Chapter eight of "Fires in the Bathroom" focuses on a subject I have had no experience with: Teaching students who aren't yet fully comfortable with English. Near the end of the chapter, one of the sections discusses the special problem of writing in this situation. The authors suggest that the challenge of a writing assignment could be reduced for English-language learners.
I appreciate this advice, because I feel teaching my students how to write effectively will be the most important thing I do. I think writing well in English is an intimidating goal for many students, even ones who have been raised in English-speaking households. People get discouraged because they don't grasp the art of it right away, and so they begin to think that writing well is just a talent they will never have. This is not true; there is an art to writing well, but it is more of a tool than an art. I want to teach students that, even if they don't craft beautifully composed and elegant sentences, they still must be able to communicate well in writing in any field they wish to enter. And, best of all, developing the functional mechanics of writing will lead to a better grasp on the art of it, if desired.
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