit by
Monday, Aug 9, 2010 @ 8:55am.

Session 6: Web Publishing

Aims
1. Trainees will publish their completed essays and their “Show and Tell” writing activity examples on their newly created
PB Works page.
2. Trainees will compose a brief biographical introduction, entitled, “About Me” for their PB Works page.

Class Schedule Assignments

1. Introduction to PB Works 1. Final Draft of your essay is due
2. In-class web-publishing time 2. Complete your “About Me” page
3. Group time to finalize “Show and Tell” discussions 3. Publish all your writing assignments
(Major Essay and “Show and Tell”) to your
PB Works Page

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 Gyeonggi-do Institute for Foreign Language Education
Secondary Teacher’s Intensive Program, July 19th – August 13th, 2010

Session 7: Writing Activity “Show and Tell”

Aims
1. In groups of two or three, trainees will research several relevant writing activities that they can use in their own
teaching contexts.
2. Groups will lead a brief “Show and Tell” discussion explaining how to adapt these writing activities for their own
elementary English classes.

Class Schedule Assignments

1. Group Preparation Time Bring snacks for our last class!
2. Group Writing Activity “Show and Tell” discussions

Session 8: Read Aloud!

Aims
1. To encourage trainees both professionally and personally by doing a group read-aloud of a short inspirational
writing piece.
2. To provide trainees with further online and offline writing resources to supplement their ongoing development as
emerging writers and English educators.
Class Schedule Assignments
1. Welcome and Congratulations! None!
2. Student Reading
3. What’s next in our writing Journey?
4. Suggested Offline and Online Resources
5. End of course Reflection

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 Gyeonggi-do Institute for Foreign Language Education
Secondary Teacher’s Intensive Program, July 19th – August 13th, 2010

8. RECOMMENDED READING

GRAMMAR TEXTS
1. Basic English Grammar 3rd Edition by Betty Schrampfer Azar, Pearson Education, 2002.
rd
2. Fundamentals of English Grammar 3 Edition by Betty Schrampfer Azar, Pearson Education, 2002.
3. Understanding and Using English Grammar 3rd Edition by Betty Schrampfer Azar, Pearson Education, 2002.

*The instructor also strongly endorses students to supplement the above texts with a
comprehensive Korean English grammar text.

KOREAN ENGLISH WRITING TEXTS

1. Hackers Writing Start by David Cho, Soul Shi Publishing, 2006

ENGLISH WRITING TEXTS

1. Effective Academic Writing: The Paragraph by Alice Savage and Masoud Shafie, Oxford University Press, 2007.
2. Effective Academic Writing: The Short Essay by Alice Savage and Masoud Shafie, Oxford University Press, 2007.
3. Effective Academic Writing: The Essay by Alice Savage and Masoud Shafie, Oxford University Press, 2007.

For a complete list, please go to the RESOURCES section on our GIFLE Writing website;
http://giflewriting.pbworks.com