Oct
8
Self and Society: young English Language Learners making connections through writing
Posted by: Natasha Chiang | October 8, 2012 | Leave a Comment
In September, my evening class (intermediate primary students) had several discussions about citizenship and personal responsibility. The purpose of our class is to learn new vocabulary words, but I try to make it a meaningful class by incorporating articles, discussion, and writing about topics or themes prompted by the words we study. One such essay topic was, “What does it mean for you to be an appropriate citizen?” My students are English Language Learners who have been here a few years longer than my afternoon classes, so our conversations are less about what Canadian culture is all about and more about how to balance our heritage culture with Vancouver culture.
Anyway, here is the conclusion of the essay that my top student wrote:
“We can all contribute to our community, to work together and contribute to our collective well- being. Our environment should be safe and pleasant to live in. Being an appropriate citizen reinforces a sense of safe harmony in the community. Not only can we set examples for our schoolmates, but we can also look to examples in our friends and families. Being a good citizen is all about being part of a community after all!”