The teachers of speakers of English as a second language (ESL students) have a challenging but rewarding job. ESL students in a classroom may perform at different levels and come from countries with vastly different cultures. The teacher must not only find out how much the students know about writing in English but also learn about the differences in cultures within the classroom. The first milestone for students learning to write in English as a second language is that the message is clear and meaningful. Use of correct grammar and punctuation will develop, but the meaning can often be understood without proper grammar and spelling. Only after the students are able to write simple lists and sentences should they begin to learn to edit and revise their work to achieve acceptable grammar. The teacher who works with patience and respect for differences and effort will be rewarded with evidence of progress in her students' writing

Provide a notebook for each student. Ask the students to write in their journals every day. Write the day of the week and the date on a board. Read the day and date, then ask the students to copy the date in their journals and to write about anything they choose. Some students will write sentences, some may write paragraphs and some may write only words. Tell students to raise their hands if they want to know how to spell a word. Write the word on the board. Suggest topics that the students might like to write about: their friends, their family, how they feel, their favorite food or their favorite book. Give students the opportunity to read their entries to their classmates. The teacher does not correct the writing at this point, but she may want to write a brief comment in a few of the journals each day.

Have the students brainstorm a topic such as "family." Draw a word web on the chalkboard. Write the word "family" in the middle circle. Then ask for words that tell about families in the circles that you draw around the main circle. Ask the students to make sentences from the words you have written on the board. Start the sentences by writing "Four people live in my house." Write all the sentences on the board, reading them as you write.

Ask the students to make up a story together. The story can be something that really happened, such as a game they played outside or a trip that someone took, or it could be a made-up story, such as "One day Juan saw a flying car." Write the sentences on the board as the students say them. Do not correct grammar at this point. Read the story aloud, then ask the students to read it in unison. Have them read it several times. Ask if anyone would like to read the story by himself. Explain why you put punctuation and capital letters in the sentences.

Use fill-in-the-blank activities. Adjust the difficulty level according to the ability of your students. Give the students a worksheet, and ask them to write the words in the correct places. Write a story on the board the first time. Complete it with the students.For example:keep asked feed little kittenIngrid found a - - - - - - kitten.She wanted to - - - - the - - - - - -.Ingrid - - - - - her mother if she could keep the kitten.Her mother told her she would have to - - - - it and give it water.

Have students make a mural that tells or retells a story--for example, summarizing the events in a story they have read or how their family makes preparations for a holiday. Provide butcher paper, markers, tape and crayons. Ask them to draw a picture showing what happens first, second and the next steps. Then ask them to write sentences below the pictures that describe the action. Help the students tape the mural to a wall. Organize an exhibit of the mural. Appoint a student to stand in front of each picture to read the sentence under that picture and explain what is happening in the picture. The other students form a line and walk past the mural listening to the information about each picture. Let the students take turns describing the pictures.

Give the students opportunities to do functional tasks such as making lists of things they need to bring for a party, writing friendly letters, reading and copying poems that you write on the chalkboard and writing notes to their families about school events.

Tip: Use praise to build the students' confidence in their writing. Make few corrections until the students have attained some fluency. Correct only a few mistakes at a time so the students don't get overwhelmed.