I usually teach level 4 and up .. low intermediate to high advanced, so the students have a lot of the basics already.     I also have students write a short paragraph at the beginning of the quarter so I have an idea of their writing skill problem areas.   I usually do a review of articles, verb tenses, subject/verb agreement and complete sentences at the beginning of the quarter. So I correct for all of those.  
 
Depending on the skill levels your students display in their writing, I'd have them track those you teach.  And as the quarter progresses, add the grammar and structures you have taught and practiced and have them track those too.
 
 
Mikal Steinbacher
Instructor, ABE/ESL/English
Lake Washington Technical College

________________________________

From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov on behalf of Martin Senger
Sent: Tue 3/3/2009 6:33 AM
To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 3969] Re: past progressive



Pax et bonum! (peace & goodness)

 

Great work, Mikal. I do have questions as to how you apply this in the classroom? When I work with my students' writing, I focus on one type of mistake at a time, so my student can focus on one aspect of grammar or vocab or whatever.

 

Martin E. Senger

Adult ESL / Civics Teacher,

G.E.C.A.C. / The R. Benjamin Wiley Learning Center

Erie, Pa.

Co-Director,

ESL Special Interest Group

Pa. Assoc. for Adult Continuing Education (PAACE)

 

From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Steve Kaufmann
Sent: Monday, March 02, 2009 8:47 PM
To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 3967] Re: past progressive

 

This list is similar to the one we use, and which we then graph and track, see attached. However, we find that the greatest benefit comes from seeing an incorrect phrase corrected, and then saving  a key word in that phrase, and the phrase itself, for future review. Even when people know the rules, they keep on making mistakes. The third person singular of the present tense is a notorious example.

We also find that Wrong Word is by far the most frequent mistake in writing and speaking, and usually the most damaging. Vocabulary usually trumps grammar.

I think that is difficult to concentrate  on more than one usage issue at a time. Since we have no way of knowing when a usage pattern will "click in", and since as Krashen says, this is often immune to the efforts of a teacher, a focus on lots of content is still the best expenditure of the learner's time, in my view. 

Steve Kaufmann
www.lingq.com <http://www.lingq.com/> 



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