[etni] writing - in hebrew and/or english
- From: sara g <saragabai@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: ETNI list <etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:48:14 +0300
last week i proctored a matkonet test - lashon bet (the new test) - for 11th
graders.
the tests consisted of a 3 page unseen - about migraine headaches,
with 5 comprehension questions - very much like our unseen questions.
and then a choice of 2 topics to write a 1-1.5 page essay on.
(then there were grammar and syntax question, with some of them based on the
unseen test - interesting.)
the idea of a choice of topics for the writing is nice, but that's not what
i want to write about. i want to comment on the level of the kids' hebrew
writing. i teach about half the kids who were doing the test. so i looked at
their writing. these are weak to average 5 pt kids, some of them are strong
4 pt.
the topics were connected to the topic of the unseen. one topic was about
alternative medicine, and the other was about addictive behaviors.
these are kids who have FINISHED learning "written expression" (haba'ah) in
their native language. they are supposed to know how to write a basic essay.
but - a lot of them write the whole thing as one long paragraph.
some of them started a new "paragraph" for each sentence . (sound
familiar?)
some of them wrote in outline form, like this :
opening:
cause 1:
cause 2:
for:
against:
conclusion:
some of them were not sure, when the instructions said to write about
CAUSES, if it was enough to write about one cause, or did they need to write
about two.
of course, some of them wrote wonderful essays, as to both form and content.
but there were enough problems that i wondered - if this is how they write
at the end off the 11th grade in their native language, what can we expect
from then next year, in english?
i am not blaming the lashon teachers. and this is not against the lashon
teachers at our school. i know they are wonderful, devoted teachers. i know
they taught them about paragraphs, and how to read the topic in order to
understand what you are supposed to write.
but - if the kids don't "get it", then we have to go over everything in
english. i think it would be nice if ALL our 12th graders understood what a
paragraph is. then we would have more time to teach english as a foreign
language . and maybe even literature, and some hots etc.
(and why didn't they have to define what HOT they used in answering the
questions?)
anyone agree? or disagree?
--
sara g in israel
sarag@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
saragabai@xxxxxxxxx
Visit us at The E Zone
http://clickit3.ort.org.il/ganyavneenglish
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