How-To Paper

How-To Paper

Today in my advanced small-group writing class we were working on “How-To” papers, as we are working through my book, Write Like a Champion  (美國老師教你寫出好英文).    Some important things to remember when writing a “How-To” paper...
Student Writing: When I realized how lucky I am

Student Writing: When I realized how lucky I am

Today I was working with a 10th-grade student in Hsinchu, Taiwan in her one on one English writing class. We have been working through my book, Write Like a Champion  (美國老師教你寫出好英文) and my student was sharing her “Narrative” essay, where she...
College Application Essay: Amazing Story

College Application Essay: Amazing Story

People sometimes ask me, “what makes a good college application essay?”  My answer: be yourself.   College admissions officers are deluged with essays that probably sound very similar, all telling how wonderful the applicant is. But these...
TOEFL writing: big university vs. small college?

TOEFL writing: big university vs. small college?

Many students find writing the hardest language skill to master, and since writing is a major part of the TOEFL, many students look for extra help with it. One Chinese high school student of mine recently wrote on the topic of college choice, by size of student...
“I couldn’t believe it!”

“I couldn’t believe it!”

In a recent SAT-level online writing class, my students wrote on the topic: “I couldn’t believe it…” They only had about 15-20 minutes to write, in class, from their homes in Hsinchu, Taiwan. They wrote so well, I thought you would like to see...