Writing Tip: Organization
by Linda Galloway
Beginning and completing a paragraph
Another way to help students begin to write and to complete a writing is to help students make an outline. Having a format helps them see a logical path to describe something fully. This is the basic form that works for most academic and professional writings.
Because an outline does not need to be written in order in the rough draft stage, students can put ideas in place as they come to mind. Once the outline is edited, writing a complete paragraph is less stressful.
Although there are many variations for an effective paragraph outline, this one is usually very helpful:
- Topic Sentence
Students should put their topic here and an opinion word. This will probably change as new ideas present themselves.
- Body
Three is usually a good number of supporting ideas. Sometimes reaching for a third idea helps students provide the most creative ideas. After the outline is finished, students should consider the best order of ideas. Time, spatial, or emphatic (putting the strongest idea last) order are three effective logical orders.
- Conclusion
With a conclusion signal word, the conclusion sentence is probably the most important sentence of a stand-alone paragraph. It is the ‘educated’ topic sentence that helps both the reader and the writer focus on the benefit of the information in the paragraph.
Tags: Writing a paragraph; Paragraph outlines; Order of ideas
Writing Tip: Topic Sentences
by Linda Galloway
Writing Tip: Topic Sentences
Many cultures do not require a topic sentence at the beginning of an academic paragraph, but English writing will always be clearer if it begins with this focus. Students can simply begin with the topic of the writing and an opinion word. At first the topic sentence may be very vague, but it will help the writer to begin, which is usually the hardest step. For example, ‘Chocolate is delicious’ can help writers begin to list reasons why they think this. Once they have a few reasons, they can improve the topic sentence by giving some of the sub-topics: ‘Chocolate is delicious because of its rich and complex tastes.’
To help students recognize effective topic sentences, give them contrasting topic sentences on topics they are likely to be interested in, such as the following sets:
1a) [My hometown] is a good place to visit.
1b) [My hometown] is a good travel destination because of its natural, historical, and cultural sights.
2a) My university major is [whatever it is] because it will get me a good job.
2b) My university major is [whatever it is] because it will prepare me for the future in several ways.
2c) My university major is [whatever it is] because it will teach me specific techniques, introduce me to a professional discipline, and help me to make connections which will prepare me for a professional life.
Effective topic sentences help the writer to stay on topic and help the readers logically connect the ideas as they read them in the paragraph. Longer writings will have thesis sentences with topic sentences in each paragraph, but writing thesis sentences works the same way.
Tags: Writing; Topic Sentences
Using Drills for Language Learning
Many units in our Now We’re Talking textbook series have drill activities for grammar points. The use of drills in language learning can be a highly effective way to improve accuracy, speed, fluency, and confidence.
Using drills in the language learning classroom was once a prominent activity but fell out of favor in the 1970s. It was a key component of the Audiolingual Method, also known as the behaviorist approach, which was popular in language teaching from the 1940s to the 1960s. Students would spend a large portion of class time repeating sentences after the teacher. The results were somewhat disappointing, as students were often poorly prepared to use the language spontaneously outside the classroom.
However, the use of drills in the language classroom made a comeback around the turn of the century. Paul Nation, a prominent researcher and expert in the field of language teaching and learning, has written extensively on the role of drills in language learning. Nation suggests that drills can be a useful tool for language learners when used appropriately.
According to Nation, drills can be effective in language learning if they:
- Target high-frequency language: Drills should reinforce the most common grammar forms and vocabulary that language learners need to use most often.
- Offer immediate feedback: Drills should provide learners with immediate feedback on their performance to help them identify areas for improvement and to reinforce correct language use.
- Incorporate variation: Drills should be varied to prevent learners from simply memorizing responses. This can be done by changing the order of words, using different tenses or forms, or by introducing new vocabulary.
- Are combined with other activities: Drills should be used in combination with other activities such as reading, listening, and speaking to provide a more comprehensive and balanced approach to language learning.
Our drill activities generally follow these recommendations. Here is a sample taken from here:
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Practice 1: [Review the pictures, vocabulary and grammar for the lesson] Practice 2: Using ‘There is’ or ‘There are’ identify the objects AND the colors. Ex. There are three blue bottles. There is one brown purse. There are four keys. (etc.) Practice 3: Drill Take turns with a partner. See how quickly you can say all 12 items. Your partner should time you. Write your time in Time 1. Do the drill again. Try to beat your time with each practice. Time 1: _____ Time 2: _______ Time 3: _______ |
This activity gives students sufficient time to use the target grammar (there is/there are) in a way where rote memory is not possible. With each sentence, the student needs to recall the vocabulary and make sure the proper grammar form is used.
When used correctly, drills can give the following benefits:
- Improved Accuracy: Drills can help learners improve their accuracy in grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and other areas. Regular practice helps learners produce correct forms and structures automatically.
- Increased Confidence: With increased accuracy comes increased confidence. As learners master the drills, they become more confident in their ability to communicate effectively in the target language.
- Faster Learning: Drills provide learners with focused practice that allows them to quickly identify areas where they need improvement. By targeting specific areas of weakness, learners can make rapid progress.
- Better Retention: The repetition involved in drills helps learners retain what they have learned. Regular practice strengthens memory and helps learners internalize grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation.
- Improved Fluency: By practicing drills, learners develop the ability to use the target language more fluidly and naturally. This leads to greater fluency and ease of communication.
- Enhanced Communication: Drills can help learners develop the ability to understand and produce the target language more accurately and efficiently. This can lead to improved communication with native speakers and greater proficiency in the language overall.
Unlike some other activities, specific drill exercises can be revisited throughout the semester. With the ample practice that these exercises give, we can realistically expect students to incorporate the grammar forms into their speaking by the end of the semester.
References
Paul Nation (2007) The Four Strands, Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 1:1, 2-13, DOI: 10.2167/illt039.0
Jack C. Richards (2014). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching, 3rd Edition. Cambridge Language Teaching.
Tags: Speaking drills; Grammar drills; Language learning
There is/There are drills
Practice 1: Using ‘There is’ or ‘There are,’ identify the objects and the number of objects in the pictures below.
Ex. There are two wallets. There is one necklace. There are four keys.
Practice 2: Using ‘There is’ or ‘There are,’ identify all the objects AND the colors.
Ex. There are three blue water bottles. There is one brown purse. There are four gray keys.
Practice 3: Drill
Take turns with a partner. See how quickly you can say all 12 items. Your partner should time you. All the sentences should be correct!
Write your time in Time 1.
Do the drill again. Try to beat your time with each practice.
Time 1: _____ Time 2: _______ Time 3: _______
Teacher Notes
This drill is to help students gain fluency and accuracy in ‘there is’/’there are’ grammar, adjective order (numbers and colors), and vocabulary (common possessions).
Practice 1: Have the students name the objects and colors. Note the colors that might be confused (gray vs. silver, pink vs. purple, and orange vs. brown). See the Answer Key below.
Practice 2: In pairs, the students should go through all the pictures while noting the number and color of each item(s). Have the students pay careful attention to using ‘there is’ and ‘there are’ correctly.
Practice 3: Now the students are ready for the drills. Each student should time the other to see how quickly the student can say all 12 items correctly. Ideally, students will decrease their times with each drill. It may be helpful to have one student do the drill in front of the class to make sure all the students understand the procedure.
Answer Key
- Two purple hats
- One pink cellphone
- Two black wallets
- One silver necklace (or) One silver chain
- Three blue water bottles
- Three gold rings
- Four gray keys
- One red umbrella
- Three yellow gifts
- One brown purse
- One orange backpack
- One green notebook
This activity works great with the Blue Sage Learning Book:Now We’re Talking, Book 1 Unit 2.
Tags: Speaking, Grammar, There is and There are, Adjective order
Lesson Plan – B1 Unit 1 Ajectives
Fluency Practice: Be verb and Personality Adjectives
by Scott Miles
Drill 1
|
Positive |
Neutral |
Negative |
|
Bright Friendly Funny Gentle Helpful |
Busy Careful Cold Fearless Logical |
Boring Childish Controlling Forgetful Judgmental |
- Choose eight personality adjectives from the list that can complete each sentence about you. Write the two words for each sentence in the blanks.
- I am somewhat ____________. _______ _______
- I am very ________________. _______ _______
- I am not very _____________. _______ _______
- I am not _____________ at all. _______ _______
- Write down each word on eight cards (or slips of paper). Give them to your partner.
Your partner will shuffle the cards and read the words. For each word, say the complete sentence where the word fits.
- Drill: How fast can you do all 8 sentences? Time yourself, and write the answer in Time #1 below.
Next, try two more times. Try to increase your speed with each attempt.
Time #1 ____ Time #2 _____ Time #3 ______
Drill 2
|
Positive |
Neutral |
Negative |
|
Honest Kind Loving Lucky Warm |
Interesting Quiet Realistic Serious Shy |
Lazy Loud Mean Selfish Silly |
- Complete the following sentences with personality adjectives from the box above. Each sentence should have a different word.
- My best friend is very _________, but I am not.
- I am somewhat _________, but my best friend is not.
- My best friend is not ________ at all, but I am.
- I am not _______ at all, but my best friend is.
- My best friend is very _________, and I am too.
- I am not _______ at all, and my best friend isn’t either.
- Write the six vocabulary words on cards. Give them to your partner.
Your partner will shuffle the cards and read the words. Put each word in the correct sentence.
- Drill: How fast can you do all 6 sentences? Time yourself, and write the answer in Time #1.
Now try two more times. Try to increase your speed with each attempt.
Time #1 ____ Time #2 _____ Time #3 ______
Drill 3
|
Personality (ex. forgetful, gentle, mean, etc.) |
I |
My best friend |
You |
|
|
|||
- Choose six personality words that you would like to practice. Write them in the first column (Personality).
- Complete the second column with your own information about how the personality word fits you. Choose one of the following for each word: quite, somewhat, or not very.
- Next, do the same about your best friend in the third column.
- Finish the final column with information about your partner. Ask your partner about each word.
E.g. Are you gentle? Are you outgoing? Etc.
- For each row, say sentences for each person. Follow the example.
Example: I am somewhat forgetful. My best friend is quite forgetful. You are not really forgetful.
- Drill: How fast can you say all the sentences in the chart? Time yourself, and write the answer in Time #1.
- Now try two more times. Try to increase your speed with each attempt.
Time #1 ____ Time #2 _____ Time #3 ______
For the Teacher
The above exercises are drills. These are activities which give learners ample practice with specific grammar and vocabulary to increase both fluency and accuracy.
Draw students’ attention to the grammar that they are practicing. In this case, it is using the correct Be verb (am, is, are) with different subjects.
When doing the final drill assignment, the target grammar should be perfect. If a student makes an error, she should repeat that sentence.
If possible, complete a chart with a volunteer student and model the activity. Make it clear to the students that the purpose is NOT to be faster than their partner. The purpose is to increase their own speed and accuracy.
This lesson coordinates well with Book 1 Unit 1 of Now We’re Talking.
Tags: Pronunciation, Speaking, Grammar
Fluency Practice: Be verb and Personality Adjectives
by Scott Miles
Fluency Practice: Be verb and Personality Adjectives
Drill 1
|
Positive |
Neutral |
Negative |
|
Bright Friendly Funny Gentle Helpful |
Busy Careful Cold Fearless Logical |
Boring Childish Controlling Forgetful Judgmental |
- Choose eight personality adjectives from the list that can complete each sentence about you. Write the two words for each sentence in the blanks.
- I am somewhat ____________. _______ _______
- I am very ________________. _______ _______
- I am not very _____________. _______ _______
- I am not _____________ at all. _______ _______
- Write down each word on eight cards (or slips of paper). Give them to your partner.
Your partner will shuffle the cards and read the words. For each word, say the complete sentence where the word fits.
- Drill: How fast can you do all 8 sentences? Time yourself, and write the answer in Time #1 below.
Next, try two more times. Try to increase your speed with each attempt.
Time #1 ____ Time #2 _____ Time #3 ______
Drill 2
|
Positive |
Neutral |
Negative |
|
Honest Kind Loving Lucky Warm |
Interesting Quiet Realistic Serious Shy |
Lazy Loud Mean Selfish Silly |
- Complete the following sentences with personality adjectives from the box above. Each sentence should have a different word.
- My best friend is very _________, but I am not.
- I am somewhat _________, but my best friend is not.
- My best friend is not ________ at all, but I am.
- I am not _______ at all, but my best friend is.
- My best friend is very _________, and I am too.
- I am not _______ at all, and my best friend isn’t either.
- Write the six vocabulary words on cards. Give them to your partner.
Your partner will shuffle the cards and read the words. Put each word in the correct sentence.
- Drill: How fast can you do all 6 sentences? Time yourself, and write the answer in Time #1.
Now try two more times. Try to increase your speed with each attempt.
Time #1 ____ Time #2 _____ Time #3 ______
Drill 3
|
Personality (ex. forgetful, gentle, mean, etc.) |
I |
My best friend |
You |
|
|
|||
- Choose six personality words that you would like to practice. Write them in the first column (Personality).
- Complete the second column with your own information about how the personality word fits you. Choose one of the following for each word: quite, somewhat, or not very.
- Next, do the same about your best friend in the third column.
- Finish the final column with information about your partner. Ask your partner about each word.
E.g. Are you gentle? Are you outgoing? Etc.
- For each row, say sentences for each person. Follow the example.
Example: I am somewhat forgetful. My best friend is quite forgetful. You are not really forgetful.
- Drill: How fast can you say all the sentences in the chart? Time yourself, and write the answer in Time #1.
- Now try two more times. Try to increase your speed with each attempt.
Time #1 ____ Time #2 _____ Time #3 ______
For the Teacher
The above exercises are drills. These are activities which give learners ample practice with specific grammar and vocabulary to increase both fluency and accuracy. Draw students’ attention to the grammar that they are practicing. In this case, it is using the correct Be verb (am, is, are) with different subjects. When doing the final drill assignment, the target grammar should be perfect. If a student makes an error, she should repeat that sentence. If possible, complete a chart with a volunteer student and model the activity. Make it clear to the students that the purpose is NOT to be faster than their partner. The purpose is to increase their own speed and accuracy. This lesson coordinates well with Book 1 Unit 1 of Now We’re Talking.
March Writing Tip: WRITING NAME POEMS
by Linda Galloway
One assignment students like is to write name poems.
Often these start with doing one’s own name, but after practice, they can be about a classmate or special person. A poem with qualities about M O T H E R will use sweet adjectives, but new adjectives can be needed to describe others. The assignment can be more difficult if two or more words are required for each letter. Since some names are longer than others, a total number of added words can be specified. Afterwards, students should write why some words are specifically appropriate.
Here is our editor’s name as an example:
Sociable
Conscientious
Optimistic
Terrific
Tenacious
Explanation: The first three are clear, the fourth is because Scott is innovative in his teaching and sharing of ideas, and the fifth is a higher-level vocabulary word, but it works because Scott has always worked to solve difficult problems.
Words to Describe People
by Scott Miles
The vocabulary in this supplement is commonly used to describe people.
They are words that appear in the 2000 most commonly used vocabulary in the English language, so they are essential for students at the basic to intermediate levels.
- First, review the words and circle the words that you do not know. You can underline the words that you think you might know, but aren’t sure.
- Next, with a partner (or partners), ask about the words you do not know.
What does _______ mean?
To explain the words in English, the following sentences might be helpful:
- It’s the opposite of __________.
- It’s almost the same as ___________.
- This is the kind of person who always ________
- This is the kind of person who never __________.
After listening to the explanation, guess the translation of the word in your first language. Later, you can look up the words in a dictionary to see if your guess is correct.
|
Positive |
Neutral |
Negative |
|
Bright Friendly Funny Gentle Helpful Honest Kind Loving Lucky Warm |
Busy Careful Childlike Cold Fearless Interesting Perfectionist Quiet Realistic Serious |
Boring Childish Controlling Forgetful Judgmental Lazy Loud Mean Selfish Silly |
Talk about the vocabulary. Which words describe you? Which words do not? Use the following sentence patterns.
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|
Now We’re Talking Textbook Activity Supplement
Book 1-Unit 1-Vocabulary: Describing People
This is a lesson plan that can complement the vocabulary activities on page 7 of Now We’re Talking Book 1, Unit 1.
Lesson Plan
- Distribute the handout (see above). Have the students look at the list of words and circle the ones they do not know. They can underline words they are not sure about, but have an idea of what they might mean. Tell the students to refrain from looking up words they do not know yet.
- In pairs or small groups, students then ask their partners about the words they circled and underlined. If another student knows the word, the student should try to explain the meaning. This is not an easy task for basic and even intermediate level students, but the given structures in the handout can be helpful. Do a few of the examples as a class before having the students try on their own.
If students have trouble finding a meaning (for example, they get stuck on a word that none of them know), they should call over the instructor to help with an explanation.
Once the word is explained, the student can write down their best guess of the translation of the word. Finally, after this part of the activity is over (or for homework), students can look up the words in a bilingual dictionary to see if their understanding was correct.
- In pairs or small groups, the students can discuss the vocabulary as it relates to themselves. If needed, review the sentence structures for this part of the exercise.
For Example, Such As, and Like
by Scott Miles
There are several options for introducing an example. These include for example, such as, and like.
Generally, here are the main points of using these phrases correctly:
- Use for example at the beginning of the sentence.
- Use such as and like in the middle of a sentence.
As you might guess, the above is an over-simplification that isn’t always true. However, it is a good guideline to help writers stay out of trouble most of the time.
Here are the details.
For example
This works as a transition (a conjunctive adverbial) to introduce an example to support a previous sentence. It is most common to use for example at the beginning of a sentence, and it should be followed by a comma.
There are many interesting things to do in my hometown. For example, you can go to one of our many parks.
Like other transitions, it can also go within a sentence, but it will always be marked by commas.
There are many interesting things to do in my hometown. You can go to one of our many parks, for example.
There are many interesting things to do in my hometown. You can, for example, go to one of our many parks.
Such as
Such as is a prepositional phrase, so it can’t be used the same way grammatically as for example. It is always followed by a noun phrase (or phrases). It is best used when introducing an example mid-sentence.
There are many interesting things to do in my hometown, such as going to one of our many parks.
We need to get several things from the store, such as hamburger, buns, and ketchup.
Use a comma before such as for sentences that can be complete without the examples.
Utah has many national parks, such as Zion Canyon and Bryce Canyon.
In this case, the sentence would be okay without the examples (a non-restrictive clause).
However, in the following sentence, the examples are crucial for the meaning of the sentence, so a comma is not used.
When going to parks such as Zion Canyon and Bryce Canyon, be prepared to pay an entrance fee.
Like
Using like for examples is common in spoken and informal English.
She enjoys outdoor activities like bicycling and hiking.
For academic and formal writing, use such as for this kind of sentence.
She enjoys outdoor activities, such as bicycling and hiking.
Greetings from America
Informal in-person greetings
Many ESL students learn the popular greeting, “Hi, how are you?” only to be confused when they arrive in the United States. Instead of this familiar question, they often hear “How’s it going?” or “What’s up?” from friends or roommates.
Here is how to decipher (and re-use) the informal greetings you hear:
If you are meeting a college friend or someone close to you (especially a young person), you will most likely hear “How’s it going?” or “How are you doing?” (Translation: How is everything going in your life? How is life?). A good answer would be “Doing well, and you?”
You may also hear “What’s going on?” or “What’s up?” or “What’s happening?” (Translation: What is new in your life?). If you want to answer that nothing exciting is happening, you may reply “Not much, what’s new with you?”
These informal questions may come by themselves or follow an even more informal “Hi!”, or “Hey!”, “Howdy!”, or even a “Yo!” They all mean “Hello.”
Formal in-person greetings
When greeting people in a more formal setting (such as a professor in college, or a potential employer for an interview), your greeting must be more formal and conventional. These situations call for the well-known, “Hi, how are you?” or “Hello, it’s nice to meet you.” Other polite greetings include “Good morning” or “Good afternoon.” If you are meeting someone after 5 pm, most people greet each other with “Good evening” in formal situations. You should only say “Good night” when you are going home.
Some students wonder about the greeting, “How do you do?” In America, you rarely hear someone using it. It is more common in Great Britain.
Regardless of all these options you have, when in doubt, always use the old reliable “Hi, how are you?” It is a safe greeting for both formal and less-formal situations.