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Aiding Language Acquisition in ESL Students through Recursive Writing
Lemuel Gary IV
B.A. English; B.S. Biology
Linguistics 237
Dr. Ellen Lipp
December 10th, 2010
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Aiding Language Acquisition in ESL Students through Recursive Writing
Abstract
As a key component to ESL course curriculum and pedagogy at the university level, there needs
be an increased and strengthened emphasis upon specifically recursive writing strategies, where the
object and primary goal of designated lesson plans and activities are individual discovery and meaning
making, primarily facilitated through engaging in the revision and reflective aspects of the writing
process. Focusing upon a recursive approach in teaching ESL writing-- meaning teaching academic
writing as a cyclical process of continuous development, as opposed to traditional linear, solution-
driven structure, will, ultimately, prove more conducive to the ultimate pedagogical goals of language
acquisition and proficiency of university ESL programs, provide better preparation for future academic
pursuit and course-work of students outside of ESL courses, and improve the future writing self-
efficacy of ESL learners.
Introduction
Recursive writing can be a benefit to ESL learners for many reasons. But centrally, the biggest
benefit comes from the nature of the writing itself. Writing tasks which are recursive may make better
use of beginning university writers already present cognitive abilities associated with the process of
writing, helping to integrate skills already possessed in L1, drawing upon previous experience in
writing, whether academic based or otherwise. Recursiveness, when discussing writing strategy, refers
only to an approach to writing, not a subcategory or genre of it. When proposing that recursive writing
become more of the focal point of the academic writing required of a student rather than traditional
models, I am really advocating a shift beyond traditional linear approaches to written assignments
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given in ESL courses. Linear approaches to writing, as I am referencing it, refers to academic models
of instruction whose primary goal in writing is the implementation of structure through linguistic rules:
grammar, etc. In the end, essentially, what I seek to address in this paper is the classic conflict between
product-based pedagogy of writing and the process-based pedagogy of writing, whereas my argument
is that ESL writing pedagogy can be improved by introducing a more process-based approach, which
includes promoting the sometimes complex, recursive, and creative set of behaviors associated with the
writing process.
There is much research which indicates that many of these traditional methods alone, without
supplementation with other approaches, can hamper a students learning and grasp of the language.
Given the central nature of many of the difficulties endemic to the ESL students experience it
would seem necessary to employ teaching approaches and pedagogy which strengthen and improve the
already present critical thinking skills, to lessen the burdensome nature of transitioning from one
language to another. The importance of understanding critical thinking, the role it plays in the
acquisition of language, and how it relates to recursive writing shall be relayed below.
ESL & The cultural tradition of critical thinking
For university ESL students, the process of becoming proficient and fluent in the English
language is an arduous journey that is as much about embracing and adopting the culture of English
language as it is about linguistic study. There is an obvious and significant cultural component to
learning any language (need quote); in courses teaching language, a discussion of culture is nearly
simultaneous to engaging in language study. Whether the transition proves large or small, difficult or
easy, achieving cultural literacy is the first step in the process of acquiring language. Central to
American academic culture, as reflected in the traditions of language and rhetorical discourse, is the
concept of critical thinking. It can be seen as early as high school with advanced placement courses,
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and evolves into institutions of higher learning. For example, in California, before any student can
earn wan Associates or Bachelor degree, he or she must complete both a lower and upper division
specifically designated critical thinking course as an undergraduate, no matter what the degree pathway
or major; or, in the absence of official course, pass with satisfactory score a competency test pertaining
to some aspect of critical response. Therefore, it can be gleamed that one's success in American
education system lies in the ability to critically respond to academic discourse.
Critical thinking assignments in traditional American discourse operates on at least one of the
following assumptions, all of which appear to be foundational in middle class/mainstream U.S. culture:
(1) that the survival of a democracy depends partly on raising critical questions about social issues
(Cederblom & Paulsen, 1987); (2) that the U.S. public should be prepared to take decisions on such
issues; and (3) that these are areas around which honest disagreement is possible (Ramanathan &
Atkinson, 1999). Essential to the idea of critical thinking in academia is individualism, defined as the
idea that an identity is developed or forged during the process of engaging discourse of academic study.
There are primarily four main pedagogical principles and practices taught in Ll oriented composition
which appear to incorporate a U.S. mainstream ideology of individualism: voice, peer review, critical
thinking, and textual ownership (Ramanathan & Atkinson, 1999). The ideas of critical thinking and
individualism share a direct, cognitive relationship in American education, with common ground in the
core pedagogy of progressivism, which relays that the all-important principle and purpose of education
to be the development of autonomous, self-actualized individuals (Pennycook, 1997). Cope and
Kalantzis (1993) see an intimate connection between educational progressivism and the metaphor of
personal voice: The motivation in progressivism...is based entirely on the individuals voice, the
individuals sense of destiny. A crucial goal, in the end, of education is to somehow develop,
manufacture, an academic voice and identity.
However, these very pedagogical concepts and the academic practices created from them
assume culturally specific norms of thought and expression which university ESL writers may have
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little social training in and difficulty accessing. Specifically, critical thinking, process writing, and the
academic voice may provide conflicts for ESL students because of their very focus upon individualism,
as it relates to the development of independent versus interdependent constructs of self when engaged
in critical thinking about academic discourse. What constitutes successful learning in traditional L1
cultures of university students in California will more often than not likely to differ from its counterpart
in L2. Specifically in regards to writing, ESL students socialized to the requirements of their L1
educational systems tend to write not so much to present an original, strong, individual self, to display
critical thinking, but to show how much they have internalized the traditions of their cultures
(Ramanathan & Atkinson, 1999). Piaget asserts that individual independence is a social fact, a
product of civilization". What this boils down to is that beginning university ESL writers must
effectively learn how to create written academic discourse reflective of their own independent
evaluation of particular discourse: essentially, create an individualized academic persona. This post-
structuralist thought assumes that people have, by their very nature, multiple instead of unitary
personalities. This is accomplished in academic writing through the manifestation of voice.
Defining Voice
Each student is assumed, though, (almost required) to possess some sort of internal,
independent, unique voice. This underscores a particular ideological worldview where the individual
is foregrounded and valorized. Voice in this sense, can be seen to represent linguistic behavior
(Ramanathan & Atkinson, 1999).
Traditionally, Ll acompositionists have used the construct of voice in a variety of ways.
Historically, the genesis of the notion of written voice arrives as part of the larger 1960s and 1970s
reaction to social and educational systems that were emphasizing the impersonal over the personal, the
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technological over the natural. The most common use of this metaphorical notion appears to involve
linguistic (or near-linguistic) communication. Today, the most common and longest-standing usage is
the more active vehicle of personal style, presence on the page, which individuates a writer from all
other writers-- evidenced primarily through that writers texts (Ramanathan, Atkinsion pg 49).
Bowden (1995) attributes three fundamental characteristics to the original personal or authentic
view of written voice. First, it is (almost by definition) inward-centered-- it is fundamentally about
having contact with ones essential inner self. Second, it assumes the primacy of oral over written
communication. That is, like the related metaphorical notion, tone, voice suggests that writing is in
some sense displaced or deficient speech. Third and finally, Bowden points out that the notion of
personal written voice is distinct and literary.
Luckily, the most compelling evidence of these widely differing notions of individuality across
cultures and their implications for written voice, comes from the personal stories of those who have
attempted to transplant themselves and become literate from one culture to another (Ramanathan &
Atkinson, 1999). This, quite literally, is what university ESL students are doing in the process of
gaining language acquisition and proficiency. Therein, the strategies undertaken to attain desirable
levels of proficiency cannot be underestimated.
The following excerpt from the Ramanthan & Atkinson (1999) relates clearly what rigorous
academic discourse truly requires of university ESL students:
In order to write good English, I knew that I had to be myself, which actually meant
not to be my Chinese self. It meant that I had to create an English self and be that self.
And to be that English self. . . I had to accept the way a Westerner accepts himself in
relation to the universe and society(pg 55/56).
It is important to examine identity again here, for it pertains directly to the relationship of
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individualism and voice. An undervalued aspect of ESL instruction is guarding against the potential
marginalization of one's students occurring in the process of language acquisition. The ESL students
struggle acquiring language, as aforementioned, mirrors the greater socio-political adjustments they
must undergo. In this respect, ESL students reflect better than others the ideological
conflict, struggle, and tensions of writing differences that dominate the
institutional bounds of school in the United States (Fernsten, 2008). Post-
structuralists view language as the site of both social and political struggle (Shor, 1992), but many
students lack the awareness that it is necessary and valuable to contest the voices of authority.
Awareness can be developed by writing. Much of this can be attributed to the traditions students carry
from their L1 ideologies. A writers opportunities, experiences, and encounters are shaped, enabled,
and constrained by the social, economic, and cultural factors that reflect different access to discourses
and identification with particular social groups (Fernsten, 2008). Language proficiency & development
clearly requires good critical thinking strategy. Although some educators would argue that attaining
proficiency in discourse is all that is important, part of learning for ESL speakers is understanding why
academic discourse is prompting them to think and write about complex ideas. Responses and
corrections that center only on grammatical differences, therefore, too often prove unproductive
(Fernsten, 2008).
As educators, we must consider when creating lesson plans how realistic it is to regularly expect
or demand our university ESL students to basically become someone else in their writing. The notions
of individualism and critical thinking, at least, for some students, may require this. And if we are to
require this of our students, what is the best way to aid them in the process of development? What can
we do to ease and enhance the transition? Considering the employment of basic and formal recursive
writing strategies may prove to be helpful in this respect.
Meta-cognition
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Writing isn't a neat linear set of steps one follows but a complex organic act of creation.
Specifically, the ability to critically think and then respond to academic discourse, in the way real
academic writing suggests, requires the development of sophisticated meta-cognitive skills-- skills
which, like the writing process itself, do not subscribe to clean, linear processing. Meta-cognitive
strategy refers to the abilities and skills that are used by learners as the means to manage, monitor and
evaluate their learning activities-- i.e critical thinking. To put it simply, meta-cognitive strategies are
skills, approaches, thinking and actions learners use to control and facilitate their own individual
cognition and learning process (Lu & Chen, 2010). Basically, they refer directly to how an individual
structures his or her critically thinking. According to O'Malley and Chamot (1990; 2001) meta-
cognitive critical thinking strategies are higher order executive skills which can be further classified
into three categories: (1) planning, (2) monitoring, (3) evaluation. Again, each of these categories is
central to critical thinking. Planning is a procedure for conflict resolution among competing action
statements that applies to the conditional clause in the production system. In other words, planning
involves in directing the course of language reception and production. Discovering what you will or
are interested in working towards writing. Monitoring is a response to ambiguity in comprehending
language where an individual selects a best guess of the message's meaning based on available
meaning. Monitoring can also be described as being aware of what one is doing. Evaluation is the
mental process of consciously inspecting learning outcomes, or arriving at an understanding of the
relevance of the ones discourse engaged in.
The relevance of discussing meta-cognitive strategy is that it remains the bedrock of how we
teach and approach, and understand critical thinking in both L1 and L2 writing pedagogy. It is here
that educators can diagnose and potentially rectify difficulties arising in language development-- for
how one thinks about, approaches writing directly affects how one ultimately performs and writes.
Helping university ESL students understand and discover how critical thinking skills are constructed in
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English language composition, and characteristics of these skills, will make them better writers.
Characteristics of both successful and unsuccessful university writers are common among LI
and L2 learners. According to Baroudy (2008), the positive traits of both L1/L2 learners intersect
favorably, with writing behaviors between them almost identical, globally universal and moreover,
interdependent. Therefore, methods used to teach writing and reading strategies in L1 can be applied
directly to L2. Successful language learners possess a great deal of awareness and are highly cognizant
of their learning strategies and learning styles, developing a dynamic, reflective approach to learning
tasks, while showing willingness to take risks, guess most appropriately and attend to form as well as
content (Baroudy, 2008). Furthermore, successful language learning, Rubin (1975) asserts, is
dependent primarily upon three fundamental variables: aptitude, motivation, and opportunity. Goal
setting is a behavior present in most effective student writers, as most effective student-writers are
motivated by goals beyond the actual text; ineffective student-writers are directed by the writing topic,
the lesson plan, and not guided by higher level goals (Baroudy, 2008). As one might expect,
unsuccessful student writers may be unaware of their unsuccessful traits, and, perhaps more
importantly, lack adequate exposure to positive writing behaviors. As university educators, this is
where we can potentially make our biggest impact.
The Recursive Writing Process & ESL
Writing is a recursive process that should be instructed in the same way. In academia, it is one
primary method by which an individual engages discourse, and the primary vehicle for the
development of individual voice so crucial to critical thinking. When defining the writing process as
recursive, I am referencing specifically pedagogical practices which focus on writing as a cyclical,
revolving structure, rather than a product-driven linear process. Recursive writing is defined, for the
purpose of this paper, as writing that is revisited over the course of a unit or lesson plan. Recursive
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writing, as a core component of any unit or curriculum, has the potential to promote, and likely will
lead to, improvement and development of proficiency and fluency in this primary way: it will make
students more prolific writers. The term "recursive" denotes writing practices and activities that are
deliberately revisited as a part of lesson plan and curriculum. The work of Vivian Zamel provides a
good base point to examine the process from both a student and teacher perspective. From an
instruction standpoint, teaching composition in a way which recognizes the importance of generating,
formulating, and refining one's ideas-- recursiveness-- is a great way of facilitating growth of your
students as a writer, because it emphasizes the need for writers to go back in order to move forward.
This implies that revision and reflection should become the main component of this instruction, that
writing teachers should intervene throughout the process, and that students should learn to view their
writing as someone else's reading-- components which go hand in hand with the aforementioned
concepts of critical thinking.
ESL teachers are generally concerned with language acquisition, error analysis emphasize, and
correctness and form, more than other writing teachers, for obvious reasons. Widdowson (1978) is
particularly critical of ESL teaching practices because they focus upon usage rather than real
communication. A cursory look at ESL composition texts indicates that, for the most part, writing
assignments are made for the sole purpose of testing the mastery of specific grammatical structures and
that few involve invention techniques or pre- writing strategies (Zamel, 1982). This seems to be in
conflict with the goals of critical thinking and the fundamental process of writing, which views
composition process as an extremely complex undertaking, the nature of which itself "militate[s]
against prescriptive approaches to the teaching of writing" (Witte &Faigley 1981: 202); (pg 196).
While composing, both L1/L2 students seem to exhibit a variety of behaviors, all of which indicate the
non-linear basis of learning to writing. Again, the writing process entails several recursive stages, such
as "rehearsing," "drafting" and "revising", which interact in a recursive cyclical fashion together and
repeatedly, in order to physically produce work, and explore/discover meaning. Writing when taught
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from this perspective, as the process of exploring one's thoughts and learning from the act of writing
itself what these thoughts are-- aids in enhancing critical thinking skills and improves actual writing
performance (Zamel, 1982).
Recursive Writing and Self-Efficacy
Teaching writing from a recursive perspective may lead students to physically compose more.
Writing, more than reading and speech, is affected by the mode of specified discourse. This means that
students tend to write more and with greater fluency and satisfaction when their writing involves them
personally, while writing with less facility when the writing was more objectified. Writing has no
subject matter of its own, and so taught as a recursive process implies discovery through revision.
Through revising a work, not only are critical thinking skills engaged and possibly enhanced, but
personal investment naturally facilitated, which may lead to increased motivation and improved
confidence.
Academic writing requires special attention to motivational conditions. According to Bruning
& Horn (2008), four clusters of conditions are proposed as keys to developing motivation: nurturing
functional beliefs about writing, fostering engagement using authentic writing tasks, and providing a
supportive context for writing, and creating a positive emotional environment. In addition, it is vital to
note that the teachers own conceptions of writing are seen as crucial to establishing these conditions in
most writing contexts. The development of self-efficacy for writing is closely linked to whether
students have adequate strategies for writing and to the kinds of feedback they receive when employing
them. Skilled writing is a tremendously complex problem-solving act involving memory, planning,
text generation, and revision (Flower et al., 1990,1994). When attempting to write, writers must juggle
multiple goals (Hayes, 1996) and satisfy many constraints of topic, audience, purpose, and of
physically creating the text itself, often switching back and forth among a variety of frames of
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reference, including critical thinking (e.g., perspective, logic), rhetorical stances (e.g., description,
persuasion), and writing conventions. It is obvious therein that writers must and need to develop strong
beliefs in the relevance and importance of writing as they engage with the writing processess many
complexities and frustrations. Writing self-efficacy appears to follow a developmental course, at least
in children, that is most likely linked to growth in writing competence (Bruning & Horn, 2008)
Writing efficacy also increases as a result of interventions that provide students with tools for
improving their writing skills (Bruning & Horn, 2008). This would seem to argue for, again, paying
close attention to writing as a cyclical process, rather than a clear linear pathway. Developing writers
are challenged to do far more than simply set down a sequence of words. They must learn a new
communicational infra-structure involving an intricate set of formal language conventions and ideas
(grammar, syntax rules), all the while trying to spell out what their topics are about, organize
information, and provide explanations. The challenge is to help students see that writings benefits
outweigh its considerable effort and risks (Bruning & Horn, 2008). Clearly, their development is in the
hands of those who set the writing tasks and react to what has been written.
Bruning and Horn (2008) describe well several keys to understanding motivation when it
concerns writing. The list of motivation-enhancing conditions can be divided into three clusters,
beginning with (1) nurturing functional beliefs about the nature of writing and its outcomes. These
beliefs have multiple dimensions, starting with a realistic appraisal of the difficulties and challenges of
writing. They also include beliefs in writings potential, in ones capabilities as a writer, and in having
control over writing tasks. A second cluster is designed to foster student engagement through authentic
goals and contexts in other words, writing that students will see as meaningful, purposeful, and
allowing them to express their own voice. A third group of conditions involves providing a supportive
context to develop requisite writing skills. They include task framing, practice, and feedback conditions
likely to build skills and motivation. The final cluster of conditions focuses on creating a positive
emotional environment, where ideas and feelings can be expressed safely.
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In reference to self-efficacy, for the purposes of this paper's argument, it should be defined as an
individual's self-judgment or belief (or lack thereof) in their capabilities and the corresponding
motivation to perform academic tasks. Self-efficacy is most often associated with Bandura and
emerges from his social cognitive theory (Gorsuch 2009), in which people are viewed as self-
organizing, proactive, self-reflecting, and self-regulating (Pajares, 2008, p. 112). Self-efficacy is a
judgment on the part of a person of their capabilities to organize and execute courses of action
required to attain designated performances (Snow et al., 1995, p. 277)(pg 5 ). Graham & Weiner
(1995) defines self-efficacy as ..an ability construct that refers to individuals beliefs about their
capabilities to perform well. In education, self-efficacy has to do with learners beliefs about their
own academic capabilities. Students self efficacy is influenced by their learning performance and their
academic achievements are influenced by self-efficacy beliefs-- so one can see there is a direct
relationship between the two. One can imagine how much heightened all the variables involved
become when language acquisition and proficiency becomes a factor.
Self-efficacy leads to constructive traits that can be further utilized throughout one's educational
career. In specific regards to ESL learners and self-efficacy, Gorsuch (2009) asserts several important
links between it, meta-cognitive development, writing, and language development. According to
Gorsuch, the construction of confidence (self-efficacy) implicates many traits that on some level many
have assumed are needed for successful L2 learning: these include learner strategy use (e.g., Breen,
2001; Graham, 2006), use of meta-cognition (Gorsuch & Taguchi, in press), opportunities for
development of learner agency and identity (Lantolf & Pavlenko, 2001), development of motivation
(Dornyei, 2001; Dornyei & Skehan, 2003), and controlling debilitating language learning anxiety
(Mills, Pajares, & Herron, 2006).
Good language learners usually prefer to take charge of their own learning rather than to rely
upon the teacher. Additionally, higher self-perceived efficacy in language skills is associated with use
of learning strategies. Though teaching students different cognitive and self-regulatory strategies is
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important for improving their actual performance on classroom academic tasks, ultimately, improving
students self-efficacy beliefs may lead to more use of those cognitive strategies. It is also important to
note that students self-efficacy is not fixed but task-specific-- meaning helpful strategies learned tend to
stretch across disciplines. So one can see improving the way one thinks about writing and it's tasks
directly influences performance, both positively and negatively, in not only ESL learning, but after it
In reference to self-efficacy and identity, Gorsuch argues that self-efficacy seems implicated in
identity formation for learners at early stages in their lives, and that the college classroom is an
important site for development, learning, and instruction (Wigfield et al., 1995, p. 167). In this way,
self-efficacy can be seen as a worthwhile lens through which to view ways to help young adults
develop their identities as lifelong and successful language learners-- something ESL teachers should
consider very important and a core value of their ultimate goal in pedagogy.
Graham (2006) approached self-efficacy directly through meta-cognition, which, as
aforementioned, the ability of learners to plan, monitor, and evaluate their own learning. Graham
asserts that learners with high levels of self-efficacy also have more articulated meta-cognition. In
other words, learners with positive self beliefs seem to have better control over and knowledge of
effective learner strategies.
Recursive writing provides ESL learners with much needed opportunities to display L2
acquisition, and thus, has potential to increase physical production of writing by providing a means of
motivation. According to Gorsuch (2008), there is some discussion regarding whether adequate
practice opportunities for skills development and language use are being provided within current ESL
programs The logic here is that for learners to become confident in using an L2 for specific tasks, they
must have sufficient opportunities to do those tasks in order to even develop an initial, realistic sense of
what knowledge and skills must be invoked to complete those tasks or activities. If such language
practice or use opportunities do not exist, learners cannot be realistically expected to develop self-
efficacy.
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Lesson Plan: Focused Journal Writing-- What does it mean to be an ESL student?
To make use of the more naturally recursive forms of the writing process, journal writing, as a
form of academic discourse, can help university ESL students improve the language acquisition and
proficiency goals of traditional curriculum while developing many of the critical thinking tools
necessary for academic achievement outside of ESL courses, employing a strategy that is more fluid
and less obtrusive than tradition compositional models. In traditional linear models of the writing
process, controlled composition is likely to discourage creative thinking and writing, and does not
engage the dynamic and recursive nature of writing as it naturally occurs (Yu, 2009). Journal writing is
a way teach recursive writing strategies, specifically because it employs reflection as the central vehicle
for examining, engaging ideas, texts and academic material. Reflection is important because it is a
self-affirming tool which can facilitate individual meaning making, both in the expository sense and in
the sense of composition. Reflection also supports non-linear models of thinking and learning. Journal
writing also supports the generative aspects of the recursive writing process, because through it, ESL
learners can come to utilize English as vehicle of personal expression, promoting the relationships
between language, personal expression, and proficiency.
Journal writing can easily be implemented into a normal university ESL course curriculum.
Seedhouse (2005) studied the inter-actional framework in language learning classroom, by analyzing
goals, pedagogical foci, and turn sequences. He claims the following basic inter-actional sequence
organization is common to all second language classrooms:
1. A pedagogical focus is introduced. Overwhelmingly in the data this focus is
introduced by the teacher, but it may be nominated by learners.
2. At least two persons speak in the L2 in normative orientation to thepedagogical focus.
3. In all instances, the interaction involves participants' analyzing the pedagogical focus and
performing turns in the L2 which display their analyses of and normative orientation to
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this focus in relation to the interaction. Therefore, participants constantly display to each
other their analyses of the evolving relationship between pedagogy and interaction.
Organizational sequence does not dictate the content of what teachers say, but only suggests a
way of formatting how they say it (Yu, 2009).
6 Week Mini Unit (two class sessions a month devoted to discussing):
Focused Journal writing
What does it mean to be a L2 learner?
Students will compose/create a 6-8 page paper, based upon or taken directly from about what it
means to them, to be an L2 student; what it means to learn another language, and from that, explore
what it means to learn another culture, or way of life. The paper is designed completed in independent
stages, and can function as singular work or a collection of individual ones. The student will be given
the opportunity to develop his/her own idea's (this is strongly encouraged), and/or expound upon ideas
raised in class discussions regarding similar themes. Student instructor conferences will be conducted
at the end of the third week of the unit. Assignment due dates and discussions will be broken down
into six separate class meetings. Two class meetings will be devoted to the project each month before
finals. Students, can, if so desired, compose a portion or section of the assignment in first language.
Revision
Each student's writing or work must be revised after the third week required conference with the
instructor. In addition, students will be required to workshop their papers in small groups on the
assigned due days.
First month
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Writing Assignment #1
Why are you learning English? What reasons are you involved in ESL-- what are your goals-- besides
obvious gaining increased proficiency in English?
Second Month
Writing Assignment #2
How would you describe your relationship with your native language?
Third Month
Writing Assignment #3
What do you see as the relationship between language and culture?
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