How can I teach grammar and essay writing? Please respond!!

[monseul]

Hello,
I hope someone responds to this . I am teaching TOEFL to middle schoolers.
I have to teach essay writing and grammar. Does anybody know of any good websites to help? I do not have a book to use. Please help!

Thanks,
monseul

[argemiro amaya buelvas]

Dear teacher,

Let me share with you some of the ideas I considered when teaching English language composition and grammar.

When I was given that subject, I did not have any material concerning composition but I did have enough passion to help my students learn it. So, I started getting some information from the Internet. I was very lucky of getting enough just writing "teaching composition" , "writing academically" or writing essays. I could get all I needed for almost the whole semester. I could get the steps, examples, quizes, punctuation, a grade table, and even cartoons concerning the main steps of different academical essays.

Besides that, You sometimes have to explain some grammar points for your students make use of their previous grammar knowledge.


Concerning the other subject "grammar", It is very important to know that you can also use your native language to explain some diffucult grammar points. Something of great relevance is that you should previously digest, break down, and turn those difficult grammar points into easy ones to smooth them and be ,then, undertood. Use as many aims as possible and ask some possible volunters to prepare and explain some grammar points. (sometimes our students get the idea better from their own classmates.

Well, I hope my ideas could work

argemiro

[cbennett]

There is a great program out called Step Up to Writing. It is an easy color-coded system that the students can follow. It starts at the basic level including sentences and progresses up to full essays. The only downfall that I see is narrative writing. The program focuses on expository, but is weak in other types. Still, you can use it from any level starting at Kinder through High School. I don't know of a specific website, but I'm sure if you do a search you find some examples. I'm fortunate, because the school has purchased the program.

[monseul]

Thanks for your ideas. Much appreciated!

[celinehoran]

Hi there,

1:1 teaching is my niche and have a student at present that I'm helping with essay writing.

When she first came to me, I found her spoken English was at a good intermediate level but her English essay writing and grammar were poor.

I found a number of fantastic websites that have created writing workshops that can be used in the class room with ease and give lots of Teaching tips and ideas on how to use them effectively in the classroom.

I used one of these writing workshops with my student and she's really enjoying it and so much so that when I asked her if she would like to do another writing workshop (as this particular workshop is coming to an end today) she said YES!

I've found her writing has improved a great deal over the past 6 weeks and in turn her confidence and competence has grown too.

If you would like to research these sites I've been using then email me when you have time.

Happy Teaching!
Celine Horan
ESL Trainer - Switzerland

[fluffyhamster]

Celine, why don't you just simply post the links on Dave's? I mean, you're offering to give people the details anyway if they contact you, so you presumably aren't keeping things super top secret (for reasons of maintaining an edge over the competition, or possibly profit etc). You've posted a similar message several times now in various places, and I was simply curious as to why you're taking the approach you are to "sharing". You could at least let us in on the reasoning behind this, even if you keep the websites and activities that you've found and/or developed under close wraps still.

[celinehoran]

Not at all! I am not an affiliate of these websites. They're just normal websites I use.

The only reason I don't put the websites on here is because I'm not sure I'm allowed to - I've wanted to but I thought it wiser not to.

Some other forums don't allow you to post links on their site, for reasons I'm not sure of, so to hedge my bets I thought it much easier for fellow teachers to email me if they trully wanted to know. There is nothing in this for me except the knowledge that I'm helping a fellow teacher out - promise!

Celine Horan

[fluffyhamster]

Ooh, OK, fair enough!

[Lorikeet]

But we post websites here all the time, so it's okay--really. (For those of us who are too lazy to email )

[celinehoran]

Phew! That's a relief, well in that case let me inform you of the wonderful sites /books I use or have used, then you can visit/research them yourselves and decide if you think they meet your needs.

As I've said on a number of occasions in this wonderful forum, I wouldn't be without them.

Okay here goes:

http://www.handoutsonline.com - my personal favourite
http://www.onestopenglish.com - fantastic 1:1 teaching section
http://www.bogglesworld.com - great fun things to do in the classroom
http://www.englishbanana.com - fantastic site but this one you now have to pay if you want to receive the cd chock full of wonderful work sheets and it's a very reasonable price to purchase.

Last summer I was invited to have lots of fun (on english camp) and talk english to a bunch of energetic teenagers in Ticino here in Switzerland for one week, I used one of bogglesworld's work sheets which was about 3 hours long talking all about the movies. My kids loved it. It was right at their level and they were able to remember the movie words I taught them days after. I think boogles has a similar and simpler worksheet on their site too, for FREE! and

last but not least;

http://www.about.com. In the index click on E and you will find a link called English as a second language. Brilliantly informative and FREE to use.

For those of you who are looking into 1:1 teaching at home, the best e-book I've found was recommended on the About.com site; I'm not sure it's still there so let me give you the author's name so you can go straight into her site and see if you like what she says. Her name is "Miriam Lavi" and her e-book is called "How to Become a Personal ESL Trainer".

I couldn't really find anything before this that gave me a concise insight into running a small successful teaching business from home. Her book is an easy to read manual that gives lots of hints and tips on how you can do this in a relatively short space of time. Before this book, I just went with my instincts and previous knowledge of running a small business from home. I found I wasn't far off her advice but I saw straight away that there was a lot of new things I could incorporate in my teaching that would bring more satisfaction to me and my students.

I know, I know - you may be thinking how come she's so enthusiastic about these sites and books - hey call me loopy loop, I just want to help out. As I've said before there is nothing in it for me. Just the sweet satisfaction in knowing I can help out.

You guy's don't always have the time to do the research into these things, I do and some of it is just plain luck that I've found them and one or two of these items have been recommended to me. So I would be very selfish indeed if I didn't let you know about these wonderful books and sites.

Oh and while I'm here, let me tell you of another book that was recommend to me that some of you may not of heard about before, again this book is designed for minimum preparation and maximum fun for teachers and students alike.

If you go to http://www.logman.com (publishers) there are classroom games books designed by Jill Hadfield, called Elementary Communication, Intermediate Communication and so on. These books again are wonderful if you find your kids are bored with grammar drilling (including you) and learn better through games. They help build student confidence no end and before you know it, it's break time!

Wow, that's a load off.

Thanks for letting me know that I could inform you in full of the many links and books I use in my teaching business. It saves me having to write these all out again and again.

I hope this helps you guys and happy teaching.

Regards
Celine Horan
ESL Trainer - Switzerland

[Lorikeet]

Hi, thanks for the links. You have a typo in the last link--It should be "longman" and not "logman". I followed the link and found the books listed in the catalogue here:

http://eltcatalogue.pearson.com/Course. ... 20Hadfield

[celinehoran]

Sorry for the typo!! But I'm glad you found the page okay. Good for you!

[monseul]

Hello Celine,
Thanks for the addresses. They are proving to be very valuable. You are a saint!