Getting teeenagers to improve their writing

Teenagers and writing: it can be a love-hate relationship. While some teens embrace the creative freedom, others grapple with making their ideas shine.

Teaching teenagers to write well can be a challenging task, especially when it comes to mastering style, linking words, register, clarity, cohesion, and coherence. These aspects of writing are crucial for effective communication, but many students find them difficult to master. Here’s a toolbox to equip your students to become confident and compelling writers.

Linking words: Building bridges between ideas

Linking words are the invisible bridges that connect sentences and ensure smooth transitions but using them effectively can be challenging for students, even in their native language, and even more so in English. They often rely heavily on simple connectors like “and” and “but.” Here’s how to help students expand their repertoire of linking words:

• Text samples and highlighting: Provide students with text samples and ask them to circle linking words and cohesive devices. Together, build a reference table of these words, categorizing words by function (e.g., cause-and-effect, contrast) and and display it in the classroom.
• Text analysis questions: Ask questions that prompt students to analyse how the writer has structured the tex, e.g. How does this word connect the ideas? What effect does it have on the flow?, and offer tips for each type of text they need to write.
• Discussion and conclusions: Encourage students to discuss the model texts and draw conclusions about the use of linking words.
• Collaborative Writing: Promote writing in pairs or groups to allow for peer support and collective brainstorming.
• Peer Review: Encourage students to read each other’s work and provide feedback.

Knowing Your Audience

Textbooks are great, but real-world examples are even better!

• Textual toolbox: Equip your students with a “register toolbox.” This can be a simple folder containing samples of diverse texts: friendly emails, formal business letters, news articles, narratives, etc. Ask them to identify differences in tone and style.
• Formal vs. Informal: Create a table on the board with columns for formal and informal elements. Have students fill in the table with examples from the texts.
• Rewrite Exercises: Give students a letter written in an inappropriate register (e.g., a formal letter to a friend) and ask them to rewrite it in the correct register. Alternatively, provide a business letter or a formal email and ask them to adjust it for a more informal audience.
• Sample task: Provide a hyper-formal letter to a friend and challenge students to rewrite it in a more casual tone. Repeat this with other scenarios, like business communication or student-teacher exchanges.

 Style: saying it right, saying it well

Teenagers often struggle with style, leading to overemphasis and confusion in their writing.

To help them develop a better writing style, consider these tips:

• Avoid artificial emphasis: Teach students that good style does not require excessive emphasis. Good style thrives on clarity. Show students how excessive exclamation points, underlining, and caps weaken their writing. Teach them to express emphasis by choosing strong verbs and vivid descriptions.
• Descriptive Writing: Provide examples of writing with overused emphasis and ask students to improve it by being explicit and descriptive. For instance:

Before: “I have NEVER seen such an awful dog!!!! It MUST belong to Beth…”

After: “I had never in my life seen such an awful dog: fat, dirty, bad-tempered, with its eyes half shut. I had no doubt, it had to belong to Beth. It was the sort of dog she would have: ferocious and unlovable.”

• Organisation: Teach students to organise their ideas before writing. Encourage them to brainstorm, make notes, and plan their composition. Remind them that it’s normal for new ideas to arise during writing, and they should jot these down separately to incorporate later.
• Editing and feedback: Stress the importance of reviewing and editing their work. Encourage students to write multiple drafts and seek peer feedback.

Conquering confusion: From jumbled to organized

Teenagers often struggle with organizing their thoughts. Here’s how to help them write with clear structure:

Planning power: Discourage the urge to jump right in. Encourage students to brainstorm, use graphic organisers or mind maps to help them structure their ideas, take notes on ideas, examples, and supporting details.

Text samples: Collect and share examples of well-organised writing. Discuss what makes these texts clear and coherent.

The art of digression: Explain that new ideas are inevitable. Instead of cramming them into the existing text, have students jot them down on a separate sheet to revisit later and integrate seamlessly.

Revision is revision: Revision isn’t just about grammar! After writing, guide students to analyse the flow of ideas. Do points jump around? Are transitions clear? Encourage editing to ensure a logical sequence.

Peer power: Peer editing workshops are gold! Students learn from each other’s strengths and weaknesses, fostering critical thinking and self-awareness about writing style and organization.

Bonus Tip:  Collect anonymous samples of confused writing and have students revise them. This self-reflection helps them recognize their own patterns and develop editing skills. Organise in-class writing workshops where students can practice writing, receive immediate feedback, and discuss their work with peers.

By providing plenty of opportunities to see and discuss text samples, students can use these references to improve their writing. Engaging in collaborative activities and continuous practice will help them master these critical aspects of writing, leading to more effective and confident communication. Remember, the key is to make it fun, engaging, and collaborative! Let’s turn writing into a journey of self-discovery and unlock the hidden potential in every teenager.