This is a music application technique that helps ESL students improve academic essays development and progression.

1. Surfing ELT
25th ARTESOL Convention, Mar del Plata, Argentina
May 10-11, 2013
Writing Academically for
Student Success
Pamela Duran & Elena Smith
Intensive American Language Center
Washington State University

3. Washington State

4. Washington State University
Campus

5. Teaching Academic Writing
What’s Important?

6. Academic Writing Challenges
audience
grammar, mechanics
critical thinking
purpose
documentation of sources
logical transitions
organization
analysis/synthesis
smooth handling of content
and many more…

7. The Biggest Challenge in
Teaching Academic Writing We Have Found
Developing adequate support
of the point to prove using clear
details
and
examples

8. Major Characteristics of Successful
Academic Writing:
1. The continuous movement of logic is
“assert then support; assert then
support.”
2. No statement - without specific support
At the IALC, we require:
Each assertion has to have at least
three supporting points.

9. Studies Show:
• Interests
• Needs
• Values
• Beliefs
• Knowledge
generate writer’s ability to provide
adequate support

10. What generates adequate essay support?

11. When teachers assign topics
•Interests (whose?
students or teachers?)
•Knowledge (whose?
students or teachers?)

12. IALC’s Technique
Write a short paragraph about this
piece of music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eQiTqVQd
Hk&feature=related

13. Discussion
Was it interesting?
Did you have knowledge about it?

14. How did you feel?

15. Interests? Knowledge?
Global Topics
• Social discrimination
• Dystopia
• Human Rights
• Ethics in media
Imagine - you are students…what
could you write?

16. Students Reaction to Music Piece #1
• No movement
• Scary environment
• Struggling for life
• Maybe it has meaning, but I don’t understand
it
• Boring
• Like opening doors in a horror movie
• Producing headache

17. IALC’s Technique
Write a short paragraph about this
piece of music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqBJFDbE2Z
I

18. Discussion
Was it interesting?
Did you have knowledge
about it?

19. How did you feel?
What helped you write about it?

20. Students Reaction to Music Piece #2
• Feel happy but bored
• I want to fly
• It has harmony, so I can understand
• There is matching voice and melody
• My heart is warm
• My mind is in peace

21. Topics with personal focus
1. Love or money?
2. The happiest day in my life
3. A person I admire
4. My favorite restaurant

22. Emotions

23. Abdullah’s Personal Story

24. Personal emotional connection to the
topic helps develop adequate support
GLOBAL
PERSONAL

25. Write a paragraph about
Time to Say Goodbye
answering the following questions:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl9WMIPzd6w&fea
ture=related
1. Do you like this musical piece?
2. How does this music make you feel?
3. Explain why it makes you feel this
way?
4. Explain in details your attitude to
this piece of music.

26. Discussion
• Compare the three different pieces
of music you’ve listened to.
• Which piece seems the most
developed of the three?
• Why?

27. Students Reaction to Music Piece #3
• Well developed music in harmony with many
instruments
• The combination of voices and instruments make
it more fun
• As if I’m walking to heaven up the stairs
• Familiar and more pleasant, easy to understand
• Real art; special and creative
• Expresses confidence and conveys information
• Balanced

28. Discussion
What do emotions add to writing?

29. The role of emotions in providing
adequate support in academic writing
•Interests
•Knowledge
•Emotions
build writing progression

30. The IALC Students’ Opinions

31. Excerpts from Students’ Evaluations
• My favorite activity this session was
writing about the music.
• When I had to write what I felt
when I was listening to the music, I
understood how to support my
opinion.
• Music activity was very useful. Now
I know how to explain what I think
or know.

32. Thank you

33. References
Irvin, L. What is Academic Writing? 2010
http://wac.colostate.edu/books/writingspaces1/irvin--what-is-academic-writing.pdf
Intellectual Challenges in American Academic Writing:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/01/
Palmquist, M. A Social Model of Writing. Writing@CSU. 2010
Thaiss, Chris and Terry Zawacki. Engaged Writers & Dynamic
Disciplines: Research on the Academic Writing Life.
Portsmouth: Boynton/Cook, 2006
Music Pieces :
H. Lachenmann: Salut für Caudwell
www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2lyQc-6Mz4
Caccini Ave Maria by Andrea Bocelli
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqBJFDbE2ZI
Time to Say Goodbye
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl9WMIPzd6w&feature=related
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/img/college-photo_8117._445x280-zmm.JPG
http://photomoodblog.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/photo-mood-palouse-valley-landscape-1.jpg