7 Engaging Peer Editing Activities for Your ESL Students
A crucial part of the writing process for ESL students is peer editing and revising. Peer editing and revising is not just about correcting grammar and spelling; it's about empowering our students to become better writers in the English language. However, it’s not as much fun as we’d like. In this blog post, I’ll explain 7 engaging activities that will turn peer editing and revising into a fun and interactive experience for your ESL students.
By practicing editing and revising explicitly, your students will know what to do when it comes to revising and editing their writing throughout the year. Feel free to pick and choose the activities that are appropriate for your grade level and the language proficiency of your students.
7 Engaging Peer Editing Activities for Your ESL Students
Sentence Surgery: Give students a piece of writing with grammatical errors. Have them work in pairs to identify and correct the errors, discussing their reasoning with their partner.
Editing Stations: Set up different stations in your classroom, each focusing on a specific aspect of writing (e.g., grammar, punctuation, vocabulary). Assign pairs of students to rotate through the stations, editing and revising each other's work accordingly.
Revise and Rewrite: Have students rewrite a paragraph or short passage from a peer's writing, making revisions to improve clarity, sentence structure, or vocabulary choice. They can then discuss the changes made with their partner. You can even use other students’ writing from other classes (names removed) and have them correct those.
Writing Circles: Form small groups and assign each student a specific role, such as "Grammar Guru," "Word Wizard," or "Organization Expert." Students take turns reading and providing feedback on each other's work based on their assigned roles.
Gallery Walk: Hang students' written work around the classroom. In pairs or small groups, have students walk around, read each other's work, and provide constructive feedback using sticky notes or a feedback form.
Sentence Fluency Revision: Assign students a paragraph with choppy or repetitive sentences. In pairs, have them work together to revise the sentences, focusing on achieving a smooth and varied sentence structure
Model Editing: This one is my favorite because it involves direct teaching and because modeling is crucial to learning new skills. As a class, analyze and edit a sample piece of writing together. Discuss the reasoning behind each edit and encourage students to ask questions and provide suggestions.
In a Nutshell
These 7 activities provide opportunities for ESL students to engage in meaningful peer editing and revising processes. By actively participating in these activities, students can develop their editing and revising skills, provide valuable feedback, and ultimately improve their own writing abilities.
