Improving Students’ Writing: Five Techniques for Success Kelly Conroy, University of Texas at Austin Anne Cummings Hlas, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Improving Students’ Writing: Five Techniques for Success

Kelly Conroy, University of Texas at AustinAnne Cummings Hlas, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

Beth Kozbial Ernst, University of Wisconsin-Eau ClaireJessica S. Miller, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

ACTFL 2011

Website

http://www.promotelanguage.com/write

•Detailed activity descriptions

•Classroom handouts in multiple languages

•Full bibliography

•Pedagogy rationales based on research

Research-Based Principles

1. Set a purpose for writing in the classroom.

2. Encourage students to use strategies.

3. Focus on process approaches to writing.

4. Connect to what students think, feel, and experience.

Writing Freely

• As a brainstorming activity, ask students to get together in pairs and write down necessary vocabulary words.

• Next, the students should open the appropriate word processing program, turn off the monitor and free write, focusing only on thoughts and ideas. No grammar (at this point)!

• Once 10-15 minutes have passed, ask the students to turn on the monitor and make appropriate changes and discuss their ideas with a partner.

Exercises of Style• Activity encourages learners to be

creative while practicing target grammar

• Based on French surrealist writer Raymond Queneau’s essays (1947)

• Same short story written in 99 different styles

• Teacher provides models and students write their own

Exercises of Style - Examples

• Base sentence: “In the morning I wake up, drink my coffee, and go to school.”

• Adverb variation: “Quietly in the morning, I quickly wake up, drink my coffee slowly, and happily go to school.”

• Geometric variation: “In the round morning, I wake up a square, drink my oval coffee, and go to school walking straight.”

Figurative language is like sprinkles on a cupcake.

• In class, explain the difference between similes and metaphors.

A. Simile or Metaphor

B. Simile or Metaphor

• I feel like a monster.

• Life is a game of chess.

Destination Unknown• Before class, the teacher should write down travel destinations

of the country, region, international site, etc. and place in a hat.

• Each student draws a piece of paper out of the hat.

• They write down three descriptive clues starting from hardest to easiest and fold the paper accordion style so that only one clue is showing.

• Then the students pass the paper. The student should read the clue and write down a guess of the destination.

• Next, they should pass again until it is finally returned to the original author who reveals the correct answer.

Destination Unknown-- Suggestion and Extension

• Helpful phrases for writing the clues:• It is in the _____________ hemisphere.• It is __________ during January, February and March.

(Mention: climate or temperature)• It is located in _____________________________ (Mention:

country or continent)• There are many ____________there. (Mention: geographical

feature or animals)

• Extension: Write a paragraph about what they have learned about the destination. Use the vocabulary that you learned.

Taking a Trip• Explain to the students that they will be, in small groups,

creating a promotional flyer for the Office of Tourism in the (target country/city).

• They should begin by doing research on their country/city and think about why they would want to visit that destination.

• As a group, they should then create an attractive promotional flyer with photos, links, copy, etc. to show to the class.

• The class will vote on the best promotional flyer, which will then be sent to the Office of Tourism in the (target country/city).

Taking a Trip - RubricContent Developed 2-3 aspects of destination

Effective phrasing (catchy)

Specific information about destination

Interesting content

Well Done (5)

________

________

________

________

Satisfactory (4)

________

________

________

________

Needs Work (3)

________

________

________

________Layout/DesignAttractiveness

Originality

Relevance

Clarity

Well Done________

________

________

________

Satisfactory________

________

________

________

Needs Work________

________

________

________Language UseNew vocabulary

Spelling

Sentence structure

Verb tense and form

Well Done________

________

________

________

Satisfactory________

________

________

________

Needs Work________

________

________

________

Text Me!

• Appeal to students’ digital literacy by teaching them SMS language (i.e. texting abbreviations).

• Using paper “cell phones” provide students with a task and have them “text” each other using SMS to complete the task. Enforce a writing only/no talking rule.

• For greater discussion of texting in the classroom, see González-Bueno and Pérez-Sotelo (2009), Language Educator, 4 (5).

Can u txt n transl8?

1: do u want to c a movie?

2: idk, i’d rather go 2 museum tbh

1: k, np, wfm! u want to go l8r?

2: yes, i will check museum hrs jic.

1: k, tia!

2: np, sys!

Feature Yourself • Students first spend time

viewing front page newspapers from the target region on http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/

• Students study the typical layout, organization, and format of the front page of a newspaper.

Your Front Page

Needs to include

•Three related photos

•At least five headlines (real or imaginary)

•At least two personal stories (real or imaginary)

•At least one advertisement related to a cultural product

Small plug for Spanish http://bestofpuntocom.net/

Reverse Fill In the Blank

• Activity prepares students for vocabulary tests

• Students select 4 or 5 words from a list

• They write a paragraph about themselves leaving a blank where target words would be

Reverse Fill In the Blank

• Teacher collects and redistributes the anonymous paragraphs

• Students fill in the blanks to review vocabulary

• They guess who those paragraphs describe

• Paragraphs can be used later for quick review

• They create a sense of community

Reverse Fill In the Blank - Examples

“I love to go _____________ at the beach, but I hate _____________ at the lake because I don’t eat animals. Every weekend, I meet my friend and we play the _____________, which is my favorite string instrument. Finally, at night, I enjoy _____________ a good book.”

“I love to go SWIMMING at the beach, but I hate FISHING at the lake because I don’t eat animals. Every weekend, I meet my friend and we play the GUITAR, which is my favorite string instrument. Finally, at night, I enjoy READING a good book.”

This is a description of Sally.

Gallery Walk

• Using a large sheet of paper, have pairs of students write and illustrate a mini-story with a cliffhanger ending.

• Hang multiple stories around the classroom.

• Have the students travel in a circle around the room in pairs to write a unique last sentence on each story, finally returning to see what endings were written for their own story.

• It may be helpful to play music to prompt them to move on to the next station.

Calligrammes• Poem that is a visual representation

of its subject

• French poet Guillaume Apollinaire (1880-1918) created this word: “calligraphie” (handwriting) + “ideogramme” (picture)

• Students use their imagination to create calligrammes

• Display poems around the classroom

Calligrammes – Example 1http://www.guillaume-apollinaire.fr/calligrammes.htm

Calligrammes – Example 2http://www.guillaume-apollinaire.fr/calligrammes.htm

Songwriter

• In pairs or small groups, students are asked to write a tune to a familiar song such as Frère Jacques or Blue Moon.

Let’s sing!Sung to tune of Frère Jacques.•WRITE at ACTFL•WRITE at ACTFL•Five strategies•Five strategies•We hope you found this useful•We hope you found this useful•Let's move on•Let's move on

Questions and comments

Kelly Conroy [email protected]

Anne Cummings Hlas [email protected]

Beth Kozbial Ernst [email protected]

Jessica S. Miller [email protected]