From Speaking to Writing: Using Oral Skills to Develop Writing Nancy Ferguson TESOL 2012 Copyright © 2012 Nancy Ferguson Arlington Education and Employment Program (REEP) Arlington, Virginia

Raise your hand if the following are true for you… My beginning level students love to write! My beginning level students are great writers! My beginners have lower writing skills compared to their oral skills.

Agenda Goal: To demonstrate a method of approaching writing through careful scaffolding from oral skills. Explore the process in the context of a lesson plan aimed at beginning level ELLs. Along the way, explore techniques for: –Developing Vocabulary –Establishing patterns

Beginner Lesson - Background SPEAKING DESCRIPTOR* May function in a limited way in situations related to basic needs. Isolated words gestures simple learned phrases Little control of basic grammar. WRITING DESCRIPTOR* Copies material. May attempt simple sentences on very familiar topics. Serious & frequent grammatical errors. LIFESKILLS UNIT: Housing LESSON OBJECTIVE: Ask and answer questions about household chores using adverbs and expressions of frequency *Adapted from the REEP Curriculum (Levels 100 & 150), accessible at - Educatorswww.reepworld.org

Household Chores My name is Leticia. I do many household chores. I live in an apartment. I always. I twice a day. I every evening. I once a week. I twice a week. I sometimes. I sometimes. I never. I never. I like to vacuum. I don’t like to mop the floor. My name is Leticia. I do many household chores. I live in an apartment. I always wash the dishes. I wipe the counters twice a day. I sweep the floor every evening. I mop the floor once a week. I vacuum twice a week. I sometimes clean the oven. I sometimes wash the windows. I never rake the leaves. I never mow the lawn. I like to vacuum. I don’t like to mop the floor. The Final Product Now, let’s deconstruct… ____ ________ _____________ ____________ ___________ ______ _______ ____ ________ _______ _______ ______ ___________ I always wash the dishes. I mop the floor once a week.

Sequencing the Lesson SPEAKING WRITINGSPEAKING WRITINGSPEAKING WRITING Vocabulary Structure/Patterns FINAL PARAGRAPH WRITING …

SPEAKING Pictorial Flashcards* * 1. Vocabulary 2. Listen and Repeat. 3. Review * Flashcards taken from The Oxford Picture Dictionary Program, Classic Classroom Activities, pg. 50 SPEAKING 1

WRITING 2 WRITING WRITING * Students copy vocabulary on the back of flashcards.

SPEAKING 1 WRITING 2 SPEAKING 3 SPEAKING Partner Practice – Flashcard Quiz

How often do you _________________? mop the floor mop the floor SPEAKINGWRITINGSPEAKING Developing Vocabulary Establishing Patterns I __________ mop the floor. always always sometimes sometimes rarely rarely never never I mop the floor ________________________ once a day/week/month/year. once a day/week/month/year. twice a day/week/month/year. twice a day/week/month/year. every day/week/month. every day/week/month. every morning/evening. every morning/evening.

SPEAKING 1. Partner Practice - Q. and A. with Flashcards - Multilevel Tip - Multilevel Tip SPEAKINGWRITINGSPEAKING Developing Vocabulary SPEAKING 1 2. Line Dialogue* - Multilevel Tip

WRITING Conversation Grid* Conversation Grid* - Practice Writing the Question Questions Student 1 Student 2 Student 3 1. What’s your name? 2. How often do you clean the oven? 3. How often do you vacuum? SPEAKING 1 WRITING 2 SPEAKINGWRITINGSPEAKING Developing Vocabulary Modify to incorporate writing practice…

SPEAKING Conversation Grid - Practice Speaking Emphasis on Complete and Correct Answers SPEAKING 1 WRITING 2 SPEAKINGWRITINGSPEAKING Developing Vocabulary SPEAKING 3 Questions Student 1 Student 2 Student 3 1. What’s your name? JuanaBekeshAlex 2. How often do you clean the oven? Sometimes 3. How often do you vacuum? Every day 4. How often do you rake the leaves? Never 5. How often to you dust the furniture? Once a week 6. How often do you mop the floor? rarely 7. How often do you wipe the counters? Every evening

Students creating their conversation grids…

SPEAKING 1 WRITING 2 SPEAKINGWRITINGSPEAKING Developing Vocabulary SPEAKING 3 WRITING 4 WRITING Teacher – Student Dictations/Questions* Establishing Patterns Let’s review…

Putting It All Together… WRITING Final Questionnaires* (Regular & Adapted Literacy Versions)

Putting It All Together… WRITING From lists to paragraphs…

SPEAKING Group reading - In small groups, students read their new paragraphs to their classmates. Group reading - In small groups, students read their new paragraphs to their classmates. Final Paragraph Writing Household Chores My name is Leticia. I do many household chores. I live in an apartment. I always. I twice a day. I every evening. I once a week. I twice a week. I sometimes. I sometimes. I never. I never. I like to vacuum. I don’t like to mop the floor. My name is Leticia. I do many household chores. I live in an apartment. I always wash the dishes. I wipe the counters twice a day. I sweep the floor every evening. I mop the floor once a week. I vacuum twice a week. I sometimes clean the oven. I sometimes wash the windows. I never rake the leaves. I never mow the lawn. I like to vacuum. I don’t like to mop the floor. ____ ________ _____________ ____________ ___________ ______ _______ ____ ________ _______ _______ ______ ___________ I always wash the dishes. I mop the floor once a week.

The Bigger Picture Other Possibilities for Final Paragraphs… My Family –family vocabulary, to have, possessive My Job –job title & skills vocabulary, expressing ability with can My Class –classroom vocabulary; there is/are; to have My Daily Routine –daily routine vocabulary, time, simple present My Home –rooms/furniture vocabulary, there is/are; to have; to like And more!

Putting It All Together

SPEAKING WRITINGSPEAKING WRITING SPEAKING WRITING Vocabulary Structure/Patterns FINAL PARAGRAPH WRITING From Flashcards to Paragraphs with Beginning Level ESL Learners Flashcards – Group Practice Flashcards - Individual Flashcards - Partner Quiz Flashcards Conversation Grid Dictations, Questionnaires TECHNIQUES - Flashcards, Line Dialogue - Line Dialogue - Conversation Grid - Final Questionnaires

Conclusion… Who are we targeting with this process? What’s our goal? How do we get there? Any questions?