Twitter and social media. Authentic ESL writing practice through social media and news websites. Hello, NEALLT 2014! I’m an educational technologist and ESL teacher who teaches adult students at the University of Pittsburgh English Language Institute. I’m giving a presentation on how we can use social news and media websites to help ESL students practice written English. It’s an especially exciting method of writing practice because it enables students to interact with native speakers through text. Of course, ESL students often get to interact with native speakers verbally, but opportunities for authentic written communication are more limited! See my tips below for how teachers can take advantage of Twitter, Reddit, and TED.com to engage students in authentic writing practice.
Twitter 1. Twitter is excellent for helping students practice specific vocabulary and grammatical constructions. Twitter also acts as an archive which allows students to look back and see the progress they’ve made over time. Some specific tips: Establish a hashtag for your class. 2. 3. 4. Reddit.com 1. 2. 1. 2.