ELT365 · Day 198 — Writing for a purpose and audience

Idea — Every real piece of writing has a writer, a reader, a purpose, and a context. Classroom writing tasks that specify all four produce more purposeful, better-organised work than open prompts.

Example — ‘Write a letter to your city council asking for a new cycle lane on your street’ is more generative than ‘Write about transport.’

Try — Take your next writing task prompt. Add: who is writing, who is reading, and what the writer wants. Check whether this changes how learners approach and organise their text.

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