September 15th, 2009
Project Write Well: ESL Tips for Good Writing
Most ESL students (and their parents) lay an inordinate amount of emphasis on conversational skills and gloss over the need to learn how to write. It’s true that conversational skills are the most important ones to teach. If immersed in an English speaking environment, students pick up conversational skills sooner or later (which is why I don’t think using L1 during lessons is a smart move). But once the student is past the stage of grappling for words, it becomes quite important to focus on writing skills.
Since English is a non-phonetic language, there is often no correlation between the way words are written and spelled. And if you thought that’s the hardest bit to learn about writing well, think again. With the multitude of writing style sheets floating around in this world, it can be incredibly hard for students to even realize what they’re up against when they embark out on ‘Project Write Well’.
Recently, someone said