Advice for teachers -
Bridging English as an Additional Language (EAL)

​Unit 2: English for life

Area of Study 1: English for self-expression

Outcome 1

Understand and produce texts for self-expression, making appropriate decisions in response to purpose, audience and context.

Examples of learning activities

• Watch or listen to an appropriate interview, documentary, online video or podcast, identifying the language choices made to express the speakers’ ideas, opinions, goals and experiences. Compare one of the speakers in different contexts and identify differences and similarities as well as the potential reason for any differences.
• Use an object that holds significance as a starting point to communicate to others the values that make the object significant.
• Examine a collection of works for self-expression, such as extracts from memoirs, poetry, song or rap lyrics, blogs, social media feeds, online videos or magazine columns. Identify the features of each form, select one and use it to communicate a perspective on a current issue or recent experience.
• Identify appropriate, authentic avenues for expression in English, such as newsletters, school magazines, writing competitions, speaking at assemblies or letters to the editor. Individually or in groups, plan, edit and submit/present the finished works. The emphasis should be on the process and experience rather than any potential outcome or publication.
• In small groups, record a podcast based on a topic of interest and/or personal experience. The podcast can be divided into sections in different formats to explore the subject matter more thoroughly.
• Using existing podcasts as examples, record interviews, discuss issues or present a point of view for a specific audience. Simple editing can be completed using free software such as Audacity.
• Write a letter to someone who has inspired you or to whom you feel grateful. Consider your audience and how this will impact on your register, tone and structure.
• Listen to a TED talk and discuss the structure and features used as well as the choices the speaker made to express themselves. Prepare a short speech in a similar style and join a forum in which each student is given a short allotted time to express themselves in an engaging form.
• 
  Create a collaborative electronic magazine (ezine) or other publication for small circulation.
  

Detailed example

Collaborative electronic magazine (ezine) or other publication

1. Explore a range of ezines, blogs, webpages or social media posts to explore how other people are expressing themselves. Identify the intended audience and how the writer is using their chosen format to communicate specific ideas, opinions, goals or experiences.
   
2. Review the options in groups and examine areas of common interest. Guidance may be needed for selecting the appropriate publication format based on technical and/or time limitations. These formats could include interviews, poetry, reflective writing, vox pops, short memoirs, editorial-style writing or a mixture of formats.
3. Brainstorm possible topics, ideas or experiences to explore in your own publication. Select a specific topic as the over-arching theme of the publication. Examples include: street art, migration experiences, cars, sport, beauty, food or local area.
4. Prepare, draft and edit a range of print and/or digital texts in different formats.
5. Collect texts and organise them into the selected publication format.
6. Arrange for a small circulation of the finished publication.