This interactive process of text editing is known to many students from their regular classes. Moreover, it is particularly well suited for teaching in the heritage language, as it promotes awareness of, and competence in, the standard language.
a) As a prerequisite for this task, the students must have composed a text (preferably not more than one page). Those who are finished with their text, practice reading it out loud. Then they seek out one or two partners with whom to practice and improve the drafts. (Variant: the instructor creates editorial teams.)
b) The students take turns, slowly reading the whole text to the others in the group and posing the following three questions (they can be written on the board, on pieces of paper, or provided as copies): Did you understand the text? What do I need to clarify? What is good, what is not so good? The reader then makes notes about the feedback received.
c) Next, the text is reviewed sentence by sentence. The questions at this stage are: is the sentence clear and understandable? Is it linguistically correct (form and structure)? Are there better words to describe a certain concept? Is the grammar and spelling correct? (use a dictionary to verify!)
d) Then it is the turn of another student.
e) When all the texts in the group have been discussed, the students write an improved version of their text. These final versions will be corrected with comments by the instructor. Ultimately, the texts should be made available to all students in the class. (See # 12 below: target reader reference).