Super Strategies for Teaching Paraphrasing and Summarizing!

1. Super Strategies for Teaching Paraphrasing and Summarizing! Cristin A. Boyd Studies in American Language, San Jose State University, San Jose/Silicon Valley California USA superteach@cristinanderic.com http://boydsteachingresources.pbworks.com/

2. Some ‘slightly Random’ thoughts • Little to no research about teaching paraphrasing • Limited resources for actual “how to” (most grammar focused) • Activities based on 17+ years of teaching reading & writing (and a search for resources) • Not an exhaustive collection (share ideas) • How-to/what of citation is not black & white • Accessible readings = soft sources (popular magazines) • Justification: build skills & confidence • Today’s Outline • Challenges, activity, practice, variations, repeat End: more Q & A and create resources

3. terms & meaning for this presentation • Paraphrase: • A restatement of an author’s idea. • Usually a shorter piece of text -- sentence or two. • Length of restatement can be as long as or longer than original. • Attribution is required for every paraphrase. • Paraphrasing is a fundamental part of writing a summary. • Summary: • A series of restatements about an article, essay, etc. • Restatements work together as a whole. • Summary is much shorter than original. • Generally requires one attribution.

4. Challenges for ESL/EFL Students • Ownership of ideas varies between cultures. • Memorized sections of Confucianism • Mother: Person I admire (Yongfang 2003) • Paraphrasing may be interpreted differently. • Restating words of scholars = bad news • Common knowledge in collectivist cultures • Some cultures are reader (vs. writer) responsible. • Assumptions re: reader knowledge http://boydsteachingresources.pbworks.com/

5. More Challenges • Reading skills • Ss misunderstand original • Ss depend on lower-level reading skills (decoding) • Ss lack vocabulary • Ss are preoccupied with grammar/sentence structure. • Teacher feedback/learning focus on grammar/ sentence structure • Grammar = mastery of language • Textbooks don’t explain “how” to paraphrase. • Teachers don’t explain “how” either.

6. The most pressing challenge (in my experience/opinion). . . a misplaced focus on the word

7. Why is this a misplaced focus? • Meaning in English is not character/word-level • Sentences and paragraphs carry meaning • Cited source info used to support paragraph-level ideas • 1 paragraph = 1 idea (topic sentence, supporting, conclusion) • Paraphrase = restatement of an idea (that is used to support another idea)

8. Why do some students focus on words? • Desire to understand everything • Low-level reading/learning skills • Words are tangible; ideas often elusive • Native country learning (lang = math) • Grammar-based paraphrase activities • Heavy reliance on bottom-up processing • Memorization-focused learning • Word-focused L1 • Example

9. L1 Influence on Word focus mu ('tree') shows a trunk and two leafless branches of a tree. The bottom half of the character may be hanging branches or the roots of a tree .… the character doubles to represent "forest" and triples to represent "dense forest." It joins with the character for "person" to represent "rest,” . . . mo ('last' or 'top') shows a tree in which the top is marked with a horizontal stroke, while ben ('source' or 'origin') shows a tree in which the root is marked with a horizontal stroke. Relationships between characters complex also From: http://www.mmtaylor.net/Literacy_Book/DOCS/pt1.html

10. Where is Meaning? In English . . . -- a collection of words (groups of sentences and paragraphs) -- “discourse blocks” (Christensen 1963, Pitkin 1969) -- paragraphs (Kaplan 1972) By focusing on Words, Ss = • Miss & Misunderstand main ideas when reading • Worry too much about individual words, grammar & sentence structure • Paraphrase slowly & laboriously • End up with stilted, awkward, incorrect paraphrases (plagiarized content?) http://boydsteachingresources.pbworks.com/

11. Problems with Grammar-based paraphrase activities Examples Problems Some combination of changes to original: • compliment and subject positions • verb from positive to negative • verb from active to passive • Focuses too much on words • Result: • Missed/misunderstood idea • Poor/Jumbled/Stilted Restatement

12. To To overcom To overcome these challenges & resulting problems: all paraphrase work in my classes is based on . . . First understanding an idea then restating it.

13. Where to begin: Good Reading Skills (understanding ideas) • Pre-read to get overall gist of article/section • Read fast, multiple times • Focus on IDEA/s • Focus on content words (vs. function) • Scan for main ideas • In paragraphs and sentences • Avoid getting side tracked on individual words http://boydsteachingresources.pbworks.com/

14. Reading Skills (continued) R Mmyading Skills • Work through ambiguity. • Avoid translation. • Use dictionaries very rarely • Use context for meaning • Look up: • important & repeated keys words • only when main idea truly can’t be deciphered. • Embrace a new style of reading! Resource: What good readers do handout

15. #1 paraphrasing resource! Steps for paraphrasing Well Introduced and regularly practiced & reviewed. . . on board, in quizzes & front page of class wiki Resource: “Paraphrase Well” handout

16. Steps for Paraphrasing well 1) Read the section repeatedly  to understand the main idea. 2) List  important key words.  3) Cover original & restate the main idea in your different words. 4) Don’t worry about grammar! Restate idea first! 5) Check restatement for clarity of original idea (& original structure) 6) Check grammar & edit as needed.  7) Check attribution.

17. As the teacher…I consistently walk the talk and focus mainly on Ss’ restated ideas I address grammar only after the idea is clear.

18. Paraphrase “on the run”

19. Paraphrase “on the run” A fun, active activity for practice with word meanings from context (definitions) • Original text posted outside class • ‘Runner’ reads a definition outside (2 minutes) • ‘Scribe’ is told meaning inside classroom • Collaboratively write a new definition • Same activity with steps/list article • Ss can exchange and check others’ work Limit Time! Don’t allow Ss time to memorize!

20. Verbal Restatement do activity

21. Verbal Restatement Ss retell main idea verbally  Speaking = less worry about grammar, sentence structure, perfection  T can draw out some missing points/details; walk S toward main idea. “You almost have it, but isn’t there something about X ?”

22. Magazine Blubs • Do activity

23. Magazine Blubs • Use short blurbs from magazines. • Provide a context for paraphrase. • Ss work in pairs • Limited time – about 5 minutes. • Makes Ss focus on idea, can’t get side tracked w/ vocabulary, no time to look up words, pressure to report main idea. • Short blurbs focus students on one idea • Context makes paraphrasing more realistic • Context focuses reading on using an idea for support

24. Summary Resources • “Finding main ideas” handout • Summary Grid • How to Write a Summary handout (on wiki) Debate in Costco Connection magazine

25. Integration work • To integrate paraphrased source into a paragraph • Sentence 1: introduces topic (topic sentence) • Sentence 2: introduces paraphrase • Sentence 3: connects/integrates source & main idea. Resource: integration handout

26. Source list 1: New York Times Up Front Nov 22, 2010 2: New York Times Up Front Oct 25, 2010 3: Health June 2009 4: Mothering Jan 2010

27. Thank You! http://boydsteachingresources.pbworks.com/

28. What is sentence-level Paraphrasing?Where does it fit into steps for restating main ideas? Sentence-level paraphrase work When and where? • Using synonyms • Changing sentence from active to passive and vice versa. • Changing parts of speech. • Combining sentences. • Inverting complement and predicate. See grammar toolbox web link/handout on wiki page. • Only after main idea has been restated. • Word level focus = lost main idea. • Back to L1 reading skills. • Only as a means to fine-tune a paraphrase; make it less like original. In some classes I never give out a sentence-based handout!