Teaching EFL Writing and Reading Interactively

1. Teaching EFL Writing and Reading Interactively James Oladejo Department of English National Kaohsiung Normal University

2. Interactive Teaching as a Triangle • Interaction among students • Interaction between students and teacher • Interaction between students and materials in language teaching The role of the teacher in making it possible goes beyond merely presenting the items to be learnt. Co-operative learning is the ultimate goal

3. Participants in Interactive Teaching Teachers – Students- Materials

4. What the Teacher Should Do • Understand the students’ needs • Be ready to adopt and adapt new ways and ideas • Encourage and promote collaboration among learners • Be flexible and ready to accept divergent points of view about language teaching

5. The role of the Students • Willingness to learn and co-operate • Desire to follow instructions • Determination to never give up

6. Interactive Writing - Steps • Selecting authentic topics – interest, learning experience/cognitive level, purpose of teaching and learners’ needs • Collaborative brainstorming – Oral composition; joint compilation • Organization • Drafting and presentation

7. Interactive Writing Activities • Activity 5 : Joint Writing • Activity 4: Jumbled Story • Activity 3:Word Pyramids • Activity 2: The Writing Blitz • Activity 1:Power Writing (see your other handout for detail)

8. Teaching Reading Interactively • Pre-reading discussion and focusing • Content reading • Comprehension and discussion • Application and reflections (The following is an example)

9. Pre-reading • Do you have a brother, sister or partner? • Do you love this person very much? • Would you share things with him/her? • Is there anything you would hold back? • How deep is your love of this person? Use an adjective to describe it. (After the pre-reading, now read this following story)

10. Post Reading Activities • Make a list of things that you would share and another that you would not share with anyone • Give three reasons why you would not share such things in your list • Exchange your list with the person next to you and talk about the lists. • Have you learnt any new word in this story? • Create your own story of a strange, but moving moment or event

11. Conclusion –Linking Reading and Writing • Reading helps vocabulary development • Reading is the other wing of writing • Through extensive reading, students can learn how to express themselves and organize their ideas • Reading helps with organization of information • Punctuation and other errors in writing can be reduced through reading