The Blank Page Fear
Nothing is more daunting than a blank page and a task like "Write 90 words about your holiday."
The Sentence Builder Approach
Sentence builders (or knowledge organisers) provide a scaffold that allows students to construct accurate sentences before they can do so independently.
The Progression:
- Receptive: Teacher reads a sentence, students find the path on the builder.
- Structured Production: Students translate sentences using the builder.
- Forced Output: Remove the English translation, students must generate the French/Spanish.
- Free Production: Remove the builder entirely.
Structure Strips
For the 90 and 150-word tasks, structure strips are invaluable. A strip of paper glued down the margin prompts the student:
- Paragraph 1: Say where you went (use the perfect tense).
- Paragraph 2: Describe the hotel (use adjectives).
- Paragraph 3: Give an opinion (use 'c'était').
- Paragraph 4: Future plans (use 'je vais').
This reduces cognitive load, allowing students to focus on accuracy.