Page 112 - Teaching English at Primary Level: From Theory into the Classroom

Reading and Writing

Figure 6.7
Writing in Comics Speech
Bubbles
Designed by brgfx / Freepik

acrosticpoeminwhichthefirstletterofeachlinespellsoutaword.Thepupils
maybegiven thetask to writeanacrosticnamepoem,in whicheachnewline
starts with a letter from a name (the pupil’s name, their friend’s name, etc.):

Easy-going
Magical
Amazing

Comics with empty speech bubbles (Figure 6.7) can efficiently be used in
more creative free-writing tasks. Such tasks are particularly suitable for lower
levels as the text in the bubble may be simple and colloquial. Since it is sup-
ported by the visual context, it does not need to include descriptions and
explanations which require more advanced writing skills.
Learners can create (mini)books with descriptions and pictures of different
animals, clothes, seasons or any other topics and display them in the (class)
library. They can also write their storybooks or adaptations of well-known
stories.
Writing does not need to be an individual activity. Learners can write in
pairs or in small groups, contributing different ideas and editing their work
together. This is usually more motivating for learners and it also improves
theirwritingskilleffectively.Youmayfindsuch kindofwritingundertheterm
‘collaborative writing.’
Having e-pals and writing emails or postcards to children in other parts
of the world is another way of promoting purposeful writing with real au-
dience. Teachers often engage in international projects where learners are
paired with same-age learners and they write to each other, usually with a
given topic so that it is easier for them to write. They can introduce them-

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