Many of us spend our time teaching writing for academic purposes, preparing students for high-stakes exams or for admission to a higher level of academic study. We focus on elements of writing that will show students know how to organize a text and develop an argument, how to cite sources and indicate a stance on an issue. Too much of this, however, and both we and our students will start to resent writing and wish we could do anything but draft or grade another 5-paragraph essay. (For a series of TESOL Blog posts arguing both for and against the notorious “5-paragraph essay,” click here.)

Today, I want to explore ways that we can have more fun in the L2 writing class. I am not arguing that we stop teaching academic writing entirely, but instead want to share a few ways that we can help students find joy in writing. In doing so, I hope that they can also realize they have a voice and something to say. Continue reading →