Word Processing Activities in the EFL Classroom

1. Word Processing Activities in the EFL Classroom TESOL Spain 2002 Jason Firestone  firestone@esade.edu

2. Overview • Why use a word processor? • Models of the Computer • Basic Word Processing Skills 10+1 Word processing activities  More activities  Even “techier” activities • Websites on writing  Things to think about  References

3. Why use a word processor? • =  Same activities as print-based materials • More possibilities offered by text manipulation • Well-presented work • Digital copy allows for easy editing, formatting, copying, file transfer • Reinforces ICT skills being learned elsewhere in the curriculum More motivating than writing by hand  Assists the writing process: • makes revision easier • helps overcome blocking • increased language awareness

4. Models of the computer

5. Basic word processing skills • Loading and saving text • Editing: correcting, deleting and inserting text • Moving blocks of text around the screen • Printing • Reviewing toolbar • Highlighter pen • Comments • Tracking changes

6. 10+1 Word processing activities • Punctuation • Word order • Sentence order • Find the mistakes • Personalising a text • Summarising • Organising vocab • Sequencing • Jigsaw writing • Standard letter • Student text correction

7.  More activities • Use of search and replace • Editing: Revise a text (own or other student’s) • Sentence completion: Give students open-ended sentences or cloze exercise to complete • Name the parts: Paste in a picture with arrows pointing to various objects; students type in the names of the objects or parts (e.g. body, car, house) • Describe a picture: Teacher or students find (clip art or on the web), copy and paste a picture; then write a paragraph describing it • Dictation (closed or open): students type as teacher or peers dictate. • Perfect paragraph

8.  Even “techier” activities • Listen and type: Teacher records questions; students listen and type their answers • Listen and record: Teacher records questions; students listen and record answers • Listening comprehension: Teacher records questions; students listen, choose answers, and discuss their answers • Oral interviews: Students record questions into a file and exchange files. The next student records the answers. • Describe a movie: Teacher pastes a QuickTime movie into a word processed document. Students watch and type a description

9.  Websites on writing Student Keypal Club http://www1.oup.co.uk/elt/internet.english/keypals.html ExChange ESL magazine http://deil.lang.uiuc.edu/exchange/ Writing Argumentative Essays http://www.eslplanet.com/teachertools/argueweb/preface.htm Advanced Composition for Non-native Speakers of English http://www.eslbee.com Online Writing Lab http://owl.english.purdue.edu/internet/resources/index.html Guide to Grammar and Writing http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/index.htm

10.  Things to think about • What the purpose / objective is • What the students’ language level is • What grammar, vocabulary to use, highlight • What kind of text is appropriate (i.e. lexical density) • How we use the text (i.e. focus on form vs meaning?) • How difficult the task is • What the context is – does it relate to anything else done in class? • How long it will take to complete the task • Will it lead into other tasks?

11. References • White, R. & Arndt, V. (1991). Process Writing. London. Longman • Pennington, M. (1993). Modelling The Student Writer’s Acquisition of Word Processing Skills: The Interaction of Computer, Writing, and Language Media. Computers and Composition 10 (4). • Phinney, M.(1989). Computers, composition, and second language teaching. In M.C. Pennington (Ed.), Teaching languages with computers: The state of the art (pp. 81-96). La Jolla, CA: Athelstan.

12. You can find this presentation on the webhttp://www.geocities.com/jason_firestoneThank you  firestone@esade.edu