1,2,3 write

It’s the fork in the road that all teachers face when they have to take the ‘writing route’ – should I incorporate into class time or set it for homework? Exit A means that I’ll be able to guide students through writing structures, register and provide instant feedback yet the result will also be, if popular opinion is to be believed, the persona non grata of the ELT classroom: silence. If you opt for Exit B then you can squeeze every possible opportunity of class time to practise speaking skills, which many students aren’t able to do outside of class, but you're denying students support that many of them may need. Once you’ve decided which way to go, there’s yet another obstacle to overcome – what type of writing should I do? Surely it would be better to focus on “useful” formats, such as formal e-mails and report? Am I doing my students a disservice I set them a silly or frivolous writing exercise, rather than one that may help them out in their professional sphere? Argh, so many questions! These are all ones that I’ve, and no doubt countless other teachers, have considered. If only our students knew…

Whatever your opinion, this blog post doesn’t actually aim to pinball opinions about the virtues (or not) of writing in ELT, but present one of my favourite creative writing activities. I am a huge fan of creative writing, but I admit that over the years not all of my students have shared my enthusiasm so I’ve taken to weaving it slowly into a lesson, like a mother cautiously hiding chopped up vegetables in a toddler’s dinner. Generally, beginners are the least confident in their writing abilities so this activity’s ideal because it’s scaffolded. However, I’ve also used it with higher levels by changing prompts, perhaps to begin with a conditional or even negative inversion. A very simple activity that’s a twist on an old favourite used in all types of educational institutions the world over, I hope you enjoy it and, as ever, please leave me feedback with your thoughts! 

Oh Grumpy Cat, why so grumpy?

•     Put students in groups of five and ask them to arrange themselves so that each group is sat in a circle. Give each student a piece of paper (I prefer to use scrap paper so we’re doing out bit for the environment).Show them a picture of a cute cat (like this one), wait for the inevitable collective ahh, then elicit some adjectives to describe the cat (cute, fluffy, fun, friendly, etc.)
•     Next, show them a picture of this cat. Given that he’s become an internet hit and will soon be the subject of a film, some of your students will probably have heard of Grumpy Cat. Elicit some adjectives to describe Grumpy Cat (grumpy, bad-tempered, ugly, unfriendly, etc.). Depending on students’ level, you may choose to show them some of the best Grumpy Cat memes.
•     Tell students to imagine that they are Grumpy Cat- why are they feeling grumpy today? Write first on the board and instruct students to write a sentence about what caused them to start the day feeling grumpy. Set a time limit (around 2 mins). I usually give students an example to help them, such  First, my owner’s alarm clock went off at 5am. 5am? Is he crazy?!”
•    When students have finished, they should fold over the top of the paper so that it covering the sentences. After the time is up, students pass their paper in a clockwise direction so everyone ends up with a different piece of paper.
•       Repeat the activity with then, next, later, finally. Students write a different sentence for each word and pass the paper round. At the end each student should end up with their original piece of paper and each student should have written one sentence on each piece of paper.
•      Instruct students to open their pieces of paper and read their stories- this part usually results in a few giggles!
•     Now it’s time to look at language. Put students in pairs (I like to pair students from different groups together). First, students read each other’s’ stories then they work together to correct any grammar, punctuation or lexical errors. If working with a higher level, they can also try and change the story to make it more cohesive.
•       Students can their share their stories by reading them out to the class or sharing them on a class social media platform or blog.

I have another, less controlled creative writing activity that has a few more surprise elements to keep students on their toes! It’s based on a calendar of an Art Deco couple I had a few years ago, but I’m still trying to find the pictures to share with everyone. Hopefully I’ll be able to upload it soon.