Joined: 12 Jun 2007
|Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2007 1:40 pm Post subject: Desktop publishing
|The following is a technique for teaching writing to intermediate students.
Have the student pick a topic. It can be history, science, biography, or even fiction. The student writes a draft. If the student is an early intermediate, the teacher can do a lot of the writing.
Next, the teacher corrects the draft and has the student copy it numerous times until he/she can write it correctly without copying.
The text is then typed into Photoshop. Images from various sources can be cut and pasted to add interest. Finally, the completed text is taken to a company like Kinkos where it is attractively bound at a cost of under five dollars.
This has been successful because it generates interest. The student picks a topic that they are very interested in. Students have written histories of their own country, science fiction, or even retold favorite stories like King Kong or Star Wars.
Fiction and history are good subjects to teach past tense. As you know, language learners tend to want to stay in the familiar present tense. This helps break the habit.
More advanced students can use examples of past progressive, etc.
Science subjects are good practice for present tense.
The book becomes a permanant possession. It will be read and re-read thus entrenching correct grammar in the student's mind. It becomes something for the parents to be proud of. Occaisonally one will be placed in the school library.
My students got excellent writing scores on their state writing exams this year.
If you are interested in seeing an example, PM me.