English Language Center adds writing class
By Kayla A. Swenson
The English Language Center of Cache Valley added a new
writing course to the syllabus this semester. The course was designed with the
intent to help advanced students further their English education and prepare
for the university.
“If the students learn how to write well then their speech
skills will also advance,” said Angie Francis, the teacher of the writing
course.
Francis said that because the class is so new she is making
the curriculum up as she goes. She said that right now the students are
learning how to write notes such as thank you notes.
“I think many learn English and speak a little, but when we
write English we can’t spell right,” said Bella Boci a writing student from
Shanghai, China.
The class has 18 students from China, Japan, Taiwan,
Vietnam, Iraq, Iran, Palestine and Libya.
Ronda Kingsford, a coordinator of the center said that there
were many students who wanted to take the class but there wasn’t enough room to
accept them all.
“We don’t teach writing in the other classes as much as we
should,” said Francis. “The students need to know how to write a resume and
email. They need to be able to stand out and advance where they want to.”
Many of the students enrolled in the new writing class are
preparing to take the TOEFL - the test of English as a foreign language. The
exam includes writing prompts that challenge the student’s vocabulary and
knowledge of sentence structure.
To enroll at a university non-English speaking students must
past the TOEFL.
“Writing is difficult because English logic is the opposite
of Chinese logic,” Boci said on preparing to taking the TOEFL. “In English one
word can be many things and the sentence is difficult because of the logic.”
Francis said that the students struggle with spelling
because English words are not always spelt the way they sound. Right now she is
focusing on teaching her students how to brainstorm.
“When I give them a prompt I have to help them brainstorm,”
Francis said. “They are processing so much and then they have to translate
their thoughts to a different language.”
“They are very intelligent students and it is very fun to
see their point of view in their writing,” Francis said.
The nonprofit English Language center offers writing classes
every Monday and Wednesday from 12:45-2:45.
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