Photo Memoir: Writing Assignment
Pictures Paint a Thousand Words
 Writing
is considered the most difficult language skill to master, so instilling this
interest to ESL students is twice as challenging. With the need to use correct
expressions following the standard conventions of grammar and compositions,
students whose first language is not English might grasp for words to complete a
single sentence expressing what was required to be written. It should be
remembered, however, that when topics are directly connected with our interests,
it is easier to write.
Students are motivated to give their best, expressing thoughts on paper,
when they are given the chance to write about something they know deeply or have
experienced personally. It is necessary that teachers should devise ways on how
to make writing classes engaging. Instead of compelling students to write on
generic ideas, make use of significant events in their lives to produce
excellent compositions.
For many English as a second language students, writing about their recent
trips or picnics are easily accomplished as they have firsthand experience to
jot on a page. Celebrations in the family can also be a good inspiration for
writing. Additionally, these events can be commemorated by
photographs serving as memoirs of significant periods of life. In the same
light, photos help people remember details about places they’ve been to, people
we shared good moments with, and events that made our lives happier. In other
words, they are colorful and powerful narratives that can trigger students’
interests to convert them into powerful lines and stories.
Writing and the Teacher’s Role
 The types of teaching strategies employed in the classroom are manifestations of
the teacher’s belief. Articulated or not, they always play an important role in
the way the class is carried and led to the achievement of goals. Our beliefs as
educators affect our choice of resources, assessment and organization of class
activities. No matter how different the beliefs may be, teachers should ensure
that writing classes are made fun and interesting.
It should be kept in mind that teachers are the instruments in making
students understand that like all language skills, writing follows the same
rules on semantics and syntax. There are some important considerations to
observe in our writing classes. First, they should provide opportunities for
students to brainstorm on ideas through talking or listening before they write.
This will help students direct their focus and get the sense for writing.
Secondly, writing activities can be linked to reading. This is because articles
students are exposed to can be used as models for writing styles, providing
definite examples of how information can be arranged or structured according to
what was perceived to be significant in the composition. Simply put, it shows
students what good writing is like. Third and equally important, it should be
part of practice to give students the opportunities to share or choose their
source of inspiration for writing compositions.
As ESL writers start to brainstorm ideas for their composition, they should
include
their peers to add different points of view and ideas to their writing. The
topics chosen and the way sentences are crafted to create the desired message do
not only show possible potential writers but also gives leeway for class members
to learn from less
anxiety
inducing sources.
The following are the ways to help to inspire writers with the use of photos
in class:
1) Require a Favorite
Family or Personal Photo
 Students are to be
asked to bring to class their favorite photos or set of photos. With this,
it is sure that students picked what they think is the most interesting and,
thus, will be able to share views or stories based on them. Remember that
visuals are powerful in providing context for any writing pieces and
students can easily start writing a topic that sparks their attention or
curiosity. Because it was a free choice to bring any picture, perhaps
students chose it for being stimulating and attractive. In addition, since
it is something they brought from home, they are knowledgeable about the
place, time, event and people in captured in print. As students take hold of
their favorite photo, ask them to look for details they may want to use as
the main idea for writing. Prompt them to look for something interesting or
funny, to spot things that are colorful, or to describe shapes or facial
expressions.
Consequently, you can ask class members to swap photos with a
friend. When students bring in pictures for class, they may not only find
pleasure looking at their memorable smiles or travels but they might also
provide themselves with writing ideas they never knew possible. To add more
challenge to this, ask students to swap pictures with their peers. Doing
this will test how well they think of main ideas as they may not know the
people in the pictures, or the place and time they were taken. This,
however, will develop their skills in writing conventions and objectivity in
compositions.
2) Scaffold
Ideas About the Photo
 Students asking teachers for
translation,
vocabulary or possible main ideas is a typical scene in ESL writing
classes. With students having the ideas as inspired by their photos, the
challenge comes with decoding the message in the pictures and converting
them into excellent write-ups. As a teacher, being able to provide the
correct information for the student is fulfilling yet tiring. Despite its
difficulty, it should be noted that students must exert twice or thrice the
effort to express what they want to say. Scaffolding is a helpful strategy
in writing classes as it helps break up complex tasks into smaller, simpler
pieces of information. Additionally, it gives teachers the chance to
intervene with the students’ work and lessen, if not totally eliminate,
misunderstanding of concepts and difficulties in following formal writing
conventions. Because second language learners may not have enough knowledge
of the topics or the rules, they are facing the trial of getting into the
unknown. No matter how simple rules or words may be, this isn’t the case for
many ESL students, especially those who are beginners or approaching
intermediate levels. Typically, they have limited ideas on how writing
should be like, how it should be organized, or how to make writings
understandable to readers. When left on their own, they are bound to miss
the standards. With your students holding their favorite picture, take time
to ask them what they can see and which would they want to write about or
would like others to know.
3) Building
Vocabulary List From Pictures
 They said that a good mechanic
always has his toolbox full of essential tools. Writers have the need for
this toolbox in the form of vocabulary, punctuation, and
grammar. Some tools are used more frequently than others, but the box is
to be filled with new ones regularly. Writers need to make use of the tools
in the box to make writing more powerful and compelling. This is where the
need for vocabulary comes in. Students can never write with limited set of
words, and with the teacher’s help, this can be augmented. With the picture
in hand, struggling students can be supported while helping them think.
Teachers can ask questions like the 5ws (what, when, where, why, who) and
the 1h (how) to help find words for the sentences. Instead of readily
providing the student with words, they can be asked for the names, shapes,
color or location of things found on the photo. As they arrive at answers,
make them create a list, so there are words to be included in their
writings. You can also require students to bring dictionary with words from
their native language to English or the other way around. As they progress
on their vocabulary work, encourage them to use only the English dictionary.
Because ESL students tend to choose the more difficult synonym of a word,
they might convey different meanings. This is where teachers can now explain
the importance of correct choice of words.
4) Compare and
Contrast People or Things in the Picture
 Perhaps
one of the most interesting challenges for students in writing classes is the
task to find what they think are the differences among the subjects of the
photo. If students find it difficult to choose ideas for their writing, ask them
to find at least five or ten differences among people or things in the picture.
If they are the owner of the photos, they might as well be triggered to look
closely as they know the people or things in the image. This activity will help
your students develop accuracy in descriptions and make use of the vocabulary
they listed. Alternately, when there are limited elements to contrast, you can
let them compare. This is where they can make use of descriptions like colors,
shapes, sizes, actions, directions and so on. When the students are able to do
the first two tasks with ease, challenge them to compare and contrast elements
in a single write-up. Making students do these exercises will help develop the
ability to analyze likeness and differences while keeping in mind that one
description can’t go without the other. To make even easier for students,
encourage them to make use of a graphic organizer like a Venn diagram to visualize and organize ideas more clearly.
5) Expressing
Conditions Based on the Picture
 Yes, pictures can be used to
help students find good writing ideas and to review them on grammar rules.
Another way in making students produce good compositions is to use pictures
as a springboard for main ideas. Instead of asking them to just describe it
plainly, you can trigger their imagination by giving them prompts like, “If
I were here…” or asking them questions like, “What would you be doing if you
were/weren’t in the scene?” As students are holding on to their favorite
photo of landscape, park, party or overseas travel, they would think of
possibilities and would be compelled to imagine what’s otherwise. Equally
important, they would be pushed onto making sentences expressing conditions,
making use of their prior knowledge from grammar lectures. Additionally,
asking students to come up with ideas opposite to what they can see directly
will enhance their imagination- a very important skill in creating great
compositions. .
Concluding Ideas
There is no doubt that pictures play an important part in second language
teaching. This is especially beneficial when dealing with beginners or lower
level students. Despite its known advantages, many instructors have not utilized
this strategy in their writing classes. In getting inspirations for writing,
purely reading texts can be uninspiring or complicated. Additionally, photos
motivate students even before they would start writing initial ideas. It should
not be forgotten that photos, whether printed or digital, are tremendously a
convenient and useful tool for writing classes.
Using pictures in the class can be a good start for ESL students who are not
yet skilled in writing. Choosing photos from one’s pool of favorite images at
home even allow students to look back at the most interesting part of life,
thus, making it easier to think of what’s to write. Because they know the
background information of the photos they will have to write about, problems
happen minimally. Most importantly, students will find enjoyment writing what
they feel about something.
Teachers
5 Reasons to Use Norm Referenced Tests in the Classroom
5 Ways to Use Criterion Referenced Test in the Classroom
Photo Memoir: Writing Assignment
Top 5 Things to Know About Your ESL Students’ Backgrounds
Group Work in College ESL Classrooms
How to Teach Business English in ESL Setting
Benefits of Using Graphic Organizers in the Classroom
How to Use Storytelling in Language Teaching
How to Correct Student Essays
The Most Common Problems in ESL Classrooms
Tips on Teaching ESL Students Vocabulary
Praise: A Great Motivator for Student Achievement
Peer Feedback is a Great Tool in Writing Classes
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