myTESOL Lounge

Dear Colleagues,
Greetings from Nepal.

My secondary level students find the skill of writing challenging and most difficult. In a 40 minute class, I struggle to make everybody (around 40 students) interested in writing. What about your students? I have been supporting them with prompts, clues, and a framework for writing but I find it the most demanding as it requires a lot of time for planning and preparation. Do you also feel the same?

I would like to know if there are any other materials or resources to make writing skill fun, more interesting, and effective in the EFL classroom?

Thank you so much.

------------------------------
J Beena Koirala
Gaindakot English School
Nepal
------------------------------

Dear J,

A good option for getting students interested in writing is the New York Time Learning Network (https://www.nytimes.com/section/learning). The information and lesson plans they provide are directed at getting students interested in writing and learning to express their ideas and feelings. They have training and information webinars, lesson plans, and a writing curriculum that will help you.

I work as an editor of unversity level research papers and help many writers. I know that everyone needs to write well from a young age. Good writers are made, not born. Practice makes perfect.

Sergio

------------------------------
Sergio Lozano
Scientific Publications Coordinator
Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon
Mexico
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-01-2021 10:18 PM
From: J Beena Koirala
Subject: How to create interest in writing skill

Dear Colleagues,
Greetings from Nepal.

My secondary level students find the skill of writing challenging and most difficult. In a 40 minute class, I struggle to make everybody (around 40 students) interested in writing. What about your students? I have been supporting them with prompts, clues, and a framework for writing but I find it the most demanding as it requires a lot of time for planning and preparation. Do you also feel the same?

I would like to know if there are any other materials or resources to make writing skill fun, more interesting, and effective in the EFL classroom?

Thank you so much.

------------------------------
J Beena Koirala
Gaindakot English School
Nepal
------------------------------

Dear Sergio,
Namaste!

Thank you so much for sharing the resources with me. I will definitely get a lot of help from the New York Times Learning Network and adapt materials that are relevant to my students' needs and interests. Yes, you are right - good writers are made and not born. Becoming a better writes takes time and practice.

Thank you once again.

Regards,
Beena

------------------------------
J Beena Koirala
Gaindakot English School
Nepal
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 07-01-2021 10:05 AM
From: Sergio Lozano
Subject: How to create interest in writing skill

Dear J,

A good option for getting students interested in writing is the New York Time Learning Network (https://www.nytimes.com/section/learning). The information and lesson plans they provide are directed at getting students interested in writing and learning to express their ideas and feelings. They have training and information webinars, lesson plans, and a writing curriculum that will help you.

I work as an editor of unversity level research papers and help many writers. I know that everyone needs to write well from a young age. Good writers are made, not born. Practice makes perfect.

Sergio

------------------------------
Sergio Lozano
Scientific Publications Coordinator
Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon
Mexico

Original Message:
Sent: 06-01-2021 10:18 PM
From: J Beena Koirala
Subject: How to create interest in writing skill

Dear Colleagues,
Greetings from Nepal.

My secondary level students find the skill of writing challenging and most difficult. In a 40 minute class, I struggle to make everybody (around 40 students) interested in writing. What about your students? I have been supporting them with prompts, clues, and a framework for writing but I find it the most demanding as it requires a lot of time for planning and preparation. Do you also feel the same?

I would like to know if there are any other materials or resources to make writing skill fun, more interesting, and effective in the EFL classroom?

Thank you so much.

------------------------------
J Beena Koirala
Gaindakot English School
Nepal
------------------------------

"Beena-I have been supporting them with prompts, clues, and a framework for writing but I find it the most demanding as it requires a lot of time for planning and preparation. Do you also feel the same?"

Though it might have been mentioned in your posting, be sure to provide a fair amount of illustrations on the chalkboard about important key-points on how to write as a beginner students---handouts may not yet be suitable at this time for a beginner writer.  In addition, be to facilitate adequate silent time for your students to allow brainstorming for good topics you know they would most likely be inspired to write about, and can articulate on paper with some ease.

If your students have not yet understood well the foundation of English language and its guidelines, (e.g., English grammar), it might also be of help if you can facilitate an informal Q & A class participation, so that you as an educator would know how to assist your students on their weak writing strengths---as they draft their first paragraph.  Beena---Are you asking your students to write a response from a book chapter they are reading in class?  This strategy is called-reflection writing.  Try disseminating short articles in class, or have them do a mild research on their own time at home, and ask that they write about the article story they had read, after.

For beginner writer, I do highly suggest students do a combo task-reading and writing.  These two academic skills cannot be separated in our cadre apart from one another---they are married to each other and cannot be divorced, (i.g., if a person can read, a person should also know how to write with less difficulty, and do the vice versa).  Students should not be made to feel sequestered in your writing class-be sure to encourage an interactive writing learning environment; especially for a beginner classroom.  Yes, I do agree with you-teaching is a demanding job.  I hope those tips are helpful.  Good Luck, Beena from Nepal.  

Original Message:
Sent: 09-01-2021 05:49 AM
From: J Beena Koirala
Subject: How to create interest in writing skill

Dear Sergio,
Namaste!

Thank you so much for sharing the resources with me. I will definitely get a lot of help from the New York Times Learning Network and adapt materials that are relevant to my students' needs and interests. Yes, you are right - good writers are made and not born. Becoming a better writes takes time and practice.

Thank you once again.

Regards,
Beena

------------------------------
J Beena Koirala
Gaindakot English School
Nepal

Original Message:
Sent: 07-01-2021 10:05 AM
From: Sergio Lozano
Subject: How to create interest in writing skill

Dear J,

A good option for getting students interested in writing is the New York Time Learning Network (https://www.nytimes.com/section/learning). The information and lesson plans they provide are directed at getting students interested in writing and learning to express their ideas and feelings. They have training and information webinars, lesson plans, and a writing curriculum that will help you.

I work as an editor of unversity level research papers and help many writers. I know that everyone needs to write well from a young age. Good writers are made, not born. Practice makes perfect.

Sergio

------------------------------
Sergio Lozano
Scientific Publications Coordinator
Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon
Mexico

Original Message:
Sent: 06-01-2021 10:18 PM
From: J Beena Koirala
Subject: How to create interest in writing skill

Dear Colleagues,
Greetings from Nepal.

My secondary level students find the skill of writing challenging and most difficult. In a 40 minute class, I struggle to make everybody (around 40 students) interested in writing. What about your students? I have been supporting them with prompts, clues, and a framework for writing but I find it the most demanding as it requires a lot of time for planning and preparation. Do you also feel the same?

I would like to know if there are any other materials or resources to make writing skill fun, more interesting, and effective in the EFL classroom?

Thank you so much.

------------------------------
J Beena Koirala
Gaindakot English School
Nepal
------------------------------

Aloha, Beena,

Welcome to TESOL! If you haven't done so already, I recommend that you join the Second Language Writing Interest Section (one of TESOL's largest Communities of Practice), which has its own MyTESOL group and email list. We also have regularly scheduled webinars and other activities, all related to teaching writing.

You might also want to check out my posts on the TESOL Blog, as I write about teaching writing. Here's my latest post: http://blog.tesol.org/new-year-writing-resolutions/ (click on my name at the top of the post to see a list of all my previous posts).

Finally, the TESOL Resource Center has a growing set of writing resources, so be sure to look at that (one of my earlier blog posts reviews what was available as of 2019; there is more now!).

I'm glad you're interested in teaching writing.

Betsy

------------------------------
Betsy Gilliland
Associate Professor
University of Hawai'i Manoa
Past Chair, TESOL Second Language Writing Interest Section (chair, 2019-2020)
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-01-2021 10:18 PM
From: J Beena Koirala
Subject: How to create interest in writing skill

Dear Colleagues,
Greetings from Nepal.

My secondary level students find the skill of writing challenging and most difficult. In a 40 minute class, I struggle to make everybody (around 40 students) interested in writing. What about your students? I have been supporting them with prompts, clues, and a framework for writing but I find it the most demanding as it requires a lot of time for planning and preparation. Do you also feel the same?

I would like to know if there are any other materials or resources to make writing skill fun, more interesting, and effective in the EFL classroom?

Thank you so much.

------------------------------
J Beena Koirala
Gaindakot English School
Nepal
------------------------------

Those are great resources, Betsy. Thanks for sharing. The "Four ways to Integrate Direct Quotes" resource from your blog post is particularly relevant to my instructional context. 

------------------------------
Christine Nicodemus

Department Chair- Humanities, Social Sciences, & Fine Arts, Wayne Community College (USA)
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 07-01-2021 01:33 PM
From: Betsy Gilliland
Subject: How to create interest in writing skill

Aloha, Beena,

Welcome to TESOL! If you haven't done so already, I recommend that you join the Second Language Writing Interest Section (one of TESOL's largest Communities of Practice), which has its own MyTESOL group and email list. We also have regularly scheduled webinars and other activities, all related to teaching writing.

You might also want to check out my posts on the TESOL Blog, as I write about teaching writing. Here's my latest post: http://blog.tesol.org/new-year-writing-resolutions/ (click on my name at the top of the post to see a list of all my previous posts).

Finally, the TESOL Resource Center has a growing set of writing resources, so be sure to look at that (one of my earlier blog posts reviews what was available as of 2019; there is more now!).

I'm glad you're interested in teaching writing.

Betsy

------------------------------
Betsy Gilliland
Associate Professor
University of Hawai'i Manoa
Past Chair, TESOL Second Language Writing Interest Section (chair, 2019-2020)

Original Message:
Sent: 06-01-2021 10:18 PM
From: J Beena Koirala
Subject: How to create interest in writing skill

Dear Colleagues,
Greetings from Nepal.

My secondary level students find the skill of writing challenging and most difficult. In a 40 minute class, I struggle to make everybody (around 40 students) interested in writing. What about your students? I have been supporting them with prompts, clues, and a framework for writing but I find it the most demanding as it requires a lot of time for planning and preparation. Do you also feel the same?

I would like to know if there are any other materials or resources to make writing skill fun, more interesting, and effective in the EFL classroom?

Thank you so much.

------------------------------
J Beena Koirala
Gaindakot English School
Nepal
------------------------------

Hi Betsy,
Greetings from Nepal.

Firstly, thank you so much for sharing your blog with me. I went through it and was a bit relieved that my learners if supported well can be better writers. When students are asked to write freely, they write interesting stuff but for assessment (especially during formal examination), they are afraid of organizing their ideas in different paragraphs. This is where they struggle a lot although I provide them with sentence frames, main ideas, and examples. What I learned from your blog is to make them practice writing not only academically but also non-academically regularly and gradually until it becomes their habit and start enjoying writing.

Secondly, I will join the Second Language Writing Interest Section right away and learn more about writing.

Thank you so much once again, Betsy.

Regards,
Beena

------------------------------
J Beena Koirala
Gaindakot English School
Nepal
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 07-01-2021 01:33 PM
From: Betsy Gilliland
Subject: How to create interest in writing skill

Aloha, Beena,

Welcome to TESOL! If you haven't done so already, I recommend that you join the Second Language Writing Interest Section (one of TESOL's largest Communities of Practice), which has its own MyTESOL group and email list. We also have regularly scheduled webinars and other activities, all related to teaching writing.

You might also want to check out my posts on the TESOL Blog, as I write about teaching writing. Here's my latest post: http://blog.tesol.org/new-year-writing-resolutions/ (click on my name at the top of the post to see a list of all my previous posts).

Finally, the TESOL Resource Center has a growing set of writing resources, so be sure to look at that (one of my earlier blog posts reviews what was available as of 2019; there is more now!).

I'm glad you're interested in teaching writing.

Betsy

------------------------------
Betsy Gilliland
Associate Professor
University of Hawai'i Manoa
Past Chair, TESOL Second Language Writing Interest Section (chair, 2019-2020)

Original Message:
Sent: 06-01-2021 10:18 PM
From: J Beena Koirala
Subject: How to create interest in writing skill

Dear Colleagues,
Greetings from Nepal.

My secondary level students find the skill of writing challenging and most difficult. In a 40 minute class, I struggle to make everybody (around 40 students) interested in writing. What about your students? I have been supporting them with prompts, clues, and a framework for writing but I find it the most demanding as it requires a lot of time for planning and preparation. Do you also feel the same?

I would like to know if there are any other materials or resources to make writing skill fun, more interesting, and effective in the EFL classroom?

Thank you so much.

------------------------------
J Beena Koirala
Gaindakot English School
Nepal
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 1/6/2021 10:19:00 PM
From: J Beena Koirala
Subject: How to create interest in writing skill

Dear Colleagues,
Greetings from Nepal.

My secondary level students find the skill of writing challenging and most difficult. In a 40 minute class, I struggle to make everybody (around 40 students) interested in writing. What about your students? I have been supporting them with prompts, clues, and a framework for writing but I find it the most demanding as it requires a lot of time for planning and preparation. Do you also feel the same?

I would like to know if there are any other materials or resources to make writing skill fun, more interesting, and effective in the EFL classroom?

Thank you so much.

------------------------------
J Beena Koirala
Gaindakot English School
Nepal
------------------------------

Hello Everyone!

         One of the things I am trying this semester is for students to find and understand how webtexts can be used in academic writing.
I have asked them to find a meme or an infographic that they like on the Internet.  They will analyze it, ask and answer questions as to what the design suggest, what kind of information is presented in it, who is the audience, what purpose the images serve, how does it reinforce the message and establish credibility.  Since I have several TSL's in my class, I feel it will help in their delay of speech.  It will be brief, but it will also give them a boost to their self-esteem in accomplishment.  I am hoping!

Just sharing,

Betty Carroll
English/Midwestern State University
Texas

------------------------------
Betty Carroll
Instructor
Midwestern State University
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 11-01-2021 12:24 PM
From: Miguel Arrazola Gutierrez
Subject: How to create interest in writing skill

Hello Beena,

I  do not each writing myself . but have a lot of imput from teachers, they face the same situation you are facing now. Our students do not read on a regular basis an curturally, we are not use to express our ideas, so I have encouraged our teacher to give them a reading, listening or video as a prompt and then make them do an oral presentation  and then come up with their writing work.

I hope this is helpful,

Miguel Arrazola

Original Message:
Sent: 1/6/2021 10:19:00 PM
From: J Beena Koirala
Subject: How to create interest in writing skill

Dear Colleagues,
Greetings from Nepal.

My secondary level students find the skill of writing challenging and most difficult. In a 40 minute class, I struggle to make everybody (around 40 students) interested in writing. What about your students? I have been supporting them with prompts, clues, and a framework for writing but I find it the most demanding as it requires a lot of time for planning and preparation. Do you also feel the same?

I would like to know if there are any other materials or resources to make writing skill fun, more interesting, and effective in the EFL classroom?

Thank you so much.

------------------------------
J Beena Koirala
Gaindakot English School
Nepal
------------------------------

Hello Betty,
Thank you for posting a very useful technique that I can use in " inter connectivity in online classes. I am sure it can enhance learners speaking skill as well.
 Thank you again
naila

------------------------------
Naila Khattak
Instructor
ELI,KAU
Saudi Arabia
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 19-01-2021 01:05 PM
From: Betty Carroll
Subject: How to create interest in writing skill

Hello Everyone!

         One of the things I am trying this semester is for students to find and understand how webtexts can be used in academic writing.
I have asked them to find a meme or an infographic that they like on the Internet.  They will analyze it, ask and answer questions as to what the design suggest, what kind of information is presented in it, who is the audience, what purpose the images serve, how does it reinforce the message and establish credibility.  Since I have several TSL's in my class, I feel it will help in their delay of speech.  It will be brief, but it will also give them a boost to their self-esteem in accomplishment.  I am hoping!

Just sharing,

Betty Carroll
English/Midwestern State University
Texas

------------------------------
Betty Carroll
Instructor
Midwestern State University

Original Message:
Sent: 11-01-2021 12:24 PM
From: Miguel Arrazola Gutierrez
Subject: How to create interest in writing skill

Hello Beena,

I  do not each writing myself . but have a lot of imput from teachers, they face the same situation you are facing now. Our students do not read on a regular basis an curturally, we are not use to express our ideas, so I have encouraged our teacher to give them a reading, listening or video as a prompt and then make them do an oral presentation  and then come up with their writing work.

I hope this is helpful,

Miguel Arrazola

Original Message:
Sent: 1/6/2021 10:19:00 PM
From: J Beena Koirala
Subject: How to create interest in writing skill

Dear Colleagues,
Greetings from Nepal.

My secondary level students find the skill of writing challenging and most difficult. In a 40 minute class, I struggle to make everybody (around 40 students) interested in writing. What about your students? I have been supporting them with prompts, clues, and a framework for writing but I find it the most demanding as it requires a lot of time for planning and preparation. Do you also feel the same?

I would like to know if there are any other materials or resources to make writing skill fun, more interesting, and effective in the EFL classroom?

Thank you so much.

------------------------------
J Beena Koirala
Gaindakot English School
Nepal
------------------------------