ihtoc3 david petrie keep calm and write on
TRANSCRIPT
Keep Calm and Write On
David Petrie, IH Coimbra.
David Petrie: Keep Calm & Write On
Seminar Overview:
1. Context: The language exam
2. Problems learners have with writing
3. An approach to exam writing –
CARROT
4. Activities to help your learners with
exam writing
i. Content
ii. Accuracy
iii. Range
iv. Register
v. Organisation
vi. Target Reader
5. Any Other Problems? Q & A.
6. 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 ontent A ccuracy R ange R egister O rganisation T 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. What’s 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 ACCURACY RANGE
Reconstitute “wordled” rubrics Spot the difference / info gaps Synonym tennis
Question Creation Bad model dictagloss / running dictation Re-writing repetitive texts
Sample task / Peer assessment Creating correction texts Question paraphrase competition
The writing “T.I.P.” Using correction codes for feedback “Say that again” circle writing
REGISTER ORGANISATION TARGET READER
Register transformation tasks Genre diagrams / labelling tasks Writer / reader role plays
“A lesson on Register” Three basic discourse patterns Target reader criteria creation
Register based “Postie Postie” Jumbled texts / paragraphs Facebook style commenting
David Petrie: Keep Calm & Write On
Any questions?
Any problems from your experience that haven’t been covered that you’d like to raise?
David Petrie: Keep Calm & Write On
References, Links & Further Reading:
Wordle: www.wordle.net Michael Hoey, “Textual Interaction”,
Routledge, 2000
A lesson on register:
www.onestopenglish.com
Tricia Hedge, “Writing – 2nd ed.”,
OUP, 2005
www.eltchat.org / twitter: #eltchat Sally Burgess & Katie Head, “How to
Teach for Exams”, Pearson, 2005.
https://www.teachers.cambridgeesol.or
g/ts/
Peter May, “Exam Classes”, OUP,
1996
Keep Calm and Write On
David Petrie, IH Coimbra.