Writing skills
* How are they taught?
•How are they learnt?
Main focus on weaker pupils
• ”Some of my pupils can only write words
on a picture. They can’t make sentences.”
• Is this enough to pass the written exam?
• No
Where do we start?
• How do we build
confidence?
• How do we remove
fear?
Nothing succeeds
…like success!
So how can we give
weak writers more
belief in themselves?
Jumbled sentences
• Give the pupil short, jumbled sentences. Let
them put the words in the right places.
• Use only familiar words.
• Point out that the pupil knows the words
and ”made” the sentence.
• Example: live we that house in.
Unfinished sentences
• Ask pupils to add adjectives and adverbs to
sentences.
• Let them suggest words that could fill gaps
• Get them to finish off sentences.
Describing pictures
You can start by giving some sentences to
complete:
• There is a…
• There are some…
• The xxx is xxxing
• The xxx are xxxing
Cartoons
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Translate
Fill in words
Fill in parts of sentences
Fill in sentences
Draw and write
Can pupils find and prepare some strips?
From cartoon strip
• To story
Log
No formal demands for
• Structure
• Topic
• Language
• Length
• Genre
Words, words, words
• Give the pupils some words that they have
to use in a short text.
• The words could be from just one word
class, or a mix.
• Alternatively: let pupils make short lists of
words which they swap.
Topic sentences
• Ask them to write three or four sentences to
a topic sentence you provide.
Examples:
• I want to get a moped next year.
• Everyone can do more for the planet.
• Dogs are great pets for people of all ages.
• Other ideas?
Five-paragraph essay
A realistic aim?
• Introduction: 1 p
• Body: 3 p
• Conclusion: 1 p
Five-line Poems
• Demystify poems
• Help the pupils write a text
Format
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My bike
Old and rusty
Lying in the garage
Shall I repair it or buy a new one?
My bike
Opening Sentences
• The policeman smiled/grinned/scowled and
said: ”Now tell me what you saw.”
• I knew I had seen her face before! Yes, it
was on the TV news yesterday…
• When I got in, there was a surprise waiting
for me.
• Other ideas?
Closing Sentences
• I never told anyone.
• It was a relief that it ended so well.
• Was it the right decision? I hope so.
Write about
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A difficult decision
A disappointment
A happy memory
A time you were afraid
Other ideas?
• If you had a time machine – where would
you go, and why?
• A person you would like to meet.
• If I won the lottery…
For abler pupils
Sentences
Let them write two Simple Sentences
Then they make them Compound
Finally they make them Complex
Example
• I enjoyed the film. I decided to read the
book.
• I enjoyed the film and decided to read the
book.
• As (Since/Because) I had enjoyed the film, I
decided to read the book.
• OR: Having enjoyed the film…
• etc
Write and swap
• Ask pupils to write a short text composed of
just simple sentences with no adjectives or
adverbs.
• They swap and improve each other’s text.
• Then compare orally
Practise new structures
• When we had visited…
• After visiting…
• When I looked out of the window, I noticed
• Looking out of the window…
Working with a rough draft
• There are still many pupils that seem to
copy their rough draft without revising it.
They need to think about:
• Variety (sentences, vocabulary)
• Adding (or removing) adjectives and
adverbs
• Paragraphs
• Linking words
Teaching genres
• First, a confession…
• I have always relied on the Norwegian
teacher.
• Is this normal?
But how do we work with genres?
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Read
Discuss
Change
Write
• Ask pupils to change a text from one genre
to another
• Poem – story
• Report – dialogue
• Story – report
• Etc, etc
• Let them write different types of texts based
on the same stimulus (picture/text/news
item etc)
• Write a parody or pastiche?
Useful expressions
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It goes without saying
On the other hand
In my opinion
As a matter of fact
Etc etc…
Readymades
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Unprofessional or acceptable?
First of all it is important to point out that…
On the other hand it is also true that…
Admittedly, many people would disagree and
say…
• A very good example of this is….
• Most people would no doubt agree that…
• Let me conclude by …
Pros and cons
• Two minutes to think about them
CONS
• Can be surrealistic if the second half of the
sentence is really bad
• May not be used appropriately
• Can result in examiner overdose
PROS
• Can give pupils confidence to write
• Help with structure and cohesion
• Function as padding ;)