Download Journeys

Strategies for
Helping ELLs in the
Writing Center
JASON 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


Session expectations



Just getting through
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
Compulsive eating
Spending excessive amounts of time reading
Compulsive drinking
Need for excessive amounts of sleep
Exaggerated cleanliness
Only seeing other people from your culture
Irritability
Avoiding contact with host nationals
Family tensions
Short attention span
Marital stress
Diminished productivity
Excessive chauvinism
Loss of ability to work or study effectively
Stereotyping
Quitting and returning to your home country
early
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



Speaking


Code and form switching as a matter of style
Reading


Back channeling
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

Create question sets to help refocus the sessions
 Points

things in your toolkit can you give to them?
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, 525537.

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/EUE10564934460204

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