On Friday night, I went to dinner with two friends who were former students of mine. Over a hearty meal of Indian food at Serangoon Road, we shared news about our work and families. S and V are single hardworking professionals. I was their General Paper teacher way back some thirty years ago and since then we've kept up our friendship. They are fun girls and always have a store of the latest news and gossip to share with me. Over naan and curry, V mentioned that her friend was at the Tom Jones show then. S and I immediately perked up because we are also fans of Tom Jones (this information dates all the three of us I know, but I understand TJ now has young fans too) and we had all considered going to the concert. It was 8.30 already and V texted her friend who replied that TJ had just appeared on stage. So we decided there and then to drive down to the Resorts World to catch what we can of the rest of the show.
"Well, they always save the best for last," we reminded ourselves optimistically, hurrying over to V’s car.
Only S has been to the Resorts World so she navigated while V drove and before long, we were parked in the huge basement car park (2000 lots, I’m told). We were parked close to the venue and instinctively walked over to what looked like the convention centre. On the way, we asked for directions and once inside we headed towards what appears to be temporary counter and asked if there were any more tickets. Well, you all know what happened. Yes, the show was cancelled. No wonder the people we spoke to looked at us strangely! Well, it was just not meant to be.
We decided to look for a place to have some coffee instead but after wandering around, we could find no such place there. V suggested driving over to Keppel Island instead. I never knew there was a place called Keppel Island but it is a lovely site. There are a couple of restaurants and one can take in some lovely views of the marina and the Resorts World in Sentosa. We vetoed the walk around the marina and settled for some coffee, cake and a long chat.
I had a good time and had a chance to explore two new places. I would not have gone to the Resorts World on my own unless I have to take friends and family members. As for Keppel Island, it’s a great getaway for a quiet, even romantic meal. No, this is not my typical Friday. But it was a great way to end the week and a relief after spending the afternoon talking about verbs and verb forms! But the best part was, after all these 30 years, it’s good to know that my former students and I have been able to maintain a relationship that is both comfortable and enriching. We do genuinely enjoy each other’s company. Sometime in the discussion in between mouthfuls of lemon meringue pie, apple crumble and fruit tart, V said, “We get along because we have the same values.” And I guess she said it all.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Five Myths of Writing Instruction
Every time I meet a new group of teachers, I am asked the same questions about teaching writing. There are indeed some myths about what should and should not be taught in writing lessons. Here is my list of the top 5 myths.
1. Do not begin a sentence with because, and, but and so.
This was probably advice learnt when teachers were pupils and it’s sadly inaccurate and misleading. It is perfectly alright to begin sentences with conjunctions but you must always make sure that you are writing a complete sentence. So, it’s not okay to say, “Because he was sick” but it’s absolutely fine to say, “Because he was sick, he stayed at home.” Teachers probably gave that advice to prevent students from writing fragments ( but see point 2). Give students the real reason why you don’t want them to start a sentence that way. Don’t just tell them they cannot do it.
2. Do not write an incomplete sentence in an essay.
This contradicts the first point I know but good writing involves a judicious use of fragments and isolated words. Writers use a balance of long and short sentences, including fragments to add variety to their style and to express or reinforce certain meanings. Here is an example from Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet. A plane crash has left young Brian Robeson alone in the wilderness. In this extract, he finally succeeded in making a fire.
If he kept the fire small it would be perfect and would keep anything like the porcupine from coming through the door again.
A friend and a guard, he thought.
So much from a little spark. A friend and a guard from a tiny spark.
He looked around and wished he had somebody to tell this thing, to show this thing he had done. But there was nobody.
Nothing but the trees and the sun and the breeze and the lake.
Nobody.
Notice how the writer uses a series of short sentences and fragments in the last three lines. The last single Nobody expresses the hopelessness of the situation, the recognition of the fact that he was truly alone with the trees, the sun, the breeze and the lake.
3. Use multi syllabic words to impress the reader.
Teachers are often so impressed by a long word that they inevitably put a big tick next to every long word they see in an essay. This has led to a false belief that big words are better than short words. In fact, many children are taught to routinely replace short words with long words as if this will make their essay better. This is not true. The best word is always the most appropriate word. Young writers are better off learning to use a word that fits the context than to just mechanically put in a long word. Here’s what Stephen King says about using words:
One of the really bad things you can do to your writing is to dress up the vocabulary, looking for long words because you’re maybe a little ashamed of your short ones. This is like dressing up a household pet in evening clothes. The pet is embarrassed and the person who committed this act of premeditated cuteness should be even more embarrassed. Make yourself a solemn promise right now that you’ll never use “emolument” when you mean “tip”…. On Writing, p. 117.
Maybe Stephen King is a bit beyond our students but it’s good advice.
4. Don’t encourage students to write like writers.
Apparently, there’s writing and there’s PSLE writing. PSLE writing is a creature that is unrelated to real writing, and I am tempted to say that it’s true given some of the incredulous tales I’ve heard about examiners’ expectations. For me there’s only good writing and for writing to be good, young writers must read a lot and learn from better writers. So, I don’t understand why teachers are so concerned about students writing like writers. In many instances, they don’t and that’s the pity of it. Give students the freedom to experiment with different styles. Recognise that at twelve, we are not looking for perfection but the ability to convey a clear message in comprehensible language. And if they write a little like Stephen King, that’s a bonus straightaway.
5. A good essay is a grammatically accurate essay.
Nobody publishes a manuscript that is grammatically correct. They publish a manuscript that conveys a powerful or an interesting message. We get so hung up over accuracy that we tell students to write short sentences and use short words. ( Here, I contradict myself I know, but the writing lesson is a place for pupils to experiment with words too.) The result is often a stilted essay with little by way of sentence fluency or style. It is hard to develop a good style but good grammar can be learnt over the years. And why do we expect out twelve year olds to have mastered grammar thoroughly by the time they take their PSLE? Cut them some slack. Read the essay for the message first. If the grammar does not hinder your understanding of the message, a few slips here and there are forgivable.
So there you are. The 5 myths of writing instruction. Do you have any other beliefs about teaching writing that you’ve been told to practise or not to practise? Do share.
1. Do not begin a sentence with because, and, but and so.
This was probably advice learnt when teachers were pupils and it’s sadly inaccurate and misleading. It is perfectly alright to begin sentences with conjunctions but you must always make sure that you are writing a complete sentence. So, it’s not okay to say, “Because he was sick” but it’s absolutely fine to say, “Because he was sick, he stayed at home.” Teachers probably gave that advice to prevent students from writing fragments ( but see point 2). Give students the real reason why you don’t want them to start a sentence that way. Don’t just tell them they cannot do it.
2. Do not write an incomplete sentence in an essay.
This contradicts the first point I know but good writing involves a judicious use of fragments and isolated words. Writers use a balance of long and short sentences, including fragments to add variety to their style and to express or reinforce certain meanings. Here is an example from Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet. A plane crash has left young Brian Robeson alone in the wilderness. In this extract, he finally succeeded in making a fire.
If he kept the fire small it would be perfect and would keep anything like the porcupine from coming through the door again.
A friend and a guard, he thought.
So much from a little spark. A friend and a guard from a tiny spark.
He looked around and wished he had somebody to tell this thing, to show this thing he had done. But there was nobody.
Nothing but the trees and the sun and the breeze and the lake.
Nobody.
Notice how the writer uses a series of short sentences and fragments in the last three lines. The last single Nobody expresses the hopelessness of the situation, the recognition of the fact that he was truly alone with the trees, the sun, the breeze and the lake.
3. Use multi syllabic words to impress the reader.
Teachers are often so impressed by a long word that they inevitably put a big tick next to every long word they see in an essay. This has led to a false belief that big words are better than short words. In fact, many children are taught to routinely replace short words with long words as if this will make their essay better. This is not true. The best word is always the most appropriate word. Young writers are better off learning to use a word that fits the context than to just mechanically put in a long word. Here’s what Stephen King says about using words:
One of the really bad things you can do to your writing is to dress up the vocabulary, looking for long words because you’re maybe a little ashamed of your short ones. This is like dressing up a household pet in evening clothes. The pet is embarrassed and the person who committed this act of premeditated cuteness should be even more embarrassed. Make yourself a solemn promise right now that you’ll never use “emolument” when you mean “tip”…. On Writing, p. 117.
Maybe Stephen King is a bit beyond our students but it’s good advice.
4. Don’t encourage students to write like writers.
Apparently, there’s writing and there’s PSLE writing. PSLE writing is a creature that is unrelated to real writing, and I am tempted to say that it’s true given some of the incredulous tales I’ve heard about examiners’ expectations. For me there’s only good writing and for writing to be good, young writers must read a lot and learn from better writers. So, I don’t understand why teachers are so concerned about students writing like writers. In many instances, they don’t and that’s the pity of it. Give students the freedom to experiment with different styles. Recognise that at twelve, we are not looking for perfection but the ability to convey a clear message in comprehensible language. And if they write a little like Stephen King, that’s a bonus straightaway.
5. A good essay is a grammatically accurate essay.
Nobody publishes a manuscript that is grammatically correct. They publish a manuscript that conveys a powerful or an interesting message. We get so hung up over accuracy that we tell students to write short sentences and use short words. ( Here, I contradict myself I know, but the writing lesson is a place for pupils to experiment with words too.) The result is often a stilted essay with little by way of sentence fluency or style. It is hard to develop a good style but good grammar can be learnt over the years. And why do we expect out twelve year olds to have mastered grammar thoroughly by the time they take their PSLE? Cut them some slack. Read the essay for the message first. If the grammar does not hinder your understanding of the message, a few slips here and there are forgivable.
So there you are. The 5 myths of writing instruction. Do you have any other beliefs about teaching writing that you’ve been told to practise or not to practise? Do share.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
From newsletter to blog...
Hello,
Those of you who have been following my newsletters for the last ten years or more will wonder why I have switched to a blog. Well, a blog allows me to write and post articles as and when I want to. I can also write shorter articles as I suspect busy teachers and parents want more bite-size information. And let's face it; it can be tough to write a long article every month!
If you are new, this blog is all about English language and literacy teaching in Singapore. You can visit my website: www.learningventures.com.sg to read previous newsletters to have an idea about the future contents of this blog. Check out my profile to find out about my work and my interests. And welcome!
Like my newsletter, I will continue with the articles about English language and pedagogy and also write a short section about my other lives. You can look forward to more pictures and more frequent postings than the once a month newsletter.
The first blog will be up next week so do come back again.
Those of you who have been following my newsletters for the last ten years or more will wonder why I have switched to a blog. Well, a blog allows me to write and post articles as and when I want to. I can also write shorter articles as I suspect busy teachers and parents want more bite-size information. And let's face it; it can be tough to write a long article every month!
If you are new, this blog is all about English language and literacy teaching in Singapore. You can visit my website: www.learningventures.com.sg to read previous newsletters to have an idea about the future contents of this blog. Check out my profile to find out about my work and my interests. And welcome!
Like my newsletter, I will continue with the articles about English language and pedagogy and also write a short section about my other lives. You can look forward to more pictures and more frequent postings than the once a month newsletter.
The first blog will be up next week so do come back again.
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