Attached is a writing sample I wrote towards the beginning of the spring 09 semester. This sample demonstrates my progress in presentational writing. I chose this sample because I feel it fulfills the goal I set for presentational writing: to incorporate more words into my writing in order to describes things with greater precision and detail. It also fulfills my personal goal, which is to improve my grammar skills and mechanics.
This sample is titled "Ma Famille et Mon Quartier," and it covers a variety of topics. I described my family, the neighborhood where I grew up, and the neighborhood where my family lives now. I discussed my childhood activities and vacations. With my growing vocabulary, I was able to discuss my subject in greater depth than I could last semester. It is also getting easier to express myself more accurately and in a more interesting way. In covering a wide range of topics, I had to conjugate verbs in several ways and make sure the adjectives and nouns agreed. My writing sample includes past and present, first and third person, and singular and plural words. I like writing samples because they provide an opportunity to practice conjugating verbs in different ways and to practice constructing proper sentences, which is an area in which I am not yet completely comfortable.
I think writing samples are an effective learning strategy, especially since we receive feedback on our assignments. When I receive feedback with specific corrections and revise my work, I learn more about French grammar and sentence structure, which helps me become a better speaker and writer.