If your students' complaints like "I don't know what to write in this C2 Level essay" or "I have no ideas" sound familiar, you're not alone.
But are they truly complaints? No, they're pleas for assistance—for your guidance.
Let's start from the beginning: "What goal do I want my students to achieve?"
The answer is:
“To be able to write essays at C2 level. Your text must be properly structured into an introduction, first, second or even third paragraph, and a conclusion, containing between 250 and 300 words.”
To excel in the writing section, the teaching plan encompasses the syllabus, preparation methods, and exercises designed to help you achieve at least a passing grade at the Proficiency level.
The goal outlines the essential skills to develop:
Knowledge of the topic
Knowledge of vocabulary and expressions related to the topic
Understanding how to develop the essay
Grammatical accuracy
Time management during the exam
These interconnected skills collectively lead to success in the writing component.
Therefore, selecting a syllabus that fosters these specific abilities is crucial.
Addressing the common student concern, "I don't know what to write," indicates a lack of topic knowledge.
Defining the educational goal from the outset—acquiring topic knowledge—is essential.
The foundation of the educational process is course design, mapping the path for teachers to guide students toward their objectives.
My aim is to assist students in writing essays at the C2 level. To ensure thorough preparation, I begin with Instructional System Design (ISD).
"Turn 'I Have No Ideas' into 'Here's My Thesis' – The Backwards Design Way"
This priority led me to adopt the method called Backward Design Process.
Backward Design Process is the method used by professional educators to plan the learning experience and the necessary teaching techniques to achieve specific learning objectives.
In our case, the objective is essay writing. And for out example, is acquiring some knowledge of the topic"
Proficiency Writing? Backwards is the New Forward!"
What my students Receive in Each Essay Lesson and Why
For each individual essay topic in the writing part, I provide my students with a “uniform template” that contains not only the information they need to develop in each part of the essay but also the logical steps of development.
Template Structure:
| Topic | |
| Thesis | |
| Έννοιες | Μετάφραση |
| 1η Έννοια | |
| 2η Έννοια | |
| 3η Έννοια | |
| Ανάπτυξη Θέματος | |
| Further Writing | |
The first part of each topic includes the key concepts and vocabulary of each thematic unit along with their Greek translations.
What you may notice for the first time is that each topic includes a THESIS. The thesis in the essay is your opinion, along with the arguments you use to support it.
That's why, apart from the necessary vocabulary in English, you must also understand the topic in your native language… unless, of course, you speak fluent English.
To help you acquire the skill of “knowledge of the topic”, I include in the essays the concepts and *definitions* of each topic in Greek as well. Let’s have a look at an example.
Example Topic: Generation Gap
Every generation of people is different from the previous one. What is one important way in which your generation is different from your parents’ generation?
How will this difference affect your country or culture? Give specific details and reasons to support your viewpoint. (Michigan C2 2010)
Thesis:Because of the significant reliance on technology, the current generation differs from previous ones, impacting society and culture in both positive and negative ways. While technology has brought convenience, communication, and information access, it may result in a lack of interpersonal communication and health issues. A balance between technology use and preserving close relationships with the environment is necessary.
The above THESIS is not the only one. If you have knowledge of the topic, it would be ideal to formulate your own opinion and arguments.
The concepts you need to know to be able to formulate your THESIS and develop the topic into two main paragraphs are:
- What generation gap is - How our parent's generation is different to ours - What causes generation gaps - How generation differences can affect our country
Χρησιμοποιείς τις παραπάνω έννοιες για να συνθέσεις έκθεση με δύο κύριες παραγράφους:
Paragraph 1: For the new generation technology is integral to every facet of our life.
Paragraph 2: Technology has an impact on our society and culture. Pros and Cons
| What generation gap is Generation gap refers to the differences in beliefs, values, attitudes, and lifestyles between people of different generations. These differences can create communication barriers and misunderstandings between generations. What causes generation gaps How generation differences can affect our country | Τι είναι το χάσμα γενεών Το χάσμα γενεών αναφέρεται στις διαφορές στις πεποιθήσεις, τις αξίες, τις στάσεις και τον τρόπο ζωής μεταξύ των ανθρώπων διαφορετικών γενεών. Οι διαφορές αυτές μπορούν να δημιουργήσουν εμπόδια επικοινωνίας και παρεξηγήσεις μεταξύ των γενεών. Τι προκαλεί χάσματα γενεών Πώς οι διαφορές μεταξύ των γενεών μπορούν να επηρεάσουν τη χώρα μας |
From Copy-Pasting to Critical Thinking: How to Teach Proficiency Essays Without Memorizing a Single Line"
These concepts assist students in forming well-founded opinions on various topics.
By providing definitions in both English and Greek, students acquire the necessary vocabulary and expressions to develop their essays effectively.
Each lesson offers units comprising concepts, definitions, and theses, facilitating structured writing practice.
This approach enables students to repurpose material from one topic to another, fostering adaptability in their writing.
The provided essay materials serve as a foundation for developing critical thinking and analytical skills, which are essential for the writing component of proficiency exams.
While these skills may not be directly assessed, the ability to generate ideas significantly enhances topic development.
Emphasizing the thesis guides learners' preparation, encouraging them to focus on topics frequently selected by examination boards.
A common criticism is that this method may lead to rote memorization; But NO. Quite the opposite!
Students are encouraged to consciously understand key concepts and vocabulary of recurring topics, enabling them to compose paragraphs on any related subject assigned.
The goal is for students to utilize their critical thinking to transfer knowledge from prepared models to new topics.
Each model essay provides the basic concepts of the topic alongside their Greek translations, allowing students to retain as much information as needed to feel confident in mastering the subject.
Implementing the backward design approach enhances students' critical and analytical skills, empowering them to craft well-structured essays without relying on rote memorization.
This method prioritizes intended learning outcomes, aligning teaching practices with desired results, and ultimately improving student performance.
