The Rights and Wrongs of Assessing Writing

1. The Rights and Wrongs of Assessing Writing Nermin S. Eltorie (nersaleh@aucegypt.edu) American University School of Continuing Education English Studies Division

2. Introduction • Writing as a Skill within the Communicative based curricula • Program Objectives for the teaching of writing in a Continuing Education Setting • Instructors’ knowledge and experience in teaching and assessing Writing • Rubrics for Writing based on specific tasks

3. English Studies Division (ESD) Curricula • Communicatively based instruction • Culturally based orientation • Function based language • Workplace oriented topics • General English courses (13 Levels) • Novice - Elementary - Intermediate - Advanced

4. Language Skills • A communicative based curricula stressing on the oral/aural learning, placing more stress on listening and speaking and less on writing. • Listening • Speaking • Reading • Writing

5. Writing • Function Based Writing: • Describing qualities • Comparing jobs • Making requests • Writing about the past • Writing about culture and customs • Describing and solving problems

6. Paragraph Writing • Function: Describing Qualities: • What kind of boss would you like to have? • Your company needs a computer programmer. What qualities do you think they should have?

7. Informal Letter Writing • Function: Comparing Jobs • You recently changed your profession from an engineer to a hotel manager. Write a letter to a friend telling him/her your reasons for the change. • Your sister wants to study the Arts, you think it would be better for her to study psychology. Write a letter and explain why.

8. Formal Letter Writing • Function: Explaining customs and habits. • Your business associate is paying a working visit to your country for the first time. Write a letter explaining your country’s business and social culture. • A foreigner is visiting your country for the first time. Write to him/her about the do’s and don’ts of your culture.

9. Three-Paragraph Essay • Function: Expressing past regrets. • You failed a job interview, write regretting the mistakes you made. • What past events have negatively affected your country’s progress? How things would be different if these events hadn’t taken place?

10. Three-Paragraph Essay • Function: Giving belated advice and suggestions: • How could the present economic crisis facing the world have been avoided? • Function: Describing problems and giving recommendations: • What is the most serious problem facing your country these days? Give practical solutions for this problem.

11. Paragraph Writing Rubric • Four Point Scale • Content • Organization • Mechanics • Grammar & Vocabulary

12. Formal/Informal Letter Rubric • Four Point Scale • Format for formal/informal letter • Information • Grammar, punctuation, and word choice • Style, tone and audience

13. Three-Paragraph Essay Rubric • Four Point Scale • Content • Organization and style • Grammar and vocabulary • Mechanics

14. Short Report Rubric • Four Point Scale • Topic & Organization • Grammar & Spelling • Content & Information • Vocabulary

15. Rubric for Writing Resumes • Four Point Scale • Format & layout • Style • Content

16. Upper Intermediate Learners • Practice paragraph writing. • Write formal letters for the workplace. • Write informal letters for friends/family. • Practice three-paragraph essays on a variety of social, cultural and workplace oriented topics.

17. Advanced Level Learners • Practice three-paragraph essays on a variety of social, cultural and workplace oriented topics. • Practice writing resumes, CVs, and job descriptions. • Practice writing short reports related to the workplace.