WRITING FUNDAMENTALS 

Writing Fundamentals is a five-week course suitable for students aged 10-12, and it offers deep scrutiny of key features of the writing skill from students’ school curriculum. The classes are thoroughly planned and delivered to a high standard in an enjoyable and relaxed environment where each student is appropriately challenged.  Students will study the differences between formal and informal writing styles in various contexts, as well as they will learn how to successfully write a diary, as well as a piece of writing to advise, explain, and inform reporting events for a range of purposes. The classes will be delivered with the use of online platforms, such as Nearpod, Padlet, and/or Google Slides which allow students to maximise their learning experience.

Start/end date:     TBC / May
Day & Time:         TBC / possibly Mondays or Tuesdays at 6/6:30 pm (UK time) 
Age:                    10-12
Group size:          3-6 students
Price (5 lessons): £105.00

LESSON 1 

Most assessments require students to write using formal language. In English writing, there are two main styles of writing – formal and informal. The main purpose of formal language is to achieve sophistication and clarity. Although the difference between the two styles is relatively simple, in this class we will consolidate students’ knowledge of formal and informal writing styles. Therefore, it is suitable not only for existing students but also for new ones. We will also focus on the following writing features: formal and informal vocabulary, tone, and the use of conjunctions, amongst others.

LESSON 2

In the second lesson, students will put the theory acquired in lesson 1 into practice and produce an informal piece of writing - a personal diary. Writing a diary allows students to focus on their writing without worrying about their audience or what anyone else will think. And, doing it regularly helps to improve their thinking processes and can even help them become more creative in how they think. Hence, we recommend our students keep a diary on regular basis. In this class, students will look at different examples of diaries and, more importantly, learn how to keep a diary. We will also focus on its fundamental features, such as structure, tone, and tenses.

LESSON 3

This lesson will introduce three kinds of writing, such as writing to inform, to advise, and to explain. We will have a brief look at the differences between those three types of writing, and specifically, focus on informal writing to advise. Creating or giving clear instructions is an important skill - it is not good pushing ideas at your readers or trying to impress them too obviously. Instead, one should come across as friendly, as someone who just wants to help. Students will learn to understand the use of appropriate modal verbs and imperative verbs, as well as form and writing conventions in order to successfully give advice.

LESSON 4

The objective of this lesson will be a formal writing style, namely writing to inform. This kind of writing can be found in newspapers, magazines and online blogs. By the end of this class, students will be able to easily recognize and make use of it in everyday life. Here, we will focus on the layout (use of headings), structure, and typical language used, especially the tone of voice and level of formality. Also, it will consider the use of appropriate sentences and paragraphs – both in length and style.

LESSON 5

Lesson 5 is a continuation of a formal writing style and focuses on writing to explain. This style of writing can be also found in newspapers, magazines, and online blogs, and it is often blended with writing to inform.  We will mainly concentrate on a convincing and lively argument, sophisticated vocabulary, and emotive language used persuasively. This will be followed by a quiz where students will have a chance to revise covered materials from previous classes and check their progress.

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HOMEWORK: each lesson will be accompanied by a short piece of homework which will build on the work done in the lesson, as this ensures a deeper understanding and retention of the concepts covered in class and will help students achieve exceptional results.