eslwriter

Rob Whyte is a university teacher, teacher trainer and writer.

Writing Arguments: Understanding Warrants

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Teach English Writing

One way to help ESL students learn English writing is to teach them how to write arguments following a simplified version of the Toulmin model. When students learn how to write claims with evidence and warrants, they are able to create clear arguments that sound persuasive.

The ability to construct a clear argument is a skill that can serve students well beyond the writing classroom. It can help them in ESL conversation classes, and in the workplace. For example, writing arguments can be very helpful for students who work in a foreign company and need to communicate with buyers and suppliers.

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Learn English Speaking, Basic: Week 10

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This is week 10 of the semester. Here is the plan for this week.

  1. Remember the Walk About Activity is next Monday.
  2. Textbook chapter 5b.
  3. Review sentences with TOO
  4. Quick Review – How much and how many Q & A
  5. What’s different? (hand out)
  6. Breakfast food
  7. Textbook chapter 6a
  8. Brain puzzles – things
  9. Sentence Patterns – preposition plus ING
  10. Everyday things – learn vocabulary
  11. Cooking spaghetti vocabulary and video
  12. Food and cooking vocabulary puzzle worksheet

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Teaching Argument Writing: Capture the Idea

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Teach English Argument Writing

This one hour lesson helps ESL students improve their English writing skills by learning how to identify, articulate and judge arguments using a simple critical thinking framework.

The lesson has four parts:

  1. a quick review of the critical think framework
  2. a 5 minute TED video ideal for this type of writing exercise
  3. a ten minute pair work discussion that helps students flush out the main ideas and allows teachers time to provide personalized feedback while circulating around the class
  4.  student writing time

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Sophomore ESL Writing, Week 9

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Learn English writing

This is week 9 of the semester. Here is the basic plan for this week.

  1. Quickly review mid term exam answers and scores.
  2. It is time to start fresh with new writing assignments.
  3. Improve the students’ ability to think critically (leadership analysis)
  4. More practice with a text analysis (Steve Jobs speech)
  5. Even more practice thinking and writing critically (TED Talk video analysis)
  6. Improve writing style by understanding how to write sentences with nominalizations.

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