HELPING ESL STUDENTS UNDERSTAND YOUR
WRITING ASSIGNMENTS
Dorothy WordenBrooke RickerEunjeong LeeDepartment of Applied Linguistics
AGENDA What do multilingual writers need to know?
Analyzing a sample writing assignment
Strategies for introducing and teaching writing assignments
Questions and answers
INTRODUCTIONS On one side of your index card write one question you have about teaching multilingual writers that you would like to discuss in this workshop. On the other side, write three words or phrases that describe good undergraduate writing in your discipline. Share your name, department, and the question you wrote. Save the three descriptors.
THINKING ABOUT MULTILINGUAL WRITERS Unique resources and unique challenges
What resources do multilingual students bring to writing?
What challenges have your multilingual students faced?
Provide opportunities to use resources Provide support to address challenges
Multilingual writers resources and challenges are both linguistic and cultural.
Low knowledge of language
High knowledge of language
Low knowledge of culture
High knowledge of culture
Expert
Outsider
Linguistic Novice
Cultural Novice
Adapted from Mahboob (2013)
“CULTURE KNOWLEDGE” IN WRITING National culturesDifferent cultures value different things in writing. Example: writer responsible vs. reader responsible (Hinds, 1987)
Disciplinary culturesDifferent disciplines also have different values and expectations for writing.
Example: read the three descriptors of good writing from your index cards
BASIC PRINCIPLES Different writing traditions have different expectations for good writing.
All students, but particularly multilingual students, benefit from help noticing, understanding, and performing within these expectations.
ACTIVITY: ASSIGNMENT CRITIQUE Look at the sample writing assignment and consider:
1. How is the writing described and what terms or concepts might be difficult for multilingual students?
2. Can writers from multiple cultures work successfully with the content of this assignment? Does the assignment provide opportunities for multilingual students to use their unique cultural and linguistic resources?
ACTIVITY: ASSIGNMENT CRITIQUE How could this professor clarify his or her expectations for this assignment?
Changes to assignment descriptionStrategies for in class
SUPPORTING MULTILINGUAL WRITERS Provide glosses of key terms that may be unfamiliar to multilingual students Use visuals and graphic organizers
EXAMPLE VISUAL
Your paper needs a “tour guide.”
Unlike Study A, Study B shows. . .
Study C marks a significant shift because. . . .
The literature on X can be divided into three phases. . .
EXAMPLE GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
Research Question 1
Research Question 2
Research Question 2
Research Question 3
EXAMPLE GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
Research Question 1
Research Question 2
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Research Question 3
Source A
Source B
Source C
Source D
EXAMPLE GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
Research Question 1
Research Question 2
Research Question 2
Research Question 3
Source A Summary Summary NA Summary
Source B Summary Summary Summary NA
Source C NA Summary Summary Summary
Source D NA NA Summary Summary
EXAMPLE GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
Research Question 1
Research Question 2
Research Question 2
Research Question 3
Source A Summary Summary NA Summary
Source B Summary Summary Summary NA
Source C NA Summary Summary Summary
Source D NA NA Summary Summary
EXAMPLE GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
Research Question 1
Research Question 2
Research Question 2
Research Question 3
Source A Summary Summary NA Summary
Source B Summary Summary Summary NA
Source C NA Summary Summary Summary
Source D NA NA Summary Summary
EXAMPLE GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
SUPPORTING MULTILINGUAL WRITERS Provide glosses of key terms that may be unfamiliar to multilingual students Use visuals and graphic organizers Compare a new type of writing to a familiar type of writing
EXAMPLE: COMPARING WRITING TYPES
SUPPORTING MULTILINGUAL WRITERS Provide glosses of key terms that may be unfamiliar to multilingual students Use visuals and graphic organizers Compare a new type of writing to a familiar type of writing Use model texts and help your students analyze them
EXAMPLE: ANALYZING MODELS As Cortazzi points out, the proposal and acceptance are necessary to begin a narrative because without them, the primary storyteller may be seen as imposing his narrative upon his audience (29). Examples of proposals include utterances such as I have to tell you… or Did I tell you about…? The acceptance to which would be something like, Oh, tell me about it or No, I haven't heard about that. (Additionally,) Sacks (1974) argues that the proposal often contains a preface or abstract, such as Something really funny happened today… that highlights why the proposed narrative would be of interest to the other participants.
While very insightful, Cortazzi's model seems somewhat narrow in that he describes the narratives he analyzed as extended turns with no transition relevance points, indicating that he views narratives as being mostly personal rather than co-constructed (30).
SUPPORTING MULTILINGUAL WRITERS Provide glosses of key terms that may be unfamiliar to multilingual students Use visuals and graphic organizers Compare a new type of writing to a familiar type of writing Use model texts and help your students analyze them Model your own literate practices
EXAMPLE: MODELING ASSESSMENT
Teaching multilingual writing is about making cultural and disciplinary practices visible.
Any remaining questions?
Providing Effective Feedback for ESL Writers
March 4, 201412:00 – 1:30 PM315 Rider
Thank you!
Dorothy Worden: [email protected] Brooke Ricker: [email protected] Eunjeong Lee: [email protected]
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