Writing can be fun if the subject appeals to the students. I use controversial or high interest topics to discuss. Then, I teach my students how to write about these fun issues. I always let them do a free write where they just write as much as possible without stopping or thinking about the grammar or vocabulary. They write as much as possible in English and inject their native language if necessary, so as not to stop the flow of thought. We make it into a game–who can come up with the most points or the most original ideas. Then, I teach them to take out the good ideas and create an outline or cluster depending on the lesson. Later, we go over paragraph structure, style, essay structure and content. We check to see if all elements are present in each part of the essay. We trade papers, and then trade again and edit, edit, edit. If writing is broken into steps and made into games, students really enjoy the process.

If you teach adult education, you will get a lot out of the Basic Skills Forum. Every student can benefit when we emphasize reading, writing, math, student success and goals. That is what basic skills does, it enhances the way that we deliver our lessons and structure our classes to improve the lives of our students. As teachers, we get deep satisfaction when we help people, and incorporating basic skills will really help our students, not just academically, but studies show that it will help them to become more successful in their jobs, happier and even more self-confident. Check it out now!

Basic Skills Forum

This blog is to discuss teaching strategies for adult learners.

What low level reading materials have you found for adults in ESL?

I will sometimes use children’s literature.   I have used the If you lived at the time of series.  They  like these books, and though it  can be too difficult for some students, it doesn’t seem to insult their level of maturity.  They like it and learn a lot from these books.

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