ESL Beginning Level Writing Projects

ESL Beginning Level Writing Projects These short writing  assignments  are designed for  lower level classes  and give students an opportunity to write about a number of basic subjects including: studies, hobbies, travel, likes and dislikes, application forms, and work emails. Feel free to use the writing exercises in class or expand with further topics. Improve Descriptive Writing Students need to improve  sentence-level writing skills in order to expand into paragraphs. One problem students often face is a lack of descriptive language. Provide a list of descriptive adjectives, prepositional phrases, descriptive verbs, and adverbs and ask students to expand simple sentences into more descriptive language.   Descriptive Writing Exercise Use the following phrases to expand the simple sentences by adding  details with adjectives, prepositional phrases, and adverbs:   in the morning, slowly,  twice a week, down the street, at the moment, sweetly, fun-loving, a quick game of, quickly, difficult, long hot The children played soccer.I take classes.The man is singing a song.I get up early and take a shower. Application Forms Help students become fluent in understanding and filling in forms. If students are preparing for job interviews, create an extended application form using a standard job application template. Heres a less ambitious exercise to get students started. English Studies You want to go to a language school to study English. Fill in the application form. Finish the application form with a short paragraph about why you want to learn English. English Learners Plus Last NameMr./Mrs./Ms.First Name(s)OccupationAddressZip codeDate of birthAgeNationality Why do you want to learn English? Home Stay Program You want to stay with a family while you study English. Fill in the application form. In order to find the right family to stay with, write about your interests and hobbies. Family Exchange Last NameMr./Mrs./Ms.First Name(s)OccupationAddressZip codeDate of birthAgeNationality What are your hobbies and interests? Emails and Posts Students should also feel comfortable making short posts online and writing emails or informal letters.  Here are a few prompts to help them practice: You are on vacation at the beach. Write an email to your friend about your vacation.Write an email to a close friend with some new information about another friend.Post a comment on social media about a topic you are interested in.Write a short blog post to let your online friends know about your latest hobby. Short Emails to a Colleague Many students also need to use English for work. Provide prompts for students to help them practice writing work-related emails. Here are a few suggestions: Email a colleague to arrange a meeting for next week. Remember to arrange the time and meeting place.Reply to a colleagues email about a problem at work. Be sure to provide a solution or some advice about the problem.  Contact a business to ask some questions about one of their products. Use product and technical information found on the internet to ask more precise questions.   Continuing the Discussion Students should also practice carrying on a conversation via email. Use short prompts loaded with questions that demand a response: Read this email from your friend and respond to the questions: So, the weather has been great and we are having a fun time here in Switzerland. Ill be back at the end of July. Lets get together! When would you like to see me? Also, have you found a place to live yet? Finally, did you buy that car last week? Send me a pic and tell me about it! Comparing and Contrasting Help students become familiar with comparative language by asking them to use specific language such as subordinate conjunctions or connective adverbs. Here are a few suggestions: coffee/tea - even though, however, butshopping / hanging with friends - while, on the other hand, yetplaying soccer / watching TV - although, similarly, andcooking/eating - though, also, so,  studying English / studying math - like, even though, and The key to helping lower level students with writing is to keep the task very structured. Teachers sometimes ask students to produce longer writings such as essays before students have control of sentence-level writing skills. Make sure to help them build the skills before they move on to more ambitious writing tasks.

Four Advantages of Single-Sex Schools

Four Advantages of Single-Sex Schools A lot of research has shown that single-sex schools have a great deal of advantages. for students, with benefits ranging from confidence and empowerment to new activities and higher levels of achievement. For example, on the whole, girls and boys who are educated in single-sex schools gain more confidence than their coed peers. In addition, they make academic gains above those in co-ed schools. They also learn to gravitate towards untraditional areas that are not always accepted for their gender. For example, boys learn to love literature in boys schools, while girls in girls schools feel more comfortable with math and science. Though its hard to generalize about all single-sex schools, here are some commonalities that tend to characterize many single-sex schools: A More Relaxed Environment Despite the fact that many boys and girls schools are at the top of their game academically, they often have a more relaxed environment. This relaxed environment is created, in part, because boys and girls dont need to worry about impressing the other gender. The students can be themselves in class, and they can speak openly and honestly. At the same time, students in single-sex schools are often more willing to take risks because they do not fear falling on their face in front of the other sex. As a result, the classrooms in these schools are often dynamic, free, and bursting with ideas and conversation, all hallmarks of a great education. While teachers in co-ed schools sometimes beg their students to contribute to class discussion, this is not true in single-sex schools a great deal of the time. Fewer Cliques Though it is not always true, sometimes single-sex schools can help reduce cliques, particularly in girls schools. The girls again do not have to worry about impressing boys or seeming popular, common concerns in middle and high school. They can instead concentrate on their studies and being open to befriending the other girls, and there are often fewer cliques as a result. Though the stereotype about boys schools is that they are rough-and-tumble places in which boys are hazed, the reality is often quite different. While one cant generalize about all boys schools, in general, boys schools are places that do not involve hazing or cruelty. Boys in an all-boys environment tend to  not form cliques because they dont have to appear cool, and they are often more generous to their peers as a result. In many boys schools, there is room for all kinds of boys, and the less socially mature students are not punished, as they might be in a single-sex school. A More Tailored Curriculum The teaching at a single-sex private school can be tailored to all girls or all boys, and the ability to tailor the curriculum allows teachers to design classes that have the potential to really reach the students. For example, at boys schools, teachers can teach books that are likely more of interest to boys and find books that speak to boys and their concerns. For example, a class discussion of Hamlet in a boys school can involve a study of a boys coming-of-age and of father-son relationships. In a girls school, students can read books with strong heroines such as Jane Eyre or look at books such as The House of Mirth  that touch on how womens lives are affected by prevailing attitudes towards women. While such discussions are possible in co-ed schools, they can be more open and concentrated in a single-sex school. The Loss of Gender Stereotypes In addition, students in single-sex schools can gravitate without embarrassment towards untraditional subjects. In boys schools, male authors can come in to speak about their writing, and the students can ask questions without feeling embarrassed about being interested in writing, a subject that they might shy away from in a co-ed school. The same holds true for the arts, including visual arts, music, drama, dance, and even digital arts. In a girls school, female scientists and mathematicians can offer their experience, and girls can be interested without fearing that they appear dorky or unfeminine. The examples of how single-sex schools free students from gender stereotypes are endless. In addition, teachers in single-sex school can use methods that might interest their students. For example, in a boys school, they can use techniques that draw on boys energy, while in a girls school, they can offer the kinds of feedback that girls are most likely to accept. While each child is different and there is no one school that is right for all kids, there is no doubt that single-sex schools offer a great deal of advantages and a special atmosphere that encourages kids to feel comfortable and to learn. Article edited by  Stacy Jagodowski