Language for Academic Writing
Comments(1) Funny thing about writing is it appears to come quite easily to us in our corresponding domains of education. I personally feel quite comfortable blabbering away about science, using the terms and vocabulary with ease. If we take the time to reflect on our journey to writing this away it’s likely not something that happened over night and took years of work to get us where we are now. Recognizing this concept I believe is key when teaching in our respected fields. Each year students enter into their subjects learning new words that they are asked and expected to use in the answers, discussions and responses. This is a skill that takes both time and patience. We as educators should be mindful of this and help them along the way in any way we can. I’m personally interested in implementing a writing assignment that asks the students to write on a certain topic in a creative way, using a list of vocabulary throughout their assignment. I think it will be a great opportunity for students to try out some words in a less stressful environment and it will be a good way for me as a teacher to see where there level of understanding is, in regards to the vocabulary pertaining to the topic.
Once again, this teacher is recognizing a definite truth about teaching. I think giving a student a list of vocabulary is a great idea. Students really appreciate have a real focus to what they are doing. Sometimes, an assignment can be too general. Above all students need a trusting environment where they can use the language without a lot of judgement and the freedom to make mistakes.