Preface
In My Own Words is comprised of (1) writing by adult ESL learners in several North Carolina community colleges* and (2) the lesson plans their teachers used to evoke this writing.
Engendering learner-created materials such as these engages all the communication skills—reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The learners’ own language development dictates the vocabulary and grammar; their interests and experiences provide the topics and issues. Learners from beginning through advanced levels are represented in this project. Their writing and photos are reproduced with permission.
In addition to using the lesson plans, teachers may use the writings themselves as discussion starters for their classes or as models for new individual/group writing on the same or a similar topic. These writings by peers can be read in adult ESL classes and can serve as a source from which teachers may freely create language activities such as matching words with definitions or pictures, cloze exercises, vocabulary/spelling activities, grammar review, scrambled sentences, or dictation.
From bulleting boards to spiral bound booklets fordistribution at end-of-semester Celebrations, Writing Consortium participating campuses used their finished materials in multiple ways to exhibit their students’ accomplishments.
In My Own Words was made possible by an English Literacy/Civics grant under the Consolidated Appropriations Act (Public Law 106-554). The schools in this project, listed below, express sincere thanks to Karen Brown, Coordinator ABE/ESL, North Carolina Community College System.
*AlamanceCommunity College
Blue RidgeCommunity College
BrunswickCommunity College
CentralCarolinaCommunity College – Chatham & Lee Campuses
PittCommunity College
Stanly Community College
SurryCommunity College
WayneCommunity College
Contents
Remember
A Quilt Story
Coming to America
Crossing the River
Echoes from the Past
Home Remedies
More Home Remedies
Shaped by Tradition
Special Customs and Holidays
Stories from My Childhood
Then and Now
Live
A Beach Scene
All About Us
American by Choice
Describe Yourself
Favorite Things
Immigration Laws
Nature
Review and Revue
The Eyes Have It!
Writing Notes
Learn
American Culture
Budgeting Using Jars
ESL E-mail Project
I Love Lucy
Library Research and Writing
My Weekly Writing
Potpourri of Words
Writing a Business Letter
Celebrate
A New Year and a New Beginning
A World of Possibilities
Christmas in My Country
International Recipes
Sharing Our Successes
Create
Accordion Stories
Acrostic Poems
An Original Tale
Bio-Poems
Bio-Poems with a Twist
Cumulative Composition
Distance Education
Photo-Poems
Poetry (Haiku)
Using Creative Prompts
Using More Creative Prompts
Using Writing Models
Dream
Dream Trips
Ten Years from Now
The Next Generation: Our Future
The Vacation Project