Recommended Writing Skills Resources

Jean Withrow, Cambridge University Press, 1987

Effective Writing presents students with problem-solving activities that provide them with a structure they can use to practice incorporating the characteristics of a well-written text into their own writing. Intermediate level learners can use this book to organize ideas and information with written fluency.  Available at Amazon.

 

 

Fred Ligon, Longman Publishers, 1990

Here's the perfect series for students with little or no literacy skills in English or in their first language. By using stories about immigrant families' experiences when they first arrived in the U.S., the authors present pictures students are certain to understand. Literacy skills as well as more complex tasks in listening, speaking, reading, and writing are learned, practiced, and reinforced using these different picture stories as the focus for each unit.  Available at Amazon.

 

 

Karen Blanchard, Addison-Wesley Publishers, 2002

These books present paragraph development and composition skills in clear, teachable steps. Each book offers students dependable strategies as well as opportunities to bring their own ideas and talent to the writing process.  Available at Amazon.

 

 

Karen Blanchard, Addison-Wesley Publishers, 2003

Presents important organizational principles of good academic writing, including topic sentences, maintaining unity and coherence, making and supporting a point, providing clear transitions, and writing clear introductory and concluding paragraphs.  Available at Amazon.

 

 

David Olster, Oxford University Press, 1996

Words in Motion is a practical writing text in which students learn to enjoy writing as a process of creating, sharing, and revising while working together in pairs and groups. Students are given the opportunity to experience many different types of writing including letters, reviews, and stories.  Available at Amazon.

 

 

David M. Davidson, Heinle & Heinle Publishers, 1994

This high beginning writing text is based on the Counseling Learning Approach and provides students with the guidance and confidence to produce written language even at the beginning level.  Available at Amazon.

 

 

Jill & Charles Hadfield, Longman Publishers, 1989

This book provides practice in different types of writing including advertisements, letters, descriptions, articles, notes and poems. Also included are a wide variety of activity types such as matching, guessing, exchange and reply and descriptions. Includes full teaching notes.  Available at Amazon.

 

 

Graham Palmer, Cambridge University Press, 2004

Writing Extra has photocopiable thematic units. There are three different levels in each unit to allow for a range of student levels. Students are led through step-by-step tasks such as role playing and discussion to produce their own writing. Assignments are authentic and relevant to students’ everyday lives. Available from Amazon.

 

 

Lawrence Checkett and Gayle Feng-Checkett, Longman Publishers, 2007

This book helps students along in their writing process. Through incremental steps, students learn how to create an essay. Each unit has a reading and a grammar point to help students focus on a particular point. There are sample student essays as well as error correction practice. Available from Amazon.