Having devised many lesson plans for ESL class and taught a number of ESL writing classes over the years for classes of all levels, I know that teaching writing is among the most unique aspects of the ESL teaching experience.

Writing is a challenging skill to master. Just look at native speakers, many of whom have a difficult time themselves when it comes to writing a coherent sentence. The spread of internet messaging, social media, and text messages means that although people may spend a great deal of time writing and typing, they rarely do so in a formal context, and as a result few people are able to write the kinds of essays that they will need to compose in a college or professional setting. Therefore, this should be the goal of ESL writing classes.

Perhaps the best way to teach ESL writing is to start by providing the students with a sample essay, something that they can refer to when they begin writing their own essay. The sample essay should be appropriate for the students' levels; otherwise, it may be counterproductive.

After reading the sample essay, the teacher should make not of useful sentence patterns or phrasings, drawing attention to the grammar used and providing examples that the students can use in their own writing. For example, the majority of stories involve past tense sentences, and students often need to be reminded of this, or else they may write carelessly in the present tense. The teacher should also point out any useful vocabulary words or usage examples that may be used in their writing.

After finishing this part of the class, the teacher should have a writing assignment prepared. This may be something as simple as a writing topic, or it could be a genre such as fiction or biography within which the students can use their own creativity. Then, it is time to let the students start writing.

While they are writing, the teacher may want to pause periodically in order to draw attention to certain vocabulary words that are useful or certain errors that students have used in their writing. After a certain amount of time - thirty minutes or one hour, for example - the teacher should collect the papers.

To grade the papers, there are different approaches that can be taken. The teacher may want to simply mark the errors with a red pen and write constructive feedback on the paper. Alternatively, the papers could be passed out to other students, who could then attempt to correct their classmates' mistakes. Constructing this type of class requires planning and patience, but the results will be students who are more proficient at producing clear, interesting, and formal essays or stories.

For ESL teachers who are running out of ideas for how to teach writing, there are many good ESL resources for teachers worth checking out online: http://www.stickyball.net. For writing classes, these ESL writing lessons and worksheets can help add a new dimension to your writing classes and produce students who are clear - even creative! - writers: http://www.stickyball.net/writing.html