1 Multilingual Writing Students: Opportunities and Challenges Kate Mangelsdorf Evelyn Posey October 20, 2010

2 Who are Multilingual Writers?  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 Multilingual Writers?  U.S. resident/immigrant/heritage language students (Generation 1.5)  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  ELL = English Language Learner  ESL = English as a Second Language  Bilingual, multilingual Terminology inadequate for language dynamics

Multilingual Student Writers...  Help us understand the globalized world  Prepare L1 students for the global workforce 5

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  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

8 Second Language Acquisition  Identity negotiation Language = self Cultural affiliations Multiple roles Dynamic, shifting English is colonizing language

9 L2 Writing Students  Writing Processes (Compared to L1) Spend less time planning Produce shorter texts Spend more time revising Focus more on grammar Worry more Take more time to write Take more time to read

10 L2 Writing Students  Writing Processes Greater metalinguistic awareness Broader perspective / experiences Skilled at shifting roles and identities Tacit knowledge about language usage Familiar with grammatical terms

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

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

Teaching Strategies  Writing Assignments  Vocabulary  Commenting on student writing 13

14 Teaching Strategies Creating Writing Assignments Describe audience expectations Explain how to structure the text Suggest headings and subheadings, when appropriate Show how to cite and document Give examples Define your terms (i.e., faculty often define “analysis” differently)

15 Teaching Strategies  Vocabulary Give examples of words and phrases that will be used in specific assignments Write out terms Give examples of formulaic academic language (e.g., according to …, it is well known that…, as previous research has shown …, other scholars have noted …) Refer students to English Learners’ Dictionary

16 Teaching Strategies Responding to Student Writing Respond to content as well as form Be positive When focusing on errors, look for patterns

17 Teaching Strategies  “Treatable” errors—rule governed Subject-verb agreement Verb tense Verb formation Word order Singular/plural nouns Articles

18 Teaching Strategies  “Less treatable” errors Inappropriate word choices Idioms Prepositions Count vs. noncount nouns (apple = count, advice = noncount) Articles

19 Teaching Strategies  Direct feedback Instructor provides the correction for the student  Indirect feedback Instructor indicates an error has been made but the student makes the correction

20 Teaching Strategies  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 (indicate an error in margin, ask student to correct) Direct feedback effective for less treatable errors Offer explicit comments Dana Ferris, Response to Student Writing: Implications for Second Language Students (Routledge, 2003)

Teaching L2 Students Compared to L1 Students  More varied input of the target language  More modeling of language and structures Suggest thesis sentences, topic sentences, transitions, word groups  More focus on vocabulary Model lexical phrases and language chunks 21

Technology and L2 Writers - Overview  Why use technology  Available tools  Collaborative learning  Acceleration of student progress  How to do it better

Why Use Technology with L2 Writers  Accessibility 24/7  A sense of writing community  Focused reading and writing  Consistent and customized feedback  Mastery of linguistic features  Target language approximation

Why Not to Use Technology  Not available to all  Can be expensive  Rapid change in knowledge base  Lack of good instructional design  Perception that it creates hurdles for L2 writers

Critical Literacy  Language is subject of classroom  Examination of literacies in various settings  Race, gender, class issues

Online Learning: Technology  Asynchronous tools Announcements Discussion boards Tech support

Online Learning: Technology  Synchronous tools Live chat Instant message White boards Who’s online

Collaborative Learning  Past Experience Small group interactions Peer reviews  Innovation Clustered classes Stanford’s Cross-cultural Rhetoric Project

Technology and Collaboration  Innovation Blogs, Wikis, Social media sites

Technology and Acceleration  Past Experience Online writing labs Grammar exercises  Innovation mycomplab

How to Do It Even Better  Meaningful goals and objectives  Learning by doing  Extensive feedback  Expert models  Judicial use of multimedia  Sharing best practices

Contact us Kate Mangelsdorf Evelyn Posey