Reading Helen Fox’s Listening to the World has been a challenging experience for me. I don’t mean that I’m having a hard time getting through the text, but that it is genuinely challenging me as I read. Writing from a personal perspective, rather than more academic/objective position, Fox invites her readers to see and feel things the way she does. I feel like I’m making the same realizations and having my eyes opened in the same way. Her approach is an effective one, and seems to emulate the context-rich style that many of her students favor. Other academics have written on this subject, but it took Fox’s personal anecdotes to really drive home the difficulties faced by ESL students. It’s one thing to talk about the implicit cultural bias that manifests itself in professors’ (and tutors’) corrections of student text. It’s another thing entirely to make the reader aware of how they themselves are guilty of that same bias.
Reading about Surya’s difficulties, I felt like I had been punched in the stomach. If even the well-intentioned criticism of caring professors felt like “a blow to the head,” how might my own criticism have made ESL students feel? Have I contributed to their feelings of frustration and embarrassment? I can only hope that my suggestions don’t come off as condescending or arrogant. I’m well aware that I can become frustrated when I can’t get an ESL student to understand how part of their text might be confusing. Even though we are communicating in the same language, it feels like there’s an insurmountable barrier to understanding between us. My frustration is with myself, because I feel like I’m failing them as a tutor. But what if they pick up on my frustration, and think that I’m frustrated with them? Or that I blame them for not understanding? Do they think I think they’re stupid? Have I made people resent me? Fox’s goal was to get her readers to re-evaluate their approaches to working with ESL students, but she couldn’t have predicted the deluge of self-doubt that I’m experiencing.
When I have a session with an ESL student, my focus is on the text at hand. Whether I’m addressing HOCs or LOCs, the writing has my attention. Reading Fox has gotten me to start thinking beyond that. How many students have I worked with that were facing these internal crises, and I completely missed it? As part of the system that seeks to shape their writing, I’m contributing to their stress. What is my responsibility, as a tutor, to ease this burden? What can I do? Even if I take an accommodationist approach, I can’t guarantee their professor’s reaction to stylistic differences in their writing. If being sensitive to cultural differences in writing styles ends up hurting their grade, I doubt they would be any happier than if I pushed them to “conform” to the American academic style. How can we get professors to work with us and with ESL students to find a path that facilitates communication while respecting cultural differences? This problem is so daunting and I feel so insignificant. What can I do to make a difference?
Friday, October 24, 2008
Lately I have been finding myself frusterated with reading theory on how to tutor, and I just want to start tutoring. That being said I think I will begin my co-consulting/ primary consulting next week.
The most recent article that we have read was by Fox and illustrated many interessting points. The most resounding point for me was one that I feel we have already talked relatively extensively about. It was the concept and issues surrounding tutoring ELL writers. The main argument is that ELL writers bring aspects of their native culture, that may be different from American culture, into their academic writing. These cultural differences can feel strange to American readers and ENS tutors are often quick to focus on the differences brought about by the language devide. Of course I agree that all academic papers do not have to perfectly fit into the mode of American academic papers. However, I still feel it is authoritarian of the American tutor to choose to overlook certain aspect of a non native speakers paper that seem foreign or uncomfortable. The vast majority, if not all, of the clients that enter MSU's writing center are there to improve the grade that they may get on their assingment. Therefor, how can a tutor willing choose to overlook an aspect of a paper that the paper's grader may not choose to overlook.
It is the turor's job to assist with the client's paper how ever the client may feel is necessary (within reason, of course). The tutor has a responsibility to mention aspects of the writer's paper that may catch the eyes of another another reader, but the final decision of what is submitted in the paper is entirely up to the writer.
The most recent article that we have read was by Fox and illustrated many interessting points. The most resounding point for me was one that I feel we have already talked relatively extensively about. It was the concept and issues surrounding tutoring ELL writers. The main argument is that ELL writers bring aspects of their native culture, that may be different from American culture, into their academic writing. These cultural differences can feel strange to American readers and ENS tutors are often quick to focus on the differences brought about by the language devide. Of course I agree that all academic papers do not have to perfectly fit into the mode of American academic papers. However, I still feel it is authoritarian of the American tutor to choose to overlook certain aspect of a non native speakers paper that seem foreign or uncomfortable. The vast majority, if not all, of the clients that enter MSU's writing center are there to improve the grade that they may get on their assingment. Therefor, how can a tutor willing choose to overlook an aspect of a paper that the paper's grader may not choose to overlook.
It is the turor's job to assist with the client's paper how ever the client may feel is necessary (within reason, of course). The tutor has a responsibility to mention aspects of the writer's paper that may catch the eyes of another another reader, but the final decision of what is submitted in the paper is entirely up to the writer.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Frustrations, Fox, and Falderal
I am having difficulty understanding why ESL writers have so many problems with the English language. I feel like my Westernized bringing up is binding. Is it enough to know that the differences exist? I get frustrated because of the cultural barrier. There are so many contradictions present when NES tutor ESL students and other things we talked about on Wednesday, so I am going to rant about a few things I do not understand from Helen Fox.
#1 - ESL students do not always want to change their style of thought and the way they write to fit American ideals.
ESL students do not come to America share their culture with the U.S. What can they possibly share with us that we haven't seen before? This is THE MELTING POT. We've got people from everywhere, and anyone who has been here long enough has pretty much assimilated into the Western style of thought and writing. Hence the popular Melting Pot, so symbolic of our culture. Society rejects non-conformists - I learned that in my IAH class last year. And yet some ESL students are not willing to open themselves up to this mindset because they don't want to lose their culture or change the way they think or act. Honestly, change should be an expected byproduct of coming to a foreign land. You become immersed into their customs, common sayings, and the way they think. I know this same process would happen to me if I went to a foreign country for a long time - ESL students should just accept the differences and, as bad as it sounds, start assimilating to a degree.
#2 - ESL students are not used to directive thinking.
This is definitely a product of my Westernized mindset. How can someone not just know how to get to the point? Stop beating around the bush? Go for the gold? Aim for the target? Stop going in circles and say it! Sure, sometimes I go off on tangents, and sometimes I get a little off topic. Sometimes I even drop subtle hints into what I am saying, occasionally for the reader's enjoyment. But it is so hard for me to accept that students do not know how to directly say what they want to say. ESL writers should start learning, as soon as possible, that we:
- assume the writer knows nothing
- get straight to the point early on in the paper
- show support and evidence, specifically citing legitimate sources
And if they do not accept these ways of thinking, then they simply are not going to do well at MSU...right?
#3 - Classes in the thousands level exist at MSU.
Wednesday was the first time I'd ever heard of these basic, basic writing classes. Are they for people who barely speak English? Or students who have just done so poorly in their writing classes in high school that they could not place into the Introductory writing course in their freshman year? Or merely someone who wants to go back to the basic skills of reading and writing - active reading, forming sentences, etc.? How can you attend an English university, in a country that only speaks English, while taking classes with professors who speak English, and pretty much not being able to function without speaking English? Why would a basic writing class exists at a university like Michigan State? I checked the enrollment on it too, for Fall semester. There is a TON of students enrolled in it! The average GPA at MSU is a 3.4 or something. Does that include their previous writing classes? When you come to an institution of higher education, are you not expected to already have these basic components under your belt?
I guess I could excuse WRA 1000 something's existence for students who come to study at MSU who have never been exposed to English writing styles before. But even then, why would they be coming to America so blindly? I can't see the logic in coming to a country that speaks in an unintelligible language and whose reasoning does not make sense to you.
These are such petty things, I know. I feel like a horrible person when they are just laid out like that. I feel constrained by my Westernized ways of thinking now, though. I am frustrated by my inability to see other's points of view. Or could this be discomfort and unwillingness from attempting to cross cultural boundaries that are not considered my norm?
#1 - ESL students do not always want to change their style of thought and the way they write to fit American ideals.
ESL students do not come to America share their culture with the U.S. What can they possibly share with us that we haven't seen before? This is THE MELTING POT. We've got people from everywhere, and anyone who has been here long enough has pretty much assimilated into the Western style of thought and writing. Hence the popular Melting Pot, so symbolic of our culture. Society rejects non-conformists - I learned that in my IAH class last year. And yet some ESL students are not willing to open themselves up to this mindset because they don't want to lose their culture or change the way they think or act. Honestly, change should be an expected byproduct of coming to a foreign land. You become immersed into their customs, common sayings, and the way they think. I know this same process would happen to me if I went to a foreign country for a long time - ESL students should just accept the differences and, as bad as it sounds, start assimilating to a degree.
#2 - ESL students are not used to directive thinking.
This is definitely a product of my Westernized mindset. How can someone not just know how to get to the point? Stop beating around the bush? Go for the gold? Aim for the target? Stop going in circles and say it! Sure, sometimes I go off on tangents, and sometimes I get a little off topic. Sometimes I even drop subtle hints into what I am saying, occasionally for the reader's enjoyment. But it is so hard for me to accept that students do not know how to directly say what they want to say. ESL writers should start learning, as soon as possible, that we:
- assume the writer knows nothing
- get straight to the point early on in the paper
- show support and evidence, specifically citing legitimate sources
And if they do not accept these ways of thinking, then they simply are not going to do well at MSU...right?
#3 - Classes in the thousands level exist at MSU.
Wednesday was the first time I'd ever heard of these basic, basic writing classes. Are they for people who barely speak English? Or students who have just done so poorly in their writing classes in high school that they could not place into the Introductory writing course in their freshman year? Or merely someone who wants to go back to the basic skills of reading and writing - active reading, forming sentences, etc.? How can you attend an English university, in a country that only speaks English, while taking classes with professors who speak English, and pretty much not being able to function without speaking English? Why would a basic writing class exists at a university like Michigan State? I checked the enrollment on it too, for Fall semester. There is a TON of students enrolled in it! The average GPA at MSU is a 3.4 or something. Does that include their previous writing classes? When you come to an institution of higher education, are you not expected to already have these basic components under your belt?
I guess I could excuse WRA 1000 something's existence for students who come to study at MSU who have never been exposed to English writing styles before. But even then, why would they be coming to America so blindly? I can't see the logic in coming to a country that speaks in an unintelligible language and whose reasoning does not make sense to you.
These are such petty things, I know. I feel like a horrible person when they are just laid out like that. I feel constrained by my Westernized ways of thinking now, though. I am frustrated by my inability to see other's points of view. Or could this be discomfort and unwillingness from attempting to cross cultural boundaries that are not considered my norm?
Observations 1 and 2 and First session as client
(Sorry this has taken so long Trixie, I've had the notes forever, but God help me, I'm the laziest person in the world)
Observation 1
This was my first ever observation and it was, not surprisingly, dealing with an ESL student. This was the first time I witnessed the conflict between the mantra that "we make better writers, not better papers" and the reality of dealing with ESL students that often request a more authoritarian tutoring.
The session was relatively simple, though the assignment was quite strange. The young woman was required to write about herself but do so by hand and on a single sheet of paper. Regardless, she requested help with her grammar. The tutor, despite what I had learned up to that time, took control of the writing and dealt directly with the grammar. While this isn't exactly what we are taught to do, I do not think this was necessarily the worst thing that could have been done. At each point the tutor described exactly why the grammar was incorrect, and made certain that the client understood why the changes were being made. While that may not have been the best approach, I think it could have been much worse.
Observation 2
The second session I observed was a bit more complicated, and much more interesting. Although he was an ESL student, he came in desiring help with higher order concerns. It was a strange session for me because the previous session I had observed dealt entirely with grammar and the meaning was difficult to ascertain. Here though, it was strange, because I understood completely what the writer was saying. His paper was set up perfectly as far as logical flow is concerned. Despite some grammar issues, I knew what he was writing about and what his argument was.
Again, what he truly needed help with was his grammar. Unfortunately the only way to teach him was by walking him through his paper and helping him come up with different ways of saying things. Ultimately, when this is required, it isn't a satisfying session. It is more enjoyable, I think, to help clients with their higher order concerns and it feels great when you are able to tell them, as the tutor was with this client, that their paper is logical and flows well.
Client Session
My session as a client offered a difficulty that I've faced a few times in my own sessions. That is, understanding what the writer is talking about. By that I mean the actual subject of the paper. My paper was about the French Revolution and was only a few pages long. The difficulty was that intended audience. The majority of papers by undergraduates in college are written for a generic audience who doesn't know a great deal about the subject. My Professor instructed me to write this paper to him, rather than an uninformed audience. We were to assume that the reader was already knowledgeable of the French Revolution.
I think this made it difficult for my tutor to deal with my paper at first. However, I think this was ultimately a good thing for the session. Because of this we were able to focus directly on the writing of the paper. Although this is difficult at first because I think we are inclined as tutors to try to get an understanding of the subject before we help consult.
Observation 1
This was my first ever observation and it was, not surprisingly, dealing with an ESL student. This was the first time I witnessed the conflict between the mantra that "we make better writers, not better papers" and the reality of dealing with ESL students that often request a more authoritarian tutoring.
The session was relatively simple, though the assignment was quite strange. The young woman was required to write about herself but do so by hand and on a single sheet of paper. Regardless, she requested help with her grammar. The tutor, despite what I had learned up to that time, took control of the writing and dealt directly with the grammar. While this isn't exactly what we are taught to do, I do not think this was necessarily the worst thing that could have been done. At each point the tutor described exactly why the grammar was incorrect, and made certain that the client understood why the changes were being made. While that may not have been the best approach, I think it could have been much worse.
Observation 2
The second session I observed was a bit more complicated, and much more interesting. Although he was an ESL student, he came in desiring help with higher order concerns. It was a strange session for me because the previous session I had observed dealt entirely with grammar and the meaning was difficult to ascertain. Here though, it was strange, because I understood completely what the writer was saying. His paper was set up perfectly as far as logical flow is concerned. Despite some grammar issues, I knew what he was writing about and what his argument was.
Again, what he truly needed help with was his grammar. Unfortunately the only way to teach him was by walking him through his paper and helping him come up with different ways of saying things. Ultimately, when this is required, it isn't a satisfying session. It is more enjoyable, I think, to help clients with their higher order concerns and it feels great when you are able to tell them, as the tutor was with this client, that their paper is logical and flows well.
Client Session
My session as a client offered a difficulty that I've faced a few times in my own sessions. That is, understanding what the writer is talking about. By that I mean the actual subject of the paper. My paper was about the French Revolution and was only a few pages long. The difficulty was that intended audience. The majority of papers by undergraduates in college are written for a generic audience who doesn't know a great deal about the subject. My Professor instructed me to write this paper to him, rather than an uninformed audience. We were to assume that the reader was already knowledgeable of the French Revolution.
I think this made it difficult for my tutor to deal with my paper at first. However, I think this was ultimately a good thing for the session. Because of this we were able to focus directly on the writing of the paper. Although this is difficult at first because I think we are inclined as tutors to try to get an understanding of the subject before we help consult.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Fox- Listening to the World
Reading the Chapters from Fox has opened my eyes to quite a few things. I was unaware how different writing styles are taught and used across different cultures, especially when comparing an individualistic culture and a collectivist culture. One aspect that really fascinated me was the idea that students from other cultures appear to overgeneralize. They do not seem to understand why they must specifically explain and support their content with details.
To these students, they are simply communicating more subltly and respectively. They do not clearly support their arguments because they may not want to undermind a teachers intelligent. I found this really interesting. It seems the student is assuming a level of intelligence of their audience and feel a need to respect such a position.
I have taken a second language before and found writing simple 1-2 page papers difficult. I struggle with tenses and grammar. I can not fathom how one person could change their entire way of thinking and composing just to please a different audience. One story in Fox's book was about a girl who claimed it didn't feel right to change her words. She felt the more individualized form of writing Americans practice was forced upon her. Think, writing, and composing come so natural to me that I could not understand how to possibly alter it as drastically as it seems these students are asked to do. I am glad to have been given such insight from these students. Being raised from birth in an indvidualistic culture has not taught me to consider these ways of writing.
To these students, they are simply communicating more subltly and respectively. They do not clearly support their arguments because they may not want to undermind a teachers intelligent. I found this really interesting. It seems the student is assuming a level of intelligence of their audience and feel a need to respect such a position.
I have taken a second language before and found writing simple 1-2 page papers difficult. I struggle with tenses and grammar. I can not fathom how one person could change their entire way of thinking and composing just to please a different audience. One story in Fox's book was about a girl who claimed it didn't feel right to change her words. She felt the more individualized form of writing Americans practice was forced upon her. Think, writing, and composing come so natural to me that I could not understand how to possibly alter it as drastically as it seems these students are asked to do. I am glad to have been given such insight from these students. Being raised from birth in an indvidualistic culture has not taught me to consider these ways of writing.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Tutoring
Turing 4:
In my fourth tutoring session I got a client who came in and said to me "I've been here already and done all that other stuff so now I'm here just for grammar." I tried to kindly explain to him that we don't just do grammar but that I could point out reoccurring problems as we went through the paper while also looking at "the other stuff". He reiterated that he didn't want help with that, he just wanted me to look at his grammar and fix it. That's where I sighed and just started to go through the paper with him. He had this weird thing with putting (his own voice) in a style like that. I pointed out that you could use either a semi-colon or a colon depending on the circumstance. He asked what the difference was between them so on the side of his page I drew a diagram of the different types of punctuation. I only saw about two or three grammar mistakes, it sort of bewildered me that he had come in with this demand for grammar help when he obviously didn't need that much help with it. All he had to do was go through the paper on his own and he probably would have caught those mistakes. It was sort of a tense session and I was relieved when it was over.
Tutoring 5:
In my fifth tutoring session I had a student come in with a research paper. He told me he had spoken with his professor and she had told him that he need to limit the amount of cited facts he was putting into each paragraph. He asked me for advice on what to cut and how to cut out the information without leaving the paragraphs choppy.His paper was on comparing the political careers of our current presidential candidates. When we got to the first paragraph I was fairly alarmed. I started by suggesting that he take out certain unimportant information and also deleting the in depth details that he didn't need and were just adding length to the paragraph not support. Then I started to approach the fact that he didn't really have an argument in the paragraph that he was trying to support. He just had a lot of information about McCain's military career. I asked him what the paragraph was supposed to be arguing and he said he was really just trying to talk about McCain's military experience. I pointed out to him that by doing so he was just retelling fact after fact from whatever website he had gone to and that there was no "him" in the paragraph, he was never pointing out his own interesting view in the paper. We spent twenty minutes trying to figure out a better way to write the first paragraph. After that I tried to just focus on broad ideas that he could use in each of his paragraphs because it was obvious to me that this paper was not at all ready to be turned in. It was all cited facts and no new and interesting view points which are usually what teachers are looking for in a research paper, and according to his assignment sheet this was no exception.
In my fourth tutoring session I got a client who came in and said to me "I've been here already and done all that other stuff so now I'm here just for grammar." I tried to kindly explain to him that we don't just do grammar but that I could point out reoccurring problems as we went through the paper while also looking at "the other stuff". He reiterated that he didn't want help with that, he just wanted me to look at his grammar and fix it. That's where I sighed and just started to go through the paper with him. He had this weird thing with putting (his own voice) in a style like that. I pointed out that you could use either a semi-colon or a colon depending on the circumstance. He asked what the difference was between them so on the side of his page I drew a diagram of the different types of punctuation. I only saw about two or three grammar mistakes, it sort of bewildered me that he had come in with this demand for grammar help when he obviously didn't need that much help with it. All he had to do was go through the paper on his own and he probably would have caught those mistakes. It was sort of a tense session and I was relieved when it was over.
Tutoring 5:
In my fifth tutoring session I had a student come in with a research paper. He told me he had spoken with his professor and she had told him that he need to limit the amount of cited facts he was putting into each paragraph. He asked me for advice on what to cut and how to cut out the information without leaving the paragraphs choppy.His paper was on comparing the political careers of our current presidential candidates. When we got to the first paragraph I was fairly alarmed. I started by suggesting that he take out certain unimportant information and also deleting the in depth details that he didn't need and were just adding length to the paragraph not support. Then I started to approach the fact that he didn't really have an argument in the paragraph that he was trying to support. He just had a lot of information about McCain's military career. I asked him what the paragraph was supposed to be arguing and he said he was really just trying to talk about McCain's military experience. I pointed out to him that by doing so he was just retelling fact after fact from whatever website he had gone to and that there was no "him" in the paragraph, he was never pointing out his own interesting view in the paper. We spent twenty minutes trying to figure out a better way to write the first paragraph. After that I tried to just focus on broad ideas that he could use in each of his paragraphs because it was obvious to me that this paper was not at all ready to be turned in. It was all cited facts and no new and interesting view points which are usually what teachers are looking for in a research paper, and according to his assignment sheet this was no exception.
Observation #4
Going through my notes, I found my observations on a session from a month ago. The assignment the student brought in to work on was a “précis,” which the consultant and I were both unfamiliar with. My first reaction to the situation was to be intimidated, but the consultant took it in stride. Fortunately, the student also brought in the assignment sheet, which the consultant used to understand the format. For me, this emphasized the importance of having the actual instructions when trying to interpret the professor’s intent. The consultant then asked the student to explain what he thought the assignment was about. This had several uses. First, the student was forced to think critically about the assignment objectives, clarifying them in his own mind. Second, the consultant gained further insight about the nature of the assignment. Third, the consultant could compare his own interpretation of the instructions with the student’s understanding, and see how closely the two matched up. After this brief discussion, the consultant concluded that a “précis” was essentially a summary, which was a genre he was familiar with. I was impressed with how smoothly he handled himself, rather than panicking, which would have been my initial response. Like any good consultant, he adapted quickly to the situation, doing his best to meet the client’s needs.
Part of the consultant’s strategy involved sticking to broad, conceptual comments, rather than using concrete, specific examples. He advised the student about how best to conform to the genre, based on his own related experiences. Throughout the session, the two of them sat leaning over their copies of the paper, making notes as necessary. I was surprised by the amount of give-and-take in this session, compared to ones I had previously observed. The student didn’t passively accept the consultant’s advice just because he was the “expert.” He actively questioned the consultant’s suggestions, not because he was being contrary, but because he wanted to understand the consultant’s reasoning. The student was invested in making his writing as effective as possible and that came through in his behavior. By the end of the session, the student seemed pleased with the progress that had been made. The consultant explained that sometimes you get sessions like that, where you aren’t familiar with the format. That best you can do is to make use of the resources available in the Writing Center and try to use your own experiences as a guide.
Part of the consultant’s strategy involved sticking to broad, conceptual comments, rather than using concrete, specific examples. He advised the student about how best to conform to the genre, based on his own related experiences. Throughout the session, the two of them sat leaning over their copies of the paper, making notes as necessary. I was surprised by the amount of give-and-take in this session, compared to ones I had previously observed. The student didn’t passively accept the consultant’s advice just because he was the “expert.” He actively questioned the consultant’s suggestions, not because he was being contrary, but because he wanted to understand the consultant’s reasoning. The student was invested in making his writing as effective as possible and that came through in his behavior. By the end of the session, the student seemed pleased with the progress that had been made. The consultant explained that sometimes you get sessions like that, where you aren’t familiar with the format. That best you can do is to make use of the resources available in the Writing Center and try to use your own experiences as a guide.
Weekly Reflections
Between our readings this week, the film from class, and the speakers who came to Friday’s staff meeting, the subject of working with ESL students has been on my mind a lot lately. Often when ESL students come to the Writing Center, they want a second set of eyes to look over their writing to spot mechanical errors they have trouble identifying for themselves. When this happens, I have to explain that the Writing Center isn’t simply an editing service. I sometimes feel frustrated by what I perceive as a conflict between the Writing Center’s policy on editing and the very real needs and desires of the students we’re here to help. I know how difficult it can be to examine your own writing in an acquired language to look for grammar problems. I’m glad to know that the ESL Lab exists to provide this kind of assistance for students who need it.
Regarding Lauren’s take on Tony Silva’s statements, I don’t think judging students by what is “good enough” necessarily favors NES students. The definition of what constitutes “enough” would probably be much higher for an NES student that for an ESL student. This system of grading would probably be more lenient for ESL students, but I question whether it would actually help them improve. I think that professors should be understanding of the challenges ESL students face in composing in a foreign language. This might include allowing more time to write on exams, or making time to talk with them about writing assignments. It can even include being less strict about grammatical errors. However, that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t point them out, so that students can learn from their mistakes. I realize that it can be disheartening to see a paper come back dripping with red ink, but if the errors are explained, students can apply those corrections to future assignments. It’s tough, but sometimes that kind of impetus is required to get students to improve. From my own experience in foreign language composition, sometimes it’s impossible to see these issues in your own writing. As long as the professor can see past those surface errors to the message beneath, I don’t think it’s inappropriate for them to comment on issues of grammar, as long as they are doing it to be helpful, not punitive.
Given the rising numbers of international students enrolling each year, I realize that professors don’t have the time to make line-by-line corrections to the papers of every ESL student, and I’m not expecting them to. I believe that instead of simply telling students that their papers have too many grammatical errors, and sending them to us, they should be clearer with students about what these errors are. Particularly in the WRA classes, where writing is the focus of the course, the professors should take the time to provide some guidance in this area.
Regarding Lauren’s take on Tony Silva’s statements, I don’t think judging students by what is “good enough” necessarily favors NES students. The definition of what constitutes “enough” would probably be much higher for an NES student that for an ESL student. This system of grading would probably be more lenient for ESL students, but I question whether it would actually help them improve. I think that professors should be understanding of the challenges ESL students face in composing in a foreign language. This might include allowing more time to write on exams, or making time to talk with them about writing assignments. It can even include being less strict about grammatical errors. However, that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t point them out, so that students can learn from their mistakes. I realize that it can be disheartening to see a paper come back dripping with red ink, but if the errors are explained, students can apply those corrections to future assignments. It’s tough, but sometimes that kind of impetus is required to get students to improve. From my own experience in foreign language composition, sometimes it’s impossible to see these issues in your own writing. As long as the professor can see past those surface errors to the message beneath, I don’t think it’s inappropriate for them to comment on issues of grammar, as long as they are doing it to be helpful, not punitive.
Given the rising numbers of international students enrolling each year, I realize that professors don’t have the time to make line-by-line corrections to the papers of every ESL student, and I’m not expecting them to. I believe that instead of simply telling students that their papers have too many grammatical errors, and sending them to us, they should be clearer with students about what these errors are. Particularly in the WRA classes, where writing is the focus of the course, the professors should take the time to provide some guidance in this area.
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