Rhetorical analysis was a required unit of study for college students enrolled in intermediate English as a second language (ESL) composition. Twenty-six students participated in a project creating an original product and its infomercial. The project aimed at increasing student motivation to continue writing essays in English and providing a space…

Two educators discuss the role literature plays in the English as a Second Language (ESL) classroom. One emphasizes that literary texts are a source for classroom activities that can motivate learners. The other points out that the English writings of ESL students about their travels and friends published in newsletters and journals generate…

A project involving a local grant-funded anthology of university English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) student writing is reported. Benefits to the students are described, and it is concluded that students valued the pride of authorship more than their improved writing skills. (13 references) (LB)

Illustrates the use of projects to increase non-English speaking students' motivation for learning English. Appropriate projects may generate materials that teachers can use with other students. (CB)

Where English as a Second Language is taught as part of the regular school curriculum, student motivation may be limited. One solution is to encourage involvement in learning by having students write their own tests. For classroom tests used in formative evaluation, this approach can be applied to both group and individual work. A unit from an…

The Language Shaping Paradigm (LSP) is designed to help improve student language and comprehension by evoking a sample of language and aiding students in a critical review of their personal patterns of language, comprehension, and thought. The basic teaching strategy is built upon having students read essays written or dictated by classmates. Each…

The decision of a West German English teacher training program to make its own videotapes in the classroom as a replacement for outdated instructional films resulted in heightened student motivation and creativity. Experimental use of the technique in schools produced increased teacher trainee confidence, greater pupil readiness to speak the…