Keep Calm and Write On

David Petrie, IH Coimbra.

David Petrie: Keep Calm & Write On Seminar Overview:

1. 2. 3. Context: The language exam Problems learners have with writing An approach to exam writing CARROT

4.

Activities to help your learners with exam writing

i. ii. Content Accuracy

iii.
iv. v. vi.

Range
Register Organisation Target Reader

5.
6.

Any Other Problems? Q & A.

Further Reading

David Petrie: Keep Calm & Write On

The Context a selection of English Language Exams:

David Petrie: Keep Calm & Write On

Question:

What problems do your learners have

with writing for language exams?

David Petrie: Keep Calm & Write On

Question:

What problems do your learners have

with writing for language exams?

David Petrie: Keep Calm & Write On

Poll:
Which of the following do your learners have trouble with? (check all that apply!)
Including all the relevant content points / answering the question. Producing grammatically accurate language and using appropriate vocabulary Using a range of vocabulary and grammar and avoiding repetition

Using an appropriate register for the task

Organising their writing appropriately for the genre and with appropriate paragraphs Writing outside the box seeing the task within the context of the task, not just as a piece of writing for the teacher / examiner.

David Petrie: Keep Calm & Write On

Always remember the CARROT ! C A R R O T ontent ccuracy ange egister rganisation arget Reader

David Petrie: Keep Calm & Write On

thoughts?

David Petrie: Keep Calm & Write On

Content:
1. wordled (jumbled) rubrics / questions

David Petrie: Keep Calm & Write On

Content:
1. wordled (jumbled) rubrics / questions
2. Question creation.

David Petrie: Keep Calm & Write On

Content:
1. wordled (jumbled) rubrics / questions
2. Question creation. 3. Sample task assessment / peer assessment

David Petrie: Keep Calm & Write On

Content:
1. wordled (jumbled) rubrics / questions
2. Question creation. 3. Sample task assessment / peer assessment 4. Whats the writing T.I.P ?
(theme / ideas / purpose)

David Petrie: Keep Calm & Write On

Accuracy:
1. Spot the difference / Mistakes infogap task

David Petrie: Keep Calm & Write On

Accuracy:
1. Spot the difference / Mistakes infogap task
2. Bad Model running dictation / dictagloss

David Petrie: Keep Calm & Write On

Accuracy:
1. Spot the difference / Mistakes infogap task
2. Bad Model running dictation / dictagloss 3. Creating correction texts for each other.

David Petrie: Keep Calm & Write On

Accuracy:
1. Spot the difference / Mistakes infogap task
2. Bad Model running dictation / dictagloss 3. Creating correction texts for each other. 4. Correction codes for writing feedback

David Petrie: Keep Calm & Write On

Range:
1. Synonym Tennis a vocabulary back and forth

David Petrie: Keep Calm & Write On

Range:
1. Synonym Tennis a vocabulary back and forth
2. Re-making / re-wording repetitive texts

David Petrie: Keep Calm & Write On

Range:
1. Synonym Tennis a vocabulary back and forth
2. Re-making / re-wording repetitive texts 3. Question paraphrasing competition

David Petrie: Keep Calm & Write On

Range:
1. Synonym Tennis a vocabulary back and forth
2. Re-making / re-wording repetitive texts 3. Question paraphrasing competition 4. Say that again - a sentence paraphrasing circle writing task

David Petrie: Keep Calm & Write On

Register:
1. Register transformation tasks (bad model)

David Petrie: Keep Calm & Write On

Register:
1. Register transformation tasks (bad model)
2. A lesson on register (www.onestopenglish.com)

David Petrie: Keep Calm & Write On

Register:
1. Register transformation tasks (bad model)
2. A lesson on register (www.onestopenglish.com) 3. A register based role play version of Postie Postie
(acknowledgement to Peter Moran)

David Petrie: Keep Calm & Write On

Organisation:
1. Genre diagrams / labelling tasks

David Petrie: Keep Calm & Write On

Organisation:
1. Genre diagrams / labelling tasks
2. Three basic discourse patterns (after Michael Hoey)

David Petrie: Keep Calm & Write On

Organisation:
1. Genre diagrams / labelling tasks
2. Three basic discourse patterns (after Michael Hoey)
TOPIC SENTENCE GENERAL SPECIFIC EXAMPLE

TOPIC SENTENCE CLAIM COUNTER CLAIM (SUMMATION)

TOPIC SENTENCE PROBLEM SOLUTION (IMPLICATION / JUSTIFICATION)

David Petrie: Keep Calm & Write On

Organisation:
1. Genre diagrams / labelling tasks
2. Three basic discourse patterns (after Michael Hoey)
TOPIC SENTENCE GENERAL SPECIFIC EXAMPLE

TOPIC SENTENCE CLAIM COUNTER CLAIM (SUMMATION)

TOPIC SENTENCE PROBLEM SOLUTION (IMPLICATION / JUSTIFICATION)

3. Jumbled texts / paragraphs

David Petrie: Keep Calm & Write On

Target Reader:
1. Writer / reader role plays

David Petrie: Keep Calm & Write On

Target Reader:
1. Writer / reader role plays
2. Target reader criteria creation what would have the best impact on you?

David Petrie: Keep Calm & Write On

Target Reader:
1. Writer / reader role plays
2. Target reader criteria creation what would have the best impact on you? 3. Facebook style commenting (can be harsh & brutal)

David Petrie: Keep Calm & Write On

CONTENT
Reconstitute wordled rubrics
Question Creation Sample task / Peer assessment The writing T.I.P.

ACCURACY
Spot the difference / info gaps
Bad model dictagloss / running dictation Creating correction texts Using correction codes for feedback

RANGE
Synonym tennis
Re-writing repetitive texts Question paraphrase competition Say that again circle writing

REGISTER
Register transformation tasks A lesson on Register Register based Postie Postie

ORGANISATION
Genre diagrams / labelling tasks Three basic discourse patterns Jumbled texts / paragraphs

TARGET READER
Writer / reader role plays Target reader criteria creation Facebook style commenting

David Petrie: Keep Calm & Write On

Any questions?

Any problems from your experience that havent been covered that youd like to raise?

David Petrie: Keep Calm & Write On

References, Links & Further Reading: Wordle: www.wordle.net A lesson on register: www.onestopenglish.com www.eltchat.org / twitter: #eltchat Michael Hoey, Textual Interaction, Routledge, 2000 Tricia Hedge, Writing 2nd ed., OUP, 2005 Sally Burgess & Katie Head, How to Teach for Exams, Pearson, 2005.

https://www.teachers.cambridgeesol.or Peter May, Exam Classes, OUP, g/ts/ 1996

Keep Calm and Write On

David Petrie, IH Coimbra.