Helping students build genre awareness is one of the most powerful goals you can include in an ESL creative writing activity. When learners understand how purpose and audience shape language, they begin to write with more confidence, strategy, and control. This lesson uses a single complex photo as the foundation for multiple writing modes. It’s a flexible ESL writing lesson you can use in high school, university, or adult classrooms. It naturally supports ESL classroom activities, creative ESL prompts, ESL writing practice, and even conditional writing practice if you choose to extend it.
learn English
ESL Creative Writing Activity: The “What If” Alternate History Journal
If you teach writing to high-school or university English learners, you probably know the struggle: students often fall back on predictable paragraphs about hobbies, daily routines, or weekend plans. Useful, yes, but not always inspiring. Try this twist: an alternate history writing prompt.
How to Teach Writing to Shy Students
Here are some unique writing lesson activities that can help shy students develop their writing skills and build their confidence:
Personal journaling
Encourage students to write in a personal journal about their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. This is a great way for shy students to express themselves and to build their writing skills in a safe and private space.
How to Teach Complex Sentences
Lesson Plan: Teaching Paragraph Writing with Complex Sentences
Why teach complex sentences
Improving Writing Skills: Complex sentences provide variety and depth to writing, making it more interesting and engaging for the reader. By using complex sentences, students can express their ideas more clearly and effectively.