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45 th IATEFL Conference - Brighton. Ideas for Improving Students’ Writing Skills. My Experience. Cecília Lemos cecilia@abaweb.org ABA, Recife, Brazil. +. Background Information. • ABA. - Binational Center, founded in 1988. - approx. 3,600 students. - 2 schools.
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45th IATEFL Conference - Brighton Ideas for Improving Students’ Writing Skills My Experience CecíliaLemos cecilia@abaweb.org ABA, Recife, Brazil
+ Background Information • ABA - Binational Center, founded in 1988 - approx. 3,600 students - 2 schools - Great Place to Work 2008, 2009, 2010 • Me - Teaching since 1993 - Mostly groups from High Intermediate on
TheProblem • Students in fluent levels (high intermediate on) don’t write as well as expected • Their writings are short • The structure / vocabulary used do not reflect the level they are in • Students are notmotivated / engaged in thewritingtasks What could we do???
Idea # 1 MINI WRITINGS Create 4 or 5 writingpromptsonthesametopic – theonebeingdiscussed in class Have 10’ writingstorms in class, oneat a time Endoftheunit – fromstorms to anessay
Example for Idea #1 Topic: Media and Advertising Prompt 1: How powerful are advertising and media? Prompt 2: Howmuchinfluence do media andadvertisinghave over you? Prompt 3: Whatstrategies do companies / advertising agencies use to influencepeople? Prompt 4: Whatcanbedone to fightthestrategiesusedbycompanies to influence us?
Idea # 2 VOCAB BANK Theconcept: everyclass a newword Words are presented in thebeginningofclass, students are encouraged to givethedefinitionsand use theword in a sentence.
Idea # 3 Using Feedback to Encourage Writing Oneway: givestudentsfeebackonthecontentofwhattheywrote, incite themtotake it further Anotherway: Makesuretheyreadandunderstandthe feedback, havethemreadeverybody’s • Tyson’sActivity Idea
Idea # 4 READING CLUB Theconcept: studentsreadthesame book. Book Meetings: livelydiscussions, engagingactivities, creativityandpersonalopinion. Choosingthe book: things to consider. Books usedsofar: • The Five PeopleYouMeet in Heaven (byMitchAlbom) • MySister’sKeeper (byJodiPicoult) • The Secret Life ofBees (by Sue Monk Kidd) • ThreeCupsofTea (by Greg Mortenson)
Example for Idea #3 The Five People You Meet in Heaven: First Meeting: Second Meeting: CharacterCard, Eddie discussion, Thestudent’sperson, Notes Third Meeting: WritingClass Sharingof notes, DiscussionaboutHeavenandHell Fourth Meeting: Bookmark– choosing, swapping / sharing, interactingwiththeauthor The Secret Life of Bees: First Meeting: Summarizing, Quotes & Story, Updatingthestory
WrappingUp AnyQuestions? CONTACT INFORMATION Cecilia Lemos cecilia@abaweb.org Twitter: @CeciELT BLOG: http://cecilialcoelho.wordpress.com ThankYou for coming!!!