Keeping it real…Real life and motivating writing tasks

I wish to express my dissatisfaction with…

I was very disappointed by…

I would be very grateful if you would let me know…

I would appreciate it if you could replace the missing part by next week.

Please let me know as soon as possible what action you propose to take.

I look forward to hearing from you within the next ten days. 

What tasks to choose?

What language to focus on?

How to engage/motivate learners?

How to provide meaningful feedback?

Commenting on a travel blog

Voicing your opinion on discussion forum

Writing a tweet to promote your small

business

Writing a letter on behalf of Amnesty

International

Writing a report for your line manager

Writing a poem for a poetry competition

Writing a letter of complaint

• Passive voice

• Narrative tenses

• Set phrases

• Tone

• Online review

• Online advertisement

• Writing a tweet

• Writing to your local councillor

• Writing a CV

How can we engage and motivate students?

• Personalise existing material to suit

your students

• Use a speaking activity to whet

interest

• Use humour

• Provide a real life audience

You really don’t know anything about beggars. They also just a normal people like us, only they are not as lucky as us.

I am so sorry, but I have to say that your thought seems to be silly, it is punk...

I think the beggars are someone who we really need to help; mostly for kids or handicapped people. However, this day we almost can’t tell which one really needs ours help.

Teaching Points

• Hedging Language• Formal/informal language• Taking into account both sides of the argument• Polite disagreement

Further Reading

Blogs

http://elt-resourceful.com/2012/12/06/real-world-writing-activities/

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/common-core-in-action-writing-for-audience-rebecca-alber

http://oupeltglobalblog.com/2013/12/13/how-to-keep-writing-tasks-real-hotel-reviews/

 

Books

Hedge, T. 2008 Writing Oxford University Press

Raimes, A. 1983 Techniques in Teaching Writing, Oxford University Press

Tribble, C. 1996 Writing Oxford University Press