This is a key issue. But leaving aside for the moment the question of short texts,
as well as co-constructed informal text (chats), in terms of longish text, in no.
Writing, and writing in class
IH Barcelona ELT Conference 2011
Brian Brennan, IH Company Training
[email protected] | Tel. 93 268 86 10
What do they really write? What genres do most coursebooks (BE and GE) ask learners to write? …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
What genres do most learners write outside class? (at work, in private, at university, etc) …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Compare with a partner or in a small group. Look at the page Some thoughts: Which of these might be of interest to / useful for lower-level learners? …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The Writing-as-homework paradigm What’s good and not so good about this paradigm? Plus side: ………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………………… Down side: ………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………………
Writing in class What kinds of task can we reasonably get learners to do in class? ………….………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………….………..…………………………………………………………………………………
What are some of the benefits of doing writing in class? ………….………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………….………..…………………………………………………………………………………
Writing, and writing in class
IH Barcelona ELT Conference 2011
Brian Brennan, IH Company Training
[email protected] | Tel. 93 268 86 10
Some thoughts on what upper-int and advanced learners write in English. Most of the texts that B2+/C1+/C2 learners –or users of English- have to write are short, especially when compared to our BEC / CAE 250-word paradigm, and this is perhaps the real question that nobody has yet addressed; a text doesn’t have to be long to be good, or advanced, or effective. This is a key issue. But leaving aside for the moment the question of short texts, as well as co-constructed informal text (chats), in terms of longish text, in no special order, what I have found B2+/C1 users really tended to write includes: Informal emails/letters to friends. Informal / very informal SMS text. Academic text. This includes: supported opinions, summaries of longer texts (often from different sources), essay, discussion, research, reporting, and even theses. Applications for admission to places of higher learning. Requesting scholarships or grants. Directions of how to find a place (house or restaurant in the middle of nowhere). Personal websites. Answering complaints from clients. Answering requests for information from clients. Giving opinions in blogs, making reference to other people’s comments. Transactional emails generally, eg: making, changing and confirming arrangements. Problems with orders received (not necessarily complaints per se). Explanations and/or apologies for the above. Factual descriptions of products and services. Technical specifications. Personal profiles and private messages on dating sites. Text for company websites (company history, areas of activity), often translations. Job applications, or parts of them. Text announcing conferences, or invitations to speak at conferences, and replies. Summaries of presentations /seminars for pre- or post-conference publications. Letters/emails thanking people for their kindness, hospitality or participation, etc. Reports (sales, product performance, etc). Tenders. Text for in-company international magazines (wide range of genre). Letters to the editor, on matters of local, national or international concern. Text for inclusion in travel books like Rough Guide and LPG (a district, bar, club, restaurant, museum, beach…) with an explanatory or review function. Tourist info to be included in leaflets. Information and rules for hotel / pension guests. Descriptions of houses & apartments for home-sharing websites. Descriptions of houses & apartments for sale or rent. Advertising / commercial text. Creative writing (yes!). Text written to be spoken, eg: a presentation, or an introduction to a guest speaker. Minutes of meetings (international companies). Detailed plans for a product launch, with costing. Contracts. Testimonials for people leaving a company.
Writing, and writing in class
IH Barcelona ELT Conference 2011
Brian Brennan, IH Company Training
[email protected] | Tel. 93 268 86 10
What they can write in class Predictions & Setting up What do you think this text / audio /U-tube video is going to say about …..? What three reasons do you think they’ll say in favour of / against this idea? What five questions would you like to ask him/her? Two benefits and two drawbacks about joining the Euro (for Spain – past, for the UK, future). Meanwhile What do you think is on Gemma’s / Ignasi’s role card? In one-to-one classes, teacher writes his/her answer to the same question in real time.* Feeding back (after pair or group work) What did your group decide? Write a report for your manager. Did your group reach a deal with the other team? Why / why not? Report for your manager. Two interesting things that your partner said. Three things that you didn’t know about your partner. Who do you think was right? (after RP). Other Written directions how to get to somewhere (from given map). Emailed message for someone who’s covering you today at work. Something good that happened to you over the weekend. 50-word recommendation / condemnation of a restaurant you went to on Saturday night. Logical next steps (after job interview) Put the job offer in writing. Then: Accept or decline (giving reasons in both cases) the job offer. Then: Write a polite letter / email to unsuccessful candidates, giving them the bad news. Responses Do you think that text / audio /news item etc was right? Do you think that text / audio /news item etc was fair? Write a 50-word summary of what it said. What were the three main points of his/her argument? How would you react if you worked for the PR dept of the company that this text was about? Text-building Write the first paragraph of a longish answer to the question. Write the final paragraph of a longish answer to the question. Write different but related sections of a complete text (eg for a website) For absent friends Write a note for your previous teacher. Write a note for an absent / sick classmate (to email him/her).
