I think some of Bean’s ideas for group work this week seem effective, particularly the Frame Strategy (page 155). I used a similar strategy in the Writing Lab last semester, while working extensively with a student who has trouble brainstorming and organizing her essays. I devised a simple, clear sheet intended to map out the essay, a sort of Mad Libs, fill-in-the-blank for the assignment. After working together in the WL on the first draft using the map as a rough guide, she used the same map on her second paper at home and produced a noticeably improved essay. While some of her analysis needed a bit more work, her organizational skills were much better. I’d like to include this framing as a small group activity the first week of class, to introduce some ideas about structure and organization (problems nearly every student struggles with in the WL).
I think Shen’s essay offers valuable insight into the complexities of teaching composition to students with non-English backgrounds. Working with ESL students in the WL has certainly highlighted this complex issue. For example, last week I had an ESL student from Korea who had to analyze the initial depiction of Pop Art in Newsweek and Time. It was difficult to explain the subtle sarcasm of the magazines’ articles, particularly why something referred to as “ ‘serious art’ “ actually meant that the art was not serious, but frivolous, kitschy, etc. It made me question my own syllabus, assignments, and assigned readings. For example, the poems I’ve been considering for my close-reading assignment are all based in pop culture, which I assumed would seem more accessible and intriguing for freshmen. However, my interaction with the Korean tutee have lead me to realize that these poems might still offer difficulties for the non-American student.
Reading the excerpts of Shen’s essays on Wordsworth and WCW also raised some questions about my close-reading assignment. I found myself torn between my logical, Western tendency to offer some good ol’ fashioned WL advice, and my enthusiasm for Shen’s very interesting and engaging reaction to the poems. I’m not sure how I would grade similar papers. The ideas are wonderful, but should I mark off for structure/organization/development (for, as Leta pointed out, we are supposed to be teaching Western composition, a skill the student must learn eventually)?
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4 comments:
Liz,
I think you have some valid concerns, but I wouldn't change your readings because you might have an international or ESL student in your class. Aren't there specific sections of English 1000 for ESL?
I had an experience in the WL today that sounds similar to yours — the student was a senior in an upper-level English course, and the paper had absolutely no coherent organization. For example, there were bullet points at three different places.
I had to explain that this was not an incorrect way to write, but it does not meet the standards of an English university paper in the U.S. I said that depending on the discipline, that might be okay, but I was not sure. I asked what s/he was majoring in because I thought maybe this would explain something. The answer was (of course) English.
Katie,
I'm not planning on completely overhauling my syllabus/assignment on the chance I might have a non-American student, but it did raise some interesting points about my first paper. Mostly, it just highlighted that how I'd taken for granted that everyone would have the cultural background to understand the poems, which may not be the case. This lack of cultural framework can be true of all students, American or not, as discussed in Bean. Just something to think about...It reminds me of my realization in college that I knew little about many common pop culture figures. Growing up with a ban on all TV and most movies, I had no idea what people meant by references to The Goonies, or He-Man. Luckily, I had an excellent source to fill me in on all I had missed--thank you, VH1!
I agree that we should be considerate of cultural backgrounds, and Liz's example of the student who didn't get the irony of an article is a good example of how a non-American student can miss certain subtleties of language and authorial intent. However, I think it's important to consider that Liz probably turned this situation into a learning experience for the student, and pointed out how sarcasm was being used in the article. So I would suggest that not only should material which challenges the student's cultural understandings not be avoided, but that such readings should actually be incorporated into our classes. Easier said than done, of course.
Liz, you just gave me a great idea for a paper- using VH-1's I Love the 80s etc. to look at how they are re-constructing pop culture of the decade in question. I especially think "I Love the 90s" is weird, because it seems to recent to remember, and more difficult to reconstruct when more viewers will have recent and different memories.
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