Teaching Writing

One of the many classes I’m teaching is writing. What is great about writing with non-native English speakers is they don’t know the tired cliches and common word usage we are all so familiar with. Instead, they put together words in new and exciting ways which aren’t exactly correct, yet they are not exactly wrong either.

Here is an example of a movie review one of my students recently wrote. Clearly, there are a lot of mistakes, and yet I am having trouble correcting it because I find the writing utterly charming just the way it is.

My favorite English movie is Lord of the Rings. It is an old movie but my love towards it hasn’t faded.

It’s a simple story, all plots are stretched out around a precious ring. The ring can give you great power and also, it can wake up the evil. Then, a boy, accompanied with several special person, set out to destroy the ring.
I like the movie, mostly because of one actor – Orlando Bloom. He acts as a handsome spirit. He is good at bow and can shoot every aim. Also, he is sometimes childish. He will compete with a short man then will smile mildly with his golden hair shining under the sun. Always, I got lost in his smile.

The Lord of the Ring is a really a good movie, the details shocked me a lot, the plot encouraged me and the actor influenced me. Maybe it is a little long, but it is worth you spending time.

What I like about my students is how honest their writing is. They don’t hide their feelings behind fancy words because they just don’t know many. Instead, they figure out what they want to say and how to say it with their limited vocabulary.

As a writer I almost admire their freedom. You don’t realize how many conventions are working unconsciously on your brain all the time until you step out of your own language and look through it from the eyes of a foreigner. It’s fantastic to see, and I hope my own writing can become better because of it.