Monday, April 13, 2015

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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