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From Elaboration to Collaboration: Understanding and Supporting Second Language Writers

From Elaboration to Collaboration: Understanding and Supporting Second Language Writers. Alfredo Urzúa, Languages and Linguistics Kate Mangelsdorf, English (Rhetoric and Writing Studies) Facilitator: Kerrie Kephart, Teacher Education. Who Are Second Language Writers at UTEP?.

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From Elaboration to Collaboration: Understanding and Supporting Second Language Writers

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  1. From Elaboration to Collaboration: Understanding and Supporting Second Language Writers Alfredo Urzúa, Languages and Linguistics Kate Mangelsdorf, English (Rhetoric and Writing Studies) Facilitator: Kerrie Kephart, Teacher Education

  2. Who Are Second Language Writersat UTEP? • International Students • Speak two or more languages • Learned English in native countries • Take English-as-a-Second-Language courses (ESOL) • Plan to leave the U.S. after graduation, or • Transnational

  3. Who Are Second Language Writers at UTEP? • U.S. resident/immigrant/heritage language students • Bilingual (speech) • Do not self-identify as ESL students • Attended U.S. high schools • Take first-year composition in the English Dept. • Plan to remain in U.S. or • Transnational

  4. Terminology • L1 = “first” language • L2 = “second” language • NES = Native English speaker • NNES = Non-native English speaker • Bilingual, multilingual Terminology inadequate for language dynamics, especially on border

  5. Second Language Acquisition • Gradual process • Years of study and practice • Exposure to target language • Not all skills develop simultaneously • Very fluent second-language learners will have “accents” in writing

  6. Second Language Acquisition • Non-linear process • Back-and-forth mastery of linguistic features • Mastery in one communicative context might not transfer to another • Learn from mistakes • Approximation of target language

  7. Second Language Acquisition • Identity negotiation • Language = self • Cultural affiliations • Multiple roles • Dynamic, shifting

  8. L2 Writing Students • Writing Processes (Compared to L1) • Produce shorter texts • Spend less time planning • Spend more time revising • Focus on grammar • Worry more • Take more time to write • L2 resources are more limited

  9. L2 Writing Students • Writing Processes • Greater metalinguistic awareness • Broader perspective / experiences • Skilled at shifting roles and identities • Tacit knowledge about language usage • Familiarity with grammatical terms

  10. L2 Writing Students • Cultural Differences from L1 • Collectivist cultures: texts belong to the group • Different beliefs about documenting sources • Less emphasis on “originality”

  11. L2 Writing Students • Rhetorical Differences • U.S. English: The writer is responsible for communicating meaning • Other languages: Readers bear more responsibility for understanding texts

  12. Responding to L2 Writers’ Texts • Treatable errors—rule governed • Subject-verb agreement • Verb tense • Verb formation • Word order • Singular/plural nouns • Articles

  13. Responding to L2 Writers’ Texts • Untreatable errors • Inappropriate word choices • Idioms • Prepositions • Mass vs. countable • Articles

  14. Responding to L2 Writers’ Texts • Direct feedback • Instructor provides the correction for the student • Indirect feedback • Instructor indicates an error has been made but the student makes the correction

  15. Responding to L2 Writers’ Texts • What does the research show? • Grammar instruction works ONLY if students immediately apply it to their own writing • Indirect feedback much more effective than direct feedback on treatable errors • Direct feedback effective for untreatable errors

  16. Responding to L2 Writers’ Texts • Writing is communication • Respond to content • Focus on errors that impede communication • Look for error patterns • Ask students to correct errors • Be sure to praise • Offer explicit comments

  17. Activity • Read the sample texts in your group and discuss : • How would you respond to each writer? (in the paper itself / during conferencing) • When does “different” become incorrect or inappropriate? • To what extent can/should L2 writers compete with L1 peers?

  18. Classroom Tips • Writing Process • Generation of ideas • Planning the document • Time to revise • Time to edit

  19. Classroom Tips • Rhetorical Concepts • Describe audience expectations • Explain how to structure the text • Suggest headings and subheadings • Show how to cite and document • Give examples • Define your terms (i.e., faculty often define “report” differently)

  20. Classroom Tips • Vocabulary • Define discipline-specific terms • Write terms so students can see • Give examples of formulaic academic language (e.g., it is well known that…, as previous research has shown, the data suggest that…)

  21. Classroom Tips • Encourage student voices • Give them a “safe” place to ask you questions (email) • Ask students to help you design / negotiate assignments • Provide opportunities to talk about writing issues • When appropriate, encourage students to draw on their rich language backgrounds

  22. Resources at UTEP • The University Writing Center (Library 300) • ESOL 2303 English for Humanities and Social Sciences • ENGL 5316 Graduate Writing Workshop • Learning Communities/Team teaching

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