Transcribing practice makes better writing ESL

Abstract

“Practice makes perfect” is well-known English saying and in something like ESL, practice will make students better especially if there is enough of the right kind of practice. To be truly effective practice needs to be incorporated into new paradigms. Students need to realize that practice, practice and more practice is the major key to unlock success: Practice for writing English needs to be broken down into the components of writing and the separate components are then practiced till they are much better. This is the system sports people use to achieve success – practice the components – then put them together to win on the day. So ESL students must learn the habits of practice – keeping an English diary, and most importantly transcribing at least five pages of hand written English every day, copying great writers. It must be hand written and it should be read aloud as it is written –why because we remember a little of what we hear, read and speak but we remember a lot of what we write - so no photo copying!  Hand written, legible, double-spaced hand writing! Most ESL students do not listen to English enough, do not read enough, do not speak enough and do not transcribe enough English to make great improvements in their English. ESL students must learn a new Paradigm, “Learn, especially transcribe what I can use, and then practice what I’ve learnt.” That way we might spawn new generations of great ESL writers.