Grammar
Do you perhaps have some ideas on how to make my students better writers without seeming like an English class? I teach cosmetology and our time is limited due to having so much info to cover from out branch but I have some students that I feel could really benefit from some exercises that will better their skills in communication.
CHRISTINA,
yes, current slang or vernacular are not the best way (generally) to communicate in a professional environment. Most of our students will be in customer facing careers/roles, so they need to learn to speak & write professionally.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I like your suggestion to "write it as your grandmother would say it."
I will probably use this for my next written assignment, as I often find that my students are very relaxed in their writing and often use vernacular. (Is that the right word I'm attempting to convey?)
Chris
We do an activity on the first day called "May I Present..." where the students answer questions about themselves, then present them to the class. This helps to give an indication of their knowledge and grammer skills.
I also teach cosmetology. I have my students write me papers on "why they want to be a cosmetologist." I do this so I can kind of see where they are at grammatically.
Kathy,
this is a great method for both understanding where they may be having problems & even for all of us to check our thought processes & to see if they make sense.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I frequently ask studnets to sit with me and read their papers aloud. They often stumble over things that are poorly written and then I ask them how they would say it differently. Sometimes, easpecially with auditory learners, they need to hear their errors. I suggest one easy method of proofreadin gis to have someone else read the paper aloud. This allow sthe writer to hear the errors also.
I will admit, I have also told students to write it as their grandmother would say it, since most of them have grandmothers whose language style is more formal!!!
Deborah,
this is very true & an experience I've shared. I try to emphasize to my students the importance of reading & developing the skills to pull meaning & understanding from what you read.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Reading seems to be skill that is gravely lacking in students. Too much technology makes it too easy to skip that one. So when they need to red they want us to do it for them. It helps to emphasize they won't always have us for a crutch. Sometime if they would start with something they would like to read they would find they could enjoy it. Any ready material helps them to master the skill, Pracitice, Practice, Practice.
Allison,
these are great suggestions, thank you for sharing. I want to echo your suggestion about reading assignments. I firmly believe that the more reading we do, the better our writing skills become.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
As an English teacher, I think it's really hard to teach students good writing habits without starting from the ground up. For example, you can't just walk into class and spend one day teaching students how to use a comma (especially because many rules can be broken) if they don't know how to identify a verb. If you feel like it's your duty to impart something with them, I would suggest these ideas:
1. Practice. Are there any free-writes or writing opportunities you could do during class that will prepare them for a final writing assignment?
2. Take a small amount of class time to discuss rules that are cut-and-dry, like style. If the students get clear-cut ideas about the formatting you desire, their writing assignments will appear more professional.
3. Give them reading assignments. Language is intuitive. Most grammar that native English speakers know, they know innately. When I taught ESL students several years ago, their assignment was to read one news article every morning and report back to me.
Lauren ,
I would recommend some writing assignments that are related to the content, but you also grade them on writing skills.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
