I use Robert Louis Stevenson's Idea of developing writing skills. In his view, novice writers should act as a diligent ape , imitating the native speaker writers' styles of diction. A reading based approach with a maximum learner involvement would be effective.
Gallery activities can work a couple different ways, but I love how they encourage students to think about new words creatively. After your students have been introduced to their word lists and have spent some time interacting with the vocabulary, assign each student a different word (or words). Make sure students don’t share what word they have been assigned (as much as possible). Then, tell students to bring in at least one item from home that relates to or symbolizes that vocabulary word (no valuables – Mom’s diamond ring and Dad’s cash stash are off limits!).
On the day students bring in the objects, display them around the room in a gallery format. You can use pictures instead of objects if you prefer. Ask students to walk around the room and take some notes regarding which words they think pair best with which objects or pictures. Then, as a class, hold a discussion. This one is always engaging and enjoyable – not to mention memorable. This activity works really well as a review of multiple vocabulary units as long as too many words are not included.
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