Sample interview questions: How do you support English language learners in developing their academic writing skills for different genres and purposes?
Sample answer:
Supporting English Language Learners in Developing Academic Writing Skills
1. Scaffolding and Guided Practice:
- Provide clear and structured models of academic writing in different genres (e.g., essays, research papers).
- Break down complex writing tasks into smaller steps, providing targeted instruction and feedback at each stage.
- Use scaffolding tools such as outlines, templates, and sentence starters to support learners in developing their own writing.
2. Genre and Purpose-Specific Instruction:
- Explicitly teach the conventions and features of different academic writing genres (e.g., argumentative, compare-contrast, analytical).
- Help learners understand the purpose of each genre and how to effectively convey their message.
- Provide opportunities for learners to practice writing in various genres for different purposes.
3. Content-Based Writing:
- Integrate academic writing instruction with content-area instruction.
- Assign writing tasks that require learners to analyze and synthesize information from their coursework.
- Provide learners with opportunities to write about topics they are familiar with to build confidence and improve writing quality.
4. Feedback and Revision:
- Provide regular, constructive feedback on learners’ writing.
- Focus on specific areas for improvement and suggest specific strategies to enhance writing.
- Encourage learners to r… Read full answer