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Novice level language learners will blossom into prolific writers with this fun, creative project.
Whether learning French, Spanish, German, or ESL, writing is an essential skill. But writing need not be a chore. When put into the context of a story, writing comes alive! Students will be able to mold new vocabulary and grammar into a creation that matches their interests and personality. This year-long project will turn beginning language learners into authors. Introduction to StorytellingIn order to write in context, students need to hear a lot of stories. The teacher should read picture books and fairy tales, as well as act out original mini-stories in class. Storytelling needs to be an integral part of language learning throughout the year. Project Set-UpWithin the first month of school, students will decide on a character for their story. Individual personalities shine through the choices: a mischievous chipmunk . . . a sweet little mouse . . . a skateboarding daredevil. The children's book that students produce will not be one coherent story. Rather, it will be a collection of writing samples in which students use their character as the subject. Every student will need a composition book for notes and rough drafts. Writing TopicsAny vocabulary topic, verb, or grammatical concept that is in the curriculum can be turned into the subject of a piece of writing. Some examples include:
The possible writing topics go on and on. Writing TasksWriting can take many forms at the novice-level:
Writing ProcessBefore writing in the target language, students need to learn the language orally and practice discreet point writing and grammar. Then they are ready to begin the creative writing process:
IllustrationsPictures are vitally important to a children's book so that new language is reinforced without translation. This is a natural way to acquire language. Students may choose a method of illustration that works best for them: hand drawn pictures or paintings, clip art, photos, or magazine clippings. Final ProjectsAt the end of the year, the students make a cover for their masterpiece and bind it together as a book. They can create a book on tape by making a recording of it. Students also enjoy sharing their books with their classmates and with younger students. Read a story. Write a story. Have fun improving foreign language writing skills.
The copyright of the article Create Foreign Language Stories in Language Study is owned by Diane Farrug. Permission to republish Create Foreign Language Stories in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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