How to Teach Writing to Second Language Learners

Journaling can help second language learners to feel comfortable writing.

Writing is a skill that second language learners must have to independently conduct their own business. It is one of the more difficult skills to teach, however, as the natural progression of language learning is listening, speaking, reading and, finally, writing. You can help even beginning second language learners get a head start by teaching them basic writing skills that they can further develop as their vocabulary grows.

Instructions

1. Observe your students and make sure they know how to hold a pencil. Many adult second language learners do not know how to write in their first language, as many are economic refugees from countries where they might not have had any formal schooling. If you have students who do not know how to use a pencil, this will be your first order of business.

2. Start small. Ask students to keep a daily journal. Students can use writing prompts provided by the teacher. The complexity of the writing will depend on the level of the class. Beginning students can make lists of adjectives that describe themselves, names of towns that they know and items in their living room, for example. Intermediate students can provide short answers, while advanced language learners can write developed paragraphs.

3. Initiate discussion and brainstorming before a writing activity. Beginning to write while "cold" can be a problem for any writer and is a greater issue for a second language learner. If students are to write about important people in their lives, first have a class discussion about meaningful relationships. Review vocabulary that pertains to people, such as "aunt," "uncle" and "grandmother."

4. Engage in interactive writing. Use an overhead projector to write down your students' thoughts on a topic. Verbalize the process of writing. For example, if you are writing, "I have a green sofa, a white rug and a brown shelf in my living room," state, "I put green before the word 'sofa' because green is an adjective. Do you see any other words like that? I put a comma after the word 'sofa' because I am making a list of the things I have in my living room. The comma separates those things. Do you see a word that also helps to separate things?"

5. Provide a model of writing and be clear about your expectations regarding spelling, grammar and length. Work with students to develop the model. The class as a whole can contribute ideas to create the introduction and the following paragraph topics. Once second language learners see what the assignment is supposed to look like, they will gain self-confidence.

6. Make a variety of references available to second language learners. Dictionaries, thesauruses and picture books relating to vocabulary can be useful. Encourage students to use them while they are writing.

References

• Brown University: Teaching Diverse Learners--Writing
• Scholastic: Teaching ELL--Reading and Writing Strategies

Resources

• Dave's ESL Cafe Idea Cookbook: Writing