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Raising Attainment in

Writing for EFL Pupils

in Primary Schools

Kaleem Raja

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Contents

Introduction 3

The Structure of Language Acquisition and Writing 4

Phonics 6

Effective Teaching of EFL pupils 7

Spelling 9

Speaking and Listening and Drama 10

Resources and Activity Ideas 11

Conclusion 14

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Introduction

I have compiled this paper using the knowledge I have

attained through the formal study of advanced linguistics and

language acquisition at university, 10 years experience of

teaching EFL pupils, intervention programmes like First

Steps, regular CPD in delivering the curriculum to EFL pupils

and training in teaching spellings, reading and writing to

children from the ages of 5 to 11.

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The Structure of Language Acquisition and Writing

First and foremost those teaching EFL pupils should be aware

of the process of acquiring language and that this takes a

precise and systematic structure.

As infants, we first learn the simple sounds that make any

language. We internalise these and when physically able to,

we begin to imitate these sounds.

We learn to combine these sounds to make small units of

language called words. At the same time we begin to

understand that these units of sounds have meaning.

We collect increasingly more words and develop our

vocabulary to be able to communicate a range of things to

meet our needs.

Words are combined to make simple phrases like ‘give me’ or

‘open this’.

Phrases are then combined to make simple sentences.

Simple sentences are developed into more complex sentences.

Sentences are combined to make longer discourse like small

paragraphs, which are strung together to make longer pieces

of writing.

The final and fully evolved stage is one in which we have

mastered the conventions of different styles of writing and are

able to write a range of different texts in a diverse variety of

genres for different audiences and different purposes.

In graph form, speech and writing development is as follows:

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Phonics

Listening to and imitating the sounds

that make up the language

Graphics

Learning the most common graphemes

that make the phonemes and forming

letters to begin writing these

graphemes

Sentence level

Combining words to make phrases and

combining phrases to make sentences.

Simple sentences give way to complex

ones

Word level

Forming words, learning the meaning of

words and developing vocabulary

Text level

Sentences are combined to make

longer pieces of writing with increasing

complexity and stylistic range

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Phonics

The foundations of language is phonics. A phoneme is the

smallest unit of sound in all languages and it is from this

linguistic germ that all language grows.

The bank of phonics, therefore, that a child acquires in the

first 3 years of its life is absolutely critical.

This phonics knowledge should take formal guidance from 3

onwards with nursery, reception and then into year 1 within

the formal setting and structure of a class room when the child

is 5.

Those teaching EFL should have a sound grounding in

phonetics or at least its rudimentary basics such an awareness

that the English language is made up of 44 sounds and what

these sounds are.

There must be some understanding of simple phonemes,

vowel sounds and dipthongs.

This must be accompanied by a firm grasp of the variety of

graphemes that make these sounds. For instance that -ch can

make a ‘ch’ sound but also a ‘k’ sound. That the ‘ee’ sound

can be made by –ee, -y, -ea, -ey. Etc.

In order for EFL children to understand the subtle but huge

differences between sounds, EFL teachers need to be fluent

speakers of the language and good language models of

English speakers.

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Effective Teaching of EFL Pupils

The fact that for Nada pupils English is an additional language

has significant implications for teaching and learning in the

school.

Staff could be made aware of the issues regarding the teaching

of EFL pupils. Much research has been done into such matters

and intervention programmes for the teaching of EFL pupils

such as the First Steps initiative, to name but one, have

outlined how to best raise attainment of EFL pupils.

These recommendations include:

1. Multi-lingualism. Multi-lingual pupils learn best when

links are made between the languages they speak and the

additional language they are learning. A multi-lingual

approach should therefore be taken with resources used

in lessons activities, reading and library books, display

boards and speaking and listening activities.

2. A visual approach to teaching. Posters, graphs, pictures,

animations, etc should be deployed as much as possible

as visual cues. Text heavy resources should be kept to a

minimum. Drama and the arts should be used to deliver

the curriculum.

3. Scaffolding. Activities should be aided with writing

frames, modelling of tasks by teachers and illustrated

texts.

4. Have spelling and vocabulary log books to broaden their

banks of sight words, phonics and vocabulary.

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Reading

Speech comes before literacy.

We learn to speak before we learn to read and write.

To help EFL pupils to develop their reading skills, use visual

aids to encourage them to speak first.

Picture books can be used to develop verbal discussion.

This can then be followed by simple texts which are made up

of sight words and simple CVC words (consonant-vowel-

consonant words. For instance c-a-t. Cat.)

Sight word knowledge can be developed by using flash cards

and worksheets.

Board and flashcard games can also be used to help to build

on children’s bank of sight words.

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Spelling

Working at a phonic and lexical level, spellings are vital to the

development of reading and writing.

As well as being used to teach vocabulary, spellings should be

used to teach:

- Affixes

- Graphemes and phonemes

- Etymology

- Inflections

- Grammar

For effective spelling teaching, it is not enough to administer

a list of words.

Spellings need to be accompanied with the teaching of

spelling skills. Spelling skills should include a knowledge of

syllabication, common letter strings, mnemonic strategies,

finding words within words, suffixes and prefixes, spelling

rules and exceptions, and derivations.

In their writing key spelling mistakes should be highlighted

and the pupils to rewrite the corrections 5 times.

Spelling log books could be deployed for pupils to record

their common errors as well being used by them for asking for

help from adults with challenging words.

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Speaking and Listening and Drama

Key to teaching EFL pupils is the inclusion of speaking and

listening skills and the use of drama.

Speaking and Listening Skills

Pupils, and especially EFL pupils, need opportunities to

articulate their ideas, beyond just through their writing. The

improvement of speaking and listening skills correlates with

the improvement in reading and writing skills.

Ergo, lesson activities where possible need to include

speaking and listening activities.

Group activities, paired work and Talk Partners, in which

pupils are assigned a different talking partner in the class

every week, are a good way to provide speaking and listening

opportunities.

Drama

Visual, interactive, kinaesthetic, fun and creative, drama is an

excellent way to engage pupils and to help them to access the

curriculum in an imaginative and lateral way.

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Resources and Activity Ideas

Phonics

The Jolly Phonics handbook by Sue Lloyd contains a wide

variety of ideas, activities, worksheets and other resources that

can be used to teach the 44 sounds of the English language.

Songs, nursery rhymes and choral poems are an excellent way

to help children to distinguish and identify different sound

patterns.

Digraphs, Trigraphs and Common Letter Strings

Many spelling scheme books as well worksheets have a

limitless supply of activities to help with the teaching of

digraphs (2 letters that make one sound , like ay- to make a

long ‘a’ sounds as in ‘day’), trigraphs (3 letters that make one

sound, like tio- to make a ‘sh’ sound) and common letter

strings (2-3 sounds that are frequently blended in many

common words, like str- as in strange, straight, strip, etc)

Vocabulary and Word Formation

Sight words can be learnt using various illustrated sight word

worksheets or through the use of flash cards.

These can be used to play snap and other card games or sent

home as homework.

CVC cubes can be used to begin making simple words.

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Sentence Level

Scramble activities can be used to unscramble sentences on

cut up print outs.

Cloze procedure exercises are also helpful here.

Completion sentences can extend children where the

beginning of sentences is given and they have to complete

them.

Text Level

Comic strips are a great way of introducing EFL to longer

narratives and texts.

Writing frames, story planner flow diagrams and other

scaffolded activities help them to work towards text level.

Shared and guided writing are also important components in

helping EFL pupils to become independent writers.

Websites and other Resources

The following websites have a wide plethora of teaching

resources, ideas and activities:

- Primary resources

- Coxhoe primary

- TES

- Teach it

- Sparkle box

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- Standards website for English in England, Scotland and

Wales

- Teacher net

There are endless interactive language games on an array of

websites.

The internet offers a treasure trove of information and

resources.

Multi media in the form of films, audio recordings, music and

educational children’s TV programmes is also very useful in

teaching EFL pupils and helping them towards being fluent

speakers, readers and writers of the English language.

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Conclusion

This paper was not designed to be a definitive guide to EFL

teaching but it outlines the key points in teaching English to

speakers of other languages.

This document has used some technical jargon and assumes

the reader has basic understanding of linguistics.

As such, this paper needs a glossary and the guidelines here

need expanding on in the form of a staff inset where examples

can be given, questions answered, exercises and activities

undertaken by the audience to consolidate understanding and

application of the information imparted and the resources

provided.

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