Change how they think

Sometimes ESL student writing stays on this vague, noncommittal plane because students assume that precise writing is somehow more elementary and less formal. They should be convinced otherwise and shown, by way of illustration, why specific writing is preferable. Show how these great authors are virtually always specific by citing writing by Joan Didion, E.B. White, and Martin Luther King. King, for instance, does not merely allude to “some people” suffering “a lot of varied abuse” in a “particular location and time,” but instead vividly describes the suffering of African Americans in 1963 Alabama—a description made possible only by the author’s attention to detail. The reader may have a strong sense of loyalty to certain members of his or her own country but may not care as much about vague “people.”

Taboos are Vague

Make a list of terms that should be avoided in writing and distribute it to everyone; words like “thing,” “lovely,” and “cool” are obvious suspects. In order to increase student engagement and encourage them to look for better words as they contribute to the list’s creation, have them develop related words to add to it.

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