Expert: Stephanie R - 11/20/2006

Question
I have a writing question concerning young ESL students.
I am an editor of materials for English-learning elementary students. One of the writers of our monthly magazine has a writing section in which a sample three-paragraph text is presented and young children (6-10 yrs) switch words that are underlined---almost like in a cloze exercise---to fit their situation. They are then told to recopy the whole thing and send it in as their own to be published and for a prize---and this is done every month. (They can optionally write their own letter.) I was concerned as an educator that this really isn't a legitimate writing lesson (as it is substitution and mere copying); but more than that, I'm concerned that it has the slight appearance of how some people plagiarize: changing key words around, but keeping the original more or less intact.
I don't have access to ESL materials to check, but have looked at Scott Foresman writing textbooks for American children and haven't seen similar looking exercises. I was told that teaching ESL students are different. Are my suspicions valid---even for ESL students?

Answer
What you're seeing is just a SMALL portion of ESL exercises for children. The activity that you are describing is a good way for ESL students to see how the English language is written. I wouldn't suggest an activity like that for anything but beginning learners. Hope this helps.