Writing in a foreign language is time consuming and frustrating. Not only are you forced to confront those grammar problems that slip by unnoticed in speech – they are literally put in writing – but you are also stuck spending a lot of quality time with the dictionary, looking up words, irregular tenses, and spelling. That’s why it’s important to find activities that engage teenagers in the writing process and encourage them to establish a personal connection with their work.
As is the case with most adults, the number one thing teenagers think about is themselves. (Of course, there might be another subject they find equally enthralling, but it’s best to keep your TEFL class at least at the PG-13 level.) For this reason, an effective way of approaching writing is to allow students to explore who they are, how they see themselves, and how they envision their future. Writing a fantasy biography is an excellent way of allowing students to talk about their past, present, and future, and to share their self-conceptions with the rest of the class.
ESL Writing Project: Fantasy Biographies
- Activity: Fantasy Biographies
- Language Skills: Writing and reading
- Age Group: 14 and up
- Grammar Requirements: Good knowledge of past simple and past perfect tenses
- Vocabulary Requirements: Life events
- Teacher Preparation: Writing/finding 2 short biographies; grading written work
Step One: Timeline
Students prepare a timeline of their lives, starting with their birth and ending with their death (morbid, I know, but there’s nothing like a little black humor to brighten up the disaffected youth). They must include at least 10 important life events, 5 of which represent their future goals or dreams. Encourage students to use humor and originality in their work; this should be more than an exercise in practicing life event vocabulary.
Step Two: Encyclopedic Biographies
Students read one or two short sample biographies written in a direct, encyclopedic tone (e.g. Queen Elizabeth the first was born in 1533 and died in 1603). They then imagine that they are a student in their school 100 years from now and must write a biography of an important alumnus/alumnae. Have the students use their timelines to write a short, encyclopedic biography of themselves.
Students read their biographies aloud in groups of 2 or 3. Their peers give feedback on their work and decide which parts of the biography are the most exciting or interesting.
Step Three: Dynamic Biographies
Dynamic biographies focus on one aspect or event within the subject’s life, giving it a sense of drama, color, and excitement. In Patricia and Frederick McKissac’s Biography Writer’s Workshop, the authors give an excellent example of this type of biography which was an invaluable resource in developing this activity.
Have students read a dynamic biography based on one of the sample biographies they read earlier. (You will probably have to write this yourself.) As a class, discuss the differences between the two versions, focusing on action words, adjectives, and adverbs.
Choosing one of the exciting events decided upon during their peer feedback sessions, students then write a dynamic biography of their own.
Correct the first draft for grammar and content and then have students write a final version.
Step Four: Sharing
Sharing work can be an anxiety-inducing moment for students, especially those who are not confident about their language or writing skills. However, because sharing is such a good way of building classroom community and celebrating the students' achievements (and by this, I mean all of the students – not just those who are naturally fast language learners), it's important to encourage students to share their work. Reading all of the biographies aloud in class can be time consuming, but if you have a little extra time, go ahead and do it. Other alternatives are posting all of the biographies on the classroom wall so that students can read them at their leisure, or collecting the work in a "Who's Who" dedicated to celebrating the lives of the brilliant and influential celebrities in your classroom.
Sarah Castille - When Sarah Castille was 6 years old, she decided that when she grew up, she was going to get a perm, move to Paris, and become an artist, ...
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