This document provides guidance on fostering structure in classroom writing. It recommends connecting exercises to incrementally build skills. Lessons should flow from setting goals to timed writing, exercises, peer review, and teacher feedback. Paragraph structure is standardized with a template. Helpful online resources are listed for grammar, vocabulary, mind mapping, and more. The overall aim is to provide a clear methodology and efficient feedback to help students refine their writing.
3. CONNECTED EXERCISES
1. Set a clear class schedule that can be replicated on a weekly basis
2. Design activities that are clearly connected to the learning
objectives of the course
3. Sequence these activities to help students attain skills that they
can build on incrementally.
4. Students will find that they are able to refine their writing if they
can see the process’s methodology
5. Sequencing allows the instructor to provide more efficient
feedback
7. TIMED WRITING
•
•No erasers Speed, not accuracy
1st how much they have written without having to count
each and every word
2nd prepares students for IELTS or iBT TOEFL
100 words in 10 minutes / 200 words in 20
minutes
8. THREE REASONS FOR PEER
CORRECTION
1st allows the instructor to highlight common mistakes by
allowing students to analyze writing at a similar level to their own
2nd creates a new role for the student in a predominantly
teacher centered environment; could lead to more creativity
3rd if able to use their second language (L2), then the task is not
just on finding writing mistakes but permitting multiple language
skills and critical thinking
9. GRAMMAR ERROR LOG
Type of error Error in Context Corrected Sample
article a apple an apple
Subject verb
agreement
Everyone have an important
issue.
Everyone has an
important issue.
Apostrophe error Only dog’s should eat dog
food.
Only dogs should eat
dog food.
10. TEACHER FEEDBACK
• Correction should be specific to
the goals of the task
• Teachers may print the forms out
or attach them with their
electronic feedback enabling
instructors to keep a clear record
of their students’ abilities from
one assignment to the next.
• Feedback should not be given as
a writer, but as a reader.
Student Name: 1 2 3 4 5
Paragraph structure
Topic Sentence
Supporting Sentences
Concluding Sentence
Subject Verb Agreement
Articles
Prepositions
Word Order
Total /40
Positive Points:
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________
Areas to work on:
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________
Grade/Mark: ____________
12. PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE
1. Name and Class only in the header / right justify
2. Title should be centered and the same font as the paragraph
3. Do not bold the main title.You may bold the subtitle (if you are
writing a more advanced paper)
4. Leave a margin around the boarder (about 2.54 cm)
5. Indent the first sentence use the (tab key or 5 space bar taps)
6. Double space between lines (This makes it easier to read and to
add corrections)
7. Left justify the paragraph
8. Use 12pt font (Times New Roman)
15. HELPFUL WEBSITES
• Purdue OnlineWriting Lab (OWL)
• Grammarly
• Corpus of contemporaryAmerican English
(COCA)
• Google Scholar
• Easy world of English (EWE) (grammar,
pronunciation, readings, picture dictionary)-
Could assign for homework/self-study
• News in levels (1, 2, 3 , grammar, reading,
listening, writing, speaking)
• Wordhippo
• Visuwords
• Bubbl.us (mind mapping program for
writing/presenting)
• Spiderscribe (add date, personal or web pictures,
present, google maps, share with others)
• Beta Free rice (synonyms-World Food
Programme)
16. EASY WORLD OF ENGLISH
• For low level students
• Great for extras / autonomous learners
• Grammar, pronunciation, reading, vocabulary (picture
dictionary)
• http://easyworldofenglish.com
18. CORPUS OF CONTEMPORARY
AMERICAN ENGLISH (COCA)
• Useful for students at higher levels who want to improve their
academic English (Register)
• Example: happy
• [=happy] to find synonyms that are more academic
• Aid students with prepositions or collocations
• Example:The advantage _____ self-driving cars.
• The advantage *
• https://www.english-corpora.org/coca/
20. WORLD RICE SYNONYM PRACTICE
•Partnership with UNICEF
•Students can build their vocabulary knowledge
and also help other people around the world
•https://beta.freerice.com
First, Set a clear class schedule that can be replicated on a weekly basis is essential in establishing writing proficiency. Assists you and gets your students into a routine.
Second, design activities that are clearly connected to the learning objectives of the course. Important to know the text, the level of students and where they need to be at the end of the semester or the end of the year.
Third, sequence activities to help students attain skills that they can build on incrementally. Use the timed writing warm up not just as a way to practice speed, but also as an intro to the topic you will be writing about later on in the class, or use it to begin peer review.
Designing activities that are clearly connected to the learning objectives of the course and sequencing these activities helps students attain skills that they can build on incrementally.
Students will find that they are able to refine their writing if they can see the process’s methodology; while sequencing allows the instructor to provide more efficient feedback.
Utilizing these tools in a five-stage learning cycle will provide a clear map for teachers to use in their classroom making it much easier for students to follow. In general terms, it will give students not only an outline but also promote a better dialogue with the teacher as it relates to students’ weak areas in their writing. It is clear that students respond better to specific feedback that does not overwhelm their writing capability. Teachers who can constructively highlight areas students have performed well in as well as areas for further study will improve the overall ability of students in their writing classes.
Set specific goals:
If your unit is working on topic sentences then everything that is involved in your lesson should be focused on Topic Sentences.
The same goes for whatever your unit or class goal is. On the right I have used Paraphrasing as another example.
Don’t be afraid to add a flipped classroom experience to allow students to work it out in their own time and give you a chance to see who really is
The goal of this exercise is to focus on the number of words written. A good number to start with is to have students write 100 words in 10 minutes. The reasons are twofold. Firstly, with consistent practice students are able to judge quickly how much they have written without having to count each and every word. Secondly, this prepares those students who may be planning to take written exams such as the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or the Internet Based Test of English as a Foreign Language (iBT TOEFL), both of which have unique and challenging writing tasks.
There are three sound reasons for using peer editing in EFL writing classes. First, it allows the instructor to highlight common mistakes by allowing students to analyze writing at a similar level to their own. Secondly, it creates a new role for the student in a predominantly teacher centered environment in which students are able to make their own decisions which consequently leads to more individual creativity. Thirdly, if students are able to use their second language (L2) when giving feedback to their peers, then the task is not just on finding writing mistakes but permitting multiple language skills and critical thinking to be used (Min, 2005, 2006; Lam 2012; Rothman 2015).
Have students keep a Grammar Error Log of the mistakes they are making. Before submitting a module or term paper to you they should review the common mistakes that they made in the past to make sure they haven’t repeated the same mistake in their newest paper.
Feedback is one of the most important aspects to get right. Correction should be specific to the goals of the task or essay.
Teachers are not usually professional editors, and should not fill their students’ papers with more red ink than type faced print. It is more practical to use a feedback form.
Teachers may print the forms out or attach them with their electronic feedback enabling instructors to keep a clear record of their students’ abilities from one assignment to the next. It is therefore arguable that feedback should not be given as a writer, but as a reader.
Finally, clear, constructive feedback will a) create a paper trail that can be referred to in subsequent assignments and b) emphasize consistent student weaknesses.
Utilizing these tools in a five-stage learning cycle will provide a clear map for teachers to use in their classroom making it much easier for students to follow. In general terms, it will give students not only an outline but also promote a better dialogue with the teacher as it relates to students’ weak areas in their writing. It is clear that students respond better to specific feedback that does not overwhelm their writing capability. Teachers who can constructively highlight areas students have performed well in as well as areas for further study will improve the overall ability of students in their writing classes.