Teaching ESL Students

1. Teaching ESL Students Dr. Emily Heady Executive Director, University Writing Program Dr. William Wegert Director, International Student Services

2. OISS Programs • International Student Recruiting & Admissions • Graduate Admissions and Advising • English Language Institute • ESOL Courses (Modern Language Department) • Study Abroad • Exchange Visitor Program (proposed)

3. Spring 2008 – 783 Students • Doctoral--71 • Graduate--114 • Institute--73 • Law--2 • Undergrad--523

4. Top 10 Majors for Grad Students

5. Top 10 Undergraduate Majors

6. Top 10 Countries

7. Some Background… • Things can go VERY wrong when ESL students are confused about any of the following: • American ideas about intellectual property (plagiarism, citation) • How Americans behave in class • How faculty relate to students • What faculty’s feedback means • How and when to ask for help

8. The ESL Challenge for Faculty • Interpersonal Issues • Confusion that results from differing assumptions • Difficulty engaging international students in conversation • Writing Issues • Overwhelming grammatical errors • Plagiarism • Self-Confidence Issues • Lack of knowledge about how to teach such students • Lack of knowledge about the cultures of these students

9. The ESL Challenge for Studies • Frustration with English language • English is a HIGHLY irregular language. • People in Lynchburg do not speak English. • Lack of familiarity with the American academy • Registrar? ILRC? ASIST? Blackboard? • Trouble adjusting to life in Lynchburg • 501N = 29S • Inability to know how/whom to ask for help • Worries about disappointing their families

10. Bad Ways To Handle This Challenge • Focusing primarily on grammar/language issues rather than people (and what they have to say) • Attributing students’ failure to cultural differences (“In Korea, it’s an honor to plagiarize…”) • Adopting a “two universities” model • Pawning the students off on others • Forgetting to ask the student what he/she needs, wants, and expects • Thinking of international students as problems to solve rather than as family members to get to know

11. Good Priorities • Humbly acquiring basic cultural knowledge from your international students (and elsewhere) • Clearly defining your role vis-à-vis the student • Making your expectations clear and explaining procedures step-by-step • Focusing on broad concerns when you grade • Helping your students with grammar but not fixating on it

12. Some Vastly Oversimplified Reminders about Intercultural Difficulties • Most cultures are more collective than ours. • Definition of roles (age, title, gender, etc.) • Shame-based cultures • Difficulties with thesis statements, plagiarism, and self-expression • Beware of gestures. • Right hand/left hand & pointing • Gift-giving • Eye contact & personal space • Proper classroom behavior is anything but self-explanatory. • Interrupting the professor • Admitting uncertainty or confusion • Not everyone thinks or communicates in a linear fashion.

13. Define Your Role • Titles • What should students call you? • What will you call the students? • Tasks • What are the tasks associated with this assignment (step by step)? • What will you do and not do for the student? • What tasks should be undertaken by other people (GSA, GWC, Bruckner, ILRC, etc.)? • What tasks should the student do for himself? • Contact • How should the student reach you? • How quickly will you respond?

14. Clarify Your Expectations • Don’t assume students know any of this: • What an American paper looks like (thesis-driven, linear, etc.) • Why it’s not okay to plagiarize • How to sort out and present their own ideas • What American exams are like • When it’s OK to work with classmates. • Be prepared to provide all of these: • Examples/conventions of the type of assignment (literature review, research paper, essay test, case study, pop quiz, etc.) • Formatting expectations • Encouraging e-mail/comments along the way.

15. Grading ESL/EFL Papers without Fear of Imminent Death (Yours or Theirs) • Ask for write-aheads (e-mail summaries, topics submitted ahead of time, outlines, etc.). • Read their papers as quickly as you can. If in doubt, ask them to summarize orally. Record them. Don’t bog down. • Keep a running outline of the paper in your head (or on paper) so you can discuss structure. • Note what’s interesting, unique, and creative. Praise it loudly. • Note what’s redundant, dull, or unnecessary. • Pay special attention to and be ready to explain the following: • Use of sources • Topic sentences • Transitions • Intro and conclusion

16. What To Do with ESL/EFL Grammar • Mark a sample paragraph. • Mark patterns of error. • Celebrate with your students when you understand fully. • Be prepared with explanations of the following: • Articles • Subject-verb agreement • Sentence order. • A few notes about Korean grammar: • It’s English in reverse—the subject and verb come last. • Subject/verb agreement is less important in Korean. • Expect problems with articles.

17. Some Final Notes • ESL students are generally VERY willing to learn. • ESL students need encouragement; when they do something right, praise them. • ESL students are looking for personal connections. • ESL students are looking for someone to make the U.S. more comprehensible to them. • Do your best to be entirely transparent, consistent, and fair. • Don’t hold ESL students to lower standards; give them the help they need to meet the standards you set.