![]() ![]() They then trade papers with their partner. I usually assign drafts of an essay they are working on to be turned in on this day cut up between paragraphs. Next, it’s time for students to work on their own drafts. You could extend this activity by having them improve the transitions, or rewrite a few sentences to use a different cohesive device. After you go through some common cohesive devices, ask students to determine, with their partner, what kind of cohesive devices the writer used in the film review. I like that it goes beyond just a list of transition words. There are so many handouts to choose from online, but one handout I have used before was created by Bellevue College. (Learn more about Flipped teaching in my previous blog post.) Since I don’t spend too much time on this, I usually cover this in class by providing a handout that highlights cohesive devices. If you use a flipped learning model, you may want to move this direct instruction outside the class. ![]() ![]() Step #4: Give a mini lesson on cohesive devices. Call on a few pairs to share their observations with the class. Step #3: Now that each pair knows the correct order, give them a couple of minutes to look at the last sentence and first sentence between each paragraph to make some observations of how the writer transitioned between paragraphs. Continue doing this throughout till everyone knows the correct order. Then have them reevaluate (if needed) the order of the others and tell which one they think comes next and why. Step #2: Begin by telling them which paragraph goes first. Once each pair thinks they know the correct order, ask them to write it up on the board (e.g., B, D, C, E, F, A). When I use the film review linked to above, there usually is at least one or two pairs that get it right. Then have them work together to decide the correct order. Step #1: Separate students into pairs and give each pair one cut-up writing piece. You can also go with a more traditional essay, but I like using “real-world” writing samples when I can. My go-to for this activity is Roger Ebert’s film review of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, mainly because I love any excuse to introduce students to a John Hughes movie! When I use this film review, we usually watch the trailer and briefly discuss the plot. Any writing piece with some successful transitions will work. Prepare ahead of time: Find a short writing piece, rearrange the paragraphs, mark each paragraph with a separate letter and then cut the writing piece up, separating each paragraph. This activity could also be used for advanced learners preparing for IELTS. In this blog post, I will take you through a “cut-up” activity I use with advanced English language learners (B2+). To encourage my students to improve the flow of their ideas between paragraphs, I have them first reflect on the cohesion of someone else’s writing piece before turning their attention to their own. This can result in choppy writing that lacks a logical flow of ideas. When English language learners begin writing essays, they often rely on simple transition words, such as “first,” “second,” and “finally” to transition between paragraphs. According to the public version of IELTS Writing Band Descriptors to achieve a 7 for coherence and cohesion, the test taker needs to logically organize information and ideas, have a clear progression throughout, use a range of cohesive devices appropriately although there may be some under-/over-use, and present a clear central topic within each paragraph. Therefore, improving coherence in students' writing skill is pressing.Coherence and cohesion is one of the four criteria assessed on the Writing section of IELTS. As a result, their argumentative essays lack cogent arguments in order to effectively convey their ideas. Students have difficulty expressing logical relationships between ideas, sentences,or paragraphs. However, many students, including those of English Department of Danang University of Foreign Language Studies, have yet to actually grasp this writing skill. For such testing systems, argumentative essay questions have occurred with high frequency, which implies increased recognition of test-takers for argumentative writing skills. for better academic and employment opportunities. These days, students are expected to have their English writing ability evaluated based on the writing test format of International standardised testing systems such as IELTS, TOEFL iBT, CEFR English etc. Argumentative writing is of great importance for students to master the writing skill.This is especially important for those of English major. ![]()
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