Return-Path: <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id h150tUP04510; Tue, 4 Feb 2003 19:55:30 -0500 (EST) Date: Tue, 4 Feb 2003 19:55:30 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <C50587E3B025D3118DDB00A0C9FC3C5E0621685E@EXCHANGE> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: Virginia Tardaewether <tarv@chemeketa.edu> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:8498] Re: writing in class X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Type: text/plain X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2655.55) Status: O Content-Length: 2770 Lines: 60 My classes do about what Sylvan talks about then writes it up on the computer. If we have printshop, I have them make cards to send to family, address the envelops, etc. Va -----Original Message----- From: Sylvan Rainwater [mailto:sylvan@cccchs.org] Sent: Tuesday, February 04, 2003 16:43 To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: [NIFL-ESL:8497] Re: writing in class At 04:24 PM 02/04/2003 -0500, Pamela Brown wrote: >I have a question for all of you ESoL teachers out there: how much >writing >do you do with your students, and what do you have them write about? My students write dialog journals every class day (3x/week). At the beginning of the year we say they can be in Spanish if they need to be, but we encourage them to begin to use English, even a word or two, as they can. Now we are telling them to write only in English, and some of them say (in perfect English!) I can't write in English(!). But they are doing it, most of them, quite well. I, too, have the students dictate to me. The latest thing is that as a class we came up with a recipe for Chilies Rellenos, and then I had them type the recipe on the computer. I'm going to use that as a basis for teaching editing skills on the computer, so they can correct their mistakes. My co-teacher had them do a group writing exercise, where he broke them into groups, and had each group come up with 5 questions and 4 sentences on a given topic (all the topics were different). They wrote them up on flip charts, and then presented them to the class, having the entire class practice saying the questions and sentences. This is a very multi-level class, so it's always a challenge to find activities that everyone can participate in appropriately. Working at the sentence/question level is a good way to start -- most of the students, even the beginners, have the skills to at least contribute to a group task to create these. For the more advanced students, the webbing idea of organizing ideas and then creating an outline of sorts, and then writing about it from that, is a good one. Again, doing group work is helpful at least at first. I've also had students in the past, right about this time of year, write about what it is we're doing here, and what they think of the program. They write in English or in Spanish, and then we have published some of their responses in the program-wide newsletter, translating them so everyone can see. Writing needs to be part of what we do every day, in some way, as it can contribute a lot to reading skills. -------------------------------------------------------------- Sylvan Rainwater . Family Literacy Coordinator Clackamas County Children's Commission / Head Start Oregon City, OR USA . mailto:sylvan@cccchs.org
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