Transcript From Elaboration to Collaboration: Understanding and

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?
 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
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
Terminology
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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
Second Language Acquisition
 Gradual process
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Years of study and practice
Exposure to target language
Not all skills develop simultaneously
Very fluent second-language learners will
have “accents” in writing
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
Second Language Acquisition
 Identity negotiation
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Language = self
Cultural affiliations
Multiple roles
Dynamic, shifting
L2 Writing Students
 Writing Processes (Compared to L1)
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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
L2 Writing Students
 Writing Processes
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Greater metalinguistic awareness
Broader perspective / experiences
Skilled at shifting roles and identities
Tacit knowledge about language usage
Familiarity with grammatical terms
L2 Writing Students
 Cultural Differences from L1
 Collectivist cultures: texts belong to
the group
 Different beliefs about documenting
sources
 Less emphasis on “originality”
L2 Writing Students
 Rhetorical Differences
 U.S. English: The writer is responsible
for communicating meaning
 Other languages: Readers bear more
responsibility for understanding texts
Responding to L2 Writers’ Texts
 Treatable errors—rule governed
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Subject-verb agreement
Verb tense
Verb formation
Word order
Singular/plural nouns
Articles
Responding to L2 Writers’ Texts
 Untreatable errors
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Inappropriate word choices
Idioms
Prepositions
Mass vs. countable
Articles
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
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
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
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?
Classroom Tips
 Writing Process
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Generation of ideas
Planning the document
Time to revise
Time to edit
Classroom Tips
 Rhetorical Concepts
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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)
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…)
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
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