Teaching essay writing

Sandy MillinDirector of Studies, IH Sevastopol

25th January 2014

http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/essaywriting

Nice Not nice

Sue O’Connell, Think Smart – Developing Thinking Skills for IELTS students (IATEFL Liverpool 2013)

What is an essay?

• Why do you write them?• When was the last time you wrote one?• Who did you write it for?

• Do your students know what an essay is?!?

Criteria

• Task achievement• Grammar/vocabulary – range and accuracy• Organisation/coherence/cohesion• Style/level of formality

The biggest problems

• Task achievement• Organisation/coherence/cohesion

• Ideas!

Enormous effort is put into researching and marketing ‘the perfect potato crisp’ while research into stress at work, for example, is ignored.How important are staff working conditions? Should employers research and improve the working conditions of their staff or should they concentrate more on their product?

a) a comparison of different types of product

b) a discussion of the difficulties of food industries

c) an analysis of the effects of bad working environments

d) an analysis of how to be successful in business

e) a description of a business you know well

f) an analysis of the importance of a company’s product

g) a discussion of how products are manufactured

h) a discussion of the value of company staff

Task achievementIn

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LTS

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Enormous effort is put into researching and marketing ‘the perfect potato crisp’ while research into stress at work, for example, is ignored.How important are staff working conditions? Should employers research and improve the working conditions of their staff or should they concentrate more on their product?

a) a comparison of different types of product

b) a discussion of the difficulties of food industries

c) an analysis of the effects of bad working environments

d) an analysis of how to be successful in business

e) a description of a business you know well

f) an analysis of the importance of a company’s product

g) a discussion of how products are manufactured

h) a discussion of the value of company staff

Task achievementIn

sigh

t int

o IE

LTS

SB p

83, E

xerc

ise

8, U

nit 7

• Types of essay question (DC IELTS)

Analysing the questions

Photo from ELTpics by @yearinthelifeof, under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial license

Essay question checklist1. Does it ask me what my own opinion is about a

topic? → Discussion question → Use my own opinions.

2. Does it ask me to discuss a particular proposal? → Proposal question → Discuss that proposal.

3. Does it ask me to decide between two different opinions or look at the advantages and disadvantages of a topic → Argument question→ Discuss both sides and come to a decision.

Taken from: Different types of essay questions in IELTS Dominic Cole's IELTS and Beyond Under Creative Commons License: Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives

What type are these?1. Many people have an unhealthy diet and do not take enough exercise. What

do you think are the reasons for this and what can be done to encourage people to lead a more healthy lifestyle?

2. Although countries with long average working hours are economically successful, this often has some negative social consequences. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

3. Some people think that paying taxes is enough to contribute to society. Others argue that being a citizen involves more responsibilities. Discuss.

4. Many people argue that children should stay in school until the age of eighteen. What are the advantages and disadvantages of making school compulsory until the age of 18?

5. Many people nowadays leave their county to work abroad and take their family with them. What are the advantages and disadvantages in terms of family development?

Taken from: Different types of essay questions in IELTS Dominic Cole's IELTS and Beyond Under Creative Commons License: Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives

Discussion

Proposal

Proposal

Argument

Argument

Idea generation

Photo from ELTpics by @acliltoclimb, under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial license

• Essay planner • Compare and contrast essay

Creating a plan

Essay structureTravel broadens the mind and widens our horizons (FCE)

Travel abroad is no longer a luxury and nowadays most people in my country have had at least one foreign holiday. Personally, I think this has benefited our society in a number of ways.Firstly, it enables us to observe and value other cultures and to understand that ours is not the only way of life. Consequently, this helps combat ignorance and narrow-mindedness, which so often lead to racial prejudice and even violence. Secondly, foreign tourists can learn from and ‘borrow’ those aspects of other cultures which are better than in their own country. It seems to me that the improvement in my country’s eating habits owes a great deal to foreign travel.Another benefit is that more people can now see the world’s most spectacular natural sights and visit its most important historic monuments. As a result, we discover our planet and become more knowledgeable in a way which is simply not possible with the Internet or television. To conclude, I strongly believe that if we travel with an open mind, our horizons will be widened even further.

Read

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, SB

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Analysing the structure

• What goes into each part of the essay?– Introduction– Individual paragraphs– Conclusion

• See ‘essay structure’ by Pavla Milerski

Intro• Most people think that…• However,…• Personally, I think this has

benefited our society in a number of ways.

Paragraph 1• Firstly,…• Consequently,…

Paragraph 2• Secondly,…• Another benefit is that…• As a result, …

Conclusion• To conclude,…

Linking words

Linking words

My dog had died that morning.

I wasn’t as sad as I expected.

He did not plan to.He had not

discussed the matter with her.

I’m studying English.

I want to travel.

andbut

because

Linking words

• He had not discussed the matter with her and he did not plan to.

• My dog had died that morning, but I wasn’t as sad as I expected to be.

• I’m studying English because I want to travel.

Now rewrite the sentences with other linking words.

Checklist• Does your introduction include your main argument

and indicate the topics of your paragraphs?• Does your conclusion refer back to the introduction?• Is the register consistent and formal/neutral?• Have you included suitable linking words? (If any of

your sentences start with But ....., And...., Because..... , please change them by using the linking your teacher gave you )

• Have you supported your arguments by examples/justification? Will the reader be generally informed about your view on the topic?Pavla Milerski,, Exam Writing seminar

Criteria and feedback

• Task achievement• Grammar/vocabulary – range and accuracy• Organisation/coherence/cohesion• Style/level of formality