For the Article Review Assignment, I have chosen two articles from the Journal of Basic Writing to consider. I have included their abstracts here.
Teaching Multilingual Learners Across the Curriculum: Beyond the ESOL Classroom and Back Again
Vivian Zamel and Ruth Spack
Abstract: Language and literacy are situated in specific classroom contexts and are acquired as students engage with the subject matter and tasks of these courses. Therefore, all faculty--not just those who teach courses devoted to teaching English to speakers of other languages (ESOL)--are responsible for contributing to multicultural students' acquisition of language and literacy. Drawing on qualitative research studies, including first-hand accounts of students and faculty who discuss their expectations and experiences in undergraduate courses across the curriculum, this article explores how faculty can facilitate the learning of multilingual students. Analyzing a variety of pedagogical strategies that faculty across disciplines have enacted in their own teaching, we find comfirmation for our theory that when writing is assigned for the purpose of fostering learning, and when instructors provide supportive feedback in response to what students have written, writing can serve as a powerful means for promoting language acquisition. Significantly, this across-the-curriculum research indicates that when faculty transform their pedagogy to meet the needs of ESOL students, all students benefit. This research also has critical implications for the philosophical and pedagogical perspectives that bear on ESOL teaching.
Building Academic Literacy from Student Strength: An Interdisciplinary Life History Project
Robin Murie, Molly Rojas Collins, and Daniel F. Detzner
Abstract: U.S. high school graduate students for whom the home language is not English run the risk of inadequate preparation for the rigors of higher education. Whether this poor preparation is the result of disruptions caused by the transition to a new country/language/culture, or of a watered-down high school curriculum that reacts to language error but does not always help the student develop a rich academic literacy, there is a need for courses and assignments that acknowledge the strengths of multilingual writers and that build fluency and academic literacy in ways that allow students to make meaningful connections with the college curriculum. This article describes a pilot ethnographic research course, Life History Project, designed in collaboration with a professor in Family Social Science and two ESL basic writing instructors.
Zamel, Vivian and Spack, Ruth. "Teaching Multilingual Learners Across the Curriculum: Beyond the ESOL Classroom and Back Again." Journal of Basic Writing (JBW) 2006 Fall; 25 (2): 126-152
Murie, Robin, Collins, Molly Rojas, and Detzner, Daniel F. "Building Academic Literacy from Student Strength: An Interdisciplinary Life History Project." Journal of Basic Writing (JBW) 2004; 23 (2): 70-91
Monday, January 26, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Defining Literacy
While reading the first chapter of The Way Literacy Lives, a passage in the text reminded me of a similar situation which I once found myself in. Here, Carter tells of the parent who bemoans her daughter's reading: her daughter reads a lot, but nothing "worthwhile."
In 2006 I had the privilege of spending a semester in Switerland at the University of Bern. I chose to stay with a family whose four children I tutored in English. It seemed that the eldest son, Clemens, was having the roughest time finding his niche in reading in English. Knowing that I would tutor the children, I had brought a few books that I had liked at 14 with the boys in mind: The Giver; A Separate Peace; The Catcher in the Rye; etc. We started reading. Clemens had a knack for reading in English, though his mind always seemed to be somewhere else. I knew that he was bored, but what student isn't bored during tutoring? Despite Clemens' reading skills, he finally told me that he hated the books I chose to read. He told me this half-way through reading my beloved John Knowles. Dumbfounded, I tried to explain that his parents wanted us to read books, literature. He looked back at me heavily. Before our next lesson, I rethought Clemens. He was always reading comic books--thick, 200-pagers. To me, comic books seemed childish, far from the literature a 14 year-old should strive for. Nonetheless, I knew that I had to accomodate Clemens' literacy. I found an English bookstore where I bought the only graphic novel I knew: V for Vendetta. Clemens was thrilled to see that book and didn't want to wait until the next lesson to read on. From that point on--with graphic novels--reading sessions were much more enjoyable and I knew he was taking something from the experience.
Making a connection with Carter's lesson on Defining Literacy, I realize that by switching the readings to graphic novels I recognized Clemens' literate practices, which was needed. Before that, I was defining his literacy, as Carter would say, by my own associations--those which told me that comic books are childish and "worthless." I broke away from the content fetish and went to his level, allowing Clemens a better chance to enjoy reading in English.
In 2006 I had the privilege of spending a semester in Switerland at the University of Bern. I chose to stay with a family whose four children I tutored in English. It seemed that the eldest son, Clemens, was having the roughest time finding his niche in reading in English. Knowing that I would tutor the children, I had brought a few books that I had liked at 14 with the boys in mind: The Giver; A Separate Peace; The Catcher in the Rye; etc. We started reading. Clemens had a knack for reading in English, though his mind always seemed to be somewhere else. I knew that he was bored, but what student isn't bored during tutoring? Despite Clemens' reading skills, he finally told me that he hated the books I chose to read. He told me this half-way through reading my beloved John Knowles. Dumbfounded, I tried to explain that his parents wanted us to read books, literature. He looked back at me heavily. Before our next lesson, I rethought Clemens. He was always reading comic books--thick, 200-pagers. To me, comic books seemed childish, far from the literature a 14 year-old should strive for. Nonetheless, I knew that I had to accomodate Clemens' literacy. I found an English bookstore where I bought the only graphic novel I knew: V for Vendetta. Clemens was thrilled to see that book and didn't want to wait until the next lesson to read on. From that point on--with graphic novels--reading sessions were much more enjoyable and I knew he was taking something from the experience.
Making a connection with Carter's lesson on Defining Literacy, I realize that by switching the readings to graphic novels I recognized Clemens' literate practices, which was needed. Before that, I was defining his literacy, as Carter would say, by my own associations--those which told me that comic books are childish and "worthless." I broke away from the content fetish and went to his level, allowing Clemens a better chance to enjoy reading in English.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Bartholomae article
Has anyone been able to find a copy of the Bartholomae article? I've searched google with no luck. The library does not have the Journal of Basic Writing before 2001.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Defining Basic Writing
Basic Writing is something that I am going to define loosely this evening. In my mind, there are two ways to define Basic Writing. One is the way the student would define it; the other the way the instructor would. Since I am currently neither the student nor the instructor, I'll be the fence-straddler and look into both sides.
As a student, I didn't have a problem with the English 101 course; I took it as a high school junior. I saw my sister struggle through the course and tried to help her, though her formal writing style seemed so different from my own that I soon thought it pointless to offer pointers. She, as so many students I would imagine, just doesn't like to write papers. It's that simple. They might define Basic Writing as a must-take course in which they take no pleasure. They might find it purposeless, a waste.
As I mentioned in the previous post, some of my instructor's experience was in France, teaching English comp. and lit. courses to BACC-bound high school students. From that grand experience, I saw Basic Writing in English more as a battle to be fought than a course to be taught. As an instructor there, I had to fight for the right of my language to be forced upon French youth. I gave that battle up quickly.
For the sake of my continuing education, I'm going to say that I would like to find a new definition of Basic Writing.
As a student, I didn't have a problem with the English 101 course; I took it as a high school junior. I saw my sister struggle through the course and tried to help her, though her formal writing style seemed so different from my own that I soon thought it pointless to offer pointers. She, as so many students I would imagine, just doesn't like to write papers. It's that simple. They might define Basic Writing as a must-take course in which they take no pleasure. They might find it purposeless, a waste.
As I mentioned in the previous post, some of my instructor's experience was in France, teaching English comp. and lit. courses to BACC-bound high school students. From that grand experience, I saw Basic Writing in English more as a battle to be fought than a course to be taught. As an instructor there, I had to fight for the right of my language to be forced upon French youth. I gave that battle up quickly.
For the sake of my continuing education, I'm going to say that I would like to find a new definition of Basic Writing.
Professor X
Has no one understood Professor X's person? He is ADJUNCT! Underpaid; burnt-out. He has taken on a second job and feels this defeat. He is frustrated with the system.
Ms. L was a force in his plight. Reread the passages about his situation with that student. She never showed a sign of steadfast effort. She changed her ideas and topic constantly even after asking the instructor's advice, which he gave consistantly. Granted, their hap about the computer could have been dealt better with. However, I can understand his loss of patience. Let's not forget that the purpose of a basic writing course is to prepare students for writing papers in college, something that is not done today without computers. It isn't the instructor's problem if a student knows nothing about computers. This instructor did his job simply by pointing her towards sources which could help her with her problem. He did his job; full stop.
Looking back on my experience with teaching BACC-preparatory English comp. and lit. in France to high school seniors, I understand Professor X's troubles. Those were students who had no choice in their learning a foreign language and being expected to churn out explications of texts in that language. Their entire entry into university depended on their BACC scores. Not only did they have to master writing in their own language but they had to do it in a second, as well. I have little sympathy for American students in regards to the academic demands placed upon them. I do, however, commiserate deeply with the adjunct —underpaid, burnt-out, frustrated.
Ms. L was a force in his plight. Reread the passages about his situation with that student. She never showed a sign of steadfast effort. She changed her ideas and topic constantly even after asking the instructor's advice, which he gave consistantly. Granted, their hap about the computer could have been dealt better with. However, I can understand his loss of patience. Let's not forget that the purpose of a basic writing course is to prepare students for writing papers in college, something that is not done today without computers. It isn't the instructor's problem if a student knows nothing about computers. This instructor did his job simply by pointing her towards sources which could help her with her problem. He did his job; full stop.
Looking back on my experience with teaching BACC-preparatory English comp. and lit. in France to high school seniors, I understand Professor X's troubles. Those were students who had no choice in their learning a foreign language and being expected to churn out explications of texts in that language. Their entire entry into university depended on their BACC scores. Not only did they have to master writing in their own language but they had to do it in a second, as well. I have little sympathy for American students in regards to the academic demands placed upon them. I do, however, commiserate deeply with the adjunct —underpaid, burnt-out, frustrated.
Monday, January 12, 2009
12. January, 2009. The Semester's Beginning; Thoughts on a Blogtitle.
As you'll soon understand, I have never kept a blog before. Please keep in mind that patience is a virtue.
For classmates struck addled by my blog's title, I will explain.
I have a deep love, as many of us probably have, for our English language. Its fullness; its rhythm; its beautiful comfort. What I love more than today's Modern English, that is, where English has ended up, is where English began: Old English. It is bewitchingly real to me; so much stonger than Modern English which hardly looks like its forebearer. I find it a great shame that we have lost English so much of its hearty, meaningful Germanic stock only in favor of weaker Romance loanwords. Old English has so much wealth, much of which we have forgone, but it's still wholly ours.
The blogtitle is easy. You may have guessed that Michaeles means Michael's. The second word is slightly trickier, and rightly so —it shows off the ever-useful, Germanic word-building tool: compounding. Ymbe is a preposition meaning here something close to about or along. þanc means a thought; put the two together and we have the notion of a serious thought about something -or the loanword reflection. Ærn is a space; any space. Altogether, we have an "about-thought-space." Beautiful.
As you'll soon understand, I have never kept a blog before. Please keep in mind that patience is a virtue.
For classmates struck addled by my blog's title, I will explain.
I have a deep love, as many of us probably have, for our English language. Its fullness; its rhythm; its beautiful comfort. What I love more than today's Modern English, that is, where English has ended up, is where English began: Old English. It is bewitchingly real to me; so much stonger than Modern English which hardly looks like its forebearer. I find it a great shame that we have lost English so much of its hearty, meaningful Germanic stock only in favor of weaker Romance loanwords. Old English has so much wealth, much of which we have forgone, but it's still wholly ours.
The blogtitle is easy. You may have guessed that Michaeles means Michael's. The second word is slightly trickier, and rightly so —it shows off the ever-useful, Germanic word-building tool: compounding. Ymbe is a preposition meaning here something close to about or along. þanc means a thought; put the two together and we have the notion of a serious thought about something -or the loanword reflection. Ærn is a space; any space. Altogether, we have an "about-thought-space." Beautiful.
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