Teaching Writing as an Integrated Skill Erin Lowry CCA In-Service Training January 16, 2009

Overview Ideas for integrating more writing activities into your lessons How to adapt textbook activities

Ideas for integrating more writing activities into your lessons

How to adapt textbook activities

Writing for Learning Reinforcement writing Preparation writing Activity writing

Reinforcement writing

Preparation writing

Activity writing

Writing for Writing Objective is to help students become better writers and learn how to write in various genres using various registers Includes the following Handwriting Orthography Punctuation More…

Objective is to help students become better writers and learn how to write in various genres using various registers

Includes the following

Handwriting

Orthography

Punctuation

More…

Writing Subskills Writing accurately Spelling correctly Forming letters correctly Writing legibly Punctuating correctly Using correct layouts Choosing the right vocabulary Using grammar correctly Joining sentences correctly Using paragraphs correctly

Writing accurately

Spelling correctly

Forming letters correctly

Writing legibly

Punctuating correctly

Using correct layouts

Choosing the right vocabulary

Using grammar correctly

Joining sentences correctly

Using paragraphs correctly

Writing for Writing What’s the purpose? Invented or real? For an exam? Creative writing?

What’s the purpose? Invented or real?

For an exam?

Creative writing?

Tasks for Writing Teachers Demonstrating Motivating and provoking Supporting Responding Evaluating

Demonstrating

Motivating and provoking

Supporting

Responding

Evaluating

What Students Need to Write Information & task information Language Ideas Patterns & schemes J. Harmer (2004), pp. 62-63

Information & task information

Language

Ideas

Patterns & schemes

Writing Continuum

Writing Process Pre-writing Writing Peer Editing Revising Rewriting Proofreading Finished Writing

Example from AIO Pre-Int , Unit 2 Rewrite the letter in #1 to make it sound positive Describe a vacation destination and why you would go there in 50 words Anecdote: tell a partner about the best city you’ve ever visited (originally a speaking activity)

Rewrite the letter in #1 to make it sound positive

Describe a vacation destination and why you would go there in 50 words

Anecdote: tell a partner about the best city you’ve ever visited (originally a speaking activity)

Example from Top Notch 3 , Unit 6 Write about a historic disaster Provide instructions on preparing for a disaster Explain the factors that contribute to the severity of an earthquake

Write about a historic disaster

Provide instructions on preparing for a disaster

Explain the factors that contribute to the severity of an earthquake

Sentence & Paragraph Sentence production Paired sentences Paragraph construction Controlled text construction Free text construction

Sentence production

Paired sentences

Paragraph construction

Controlled text construction

Free text construction

Group Writing Write the starter sentence on the board and have each student give you a sentence to continue the story. As you go around the room the story will develop. Students give the sentence orally and the teacher writes it on the board. Rewriting and expanding sentences

Write the starter sentence on the board and have each student give you a sentence to continue the story.

As you go around the room the story will develop.

Students give the sentence orally and the teacher writes it on the board.

Rewriting and expanding sentences

Sentence Starters Often when we ask our students to write about something they freeze My favorite month of the year is… The best movie I’ve ever seen is… One of the most exciting things that has ever happened to me is…

Often when we ask our students to write about something they freeze

My favorite month of the year is…

The best movie I’ve ever seen is…

One of the most exciting things that has ever happened to me is…

Writing Storms Something funny that happened to me this week What I really hate! My favorite thing A surprise I had A landscape A building A memory from childhood My best friend My boss

Something funny that happened to me this week

What I really hate!

My favorite thing

A surprise I had

A landscape

A building

A memory from childhood

My best friend

My boss

Graphic Organizers Common language classroom g.o. functions Describing Comparing and contrasting Classifying Sequencing Cause and effect Decision Making Common designs Cluster/Word Web Describing Wheel Fact and Opinion Five W's Chart KWL/KWHL Chart Sequence Chart Spider Map Tree Chart Venn Diagram

Common language classroom g.o. functions

Describing

Comparing and contrasting

Classifying

Sequencing

Cause and effect

Decision Making

Common designs

Cluster/Word Web

Describing Wheel

Fact and Opinion

Five W's Chart

KWL/KWHL Chart

Sequence Chart

Spider Map

Tree Chart

Venn Diagram

Using Pictures Describing pictures Suspects and objects Write the postcard Portraits Story tasks

Describing pictures

Suspects and objects

Write the postcard

Portraits

Story tasks

Portraits http://www.365portraits.com

Sequence of Pictures

Writing Poems Acrostic poems / alphabetic poems Stem / frame poems Metaphor generators Model poems

Acrostic poems / alphabetic poems

Stem / frame poems

Metaphor generators

Model poems

Example Poems Hockey H ockey is my favorite sport O n the ice or street C ool and fun K eep on playing E xercise and stronger Y ou should try My Favorite Things A is for armadillos that I like to watch but don’t want to eat B is for batter of cookies (which I do eat) C is for cat (I miss mine a lot)

Hockey

H ockey is my favorite sport

O n the ice or street

C ool and fun

K eep on playing

E xercise and stronger

Y ou should try

My Favorite Things

A is for armadillos that I like to watch but don’t want to eat

B is for batter of cookies (which I do eat)

C is for cat (I miss mine a lot)

Dictogloss Students re-create a text or story that the teacher reads to them Ss get into groups to re-formulate the content – grammar can be different but they should try to maintain integrity of information

Students re-create a text or story that the teacher reads to them

Ss get into groups to re-formulate the content – grammar can be different but they should try to maintain integrity of information

Dialogue Journals & Blogs Written conversations in which a learner and teacher (or other writing partner) communicate regularly Learners write as much as they choose on a wide range of topics and in a variety of genres and styles Teacher writes back regularly, responding to questions and comments, introducing new topics, or asking questions http://www.cal.org/caela/esl_resources/digests/Dialogue_Journals.html

Written conversations in which a learner and teacher (or other writing partner) communicate regularly

Learners write as much as they choose on a wide range of topics and in a variety of genres and styles

Teacher writes back regularly, responding to questions and comments, introducing new topics, or asking questions

Writing to Each Other Penpals / Keypals Emails Live chat Forums

Penpals / Keypals

Emails

Live chat

Forums

Comics and Graphic Novels

M. Satrapi. The Complete Persepolis .

G. Larson. The Far Side.

W. Senft Writing 4 3 2 1 You planned before writing. Web has 5 or more details. Web has 3 or 4 details. Web is incomplete. Did not complete a web. You wrote about the correct topic. Stayed on topic and followed your plan. Stayed on topic, but forgot a few details from your plan. Wrote about a different topic. Did not hand in a paper. You used simple past tense correctly. 2 mistakes or fewer 3-4 mistakes 5-6 mistakes Did not hand in a paper. You ended sentences with periods. 2 mistakes or fewer 3-4 mistakes 5-6 mistakes Did not hand in a paper.

Sample Rubrics Online ESL Writing 001 from Rubistar FUHSD Writing Rubrics—Samples The Rubric Bank from Chicago Public Schools Teach-nology's Rubric Generators

ESL Writing 001 from Rubistar

FUHSD Writing Rubrics—Samples

The Rubric Bank from Chicago Public Schools

Teach-nology's Rubric Generators

Resources Campbell, C. (1998). Teaching Second Language Writing: Interacting with the Text . Heinle & Heinle. Ferris, D.R. & Hedgcock, J.S. (2005). Teaching ESL Composition . Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers. Harmer, J. (2004). How to Teach Writing . Pearson Education. Herrin, J. (2007). Task-based Activity Templates for Engaging Multi-level Learners . Training given by ELF 2006-07 in Kyiv. King, J.M. (2007). Teaching Reading and Writing . Course taught by ELF 2006-07 in Turkmenistan. Olsher, D. (1996). Words in motion: An interactive approach to writing . Oxford Univeristy Press. Omaggio Hadley, A. (2001). Teaching language in context (3 rd ed.). Thomson Heinle. Pavlik, C. & Keenan Segal, M. (2007) Interaction 1 Writing, Silver Edition . McGraw Hill. Senft, W. (2007). Teaching and Assessing Writing . Training given by ELF 2007-08 in Costa Rica. Slagoski, J. (2007). Communicative Writing Activities . Training given by ELF 2006-07 in Russia.

Campbell, C. (1998). Teaching Second Language Writing: Interacting with the Text . Heinle & Heinle.

Ferris, D.R. & Hedgcock, J.S. (2005). Teaching ESL Composition . Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.

Harmer, J. (2004). How to Teach Writing . Pearson Education.

Herrin, J. (2007). Task-based Activity Templates for Engaging Multi-level Learners . Training given by ELF 2006-07 in Kyiv.

King, J.M. (2007). Teaching Reading and Writing . Course taught by ELF 2006-07 in Turkmenistan.

Olsher, D. (1996). Words in motion: An interactive approach to writing . Oxford Univeristy Press.

Omaggio Hadley, A. (2001). Teaching language in context (3 rd ed.). Thomson Heinle.

Pavlik, C. & Keenan Segal, M. (2007) Interaction 1 Writing, Silver Edition . McGraw Hill.

Senft, W. (2007). Teaching and Assessing Writing . Training given by ELF 2007-08 in Costa Rica.

Slagoski, J. (2007). Communicative Writing Activities . Training given by ELF 2006-07 in Russia.