Publication Date

2002

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)

Abstract

ESL students are usually concerned with writing with no errors and this built-in critical editor stifles the rich writing potential which all students have. Through creating a safe environment and activities which nurture the creative spirit, it is possible to limit this editor to infrequent but necessary appearances and encourage writing large quantities of ungraded material. This paper suggests techniques for building a classroom community, including the use of a scripted writing process, responding to instructor writing and one-to-one conferencing. The essay also demonstrates how fluency can be achieved via a weekly silent class, mind-mapping and copious free-writing. These techniques are described in the development of an intermediate-level writing class in an Intensive English Program in a small college setting. Suggestions and adaptations of these techniques are included for higher-level courses.

Disciplines

Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education | Curriculum and Instruction

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