2d International Online Conference ‘Corpora and Discourse’

Meaningful writing in heterogeneous

classes

Alla Kondrashova
Lecturer, Igor Sikorsky KPI
Kyiv, Ukraine chipalinka@ukr.net
 Whatisheterogeneousclass
Classthatisvariedin

Ability Cultural backgrounds

Level of English Expectations
Age Cognitive abilities
Maturity Learning styles
Interests Different access to
Needs teaching tools due to
Motivation blackouts
 Challenges

pace assessment
materials Catering to individuals

Discipline (boredom) Preparation time

Providing learning for all
 The ultimate meaning of the word
writing is to use orthography in
order to construct grammatically-
Writing correct sentences which
communicate meaning to the
readers
( Hubbard 1999)
Different approaches in teaching writing
1. product-oriented
https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/
Different approaches in teaching writing
2. process-oriented

3. modern approach- combination of

both that put emphasis on the following aspects
People write to communicate with readers
People write to accomplish specific purpose
(do not forget that writing is a complex process)
Write and improve
https://writeandimprove.com
Benefits:
1. Simple interface
2. It is free (except test zone), learners can dive straight in without
registration
3. Accessible to learners of all level and abilities
4. wide range of subjects
5. A lot of prompts which reflect what might learners face during the exam
6. Not only it is fast but context aware
7. System provides instant feedback that encourage student to rewrite,
resubmit, finally to improve themselves
Free area + Test zone + Class View
Beginner IELTS Academic 218 tasks
Intermediate IELTS General training All + test zone tasks
included
Advanced B2 First Total of 370 ready- to-
use tasks
Business
Just for fun
+ 218 tasks
 The best solutions for practicing writing in
heterogeneous class is open-ending task
1. many possible answers at different levels
2. Compulsory and optional at the same time ( there is a topic but multiple
interpretations)
3. Reaching the individuals
Meaningful writing
Extension activities for
stronger students
 Give creative tasks that students can do on
their own level
 Compulsory usage of the vocabulary and
collocations of the given unit
 Foster your students to self-correction using
correction code ( it could be simple code like
SP-spelling, Gr- grammar or exam-related
code C-content, CA-Comunicative
achievement, O-organisation, L- language)
 Increase the word limit
Supportive for weaker
students
 Reduce the word limit
 Encourage use of dictionaries/ vocabularies
 Give the frames to show the layout of the given
form of writing
 Pair or group students with the stronger
students or discuss ideas together in Zoom
meeting to brainstorm ideas and partly help
with organising the text

Write a paragraph to show the
difference between analog and
digital transmission
“Oxford English for computing”
Unit 3
For stronger students
Propose them to analyse the table https://
www.vedantu.com/question-answer/different
iate-between-analog-and-digital-class-10-phy
sics-cbse-5f4d603d84fe9e109c8498f8
and draw a conclusion on where the analog
signal would be appropriate to apply today
For the weaker students
They refer to the same link and write five
the most obvious difference between
analog and digital transmission

The My story website publishes stories from
the public about their experiences and
achievements. Write your own story (120-
180) to submit to website. Use the words in
bold above and the key phrases to help
Speakout , unit 7, page 89
For stronger students
1. Increase the word limit
2. Use vocabulary of the unit (to be an
expert in, to be gifted at, to have an
aptitude for and etc.)
For weaker students
3. Propose your students to choose
famous person and write about
his/her story of success. They are
allowed to search for the information
but ask them to paraphrase and
insist on using words in bold as it
was asked in the task.
4. Reduce the word limit
Cambridge English writing Assessment scale
 Content
✔ The candidate answered the task. They have done what they were asked to do.
✘The candidate did not include everything they were asked to. They have written something irrelevant.
 Communicative Achievement
✔ The writing is appropriate for the task. The candidate used a style which is appropriate for the specific
communicative context.
✘They have written in a way that is not suitable – for example, using a very formal style in an email to a friend or
ending an article with ‘Love’.
 Organization
✔ The writing is put together well. It is logical and ordered.
✘ It is difficult for the reader to follow. It uses elements of organisation which are not appropriate for the genre, like
beginning an email with a title or starting every sentence in an article on a new line instead of using paragraphs.
 Language
✔ There is a good range of vocabulary and grammar. They are used accurately.
✘There are mistakes that could make the text difficult or confusing for the reader.
Some mistakes are unproblematic. Examiners focus on whether the reader is still able to understand the text