esl writing activities

Intermediate Writing, Spring, Week 6

by

ESL Writing Class

This is sixth week of the semester. Quiz this week.

Work Plan – Week 6

Writing

  1. finish #1 – finish food story (first week of semester)
  2. finish #2 – Room 8
  3. finish #3 – the creative story (from a picture prompt and first sentence exercise)
  4. finish #4 – short story by adding lots of information
  5. finish #5 – story with 4 elements (better paragraphs)

Other stuff

  1. extra resources
  2. homework and story analysis
  3. schedule for the rest of the semester
  4. feedback

ESL Writing Activities

Hour 1

Attendance and review (5)

Extra Resources (5)

Listening and learning

  • Lexicon Valley, two people talking about words and language (for advanced listeners)
  • Here is a great ECE story that talks about the reasons why some children have a bigger vocabulary than other kids – Raising Verbal Children

ESL Class Homework for Next Week (5)

  • Read a short story by Jack Delany, The Case of The Lower Case Letter
  • Analyze the text according to the 6+1 writing traits.
  • Discuss comments about the story next week.

Can’t remember all of the traits?

Text analysis (10)

  • Comments on the story which I assigned as homework last week
  • What can we learn from this text?
  • Can you see any elements of the 6+1 writing traits in this story?

Schedule for the rest of the semester (10)

  • Week 6 from April 3 – class, quiz (this week on Friday)
  • Week 7 from April 10 – class, midterm exam review
  • Week 8 from April 17 – midterm exam week, no class Wednesday, exam on Friday
  • Week 9 from April 24 – class
  • Week 10 from May 1 – no class Wednesday (Buddha’s birthday), no class Friday (Children’s Day)
  • Week 11 from May 8 – class
  • Week 12 from May 15 – class
  • Week 13 from May 22 – class, quiz #2
  • Week 14 from May 29 – class, final exam review
  • Week 15 from June 5 – reading week, no classes
  • Week 16 from June 12 – no class Wednesday, final exam on Friday

Conclusion:

  • 7 weeks of classes left including exam reviews and today
  • 2 week off (holidays and reading week)
  • 2 weeks of exams (no classes, just tests)

Hour 2 -3

Introduction (20)

So far, we have focused on developing a variety of writing skills within the framework of 6+1 writing traits.

The approach has been to use a creative writing techniques and prompts in order to emphasize specific writing skills (i.e. flow, organisation, paragraphs, cohesion, word choice) rather cognitive load.

To a large degree, you have been successful in improving writing skills.

Now it’s time to place greater emphasis on one of the traits – the idea.

Your success may require deeper thinking and greater appreciation for how ideas are expressed with logic and reason.

Essentially, our work will focus on writing a clear argument and three different ways to create arguments.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the next 7 classes, you should understand and be able to use these concepts in your writing:

  • an argument
  • a warrant
  • the 4 steps of an inquiry framework
  • an inferences
  • a hypothesis

 Why learn these things?

  • They will help you express clear ideas.
  • They will help write and think with greater logic.
  • They will assist you with your academic writing.
  • They will help you sound smarter.

 

Step 1 What is an argument? (20)

This critical thinking worksheet helps to explain one way to think about and create arguments.

Extension

  • Write a short analysis of the argument for one video or print ad.

 

Feedback and writing (30)