Rachel Gordon
Heidi King
ESOL Final Project
The activity I chose is "Building Vocabulary and Improving Writing while Developing a Tourist
Brochure" In this article, author, Siti Katijah Johari, explores the positive affect writing a tourist
brochure has on students. The author states “...giving them the opportunity to create a tourist
brochure exposes them to a style of writing that relate to their lives and provides them with an
opportunity to be creative.” Within this article Johari backs up his statement by giving positive
examples on how to extend this activity, and reasonings on why it is positive.
I agree with the author in saying it is important for students to be engaged, excited and motivated.
Johari Feels showing students a video on a travel program would help to motivate students, and
give them ideas on different vocabulary used, that is unfamiliar, or new to them. The author
suggest making a vocabulary notebook of words heard in the video. This step reminded me of
our SIOP lesson we created. Introducing students with a vocabulary activity. Though the
vocabulary isn’t the content objective, it is part of the language objective. Giving students the
tools to create what you are asking of them is key.
The second step Johari explores is generating ideas in a group. Many students have a hard time
expanding on initial developed ideas. Group work helps students expand ideas, and focus on
vocabulary learned. I feel group work is essential for many reasons. Collaborating ideas is good
way to take pressure off of students, and creates a good environment for learning. When the
environment is uncomfortable, the ability to obtain knowledge is lessened. Group work also
helps students put there ideas into words rather than thoughts alone. Putting ideas into words,
and sentences is one of the first steps in writing.
After students have built a vocabulary that would be helpful in completing the task, and
expanded their initial ideas, into an artistic approach, using new, appropriate vocabulary. The
next step is writing the brochure. While writing the brochure Johari suggests students should use
thesauruses, and their vocabulary activity. I think writing the brochure is a good avenue to teach
new vocabulary, and teach children to expand ideas, and evaluate writing.
Johari suggest that the writing doesn’t stop at the first draft. After writing their brochure he
suggests they are able to read one another's, give them feedback and answer questions. I think
this step is important. Students aren’t only playing the role of the student, but the teacher as well.
Giving peers feedback helps students think at a higher level. Students have to now see the
production, and find errors, rather than only producing. This expands students knowledge of the
objective, by evaluating what worked, why it worked, and what didn’t work, and why it didn’t
work. This step leads students to evaluate and expand on new ideas. Also sharing work with
peers, and being revised makes writers feel like they are writing for a purpose. If students do not
feel what they are doing has a purpose than the quality of what they produce will be low.
Having a purpose is important. Another way students will feel their work is important
and appreciated is if it is displayed. Knowing this prior to starting the project gives the students a
sense of purpose.
Looking over this brochure a few times, I didn’t see much room for correction. As a
student myself, I learn best when, I am able to acquire information to perform a task, meaning
that the information, and prior knowledge needed is there or obtainable. When I have time to
expand on initial ideas, and discuss those ideas with peers (to formulate new ideas that I may not
have thought of on my own). I learn best when the objective I am striving for is somehow related
to my surroundings or myself, in the case of a tourist brochure, I am able to discuss my
surroundings. I am a very creative learner, learning, and practicing writing can sometimes be a
little dull to a learner like myself, therefore a brochure is a great approach, due to its “happy
medium” between two learning styles. Another factor to help me learn best is when I recieve
feedback that matters, I say “that matters” because one or two comments on a paper does not
help me to expand my knowledge of writing. Working with peers, hearing their feedback, and
working with my teacher, and hear their feedback helps me goal set, and strive to reach said goal.
Lastly I want to feel as though what I am doing has a purpose, if I feel there is no purpose for
what I am doing, my motivation becomes non-existent, and when there is no motivation, the
production will be poor.