Strategies for writing instructions
Learning is a process; this means that there are various levels of learning depending on how well the learner understands the subject being taught. For some people, English is not the first language and thus they have to be taught at different levels in order to perfect their understanding. There are three main levels when it comes to learning English and they include: beginner level, intermediate level and advanced level (Taylor 71).This discussion looks at some of the most appropriate assignments that can be given to students at the various levels of learning.
Beginning ESOL student in elementary school
At this level, the understanding is not very clear and thus the exercises given must be basic. For instance, the students may be required to:
- Give a description of their family tree. Under this exercise, the student will be required to give some description of their family members which include the names of their family members, their age, what they like and dislike among other basic things.
- Another assignment would involve describing various seasons all the year round, what each season is like, what one can and cannot do during such a season and clothes that can be worn during the season.
- Write known facts about major festivals or occasions that are celebrated, then scramble the order words and then ask the students to arrange them in the correct order. You can also live dashes and require the students to fill them appropriately.
An advanced ESOL student in middle school
At this level a student has an understanding about the English language but the understanding is not in-depth. The exercise given at this level will not be complex but will not be as simple as the ones given at the beginner level (Taylor 91).
- One exercise would involve the student giving an account of the various activities that they involve in while at the school. If it is games, then the student will be required to give a detailed description of the same. If it is class work, students will be required to state the various lessons they have and the various subjects that they learn.
- Another assignment for students at this level would be to describe how they spent their last holidays or vacations.
At this level, some of the aspects that are tested include; the proper use of active and passive voice and conditional writing.
An intermediate level ESOL student in high school
This is a level at which the student now has good grasp of the English language and all they need is to perfect what they already know. The exercises given at this stage are more complex than what is given in the first two stages and these exercises are meant to cement a student’s knowledge of the English language (Johnson 67). At this level, the emphasis is to ensure that students have a good understanding of the language so that they can use it effectively to achieve their academic goals.
- An appropriate assignment at this level would involve asking the students to come up with sentences in order to assess the correctness of the structure of such sentences.
- Students should also be asked to read some passages in class so as to assess how good their oral skills are.
- Students also write essays while paying keen attention to topic sentences, thesis statements and order of paragraphs.
Works Cited
Johnson, Judith Anne. Writing strategies for ESL students. Macmillan: Indiana University, 1983. Print.
Taylor, Gail Heald. Whole language strategies for ESL students. London: Dominie, 1991. Print.