ACE TESOL Diploma Program – London Language Institute OBJECTIVES You will understand: 1. Criteria to use when selecting personal responses and journal writing. 2. The advantages and disadvantages of fluency-based writing, such as personal responses or journal writing. 3. Various techniques for using fluency-based activities to teach writing. You will be able to: 1. Plan and teach writing lessons that make use of personal responses and journal writing.

ACE TESOL Diploma Program – London Language Institute WHY TEACH WRITING? Writing is content-based communication. English language teachers can look at writing in terms of fluency and/or accuracy. By using focused writing activities, teachers can tap into students’ creativity. Writing plays an important role in helping students to master the material that they are studying, to shape ideas and to develop their critical thinking skills. Writing not only helps students understand their subject matter much better, it also helps them retain it more effectively. Many English language teachers worry about teaching writing, but one does not have to be a writing specialist, give up hours of class time, or spend hours marking papers to help students improve their writing.

ACE TESOL Diploma Program – London Language Institute 1. Writing is a process that helps us clarify ideas: Tell students that writing is one way of learning. Writing helps us clearly explain how we think or feel about something. We often do not know what we think about something until we write it down. Help students identify the several key activities of good writing: develop ideas find a focus draft get feedback from others revise and edit present finished work to others 2. Writing is hard work: Let students know that you have also struggled with writing. If they learn from you that writing takes effort, they might not be so discouraged by their own progress. 3. Give students the chance to talk about their writing: Allowing students to talk about their writing helps them to formulate thoughts, generate ideas, and focus topics. Because students can learn from each other, it is important for them to hear what their classmates have written. Allow a few minutes in class for students to read their writing to a partner/group.

ACE TESOL Diploma Program – London Language Institute 4. Encourage students to revise their writing: Teach students what it means to revise. As a class, create a formal revision list. 5. Explain topic sentences to them: Teach students that their first sentence sets the theme for their piece of writing. Help them develop opening sentences. 6. Emphasize clarity and specificity: Work on developing a concrete vocabulary with students. Help them choose descriptive and appropriate language. Remind them that “big” words and jargon often hide the idea rather than clearly explain it. 7. Explain the importance of grammar, sentence structure and content: Students often believe that grammar is something that they study for a test. Help them understand that good grammar is essential in all forms of communication. Students need to understand that both the quality and content of their writing are important. 8. It is not always necessary for the teacher to mark every piece of writing: It is okay not to have time personally to provide feedback on every piece of writing. It is more important to have the students write, so they can get feedback from each other on some pieces of writing.

ACE TESOL Diploma Program – London Language Institute WRITING A PERSONAL RESPONSE A personal response is a piece of writing that explains an individual’s reactions to something that he/she has heard, read, or listened to. Unlike academic writing, personal responses focus on a person’s emotions and perspectives. The writing should be honest and personal, not dry and scholarly. In contrast to academic writing, written in the third person, personal responses are written in the first person. A personal response should mention the topic of the writer’s response, what it was about the topic that resulted in the writer’s feelings, and what the writer’s feelings were. If the personal response is based on a reading or a listening text, the writer should quote from the passages that affected him or her. If the personal response is based on a discussion, the writer should quote what was said by other members of the discussion. It is important to clearly explain the context. It is necessary to be clear and concise, and not leave the reader guessing what the passage is about and why the writer chose it. In a personal response, the writer should express any opinions or emotions that he or she has. In some cases, it is okay to use informal language. However, make sure that the writer discusses his or her ideas clearly, in a logical order, and supports them with evidence from the text/discussion.

ACE TESOL Diploma Program – London Language Institute What are the advantages of personal responses?  Personal responses are generally treated as fluency-based writing activities that allow a student to develop content, resulting in the development of critical thinking skills.  By allowing students to use their own personal voice and experiences in their writing, we are providing the opportunity to be fully engaged in the writing process, as well as to write meaningfully.  It is an alternative to traditional essay writing. What are the disadvantages of personal responses?  In many classrooms, a personal response is viewed as content-based writing, with the emphasis being on fluency over accuracy. This can result in grammar and syntax being completely overlooked.  If personal responses are used exclusively to teach the writing process, some students may never overcome their errors, resulting in fossilization.  Personal responses can also overlook the importance of the more formal styles of communication necessary in an academic setting or in the workplace.

ACE TESOL Diploma Program – London Language Institute How do we choose a topic or passage for a personal response?  It should be age-appropriate.  The students should be interested in the content.  The vocabulary should be level appropriate.  The vocabulary content should be level-appropriate.  The complexity of the grammar should be level-appropriate.  The passage should be an appropriate length.

ACE TESOL Diploma Program – London Language Institute How can we use personal responses in the classroom?  After a listening or reading text, students can be given a critical thinking question that requires them to use their own knowledge, as well as information from the text, to answer it.  Students can be given a discussion question and write a personal response as a group.  Students can be given a personal response question then switch with a partner and write a personal response to their partner’s personal response.  Students can read their personal responses to each other and discuss them. (This also reinforces their discussion skills.)  Students can respond to inspirational texts, quotes and proverbs, songs, or movies.

ACE TESOL Diploma Program – London Language Institute JOURNAL WRITING Journal writing is another kind of process, or fluency-based, writing activity, and is a type of free writing in which the topics are not prescribed, nor the writing graded. It is a kind of written communication between the teacher and students, where the students write on whatever topic they choose, and the teacher provides appropriate written feedback.  Journal writing encourages an ESL student to write creatively and to practice writing, but most importantly, it allows a student to communicate in English.  It also allows students to step back from their often busy lives and gives them time for personal reflection.  It gives students an opportunity to think confidently on paper because their ideas, observations and emotions will be accepted without criticism.  Journal writing allows students to sort out experiences, solve problems and think about varying perspectives.  It also allows them to examine their relationships with themselves, others, and the world.  It gives them an opportunity to reflect on personal values, goals, and ideals.  It provides them with a method to summarize ideas and opinions, before and after instruction.  A student can have proof of his or her academic and personal growth by reading past entries.

ACE TESOL Diploma Program – London Language Institute What are the advantages of journal writing?  Journal writing allows the students to write in effective and interesting ways.  It also helps students to practice choosing interesting topics.  Journal writing allows the instructor to customize instruction.  With written feedback on entries, each student’s unique needs can be addressed. What are the disadvantages of journal writing?  The teacher may spend a lot of time providing meaningful written feedback.  Some students, often the older ones, may be reluctant to participate in journal writing, especially when any sharing of entries is involved.  There is a potential for teachers to hurt students’ feelings with criticism.

ACE TESOL Diploma Program – London Language Institute How can we use journal writing in the classroom?  Students can use themes they are studying in class.  Students can describe their dreams.  Students can describe advice that they would give to certain people in their lives.  Students can write about personal relationships, careers, special interests, body and health, and meaning in life.

ACE TESOL Diploma Program – London Language Institute Complete Task Journal question 1 and submit via to or (preferred) or print and hand in.