Preparing to write

When faced with a challenging writing task, learners often don’t know where to start, what to write and how to write it. Teachers can help them get started by doing pre-writing tasks, and give them a structure for writing with writing models and frames.

These videos show these approaches in action with a variety of written task types. They demonstrate how to motivate and support learners to begin the writing process and how to help them structure and develop meaningful written texts.

Parts 1 and 2 show two examples of teachers carrying out pre-writing tasks with lower secondary level learners from Turkey and Argentina.

Part 3 shows a teacher in the UK carrying out pre-writing tasks with a mixed nationality group of young adults preparing for the IELTS exam.

Part 4 examines writing models and frames. This section revisits the class from Turkey to examine how a writing model is used to support these learners with their writing task.

Procedure:

• Download the session notes below. The notes contain discussion, video-viewing and reflection tasks.
• Follow the tasks by going through the video in sequence.
• The video and session notes are designed as self-study resources to be worked through together. Techniques are transferable to other classes in other contexts.
   

Download the session notes

Part 1: Pre-writing tasks

Part 2: Pre-writing tasks

Part 3: Pre-writing tasks

Part 4: Writing models and frames