Strategies for Helping ELLs in the Writing CenterJASON SCHLUETER, MA

Pair and Share

What is your greatest challenge when working with ELL’s in the Writing Center?

What systematic approaches have you or your institution implemented to address these challenges?

My Background

Various Backgrounds Generation 1.5 Country of origin Socio-economic background Educational experiences Societal fog

Loaded Language “The language barrier” Public education Private tutoring Online tutoring “ESL” & First language

A Matter of Expectations

Pragmatic expectations Just getting through

Session expectations Editing versus teaching

Teacher Authority Best practices can be seen

Inflated perception of authority

Motivation Instrumental

Integrative

Adjustment Curve

Honeymoon

Interrupting event

Culture shock

Adjustment

Mastery

Fig 1. This graphic outlines the Oberg’s model of adjustment (Black & Mendenhall, 1990).

Symptoms of culture shock Anxiety

Homesickness

Boredom

Depression

Fatigue

Confusion

Self-doubt

Feelings of inadequacy

Unexplained fits of weeping

Paranoia

Physical Ailments and psychosomatic illness 

Physical and/or psychological withdrawal Spending excessive amounts of time reading Need for excessive amounts of sleep Only seeing other people from your culture Avoiding contact with host nationals  Short attention span  Diminished productivity  Loss of ability to work or study effectively  Quitting and returning to your home country early

Compulsive eating  Compulsive drinking  Exaggerated cleanliness  Irritability  Family tensions  Marital stress  Excessive chauvinism Stereotyping  Hostility toward host nationals  Verbal aggressiveness  Physical aggressiveness  Deciding to stay but permanently hating the country and its people

Note. highlights some of the symptoms that people experience as they transition between cultures by Kohls, R. (2001) Survival Kit for Overseas Living. Maine: Intercultural Press Inc.

A Few More Distractors Teacher distractions

Personal curiosity

Outcomes

Personal bias

Student distractions Overestimating/underestimating

language proficiency

Mainstream vs. minority

Family narrative

Commitments

Productive and Receptive Skills Revisiting the idea of “language gap” Listening

Back channeling

Speaking Code and form switching as a matter of style

Reading An area of focus

Writing Rhetorical differences Reader versus writer focused cultures

Global – Local

Take-Away #1 – Use a fluid approach Think long-term

Relationship – text – outside resources Cultivate meta-awareness

Why is the student coming to you for tutoring? What things in your toolkit can you give to them?

Create question sets to help refocus the sessions Points of negotiation

Use your session notes to find patterns

Take-Away #2 – Help them with cultural and academic literacy

Connect them to college resources Cultivate critical thinking Coach them to persevere Technology Protocol Group work Cultural informants

Take-Away #3 - Remove barriers and empower Consider the Affective Filter Make connections Build on great content Learn about their learning style and educational

experiences Invite them back

A Few Websites Chomp Chomp - http://www.chompchomp.com/

Minneapolis ABE - https://abeweb.mpls.k12.mn.us/

Many Things - http://www.manythings.org/

ESL Point - http://www.eslpoint.com/

Phonetics: The Sounds of English and Spanish - http://www.uiowa.edu/~acadtech/phonetics/english/frameset-ad3.html

BBC Learning Engilsh - http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/

MN Literacy Council Journeys Publication - http://www.mnliteracy.org/journeys

Dave’s ESL Café - http://www.eslcafe.com/

Longman Dictionary - http://www.ldoceonline.com/

Writefix - http://writefix.com/

References Armstrong, S. L, Stahl N.A., and Boylan .H.R. (2014) Navigating Early College: Literacy Experiences and Identity

Negotiations of Latina/o Students. Teaching Developmental Reading: Historical, Theoretical and Practical Background Reading. Boston: Bedford St. Martens Print

Armstrong, S. L, Stahl N.A., and Boylan .H.R. (2014) Vocabulary Instruction in Community College Developmental Education Reading Classes. Teaching Developmental Reading: Historical, Theoretical and Practical Background Reading. Boston: Bedford St. Martens Print, 375-387

Black, J.S., & Mendenhall. (1990). The U-curve adjustment hypothesis revisited: A review and theoretical framework. Journal of International Business, 22(2), 222-247. Retrieved May 23, 2007, from JSTOR: http://www.jstor.org

Bernstein, S., Critical Language Awareness and Learners in College. Teaching Developmental Writing: Background Readings. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2013. Print, 113-125.

Cruickshank, K., Newell, S., & Cole, S. (2003). Meeting English Language Needs in Teacher Education: a flexible support model for non-English speaking background students. Asia-Pacific Journal Of Teacher Education, 31(3), 239-247.

Dooley, K. (2004). Pedagogy in diverse secondary school classes: Legacies for higher education. Higher Education, 48(2), 231-252.

Harris, M., & Silva, T. (1993). Tutoring ESL students: Issues and options. College Composition and Communication, 44, 525-537.

Kohls, R. (2001) Survival Kit for Overseas Living. Maine: Intercultural Press Inc.

Kozar, O. (2014). The "Language Barrier" in Private Online Tutoring. European Education, 46(2), 74-96. doi:10.2753/EUE1056-4934460204

Murphy, C. & Sherwood, S. (2003). Reassessing the “Proofreading Trap”: ESL Tutoring and Writing Instruction The St. Martin’s sourcebook for writing tutors. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 267-284

Williams, J. (2004). Undergraduate second language writers in the writing center. Journal of Basic Writing, 21 (2), 73-91