eslwriter

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

Sophomore ESL Writing, Week 6

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Learn English writing activities this week

Here is a checklist of things to complete by the end of this week:

  • finish 3rd draft of four writing assignments (homeless guy, health and wealth, book or movie review, guided writing exercise about adding emotion based on the theme show me don’t tell me)
  • complete 4 chapters in the textbook
  • learn and understand topic, controlling idea and controlling sentence (chapter 3 in the textbook)
  • have a clear understating of the differences between correlation and causation and be ready to provide examples for each
  • know the eight parts of speech
  • know at least four ways to create cohesion in a paragraph of story (here, here and here)
  • know some ways to create an interesting first sentence
  • know the answers to the questions on quiz #1

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More Sponge Activities to Teach English

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Sponge Activities that Teach English

Teaching English requires a panoply of skills. One of them is preparation. ESL teachers need a good supply of ready to go materials when the inevitable surprise comes up. Like when a lesson finishes early and you want to fill a gap with a useful activity.

Consider adding these 5 activities to your collection of back pocket activities, fun language-focused exercises, video lessons and pair work discussion builders that require little prep.

Most of the activities are geared towards a conversation class (high beginner+), but  can easily be adapted for writing classes with some imagination.

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Teach English: Correlation and Causation

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Teach English Writing Concepts

This lesson helps ESL students improve the quality of their writing, speaking and thinking by understanding the differences between correlation and causation.

Learning these vital concepts helps students write logical stories and essays by avoiding post hoc fallacies. It also helps them develop critical thinking skills and an ability to express complex ideas in writing and conversation classes.

Developing an ability to identity and evaluate cause and effect relationships is not easy for students, especially those coming from an education system that emphasizes rote memorization. Finding causality requires a degree of imagination and a willingness to inquire, to dare and explore ideas.

In that sense, imagination fosters understanding.

Lesson Purpose

By the end of this lesson, ESL students will:

  • define correlation and causation
  • explain the differences between the two concepts
  • demonstrate that knowledge in practice exercises
  • apply that knowledge in a writing assignment

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Learn English Speaking, Basic: Week 6

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Learn English Speaking

Here is an outline of the activities we will do this week to help ESL students learn English speaking skills.

This Week

  1. Chapters 4a textbook
  2. Look like and like (a conversation activity for accuracy)
  3. sound and sort #2 (accuracy)
  4. Quiz #1 (Monday second period)
  5. Chapter 4b in the text
  6. made of and made from
  7. Dictogloss (fluency and accuracy)
  8. Pair work story telling (a video lesson)

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