Autobiography

Using autobiographies in the classroom can help students practice their oral and written skills in their second language. Autobiographies also allow students to practice writing about them self. Since writing in a new language is different than learning to speak it, they must be provided with assignments that are meaningful to them. Autobiographies are meaningful assignment because ESL student practice not only their writing skills but learn how to introduce themselves to their classmates. The approach I identify autobiographies is the Language Experience Approach. The two websites that I have chosen provide two similar activities that I can and have used with my Kindergarten students. However when I do them in the beginning of the years a lot of their communication comes from pictures and inventive spelling. When I redo this assignment at the end of the year, I will expect them to write a few sentences in their native language and use inventive spelling for the second language. The websites offer prompts of how I can use these activities in the classroom. One of the sites even breaks up the questions to use in the autobiographies by childhood, teenage, and adult years. These activities can be modified for ESL learners of all ages. I feel that these two sites are reliable because they are asking enough from the ESL students and not demanding too much from them. These are easy activities that are memorable and meaningful to the students. They are also activities that are widely use in many classrooms in the beginning of the school year.

http://www.teachabroadchina.com/esl-conversation-topic-biographies/ http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/28770/esl_lesson_plan_teach_your_students.html?cat=4

