GOTOCO
how to teach
writing
contents
unit 6 – how to teach writing
language development
writing as a skill
different types of writing
unit 6
how to teach
writing
in this unit:
Learn how to create activities
which teach writing
Learn how to teach students to
write various types of content
including postcards,
newspapers, and reports
how to teach
writing
For this sixth unit we
will review how
teachers can help
students learn to write
all types of documents
and why writing is an
important skill.
how to teach
writing
Teaching writing reinforces language
quickly with writing activities.
development, helps students develop their
language, their learning style, as well as
Writing is a skill, essential to any
functioning as a skill in itself.
language. Students must learn how to
respond to messages, write reports,
Writing reinforces language construction
craft letters, etc.
and commits new language to memory.
The type of writing done by students is
The process of writing helps students to
contingent upon their level of comprehension.
learn as they go along, creating better
The best writing tasks are those covering
language development.
common writing styles to which students
would be exposed in a native-speaking
Students can pick up on language more
country.
Students often ask ‘How can I improve my
English?’ or ‘What’s the secret to being great at
English?’. The answer is that there is no secret,
but learning in an effective way will go a long way.
Many students have developed a bad habit from
their schools of copying everything the teacher
says, or only actively doing something if the
teacher tells them to do it. Therefore, ESL
teachers may want to spend a little extra time
showing students how they can incorporate
writing into their study habits.
Note-taking is an important part of studying a new
language, maybe one of the most important. It
may seem obvious but make sure your students
are making notes of key vocabulary, grammar
structures and sentences so they can review and
practise them at a later date.
In a classroom environment, you do not want to
spend too long on writing unless it is a focus in an
IELTS/TOEFL class. Students want to improve
their oral English. However, do encourage
students to write key sentences they are using in
the activities, such as questions or sentences
containing specific grammar points. This way they
not only practise speaking but also improve their
writing, helping them remember the vocabulary
and grammar as well.
Many students mistakenly think this is a waste of
time. However, you will meet students who have
studied for a long time, maybe even years, but
have still not mastered basic grammar, often due
to not reading and writing enough early on.
writing sequences
Many activities for writing more than just the most important sentences are listed below and
will largely depend on your students’ level. In China, writing English is usually required for
exams such as IELTS/TOEFL or for students preparing to study abroad. Some business
English students may want more formal writing styles for business emails or letters.
postcards
newspapers
reports
Students can study a
Students can match
Students of a more
specific type of writing and
newspaper headlines to the
advanced understanding
then mimic that structure
stories. They can take the
can read over short reports
and design by reviewing
facts and descriptions from
and then write a personal
postcards. Postcards are
the newspaper articles and
debate about whether they
great for learning the
match them to the
agree with the report or not.
present simple tense,
corresponding headline. *
verb-less sentences, and
For example: students can
the present continuous and
*This can also be done with
look at a report discussing
future tenses.
different advertisements,
air pollution which says
different reports, different
people should be required to
books, different recipes, etc.
have just one car per family
and use public transport
FUN
Writing can be made fun in an oral class environment by
getting students to write down strange ideas that can be
used to create conversations, writing mini-scripts to be
performed, writing questions that can be passed around
or even creating a social media lesson where students
write on someone else’s social media ‘wall’. Later this
can be brought back to speaking by having students
report the comments back to the class with feedback.
more often. The students
could then learn to express
personal beliefs by writing
whether they personally
agree or disagree, and
explaining why.
making corrections
As a teacher you must make
corrections, but be careful to ensure you
do not dent students’ confidence.
Always give constructive feedback,
focusing on what the student has done
well, as well as what needs improving. If
a student’s confidence is particularly low,
you could focus on correcting the key
grammar points for that lesson and leave
other corrections for later. Confidence is
vital in learning a new language and the
teacher should always try to be as
positive as possible, especially with
young students.
Another option is to create a list of
symbols indicative of corrections ‘WO’
for an incorrect word order, or ‘S’ for a
spelling issue. This allows you to make
multiple corrections discretely, without
writing all over their page.
spelling
Spelling is important for young learners
as well as adults. Spelling games help
children grasp the alphabet and blends
of sounds. Spelling tests may be
employed to improve their grasp of the
alphabet and memorise words. Adults
may feel they will not write much in the
real world so it is not important, so you
should remind them that it can help
them to remember words used in
speaking and listening.
more activities
Teachers can have students
write letters to a newspaper where they respond to a recent article
create new headlines for existing newspapers
write a menu
design a post for an upcoming concert
write a radio news bulletin
write a letter for a job application
write a description of a room for a real estate agency
write an email to other students
write an invitation
In children’s classes the level will usually be a bit lower and therefore writing should be kept as
an exercise to reinforce the language they learn in speaking activities. There may be a short
activity to write five sentences using basic prepositions such as in, on, under, next to, etc.
KIDS
You should remember writing exercises can be dull for young children, so try to make writing
fun. Accompany writing with drawing and colouring activities and make it creative. Instead of a
boring sentence make it weird or funny. E.g. ‘The purple egg is on Mr. White’s head’. Children
like this and it may motivate them to do writing exercises more willingly.
summary
Writing reinforces language, helps
students to develop literacy, and
teaches them an important skill.
Students need to practise many types
of tasks in order to master writing.
There are four writing sequences which
teachers can highlight.
When correcting, teachers should be
subtle and avoid overcorrecting.
worksheet
unit 6
Describe the four reasons for teaching writing.
Describe why too many corrections could be detrimental to students and how teachers
can make them tactfully.
Describe five writing activities you have used in the classroom.
Describe how you can engage students in writing exercises in the classroom.