Download - Making Writing Meaningful
Making writing meaningful
Elena Merino
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Writing & You, You & Your class
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What is the last thing you wrote?
Why did you write it?
Did you get a response?
What type of language did you use?
What language did you use?
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What’s your experience with ELT writing?
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1. In your classrooms…. Do you normally use the same amount of time for each skill (W,R,S,L)? Why?
2. Why do learners not want to write?
3. What are the benefits of writing in English for the learner?
5 minutes!
1. In your classrooms…. Do you normally use the same amount of time for each skill (W,R,S,L)? Why?
1) Opportunities for productive skills must be available for the pupils to actually produce the foreign language. (Coonan, 2006; 2008)
1) Output is necessary because it forces the speaker/writer into syntactic processing, i.e., you have to combine words together into a comprehensible message (something you are not obliged to do when merely listening). (Swain, 1985)
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Why do learners not want to write?
TopicsMotivationTypes of writingFrequency / Experience
Language barrier:
Writing in the L2Grammar problemsVocabularyOrganization
3. What are the benefits of writing in English for the learner?
SS benefit from frequent writing practice (short but frequent) and feedback (peer correction, teacher).
At the end of the task there is a product which can be used for further work.
It recycles grammar, enriches vocabulary and expands content.
And Teachers?
Can monitor efficiently during the tasks.
Can take notes of areas that require more work and plan remedial micro-teaching based on the students’ mistakes.
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Production Skill
Background in
fo
Class
room
Group W
ork
Vocab &
languageText ty
pe
Teacher
Organiza
tion
How’s this production process in your classroom?
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Imagine your class is tomorrow and you want your students to write in English.
Create a lesson plan!
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Let’s get things right!!
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WorkshopLet’s make writing happen
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14 / 15 yrs old
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Now … Predict!
1. How many miles are there in the route?a) 2,451 b) 3,345 c) 4,122
2. Route 66 was also known as:a) Dangerous road b) Mother Road c) Old road
3. Why did people use the road after World War II?a) To enjoy touristic attractionsb) To transport animals through the USc) To find better jobs in the West
4. The highway was opened in 1926 and was closed in:a) 1953 b) 1985 c) it’s never been closed
5. What can you find in the route nowadays?a) American goodsb) Gas stations, cafés, trading posts, etc.c) Nothing, it’s abandoned
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Check your predictions1. How many miles are there in the route?a) 2,451 b) 3,345 c) 4,122
2. Route 66 was also known as:a) Dangerous road b) Mother Road c) Old road
3. Why did people use the road after World War II?a) To enjoy touristic attractionsb) To transport animals through the USc) To find better jobs in the West
4. The highway was opened in 1926 and was closed in:a) 1953 b) 1985 c) it’s never been closed
5. What can you find in the route nowadays?a) American goodsb) Gas stations, cafés, trading posts, etc.c) Nothing, it’s abandoned
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Practice Vocabulary (I) Read your paragraphs out loud and act out the words in bold
CaptivateAnthemOld road
Heart of the USDiagonalScenes
Farm families Paved
CorridorHighways
Towns
OutsetRural / Urban
MobilityIndustrial
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(Re)Alignments Removed
Gravel (road)Bloody
Dangerous Curves
SitesTrading post
Drive-in movie theatresGrow
Signage
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Complete! Route 66…
Means of transport
Cities / States
Roads Things / Places
Am. symbols
Landscape Weather
Watch and complete
Key
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Practice Vocabulary (II)
OutsetOutset
AnthemAnthem
ShiftShift
ScenesScenes
GravelGravel
FlagFlag
License PlateLicense Plate
CorridorCorridor
STUDENT A
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Practice Vocabulary (II)
AlignmentAlignment
Trading PostTrading Post
PavedPaved
BloodyBloody
FlatFlat
BridgeBridge
GarageGarage
MotorcycleMotorcycle
STUDENT B
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In your blog….
•Include 10 words from the vocab. table and the text (bold)
•Use the past tense and recommendation verbs (should, shouldn’t, must, mustn’t, have to, don’t have to) (underline)
•Use connectors (pdf) in colour.
•Include: pictures, links, videos, etc.
•200 words
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1. Drafting (graphic organizer)
2. Writing (00.00)
But also…
3. Reading and commenting x 3 (00.00)“I like, I love, WH-questions, I don’t like….” (50 words)
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Evaluate your blog (+ rubric)
Yes No
Did I use multimedia and links on my blog?
Did I use 10 words from the unit and put them in bold?
Did I use the past and recommendation verbs and underlined them?
Did I write 300 words?
Did I check the spelling?
Did I use connectors?
Did I read other blogs and post 3 comments?
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Use the cafeteria in our learning platform for questions, doubts, queries.
Writing strategies:-Who is going to read what I’ve written?
-What effect am I trying to achieve by writing?
-How is my audience going to respond?
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Presenting your blog
Presenting (recording?)
&
Voting
the funniest, the most well-organized, the most original
Follow-Up
Recycling content, grammar & vocabulary in the following sessions
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Time to evaluate!!!
All lesson plan should contain…
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Making Writing Meaningful l 10/03/1535
Lesson Planning
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Who’s my audience?
Do you know your students?
What tools can I use?
Traditional?
Technology?
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Can you use these in your classes?
Technology or not, we need:
• A lot of pictures, illustrations, etc.
• Headings, sub-headings
• Graphs, tree-diagrams, timelines, etc.
• Variety of tasks
• Guidance / Facilitation
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Can you improve your previous lesson plan?
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Activity examples
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Wrap-up
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Our workshop objective:
Developing activities to ensure writing can be meaningful
Did we achieve this? How?
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Lesson planning:•Set up a clear objective•Predict problems (vocabulary, language, text, content…) •Sequenced and plural activities for all types of learning styles•Motivating and engaging activities•Contextualize
In the classroom:
•Lecture-mode
• Interactive teaching, SS-SS (active role).
•We don’t know that the students have learned until they produce it. Exploit opportunities for developing language skills.
•Scaffolding: guidance
•Provide positive feedback & Facilitate cooperation
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It’s not always what you teach but how you teach it
Teacher’s responsibilities:Commitment, recycling, include some ICT, facilitator, reflection, talk to other teachers!
Are you willing to do that?
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"Learning is not a spectator sport. Students do not learn much just by sitting in classes listening to
teachers, memorizing pre-packaged assignments, and spitting out answers.
They must talk about what they are learning, write about it, relate it to past experiences and
apply it to their daily lives. They must make what they learn part of
themselves."
Arthur W. Chickering and Zelda F. Gamson
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Finally…
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Have you changed your mind?
Thank you!!!!
Any doubts?
Contact me!
Mail: [email protected]: @merino_helenFacebook: Elena MJBlog: http://eltlearningjourneys.com/
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