From Paragraph to Essay

1. From Paragraph to Essay A paragraph consists of a group of sentences developing an idea. It contains a topic sentence, supporting sentences, and a concluding sentence (if it stands alone). An essay is a short writing (composition). It contains an introductory paragraph, body paragraphs, and concluding paragraph.

2. Developing a paragraph into an essay • The topic sentence the thesis statement of an essay. • The supporting sentences the body paragraphs of an essay. • The concluding sentence the concluding paragraph of an essay. (See Oshima p. 102 and Boardman pp. 56-57).

3. Essay The Thesis Body The Concluding Statement Paragraph Paragraph (Introductory Paragraph)

4. The Thesis Statement It is the main idea for the whole essay. It shows directly or indirectly the number and the content of the body paragraphs of the essay. It has three main parts: the topic, the controlling ideas, and the predictor (subtopics). The topic is the subject of the essay. What the essay is about. The controlling idea is what you are going to limit the topic and to talk about in the body paragraphs.

5. The predictor tells the reader how many body of paragraphs there will be in the essay and what their content will be. For example: EFL students are not fluent in speaking due to three main factors: lack of exposure, a large class, and less motivation. (a) EFL Students = the topic (b) not fluent in speaking due to three main factors = the controlling idea (c) lack of exposure, a large class, less motivation = predictors/subtopics

6. Rules for Making Thesis Statements • A thesis statement must be a statement, not question. Not a thesis statement: Should EFL students have two main qualifications in order to be able to read academic texts? Thesis statement: EFL students should have two main qualifications in order to be able to read academic texts. 2. A thesis statement must be a complete sentence. This means that it must have a subject and a verb. Not a thesis statement: Cooperative learning maximizing students’ learning A thesis statement: Cooperative learning maximizes students’ learning.

7. 3. A thesis statement is an opinion, it cannot be a simple fact. Not a thesis statement: Lesson plan is a teaching program. A thesis statement: As a part of a teaching program, lesson plan can provide clear steps for teachers to follow. 4. A thesis statement must state the controlling idea. This mean that you must state your position on the topic; you cannot simply announce the topic of your essay. Not a thesis statement: This essay is about cooperative learning. A thesis statement: Recent studies of cooperative learning show some positive results.

8. 5. A thesis statement should have only one controlling idea. Not a thesis statement: A lesson plan is arranged by a teacher to process learning activities, and it can help him run the lesson smoothly. A thesis statement: A lesson plan can help a teacher run the lesson smoothly. (See Boardman pp.71-72 and Oshima pp. 105-106)

9. The Introductory Paragraph: the thesis statement Guidelines for Introductory Paragraphs • It must be relevant to the topic. • There should be at least two sentences before the thesis statement (the hook). • It should not preview the points that will form the body of the essay. • The thesis statement should come at the end of the introductory paragraph.

10. Types of Sentences Before Thesis Statement (Introductory Paragraph) • Known information related to the topic (Interesting facts or statistics). • Historical background related to the topic. • General to Specific ( The general statement to the specific thesis statement) (see Boardman pp. 78-82 and Oshima p.104)

11. Lesson Plan Language teachers may ask themselves why should they bother writing plans for every lesson. Some teachers write down elaborate daily plans: others do the planning inside their heads. Whatever the questions may arise, the essential thing to understand is that there are internal and external reasons for planning lessons.

12. Implementing Cooperative Learning In the last decade there has been a growing interest among ESL/EFL teachers in using cooperative learning activities. With cooperative learning, students work together in groups whose usual size is two or four members. However, cooperative learning is more than just putting students in groups and giving them something to do. Cooperative learning deals with some principles which teachers use to encourage mutual helpfulness in the groups and the active participation of all members.

13. Speaking Test The testing of speaking is widely regarded as the most challenging of all language tests to prepare, administer and score. This is especially true when examining beginning-level students who have just started to acquire English. Theorists suggest that there are at least two factors why this type of test is so different from reading test.

14. Body Paragraphs Body Paragraphs should cover concrete facts, examples, data, and statistics (e.g. Lesson Plan) Body Paragraph 1: Internal reasons for planning lessons. To make teachers feel more confident. To learn the subject matter better. To enable lessons to run smoothly. To anticipate problem before they happen. Body Paragraph 2: External reasons for planning lessons. To satisfy the expectations of principal or supervisor. To guide a substitute teacher in case the class needs one. To monitor to what extent materials have been covered.

15. Concluding Paragraph It should provide a clear understanding of what the point of your essay is. It can consist of: A final comment: All in all, lesson planning is especially important for novice teachers because they may feel more of a need to be in control before the lesson begins. A restatement: In short, these two points are important for teachers to know why they should make the lesson plan. A summary: In sum, the lesson plan does not only aim at satisfying the supervisor, but also and more importantly making teachers able to run the class smoothly and confidently. Note: The concluding paragraph should never introduce new information.