In class, we were discussing the appropriateness of placing ESL students in Basic Writing courses. Of course, the situation of the ESL student is a difficult one, bound in culture and academic experiences, subjected to the placement system, and very delicate. However, in my opinion it's simply not that complicated. Many ESL students simply are not ready for a course that's made for native English speakers; some ESL students will never be ready for such a course, and if they're not ready, they're not ready. Certainly, there are some who are ready for Basic Writing and maybe even ENG 110, but we shouldn't forget that the Basic Writing course does not have the ESL student in mind. As we have read and discussed, the needs of the ESL student and those of the native English-speaking, Basic Writing student are different.
Looking from my experience with learning foreign languages and writing in them--I've studied six and taught EFL in France--I say without hesitation that a native speaker of any language, even a self-admitted bad writer of that language, has more power in that language than a non-native speaker. Nothing compares to native, intrinsic fluency, the comfort and ease of ones native language; it's something that a non-native speaker lacks and cannot make up for. I'm not saying, though, that non-native speakers cannot achieve great fluency. I have no doubt in my ability to communicate in, nor hindrance to create, fluent French, and I may write well in French, but my competence in French is limited because it isn't native. The grammar may be flawless, but it doesn't come naturally and I would not feel capable of taking a Basic Writing course in French that isn't designed to accommodate my non-native needs. Why should ESL students be expected to learn and grow as writers of English if the course isn't designed to suite their needs?
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It seems that all skills you begin to acquire as a child and continue to work on become your strengths as an adult. Your post made me think of skilled musicians who began to play as children. Most master musicians have played since they could first hold up their instruments. Perhaps the key to educating native-speaking basic writers is to have them begin writing as soon as possible. And I am sure that the younger ESL learners are when they begin to learn English, the more easily they refine their writing skills.
ReplyDeleteAnd I am sure that ESL learners who began writing in English at young age are those who could skip the Basic Writing course altogether.
ReplyDeleteYou are probably right. In most cases that is probably true. I wonder if there is any research on this somewhere.
ReplyDeleteI think you have the right idea.
ReplyDeleteI think schools often have the idea that the ESL student is hindered by some sort of lingusitic mismatch of home and school languages.
When in fact, it is the schools lack of undertanding of how second language acquisition is acquired that is the main culprit of the issue.
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ReplyDeleteI think it is very possible that ESL students would not be in the basic writing course if they have more writing experience at young age. I don't know about any research on this, but I know a school in Korea that has sent a number of students to Ivy League schools. All classes except for Korean classes are offered in English.
ReplyDeleteFor the question at the end, I don't think many people in academia have the same level of expectations for ESL students as they have for traditional students. The only reason for English learners in the basic writing course may be just that they do not have a choice. If there is a writing course for them, there's no reason for them to sit in the course for traditional students unless they want to experience the diversity and the challenge.