This document summarizes a webinar on creating a communicative language classroom for reading and writing. It provides strategies for teaching reading and writing in a communicative way through tasks like read alouds, compare and contrast activities, and story starters. Challenges with group work like mixed proficiency levels and off-task behavior are discussed along with suggestions to address them like differentiating instruction, assigning roles, and increasing pressure. Upcoming webinars on teaching languages with technology are also promoted.

1. Transparent Language Education Webinar Series
Create a Communicative Language Classroom:
Designing Activities that Teach All 4 Skills
Part II: Reading and Writing
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2. Agenda
• Teaching Reading and Writing
• What is it?
• Can it be communicative?
• Strategies that work!
• Managing Communicative Groups
• Q&A
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3. Reading
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Image by Paul Bence via Flickr
"Reading does not draw on one kind of
cognitive skill and most texts are understood in
different ways by different readers."

4. #TLedwebinars
Can reading be communicative?
Image by World Bank Leted via flickr

5. #TLedwebinars
Reading Instruction vs.
Communicative Reading
Image by World Bank Photo Collection via flickr
Reading Instruction Communicative Reading
Recognizing words Purpose
Understanding grammar patterns Comprehension
Remembering facts Analysis

6. Teaching Communicative
Reading & Writing
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7. Designing Reading & Writing Tasks:
Process
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• Set the stage
• Understand
what readers
already know
Pre-
Reading/Writing
• Strive for
collaboration
• Task-based
Reading/Writing
• Reach for target
language
production
• Synthesis
Post-
Reading/Writing

8. Reading Tasks
Strategy #1: Read Aloud
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Image by San Jose Library via Flickr

9. Read Aloud Example
• Partner A’s First Paragraph: The Olympic Games were started by the
Greeks more than 3,500 years ago when Greece was an important world
power. In those days, women were not allowed to watch or to compete in the
Olympics. Men competed without wearing clothes. Some of the early Olympic
Games included running, skiing, and boxing. The Olympic Games stopped
when Greece lost its great power.
• Partner B’s First Paragraph: The Olympic Games were started by the
Greeks less than 3,500 years ago when Greece was an unimportant world
power. In those days, women were not allowed to listen or to compete in the
Olympics. Men competed without wearing tennis shoes. Some of the early
Olympic Games included running, wrestling, and boxing. The Olympic Games
stopped when Greece lost its great language.
http://www.apu.ac.jp/rcaps/uploads/fckeditor/publications/polyglossia/Polyglossia_V18_Greg_Kajiura.pdf

10. Reading Tasks
Strategy #2: Compare/Contrast
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11. Reading Tasks
Strategy #3: Read & Run
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Image by Dell Inc. on Flickr.com

12. Reading Tasks
Strategy #4: Slashed Text
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Image by U.S. Embassy Tokyo on Flickr.com

13. Reading Tasks
Strategy #5: Class Text Bank
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Photo by David Amsler via Flickr

14. Writing
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Image by Urbanworkbench via Flickr

15. Writing Task
Strategy #1: Group Brainstorming
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Photo by Kevin Dooley via Flickr

16. Writing Task
Strategy #2: Visuals
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Image by Yves Tennevin on Flickr.com

17. Writing Task
Strategy #3: Story Starter
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"It was a dark and stormy night…"
Image by Middle Island Fire Department via Flickr

18. Writing Task
Strategy #4: Whole Class Editing
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Image by woodleywonderworks on Flickr.com

19. Writing Task
Strategy #5: Whole Class
Newspaper or Blog
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Image by Hiroyuki Takeda via Flickr

20. Group Work Challenges
Mixed proficiency
• Differentiate
• Assign roles
• Scaffold the lesson
Off task behavior
• Peer review sheet
• Collect work in
chunks
• Increase pressure
in environment

21. Upcoming Webinars
Looking for more advice on teaching languages
with technology?
Join our upcoming webinars!