Strategies for ESOL Writers Handout ESOL Workshop

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Strategies for ESOL Writers

Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) Program Melanie Lorek and Justina Oliveira

April 8, 2014

Strategies for ESOL Writers Handout ESOL Workshop

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Assignment Handout Checklist • Do students know what they need to do? Is the task clear? • Do students know what they’re being graded for? Have students seen sample

assignments? • Do my students know which essay format they are being asked to compose? An

argumentative essay? A compare/contrast essay? An analysis? A proposal? A research paper? And have I confirmed that they know how to write that format?

• Have I expressed who the intended audience is for this paper? • Have I listed the assignment requirements? Length? Deadlines? Reference-style and

formatting? Font, margins, title page, bibliography? • Have I expressed the acceptable and minimum number of sources (e.g.: a minimum of 5

articles from scholarly journals)? • Have I stressed the importance of proofreading? (peer evaluation can be helpful.) • Has class material prepared students for this assignment?

Sample Assignment (kindly provided by Heather Zuber)

Assignment Find an idea in one of the assigned critical readings of Jane Eyre with which you disagree. Figure out why you think it is wrong, and write a 5-7 page persuasive essay arguing for your own, “better” reading of this aspect of Jane Eyre, using your own close reading and textual analysis for support. […] Deadlines & Requirements Outline: 10% of final paper grade – Due In Class Thursday November 7, 2013 First Draft: 10% of final paper grade – Due in Class Tuesday November 12, 2013 Group Peer Review: 10% of final paper grade – In Class Tuesday, November 12, 2013 Final Draft: 70% of your grade – Due in Class Tuesday, November 26, 2013

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In groups of 2 – 3 students, discuss the following questions. Then, take 15 minutes to write down a response: Pretending that cost is no object, what would you suggest to solve the problem of poverty in the United States? What are your priorities and goals? Use this space to answer the question in the language you’re most comfortable in.

Use this space to translate what you’ve written in column 1 into colloquial English.

Use this space to translate what you’ve written in column 2 into academic English.

Methods of Informal Writing Assignments

1. A question provided at the beginning of class can serve to review material from the previous session, verify completion of the day’s assigned reading, or encourage speculation on a new topic to prime in-class discussion.

2. Focused writing during the class period can provide a forum to cool a heated discussion, to stimulate ideas when discussion is lagging, or to summarize (or express confusion about) challenging new information.

3. A dual-entry notebook can promote the pairing of observation and analysis. The student may observe visual information (such as a lab experiment or a work of art), research presented in a scholarly article, etc. on the left side of the page. The observation would then be paired with mental process on the right side of the page in the form of a hypothesis regarding the reason for the observed phenomenon or an argument for or against the accuracy of the presented information based on ideas read elsewhere or presented in class.

4. Creative writing such as imagined dialogues between writers, researchers, historical figures, characters, etc. can provide a light-hearted way of engaging deeply with course content.

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Exploratory Writing Assignments (could also replace an oral assignment) In Class At the Beginning of Class:

• “What did you find most interesting about the reading?” • “What does it mean when we say that a certain market is ‘efficient’?” • How does Plato’s allegory of the cave make you look at knowledge in a new

way? During Class:

• When students run out of things to say, or when a discussion gets heated At the end of Class:

• Have students summarize lecture, or important concepts • Give students the option to write out questions they have about the lecture

Out of Class Reflection Paper:

• “How does your personal experience relate to what you studied today?” • “What effect is this course having on your personal life, your beliefs, your values,

your previous understanding of things?”

Discussion Board (Blackboard): • “What did you find most interesting about the reading? Write one initial post (150

words), and respond to at least 1 of your classmates.”

Journal • “What does this concept/ equation say in simpler words?” • “Why are your stuck?” • “What other information do you need to get unstuck?” • “What makes this problem difficult?”

Effective feedback for (ESOL) students:

1. Read through the following text. Do not mark or comment on any of the writing! 2. Make one non-judgmental statement about the writing. 3. Comment on one thing the writer does particularly well. 4. Describe two patterns of error.

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References:

Birjandi, P., & Tamjid, N.H. (2012). The role of self-, peer and teacher assessment in promoting Iranian EFL learners’ writing performance. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 37, 513-533.

Cohen, A.D. (1998). Strategies in learning and using a second language. New York: Longman.

Ghorbani, M.R., Gangeraj, A.A., & Alavi, S.Z. (2013). Reciprocal teaching of comprehension strategies improves EFL learners’ writing ability. Current Issues in Education, 16, 1-12.

Huh, M-H., Lee, Y-S., Lee, N. (2013). Mediation through the first language during the second language writing: A sociocultural approach. English Teaching, 68, 69-84.

Moussu, L. (2013). Let’s talk! ESL students’ needs and writing centre philosophy. TESL Canada Journal, 30, 55-68.

https://writingcenter.unc.edu/faculty-resources/tips-on-teaching-esl-students/tips-on-teaching-esl-students/

http://faculty.weber.edu/mtungmala/Hybrid4270/Articles/MeetNeeds.pdf

Any questions? Feel free to contact: Melanie Lorek: MLorek@citytech.cuny.edu Justina Oliveira: JOliveira@citytech.cuny.edu