MONDAY Q&A: Student from Thailand adjusts to American customs, weather
MONDAY Q&A: Pisarn ``Bee'' Chamcharatsri
Published: Monday, December 28, 2009 12:07 PM EST
EDITOR'S NOTE: The story of Thailand native Pisarn ``Bee'' Chamcharatsri is representative of so many of the approximately 700 international students from 75 nations who attend Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He sat down recently with Gazette staffer Bob Fulton to discuss cultural differences, frigid winter weather, misconceptions about America and Thanksgiving feasting.
Question: Tell me first about coming to IUP. How long did it take you to get here from Thailand?
Answer: I flew from Bangkok and I stopped at Narita in Japan - Narita International Airport. And then I came to Chicago and then Pittsburgh and then Indiana. Altogether it was almost 20, 22 hours.
Question: When you first came here - you're all the way on the other side of the world, everything is different - what were you feeling?
Answer: The first few weeks it was really exciting, the first time to study in the States. Everything was new. But after a few weeks, like other international students I'm friends with, I started having a little of like homesickness.
Question: Had you ever been outside of Thailand?
Answer: Yes, I was in Canada for a month. But this is the longest period of time that I've been away.
Question: Where did you go in Canada?
Answer: I was in Alberta, in Calgary, studying English - intensive English.
Question: Why did you decide the study in the United States?
Answer: I actually talked to my professor back home and she recommended I come to IUP. Another reason is that I think the educational system here is similar to the educational system in Thailand. And another thing, I think, is the accessibility of information - it's easier to get access to the information here in the States compared to Thailand.
Question: When did you come to IUP?
Answer: August 2006.
Question: And you're a doctoral student?
Answer: Yes. I did my master's here at IUP and I did my undergrad work in Thailand.
Question: What are you studying?
Answer: English-Composition and TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages).
Question: Have the students here helped in any way to make you feel at home?
Answer: I would say yes and no. Yes, in terms of the students here at IUP in general are really understanding, they are helpful. Whenever I ask for help they are willing to help me. But for the no part, I think one thing - I don't want to say it's problematic, but there's some kind of misunderstanding I would say - that students here sometimes, I don't believe, are comfortable talking to international students. It might be because they never really had exposure to international students. So I would have like people staring at me, but they never really come and talk to me.
Question: What do you like about IUP and Indiana, and what don't you like?
Answer: What I like about IUP is my professors and colleagues. Apart from that, Indiana is a small town, but people are friendly, I would say. And because it's a small town it's easy to access - you don't have traffic and you don't have any logistical issues. But what I don't like about IUP, well, food is always an issue for international students, I would say. But I also hear some American students complaining about food. I think it's common.
Question: Well how about the United States as a whole - what do you like and what don't you like?
Answer: For the USA in general, I like it in terms of ... well, I traveled to the West last winter, went to California. I've also been to Florida, to New York. I think it's the diversity that, when I go to the West I see different kinds of people, different scenery, go to the North, a different one, go to the South, it's totally different. I think that's what I notice, is the diversity whenever I go somewhere else. As for the people in general, they are really friendly and really helpful. I've been to a lot of different places, but I haven't really had any bad experiences so far in terms of interaction with people.
Question: Did you have any misconceptions about the United States or Americans that, when you came to this country, you discovered were totally wrong?
Answer: I didn't really have misconceptions but my friend did. After I was here for about a year and I went back home, one of my friends asked me about the houses - they asked if the houses in the place where I live were the same as in the Hollywood movies. I said, well, no (laughing). No, no. Misconceptions, yeah, I think I might have one. I see students here who still stay with their parents. When I was young I always thought that American kids when they are about 18 or 19 they are moving out and staying by their own. I guess that's one. I think it's OK, because in Asia most kids stay with their parents until they get married.
Question: Are there any American customs you find peculiar? I mean, what struck you, at first, as really odd?
Answer: I think the hunting would be the answer (laughing heartily). When I was in the dorm for the first year, the opposite room of mine they were American students. We are still friends. One of the roommates, he is a big hunter. He actually goes back home every other week just to hunt. He knows what he can hunt each week by heart. I was amazed by that. And just walking through campus, I've heard a lot about the hunting culture.
Question: Besides maybe the food and the language, is there anything else you had difficulty adjusting to in this country? Thailand's not far from the equator - maybe the weather?
Answer: Yes, the weather. The first time that I have to live through the real winter season, it was a little bit rough. The first year when I was on campus that was OK because I just walked. But the driving through the snow, that's difficult. And the transition between the fall and the winter is the worst. Like you get the sleet, you get hail. It never gets cold back home. We never really go below 60, 65 (degrees). Right now is the perfect temperature for going to the beach in Thailand. That's something I miss about coming here.
Question: Are you surprised by how little most Americans know of Thailand?
Answer: If you say ``Thailand'' people will always be confused about Thailand and Taiwan. They will think like it's the same country and I'll say ``No, no, it's a different country.'' Sometimes they might not know where it is, but since we have a big tourism industry there, lots of people know about the beaches. But they don't really know about what else is there.
Question: You mentioned you went out West and to Florida. Where did you go?
Answer: I went to national parks.
Question: Which ones?
Answer: I went to the Grand Canyon, Sequoia, King's Canyon, Saguaro in Arizona, Glacier National Park, Great Smoky Mountains, Yellowstone and the Everglades. And the Grand Tetons, too.
Question: You live so far from home - how often do you get back to Thailand?
Answer: Once a year, I would say. The first time I went home I went there during the winter break, three or four weeks. The last time that I went home was three months, over the summer.
Question: Is it difficult for you, over the Christmas break, for example, when other kids go home and you and the international students mostly stay here?
Answer: It is. It is very difficult. Everything is closed, no one's here, the town is practically dead, you don't have any other places to go. If you don't have a car that's even worse, you don't any access to anything. And even though the bus system is getting better now, over the holidays you don't have any buses to go to Walmart. You don't even have the chance to go shopping anywhere.
Question: When will you get your doctorate?
Answer: I still have to write my dissertation - probably at least two or three years to finish my doctorate.
Question: Whenever you go back home, what do you think your favorite memory of this whole experience will be?
Answer: It's probably going to be winter (laughing). Well, besides that, the Thanksgiving. Because I have my host family, and Carol Worrell invites my other international friends and I to her place and we have a Thanksgiving meal almost every year.
Question: Are you impressed by the amount of food Americans serve at Thanksgiving?
Answer: One of the first Thanksgiving meals that I had, one of my friends invited me to his place. I saw so much food on the table. And then the leftovers, I don't know how people manage to eat them all.
Question: After you finish your doctorate, a couple years down the road, what do you want to do with your life?
Answer: I plan to at least get some teaching experience here in the States. But towards the end of the road I'm going back to Thailand to teach and help Thai students to at least give them an equal opportunity to get some knowledge.
NEXT WEEK: IUP grad Jim Self, a professor of tuba at the University of Southern California.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Do you know someone who would be a great subject for the Monday Q&A? If so, please call Jason Levan at (724) 465-5555, ext. 270.
AT A GLANCE......
Name: Pisarn ``Bee'' Chamcharatsri
Job: Graduate student
Age: 31
Hometown: Bangkok, Thailand
Family: Father Songkiat, mother Siriwan, brothers Phanuamon and Suphot
Favorite foods: Spicy chicken with basil
Food I refuse to eat: I eat everything.
Favorite movie: ``Sleepless in Seattle''
Last book I read: ``Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee,'' by Dee Brown
Favorite way to spend a day: Reading on the front porch
People who most inspire me: My parents
My life goal: Become an English professor
Something most people don't know about me: I want to be a novelist, and I have an M.A. in advertising and public relations.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Guacamole: Yummy
2 Avocados
1 tomato or 5-6 cherry tomatoes
2 cloves of garlics
1-2 lime
1 Tbs of chopped cilantro
a few fresh chili
Salt
Serving: 5-6 people
Mixture:
1. Finely chop or blend garlics
2. Peel avocados into the mixing bowl
3. Mix two ingredients together. Mashing avocados while mixing with fork
4. squeeze fresh lime onto the mixture to oxidize the avocados so that it wont turn dark
5. add finely chopped chili and chopped and diced tomatoes
6. put some salt
7. Taste to your own flavor...
enjoy cooking!
1 tomato or 5-6 cherry tomatoes
2 cloves of garlics
1-2 lime
1 Tbs of chopped cilantro
a few fresh chili
Salt
Serving: 5-6 people
Mixture:
1. Finely chop or blend garlics
2. Peel avocados into the mixing bowl
3. Mix two ingredients together. Mashing avocados while mixing with fork
4. squeeze fresh lime onto the mixture to oxidize the avocados so that it wont turn dark
5. add finely chopped chili and chopped and diced tomatoes
6. put some salt
7. Taste to your own flavor...
enjoy cooking!
Monday, November 30, 2009
"How do you assess my writing?"
I have to admit that writing assessment is not actually my cup of tea (for now). It's not that I am not interested in the issue; however, I have not had any chances to work on any projects with assessment framework in mind. This week's readings are interesting and mainly discuss the issue of peer response and placement writing. Let's hear some personal stories regarding how I assess students' writings.
Junior hi-school students in Creative Writing Course:
When I taught high school students a creative writing course, students always (read ALWAYS) came up to me and asked about how I graded their writings. Their writing assignments were poems, short stories, comic strips, and a newspaper as a group project (editorial, news articles, movie reviews, etc.). What I did in assessing their writings was to create a rubric with them. I asked students, "If you want to assess one's writings, what criteria would you use?" Since I had more freedom to teach this course, it was appropriate for my students and I to come up with the grading criteria.
Senior year, English major in Research Writing Course:
I also had a chance to teach a Research Writing course for a college in Bangkok, Thailand. Students were asked to do peer response with multiple drafts. Since students were trained to do peer response, I did not have to spend much time explaining and modeling the response process. However, I still need to come up with assessment criteria for their research papers, which they came up with their research topics (15 pages excluding references). I came up with grading criteria as followed: Format, organization, grammar, content. You might be wonder how I came up with this criteria; I used my own past experience when I was graded for my paper in college as well.
As an undergraduate student, I was trained to do multiple drafts and peer reviews. I was not my friend's favorite because I usually gave my friend's so many comments that they did not enjoy revising at all. I gave respond to both global and local concerns. I sometimes underlined awkward or confusing sentences with some suggestions for future revisions.
Peer response has gained its attention and popularity over the last decade. The most important issue in using this approach is the trust between students. Teachers need to make sure that students will not perceive that teachers will be the only person who will read and grade their papers. We educators need to make sure that we incorporate students' peer responses into account so that students will take the peer response responsibly. Some students might think that critiquing others' works is not appropriate. I think if we explain to students the purpose of doing this activity, it might help students to be more aware of the activity. Teachers need to model the process as well so that teachers and students will be on the same page.
Junior hi-school students in Creative Writing Course:
When I taught high school students a creative writing course, students always (read ALWAYS) came up to me and asked about how I graded their writings. Their writing assignments were poems, short stories, comic strips, and a newspaper as a group project (editorial, news articles, movie reviews, etc.). What I did in assessing their writings was to create a rubric with them. I asked students, "If you want to assess one's writings, what criteria would you use?" Since I had more freedom to teach this course, it was appropriate for my students and I to come up with the grading criteria.
Senior year, English major in Research Writing Course:
I also had a chance to teach a Research Writing course for a college in Bangkok, Thailand. Students were asked to do peer response with multiple drafts. Since students were trained to do peer response, I did not have to spend much time explaining and modeling the response process. However, I still need to come up with assessment criteria for their research papers, which they came up with their research topics (15 pages excluding references). I came up with grading criteria as followed: Format, organization, grammar, content. You might be wonder how I came up with this criteria; I used my own past experience when I was graded for my paper in college as well.
As an undergraduate student, I was trained to do multiple drafts and peer reviews. I was not my friend's favorite because I usually gave my friend's so many comments that they did not enjoy revising at all. I gave respond to both global and local concerns. I sometimes underlined awkward or confusing sentences with some suggestions for future revisions.
Peer response has gained its attention and popularity over the last decade. The most important issue in using this approach is the trust between students. Teachers need to make sure that students will not perceive that teachers will be the only person who will read and grade their papers. We educators need to make sure that we incorporate students' peer responses into account so that students will take the peer response responsibly. Some students might think that critiquing others' works is not appropriate. I think if we explain to students the purpose of doing this activity, it might help students to be more aware of the activity. Teachers need to model the process as well so that teachers and students will be on the same page.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Connecting Speaking and Writing
The connection between speaking and writing is crucial to learning a second language. I think that literacy educators never really pay much attention to these two interconnected skills because of the fact that it has been coined as one-on-one conferencing. Also, we have not realized of how much we can write after we discuss our ideas and/or concepts with other people.
As Williams has discussed in her Chapter 1, writing center is a site that this research can certainly grow and will, I believe, play an important role in the future. Writing centers always try to find out how much tutors can help students in revising their writing and helping with their papers when they come to the centers.
However, I still think that writing and speaking skills are incomparable in term of language production. We cannot expect students, especially L2 learners, to experiment new forms in writing if we still use grammatical drills or textbooks with writing formats. In those contexts, students will always think writing as rigid rules because they will think that writing they produce need to be grammatically correct. Though the attempt has been made to encourage these L2 students to be less worried about this issue as grammatical issue can be dealt with in the last draft, they still insist (and sometimes resist) to the idea. This is the reason why I think that creative writing is a great start for L2 students to produce because the form is literally ignored (i.e. in poetry writing).
Another interesting connection between speaking and writing is the concept of intertextuality. Intertextuality is the use of other people's words, ideas, and concepts to build our own credibility to our claims in speaking and writing. This skill is crucial for doctoral students simply because they need to conduct their professionalism in the future through research and publications--conferences and journals. They need to think about how to enter into the conversation and this intertextuality is the key for doctoral students to do so.
It is interesting to see students' interactions through online comments and discussion in Seloni's chapter. These students are in the quest of negotiation to add their own voices in their writings. By adding their voices, they want to add their own ideas and thoughts into the writing, which in a sense it is legitimate to do so. There are two strategies in doing so, which I think they are useful for the future as well. First, these students need to read widely on the topic they are working on. By knowing the literature, students will be able to see gaps that they can add their voices in. Second, they also need to develop their own authority by start publishing. I believe these two strategies will certainly be the start to add multiple voices into the literature.
As Williams has discussed in her Chapter 1, writing center is a site that this research can certainly grow and will, I believe, play an important role in the future. Writing centers always try to find out how much tutors can help students in revising their writing and helping with their papers when they come to the centers.
However, I still think that writing and speaking skills are incomparable in term of language production. We cannot expect students, especially L2 learners, to experiment new forms in writing if we still use grammatical drills or textbooks with writing formats. In those contexts, students will always think writing as rigid rules because they will think that writing they produce need to be grammatically correct. Though the attempt has been made to encourage these L2 students to be less worried about this issue as grammatical issue can be dealt with in the last draft, they still insist (and sometimes resist) to the idea. This is the reason why I think that creative writing is a great start for L2 students to produce because the form is literally ignored (i.e. in poetry writing).
Another interesting connection between speaking and writing is the concept of intertextuality. Intertextuality is the use of other people's words, ideas, and concepts to build our own credibility to our claims in speaking and writing. This skill is crucial for doctoral students simply because they need to conduct their professionalism in the future through research and publications--conferences and journals. They need to think about how to enter into the conversation and this intertextuality is the key for doctoral students to do so.
It is interesting to see students' interactions through online comments and discussion in Seloni's chapter. These students are in the quest of negotiation to add their own voices in their writings. By adding their voices, they want to add their own ideas and thoughts into the writing, which in a sense it is legitimate to do so. There are two strategies in doing so, which I think they are useful for the future as well. First, these students need to read widely on the topic they are working on. By knowing the literature, students will be able to see gaps that they can add their voices in. Second, they also need to develop their own authority by start publishing. I believe these two strategies will certainly be the start to add multiple voices into the literature.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Negotiating Identity from Autoethnography
Paper Presented at Symposium on Second Language Writing 2009, ASU, Tempe, Arizona, Click here for full access to published article
Negotiating Identity from Autoethnography
View more presentations from pisarn.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Which comes first: Reading or Writing?
So which comes first, reading or writing? I do not think that we can actually separate these two. Personally speaking, both reading and writing have been playing in my life as far as I know. I always find my time to do volunteer reading in Thai. I read all the time. I need to have books, magazines, newspapers with me wherever I go. I also have to have a diary when I travel so that I can keep my travel journals.
After reading these two chapters, I remember myself as a student working on summary paragraphs, annotated bibliographies, reading and writing (as I am working on my writing assignments and citing the sources), reading before I write (as the way to gain more information on the topic), and writing before I read (as a freewriting approach relating to the topic I will write about). I think that reading makes me a better writer. Personally I love books. I have many books both at home and in the US. I buy so many books that my parents, especially my mom, need to tell me to stop buying because there is no place to store them. She also says that she will build a library for me after I go back home.
I also believe in the connections between reading and writing. I always tell my students to read, read, and read if they ask me about writing. Sometimes my students would ask me about how to be a good writer, my answer is always related to reading. At the moment, I write papers, I will re-read those articles in the beginner's mind. I actually notice that I underline or interact with texts in different parts of the articles depending on the topic/issue I am working on.
I personally like the writerly reader approach. Though I have not tried this, I think that it is a fun and valuable one for me. By thinking as the author, I can read and analyze critically on the writing itself. I will also gain more vocabulary repertoire because I will guess the terms the authors use comparing to the terms I think. This way I can learn both rhetorical moves and vocabulary use. I also think that it will challenge students to do this because they will be more aware of the similarity and difference the authors as well as the way they compose. I can adapt this approach by giving students the paraphrased version of the sentence. Then let them see and work on the cut-into-pieces original articles to form a sentence in which it gives the same meaning as the paraphrased one.
I think that using reading and writing can help students to gain both "ear" and "eye" learning skills because we can shuttle our focus to either on reading or writing lessons. For myself, I used to be an "eye" learner because I need to read and see what it is written down to be sully understood. After working at the writing center, I also become an "ear" learner because I need to listen to students' writings and give them respond. I think this can be done too in the classroom settings where students can do first reading peer response by students reading their papers out loud while other students write down what they think their friend's paper is about, how to improve it, what part they like. The next class we can ask students to read and respond to their friends' drafts.
After reading these two chapters, I remember myself as a student working on summary paragraphs, annotated bibliographies, reading and writing (as I am working on my writing assignments and citing the sources), reading before I write (as the way to gain more information on the topic), and writing before I read (as a freewriting approach relating to the topic I will write about). I think that reading makes me a better writer. Personally I love books. I have many books both at home and in the US. I buy so many books that my parents, especially my mom, need to tell me to stop buying because there is no place to store them. She also says that she will build a library for me after I go back home.
I also believe in the connections between reading and writing. I always tell my students to read, read, and read if they ask me about writing. Sometimes my students would ask me about how to be a good writer, my answer is always related to reading. At the moment, I write papers, I will re-read those articles in the beginner's mind. I actually notice that I underline or interact with texts in different parts of the articles depending on the topic/issue I am working on.
I personally like the writerly reader approach. Though I have not tried this, I think that it is a fun and valuable one for me. By thinking as the author, I can read and analyze critically on the writing itself. I will also gain more vocabulary repertoire because I will guess the terms the authors use comparing to the terms I think. This way I can learn both rhetorical moves and vocabulary use. I also think that it will challenge students to do this because they will be more aware of the similarity and difference the authors as well as the way they compose. I can adapt this approach by giving students the paraphrased version of the sentence. Then let them see and work on the cut-into-pieces original articles to form a sentence in which it gives the same meaning as the paraphrased one.
I think that using reading and writing can help students to gain both "ear" and "eye" learning skills because we can shuttle our focus to either on reading or writing lessons. For myself, I used to be an "eye" learner because I need to read and see what it is written down to be sully understood. After working at the writing center, I also become an "ear" learner because I need to listen to students' writings and give them respond. I think this can be done too in the classroom settings where students can do first reading peer response by students reading their papers out loud while other students write down what they think their friend's paper is about, how to improve it, what part they like. The next class we can ask students to read and respond to their friends' drafts.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Reading-Writing Connections
While reading Hirvela's book on reading-writing connections, the flashback of my undergraduate classes came to mind. I had taken classes such as Listening and Speaking I and II, while Reading and Writing courses are taught seperately. However, I think that reading and writing are inter-related skills that students need to acquire if they want to be successful in their academic lives.
In the chapters, Hirvela discusses the connections between reading and writing skills in students' first language that might enhance learning in L2. Personally, I read widely (mostly novels) in both Thai (L1) and English (L2). This is because I did my BA in an international college where English is used as a mode of instruction. I feel comfortable composing in English because I have been trained and educated in that contexts. I have never written any academic papers in Thai, though I read some of them. Even now, I still think that I might not be albe to compose any Thai academic paper because I do not know formal written form in Thai language. I was also discouraged when I wrote in Thai because that person gave me this comment when reading my Thai composition:
A: Have you educated abroad?
B: No, I answered.
A: Because your Thai structure has lots of "milk and butter" in it. (I think that person might mean that my written Thai employs English structure, word order, sound informal, etc. Since I did not ask what it meant to that person by that phrase, I never know what it meant as well.)
As a language teacher, I always tell my students that if they want to be writers, they need to read a lot. I personally think that reading and writing skills are connected. This might also reflect on how I create my own reading and writing skills. Many colleagues ask me questions: "How many hours do I spend in reading?" "How many pages approximately do I read each day?" I think these are interesting questions because I have never thought about those questions before. However, I always tell people that whenever I write, I usually read until I think that I have something to think and write about. Then the act of writing begins. This is where the notion of by Bloome's and Hirvela's reading and writing as social process means. I interact and interpret meanings of texts. I create meaning among texts while reading and recreate meaning texts while writing.
I also think that Hirvela's approach in teaching reading is meaningful because his approach did not focus on the texts itself, but on the meta-awareness of students' reading skills. It can also give teachers some literacy backgrounds of students, how they learn, interact, and interpret texts from their perspectives.
In the chapters, Hirvela discusses the connections between reading and writing skills in students' first language that might enhance learning in L2. Personally, I read widely (mostly novels) in both Thai (L1) and English (L2). This is because I did my BA in an international college where English is used as a mode of instruction. I feel comfortable composing in English because I have been trained and educated in that contexts. I have never written any academic papers in Thai, though I read some of them. Even now, I still think that I might not be albe to compose any Thai academic paper because I do not know formal written form in Thai language. I was also discouraged when I wrote in Thai because that person gave me this comment when reading my Thai composition:
A: Have you educated abroad?
B: No, I answered.
A: Because your Thai structure has lots of "milk and butter" in it. (I think that person might mean that my written Thai employs English structure, word order, sound informal, etc. Since I did not ask what it meant to that person by that phrase, I never know what it meant as well.)
As a language teacher, I always tell my students that if they want to be writers, they need to read a lot. I personally think that reading and writing skills are connected. This might also reflect on how I create my own reading and writing skills. Many colleagues ask me questions: "How many hours do I spend in reading?" "How many pages approximately do I read each day?" I think these are interesting questions because I have never thought about those questions before. However, I always tell people that whenever I write, I usually read until I think that I have something to think and write about. Then the act of writing begins. This is where the notion of by Bloome's and Hirvela's reading and writing as social process means. I interact and interpret meanings of texts. I create meaning among texts while reading and recreate meaning texts while writing.
I also think that Hirvela's approach in teaching reading is meaningful because his approach did not focus on the texts itself, but on the meta-awareness of students' reading skills. It can also give teachers some literacy backgrounds of students, how they learn, interact, and interpret texts from their perspectives.
Monday, October 26, 2009
What do you mean when you hear the word "genre"?
In order to be successful in terms of reading, writing, socializing in communities where people want to attend, students both L1 and L2 need to know how-to employ the right language and discourse. One word that comes to mind when I start reading this week’s articles on genre is discourse community. Discourse community is a large concept with multiple applications in different contexts. The main idea is that students or anyone who want to be a part of that community need to practice and have to be accepted by members.
Discourse community does not entail only legitimate discourse in reading and writing. This also includes pragmatic competence in communication as well. Students need to know how to act and respond to different texts both visual and written in the acceptable manner. This pragmatic competence is also transferred from one context to another.
When we discuss about “genre”, I believe there are many meaning depending on repertoire of each individual. For me, when I heard the word “genre”, I always think about business writing, resume, cover letters, and writing from other disciplines (law, banking, religions, etc). After reading these readings, my definition has extended to academic-related activities (reading/writing/socializing) as well. It is true that students need to learn and ‘internalize’ ways to write, read, and intertextualize what they know into acceptable formats and forms. In this case, writing for publication is also considered as another genre for (future) professors to get used to and to know how to construct the arguments effectively.
One problem that I think I can relate to is the ‘form’, which students cannot avoid. This might be the issue that some readings discuss in terms of social or critical genre studies. Though some genre writings such as in business or in law have limited forms because these are high-stake writings, it can affect other people and businesses in negative or positive ways. However, if this form is carried to academic writing, I think what we are dealing with is only to disservice students, especially those who use English as their L2 because this means that students have no room for creativity and their backgrounds in the paper.
The process of gaining the legitimacy of the genre is complicated. It is even more so when it comes to transferring these skills from one context to another. I think it is somewhat like the ‘contact zone’ that people need to struggle to gain their legitimate discourse and voice they want to convey.
Discourse community does not entail only legitimate discourse in reading and writing. This also includes pragmatic competence in communication as well. Students need to know how to act and respond to different texts both visual and written in the acceptable manner. This pragmatic competence is also transferred from one context to another.
When we discuss about “genre”, I believe there are many meaning depending on repertoire of each individual. For me, when I heard the word “genre”, I always think about business writing, resume, cover letters, and writing from other disciplines (law, banking, religions, etc). After reading these readings, my definition has extended to academic-related activities (reading/writing/socializing) as well. It is true that students need to learn and ‘internalize’ ways to write, read, and intertextualize what they know into acceptable formats and forms. In this case, writing for publication is also considered as another genre for (future) professors to get used to and to know how to construct the arguments effectively.
One problem that I think I can relate to is the ‘form’, which students cannot avoid. This might be the issue that some readings discuss in terms of social or critical genre studies. Though some genre writings such as in business or in law have limited forms because these are high-stake writings, it can affect other people and businesses in negative or positive ways. However, if this form is carried to academic writing, I think what we are dealing with is only to disservice students, especially those who use English as their L2 because this means that students have no room for creativity and their backgrounds in the paper.
The process of gaining the legitimacy of the genre is complicated. It is even more so when it comes to transferring these skills from one context to another. I think it is somewhat like the ‘contact zone’ that people need to struggle to gain their legitimate discourse and voice they want to convey.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Representing or being represented
Harklau’s (2000) study discusses the issue of representations and identities of three immigrant students in the K-12 moving into the community college level. These students are great students during their senior years in high school. They are also enthusiastic during the first weeks in community college classes, but later of the semester they create some resistance and withdrawal toward teachers and classes they are taking.
These students are misplaced and misrepresented from their real proficiencies. Teachers should be flexible in their assignments, listen, and learn from students whose proficiencies are higher than their peers. Solely relying on ‘test scores’ is not legitimate classify students’ language proficiencies. If students show that their knowledge is higher than other peers, we should assign them with challenging assignments because students should be able to represent themselves, not students being represented by ‘test scores’.
Students will always have excellent ideas when we literacy educators listen to what they are saying. By assigning students to write about their countries while studying abroad, I think it is somewhat less productive because their representation is only partial and limited. Instead I think we can ask students to write something about the place where they are, how these places/environments impact their perceptions, their identities. This will help both students and teachers to meaningfully engage in conversations by teachers as “old timers” (Lave and Wenger, 1991, p. 29) and students “newcomers” (Lave and Wenger, 1991, p. 29) or vice versa.
By asking students write their assignments according to their places or something they personally relate to, the resistance issue might be reduced. There will always be some students who do not want to write or work on assignments given by students. In that case, I think we can talk to that students and let them choose what to write themselves with the condition that it has to be related to their identities. Though this is easier said than done, I think students and teachers need to negotiate so that students will not feel as being imposed by teachers in the course.
Teachers should also be aware of differences among students who come from different background. Do not generalize that international or ESL students need to be treated by using ‘baby talk’ mode (as in one example from the article). Teachers should not treat these groups of students as deficient, this will only marginalize and silent students from participating in class. Creativity in language use or deviate from ‘Standard English/discourse’ should be considered as a legitimate move as long as it does not cause miscommunication.
Harklau, L. (2000). From the "good kids" to the "worst": Representations of English language learners across educational settings. TESOL Quarterly, 34(1), 35-67.
Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. NY: Cambridge University Press.
These students are misplaced and misrepresented from their real proficiencies. Teachers should be flexible in their assignments, listen, and learn from students whose proficiencies are higher than their peers. Solely relying on ‘test scores’ is not legitimate classify students’ language proficiencies. If students show that their knowledge is higher than other peers, we should assign them with challenging assignments because students should be able to represent themselves, not students being represented by ‘test scores’.
Students will always have excellent ideas when we literacy educators listen to what they are saying. By assigning students to write about their countries while studying abroad, I think it is somewhat less productive because their representation is only partial and limited. Instead I think we can ask students to write something about the place where they are, how these places/environments impact their perceptions, their identities. This will help both students and teachers to meaningfully engage in conversations by teachers as “old timers” (Lave and Wenger, 1991, p. 29) and students “newcomers” (Lave and Wenger, 1991, p. 29) or vice versa.
By asking students write their assignments according to their places or something they personally relate to, the resistance issue might be reduced. There will always be some students who do not want to write or work on assignments given by students. In that case, I think we can talk to that students and let them choose what to write themselves with the condition that it has to be related to their identities. Though this is easier said than done, I think students and teachers need to negotiate so that students will not feel as being imposed by teachers in the course.
Teachers should also be aware of differences among students who come from different background. Do not generalize that international or ESL students need to be treated by using ‘baby talk’ mode (as in one example from the article). Teachers should not treat these groups of students as deficient, this will only marginalize and silent students from participating in class. Creativity in language use or deviate from ‘Standard English/discourse’ should be considered as a legitimate move as long as it does not cause miscommunication.
Harklau, L. (2000). From the "good kids" to the "worst": Representations of English language learners across educational settings. TESOL Quarterly, 34(1), 35-67.
Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. NY: Cambridge University Press.
Monday, October 12, 2009
L2 Writing in FYC, ESL, and the Writing Center
The readings for this week come from Matsuda et al's The politics of second langauge writing chapter 3, 4, and 6.
Since the scholarship of second language writing (SLW) has branched itself from composition, it does not prepare both institutions and writing teachers to deal with this student population in the academe. Matsuda (1999) has identified the so-called the "division of labor" for teachers who are under prepared for ESL students in the institutions. This under preparation has forced teachers to grade their ESL students to their native counterparts. Though the field of SLW is expanding, I believe that this issue will not be easily solved.
Are they actually prepared for writing classes? How do institutions help ESL students to be ready for composition classes? How do writing classes help preapring students to write in their disciplines? How do ESL students and native teachers learn from each other? These are some questions I will ponder on.
Though many institutions provide facilities to help students to ease the process of academic enculturation, ESL students might need more time to adjust themselves into new environments, new friends, new places, etc. The writing center (WC) is one of many facilities that can help students go through their writing assignments. Since ESL students need to write for classes, they might need to write in multiple genres. WC is a great place for ESL students to come and get some feedback on their writings. As I work at the WC, I see many ESL students flocking around. I have been helping these students by giving feedback on thier writings. Though they want me to help them with thier grammar issues, I sometimes focus more on the issue of intelligibility because I believe that a good piece of writing needs to be well articulated. It should contain ideas the author wants to say because grammar issues should be dealt with the last unless it hinders the messages ESL students want to get them across. I also help other native tutors to be more patient and pedagogical sounded in their tutoring sessions with ESL students by giving them some tips in the staff meetings. Another point to be made is for writing center tutors is that tutors should be aware of the issue of standard English is not the only model for students especially ESL students to learn (See Grimm, 1999, for more information)
I always tell ESL students (in their ENGL101) that they should let their professors know about their presence in other classes besides English. This might help teachers to be more torelent to their writing issues and to be more supportive in their learning. ESL students need to voice themselves out in classes to add multiple perspectives in the class discussions and to be recognized from classmates so that the issue of ESL stereotypes will not be generalized.
Grimm, N. M. (1999). Good Intentions: Writing Center Work for Postmodern Times. Boynton/Cook
Matsuda, P. K. (1999). Composition studies and ESL writing: A disciplinary division of labor. College Composition and Communication, 50, 691-721
Since the scholarship of second language writing (SLW) has branched itself from composition, it does not prepare both institutions and writing teachers to deal with this student population in the academe. Matsuda (1999) has identified the so-called the "division of labor" for teachers who are under prepared for ESL students in the institutions. This under preparation has forced teachers to grade their ESL students to their native counterparts. Though the field of SLW is expanding, I believe that this issue will not be easily solved.
Are they actually prepared for writing classes? How do institutions help ESL students to be ready for composition classes? How do writing classes help preapring students to write in their disciplines? How do ESL students and native teachers learn from each other? These are some questions I will ponder on.
Though many institutions provide facilities to help students to ease the process of academic enculturation, ESL students might need more time to adjust themselves into new environments, new friends, new places, etc. The writing center (WC) is one of many facilities that can help students go through their writing assignments. Since ESL students need to write for classes, they might need to write in multiple genres. WC is a great place for ESL students to come and get some feedback on their writings. As I work at the WC, I see many ESL students flocking around. I have been helping these students by giving feedback on thier writings. Though they want me to help them with thier grammar issues, I sometimes focus more on the issue of intelligibility because I believe that a good piece of writing needs to be well articulated. It should contain ideas the author wants to say because grammar issues should be dealt with the last unless it hinders the messages ESL students want to get them across. I also help other native tutors to be more patient and pedagogical sounded in their tutoring sessions with ESL students by giving them some tips in the staff meetings. Another point to be made is for writing center tutors is that tutors should be aware of the issue of standard English is not the only model for students especially ESL students to learn (See Grimm, 1999, for more information)
I always tell ESL students (in their ENGL101) that they should let their professors know about their presence in other classes besides English. This might help teachers to be more torelent to their writing issues and to be more supportive in their learning. ESL students need to voice themselves out in classes to add multiple perspectives in the class discussions and to be recognized from classmates so that the issue of ESL stereotypes will not be generalized.
Grimm, N. M. (1999). Good Intentions: Writing Center Work for Postmodern Times. Boynton/Cook
Matsuda, P. K. (1999). Composition studies and ESL writing: A disciplinary division of labor. College Composition and Communication, 50, 691-721
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Academic Literacies
For this week, we are dealing with the issue of academic literacies in higher education setting. I think this is an interesting issue in especially graduate studies. Because when I decided to go for both my MA and PhD level, I would like to contribute, share, and learn about new research studies. It is really interesting to read some geographical related study relating to second language writing because I have never even think about this issue before in my academic career. It is also interesting to see how different research articles frame their definition of academic literacies in different aspects.
As noticed the way I spell the word "literacies", I am intended to spell it this way because we need to go beyond the definition of literacy as reading and writing. We, applied linguists, compositionists, teacher educators, literacies educators need to consider other factors relating to our students' learning processes including social, political, historical, and cultural aspects of students. These factors are playing themselves out in interrelated and multifaceted ways in students' lives. The issue of academic literacies should go beyond the classroom settings into the larger contexts. We need to prepare students to be ready and equipped with "survival tool kits" for them for the big (bad) world.
Also academic literacies in this sense can be defined as the act of learning and professing knowledge in the meaningful ways in order to contribute and further the scholarship where one finds oneself fit into. The activities include attending conferences and presenting research in (in-house, local, regional, national and international) conferences, social networking with scholars, publishing and contributing research to scholarships, learning about different scholarships to professing oneself in the interdisciplinary discourses.
One comment I find interesting is From Braine's article on graduate student publications. I agree with the author that we graduate students need to start voicing ourselves by start publishing our papers, attending and presenting at conferences, joining and engaging conversation in some discussion boards, etc. Though I certainly know some factors involving this process, I think it is a good experience to learn and try now because we are in the "low stake" positions in trial and errors. Life is a journey and full of surprises, especially in the academe.
As noticed the way I spell the word "literacies", I am intended to spell it this way because we need to go beyond the definition of literacy as reading and writing. We, applied linguists, compositionists, teacher educators, literacies educators need to consider other factors relating to our students' learning processes including social, political, historical, and cultural aspects of students. These factors are playing themselves out in interrelated and multifaceted ways in students' lives. The issue of academic literacies should go beyond the classroom settings into the larger contexts. We need to prepare students to be ready and equipped with "survival tool kits" for them for the big (bad) world.
Also academic literacies in this sense can be defined as the act of learning and professing knowledge in the meaningful ways in order to contribute and further the scholarship where one finds oneself fit into. The activities include attending conferences and presenting research in (in-house, local, regional, national and international) conferences, social networking with scholars, publishing and contributing research to scholarships, learning about different scholarships to professing oneself in the interdisciplinary discourses.
One comment I find interesting is From Braine's article on graduate student publications. I agree with the author that we graduate students need to start voicing ourselves by start publishing our papers, attending and presenting at conferences, joining and engaging conversation in some discussion boards, etc. Though I certainly know some factors involving this process, I think it is a good experience to learn and try now because we are in the "low stake" positions in trial and errors. Life is a journey and full of surprises, especially in the academe.
Friday, October 2, 2009
CFP: Academic Literacies Symposium
The Interdisciplinary Approaches to Academic Literacies Symposium aims to expand current understandings of academic literacies of diverse student populations. The conference will be February 27 and 28, 2010, at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. You are invited to submit proposals by October 15, 2009. Multiple submissions are allowed. Proposals can include, but are not limited to the following research areas:
• Academic Literacy
• Literacy Socialization
• Second Language Writing and Reading
• Academic, and Scientific Discourses
• Discourse Analysis and/or Intercultural Rhetoric
• Technology and Academic Literacy
• Multimodal literacy practices
• Plagiarism and/or Intellectual Property
• Assessment
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
SURESH CANAGARAJAH: Suresh Canagarajah is a Krigby Professor of English and the director of the Migration Studies Project at Penn State University. His book Resisting Linguistic Imperialism in English Teaching won the Modern Language Association’s Mina Shaughnessy Award for the best research publication on the teaching of language and literacy. His subsequent publication Geopolitics of Academic Writing won the Gary Olson Award for the best book in social and rhetorical theory.
ALAN HIRVELA: Alan Hirvela is an Associate Professor in the Foreign and Second Language Education department at the Ohio State University. Alan has recently co-edited Oral-Literate Connection: Perspectives on L2 Speaking, Writing, and Other Media Interactions with Diane Belcher and is now serving as a co-editor of TESOL Quarterly.
PROPOSAL FORMAT:
Proposals should be no more than three single spaced pages and should include the following: The research question(s), theoretical framework, methodology, findings and/or issues for further discussion, and the projected contributions to scholarship on Academic Literacies. Please fill out the Proposal Format form, located at http://www.english.iup.edu/academicliteracies/
TYPES OF PRESENTATIONS:
• Papers
• Posters
• Roundtable Conversation
• Graduate Research DEADLINES:
All proposals must be submitted by October 15, 2009.
Notifications will be sent by November 15, 2009.
Completed manuscripts are due February 15, 2010.
Please send your proposals to Dr. Lisya Seloni at
lisyaseloni@gmail.com
• Academic Literacy
• Literacy Socialization
• Second Language Writing and Reading
• Academic, and Scientific Discourses
• Discourse Analysis and/or Intercultural Rhetoric
• Technology and Academic Literacy
• Multimodal literacy practices
• Plagiarism and/or Intellectual Property
• Assessment
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
SURESH CANAGARAJAH: Suresh Canagarajah is a Krigby Professor of English and the director of the Migration Studies Project at Penn State University. His book Resisting Linguistic Imperialism in English Teaching won the Modern Language Association’s Mina Shaughnessy Award for the best research publication on the teaching of language and literacy. His subsequent publication Geopolitics of Academic Writing won the Gary Olson Award for the best book in social and rhetorical theory.
ALAN HIRVELA: Alan Hirvela is an Associate Professor in the Foreign and Second Language Education department at the Ohio State University. Alan has recently co-edited Oral-Literate Connection: Perspectives on L2 Speaking, Writing, and Other Media Interactions with Diane Belcher and is now serving as a co-editor of TESOL Quarterly.
PROPOSAL FORMAT:
Proposals should be no more than three single spaced pages and should include the following: The research question(s), theoretical framework, methodology, findings and/or issues for further discussion, and the projected contributions to scholarship on Academic Literacies. Please fill out the Proposal Format form, located at http://www.english.iup.edu/academicliteracies/
TYPES OF PRESENTATIONS:
• Papers
• Posters
• Roundtable Conversation
• Graduate Research DEADLINES:
All proposals must be submitted by October 15, 2009.
Notifications will be sent by November 15, 2009.
Completed manuscripts are due February 15, 2010.
Please send your proposals to Dr. Lisya Seloni at
lisyaseloni@gmail.com
Monday, September 28, 2009
CFP: Symposium on L2 Writing in Spain
Call for proposals
The 2010 Symposium Organizing Committee seeks proposals for 20-minute presentations that address various topics within the field of L2 writing broadly defined. Any topic related to second language writing theory, research, or teaching is welcome. We particularly encourage proposals that seek to challenge the status quo in the field by introducing new topics as well as new theoretical and methodological approaches.
As with all previous nine Symposium iterations, we are interested in L2 writing issues in any second or foreign language, at various levels of education, and in the professions. Given the theme of the Symposium, we particularly encourage proposals that connect L2 writing with other related areas of inquiry, such as computer assisted instruction, second language acquisition, sociocultural theories, linguistics, psychological and educational sciences, language testing, or rhetoric. We welcome proposals from around the world.
To submit your proposal, please use the proposal submission form available at http://sslw.asu.edu/2010/proposal.html. Proposals must include both an abstract (limited to 300 words) and a proposal summary (50 words).
Proposals must be received by 23:59:59 November 15th, 2009 (Spanish time).
Proposals will be peer reviewed by a panel of experts. Notification of acceptance 20th December 2009.
For more information about SSLW 2010, please visit: http://sslw.asu.edu/2010/ We look forward to receiving your proposal!
Paul Kei Matsuda and Tony Silva, Chairs
Rosa Manchón, Local Chair
The 2010 Symposium Organizing Committee seeks proposals for 20-minute presentations that address various topics within the field of L2 writing broadly defined. Any topic related to second language writing theory, research, or teaching is welcome. We particularly encourage proposals that seek to challenge the status quo in the field by introducing new topics as well as new theoretical and methodological approaches.
As with all previous nine Symposium iterations, we are interested in L2 writing issues in any second or foreign language, at various levels of education, and in the professions. Given the theme of the Symposium, we particularly encourage proposals that connect L2 writing with other related areas of inquiry, such as computer assisted instruction, second language acquisition, sociocultural theories, linguistics, psychological and educational sciences, language testing, or rhetoric. We welcome proposals from around the world.
To submit your proposal, please use the proposal submission form available at http://sslw.asu.edu/2010/proposal.html. Proposals must include both an abstract (limited to 300 words) and a proposal summary (50 words).
Proposals must be received by 23:59:59 November 15th, 2009 (Spanish time).
Proposals will be peer reviewed by a panel of experts. Notification of acceptance 20th December 2009.
For more information about SSLW 2010, please visit: http://sslw.asu.edu/2010/ We look forward to receiving your proposal!
Paul Kei Matsuda and Tony Silva, Chairs
Rosa Manchón, Local Chair
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Responding to Plagiarism Issues
The issue of plagiarism can generate attention as well as discussions almost everywhere, classrooms, meetings, conferences. It might be because the fact that all articles we are reading still argue for the definitions of this term. The definition itself is somewhat ambiguous because it has been defined from different perspectives, personal, institutional, and international. This could be confusing to teachers and students to exercise this concept outside the Western academe as well.
The recurring issue mentioned in almost all readings is how to equip students to be aware of this issue so that they will not commit this “academic crime”, especially for students who are outside the Western academic institutions. In this response, I would like to propose two alternative pedagogical-related approaches to this issue: literacy narrative and consciousness of textual borrowing.
In the first approach of asking students to write literacy narrative, this approach is valuable for students to recognize themselves, their cultures, the way they live and learn, how they gain literacies. Apart from that we can also ask students to write the significance of their literacies and how they can use their literacies to help others who are in need. With this assignment, students have to start their writing from their own personal stories in which they cannot copy from anywhere. We teachers can help students to incorporate other texts to support their experiences by providing other people’s narratives. We could ask students to bring in some (famous) biographies that they are interested in or they share some similarities (or differences). Students will start acknowledging other stories into their own to support their arguments. This assignment helps students to avoid the issue of patch writing and plagiarism.
Another approach is to raise students’ awareness of plagiarism issue in writing for academic purposes. We can teach students general guidelines of citation and textual borrowing. We can teach students to paraphrase ideas by pairing students up in class to practice this exercise. This will help students to (somewhat) trust students in asking for peer response. For example, if I were to teach writing in Thailand, I would ask students about the issue of intellectual property in Thailand or how Thai scholars exercise their textual borrowing practices. Then I could also show them with local research articles and compare it with Western ones. This will prepare students to be aware of this issue in both local and international perspectives.
The recurring issue mentioned in almost all readings is how to equip students to be aware of this issue so that they will not commit this “academic crime”, especially for students who are outside the Western academic institutions. In this response, I would like to propose two alternative pedagogical-related approaches to this issue: literacy narrative and consciousness of textual borrowing.
In the first approach of asking students to write literacy narrative, this approach is valuable for students to recognize themselves, their cultures, the way they live and learn, how they gain literacies. Apart from that we can also ask students to write the significance of their literacies and how they can use their literacies to help others who are in need. With this assignment, students have to start their writing from their own personal stories in which they cannot copy from anywhere. We teachers can help students to incorporate other texts to support their experiences by providing other people’s narratives. We could ask students to bring in some (famous) biographies that they are interested in or they share some similarities (or differences). Students will start acknowledging other stories into their own to support their arguments. This assignment helps students to avoid the issue of patch writing and plagiarism.
Another approach is to raise students’ awareness of plagiarism issue in writing for academic purposes. We can teach students general guidelines of citation and textual borrowing. We can teach students to paraphrase ideas by pairing students up in class to practice this exercise. This will help students to (somewhat) trust students in asking for peer response. For example, if I were to teach writing in Thailand, I would ask students about the issue of intellectual property in Thailand or how Thai scholars exercise their textual borrowing practices. Then I could also show them with local research articles and compare it with Western ones. This will prepare students to be aware of this issue in both local and international perspectives.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Discussion Questions on Voice
This is another topic in which it can generate animated discussion on the concept of "voice" in writing especially in second language or multilingual writing. If anyone is interested in reading more about this, please let me know. I can generate some references as a start. In addition, it should be noted that this has been one of the controversies issue in composition as well.
Discussion questions relating to Prior (2001) and Ivanic and Camp (2001):
1. Do you hear any "voices" from reading these two articles?
2. What are the definition of "voice" from these articles and from which perspectives? What seems to be the problem in defining the concept of "voice" here?
3. As the concept of "voice" can be defined from different perspectives, how will you as future teacher-scholars define and incorporate in your teaching?
4. Both articles attempt to theorize the "voice pedagogy" in both L1 and L2 composition settings, can you relate this concept of other scholarships?
5. What is the similarity in relation to all reading about "voice" in writing (Ramanathan and Atkinson, 1999; Atkinson, 2001; Prior, 2001; and Ivanic and Camp, 2001)?
Please consider submitting your proposals on voice to both CEA on Voices (Link below) and Academic Literacies Symposium (@IUP, deadline is October 15, 2009)
Discussion questions relating to Prior (2001) and Ivanic and Camp (2001):
1. Do you hear any "voices" from reading these two articles?
2. What are the definition of "voice" from these articles and from which perspectives? What seems to be the problem in defining the concept of "voice" here?
3. As the concept of "voice" can be defined from different perspectives, how will you as future teacher-scholars define and incorporate in your teaching?
4. Both articles attempt to theorize the "voice pedagogy" in both L1 and L2 composition settings, can you relate this concept of other scholarships?
5. What is the similarity in relation to all reading about "voice" in writing (Ramanathan and Atkinson, 1999; Atkinson, 2001; Prior, 2001; and Ivanic and Camp, 2001)?
Please consider submitting your proposals on voice to both CEA on Voices (Link below) and Academic Literacies Symposium (@IUP, deadline is October 15, 2009)
Monday, September 14, 2009
Discussion questions on Connor's CR and IR
Before I jump into the questions, I would like to warn everyone about this CR/IR research issue that this is a tricky and easy to fall into your own traps. As you all know that this issue has been criticized heavily, please be advised to take this issue, if you happen to be interested in conducting the research, with care!
After reading Connor (2004), I have the following questions to head the discussion up a bit.
Pedagogically speaking:
1. Where is the place for "audiences" in CR/IR research?
2. How does CR/IR help us pedagogically to teach students to compose?
3. From the CR/IR persepctive, whose "rhetoric" is being put forward - researchers or students?
4. How do you define "culture"? (researchers' or students' perspectives)
The following questions are from Connor (2008) chapter.
Research/methodological related questions:
1. "Contrastive rhetoric has always been multidimensional in its research" (Connor, 2008, p 300). What are these dimensional aspects of IR research?
2. What are problems with the IR research methodologies?
3. If the rhetorical tradition is not pure, as stated in Connor (2008), what would be the future directions of the IR research?
4. Why do you think scholars criticize IR research methodologies?
5. What research methodologies/tools would help IR research to expand its horizon?
After reading Connor (2004), I have the following questions to head the discussion up a bit.
Pedagogically speaking:
1. Where is the place for "audiences" in CR/IR research?
2. How does CR/IR help us pedagogically to teach students to compose?
3. From the CR/IR persepctive, whose "rhetoric" is being put forward - researchers or students?
4. How do you define "culture"? (researchers' or students' perspectives)
The following questions are from Connor (2008) chapter.
Research/methodological related questions:
1. "Contrastive rhetoric has always been multidimensional in its research" (Connor, 2008, p 300). What are these dimensional aspects of IR research?
2. What are problems with the IR research methodologies?
3. If the rhetorical tradition is not pure, as stated in Connor (2008), what would be the future directions of the IR research?
4. Why do you think scholars criticize IR research methodologies?
5. What research methodologies/tools would help IR research to expand its horizon?
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
2010 CEA Conference: Voices
Dear Colleague,
We welcome you to join us for the 41st Annual Conference of the College English Association at the Sheraton Gunter Hotel in San Antonio, TX, on March 25-27, 2010. The attachment to this message provides the Call for Papers, including supplementary calls.
The Call for Papers
The primary conference theme for 2010 is “Voices”—native voices, voices from the margins and the center, voices in the wilderness, digital voices, voices in material culture, voices of protest, and much more. We also invite papers or panels on composition and pedagogy in response to this conference theme.
In addition, we offer a wide-ranging group of traditional and specialty areas to stimulate particular scholarly and pedagogical interests; e.g., Sea at CEA; the Women’s Connection; Creative Writing; Food and the Literary Imagination; Children’s & Adolescent Literature; Hispanic, Latino, Chicano Literature; Book History and Textual Criticism; Technical Communication; Trauma and Literature—and a great deal more.
The pre-conference registration fee, which includes all panel/plenary sessions and the president’s reception, is $75 (for part-time/retired, $65; for graduate students, $42). The Sheraton Gunter Hotel is offering CEA conference-goers a special room rate of $139 for singles and doubles until Wednesday, March 3, 2010.
In closing, we look forward to seeing you at the CEA conference in San Antonio!
We all should try submitting our papers in!
We welcome you to join us for the 41st Annual Conference of the College English Association at the Sheraton Gunter Hotel in San Antonio, TX, on March 25-27, 2010. The attachment to this message provides the Call for Papers, including supplementary calls.
The Call for Papers
The primary conference theme for 2010 is “Voices”—native voices, voices from the margins and the center, voices in the wilderness, digital voices, voices in material culture, voices of protest, and much more. We also invite papers or panels on composition and pedagogy in response to this conference theme.
In addition, we offer a wide-ranging group of traditional and specialty areas to stimulate particular scholarly and pedagogical interests; e.g., Sea at CEA; the Women’s Connection; Creative Writing; Food and the Literary Imagination; Children’s & Adolescent Literature; Hispanic, Latino, Chicano Literature; Book History and Textual Criticism; Technical Communication; Trauma and Literature—and a great deal more.
The pre-conference registration fee, which includes all panel/plenary sessions and the president’s reception, is $75 (for part-time/retired, $65; for graduate students, $42). The Sheraton Gunter Hotel is offering CEA conference-goers a special room rate of $139 for singles and doubles until Wednesday, March 3, 2010.
In closing, we look forward to seeing you at the CEA conference in San Antonio!
We all should try submitting our papers in!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Literacy Narrative
My literacies in second language start at home. I exposed to a second language when I was little. My grandparents migrated from a southern part of China to Thailand. I also had a chance to study in a Chinese school until 3rd grade. During the school year, I could read and write traditional Chinese characters somewhat fluently. I also could write my Chinese name at that time.
Up until my family moved to a new house, I also had to move to a new school. In this new school, I am required to learn English. My first exposure to English is at the age of 8 or 9 years old. I barely remembered how I started my English lessons, but I know that English is not my favorite subject at that period of time. I failed the tests almost every academic year. Though I can read and write, teachers would explain the rules on the board. We students needed to write those rules down in our notebooks. Then we needed to do some exercises in which most of the time these exercises asked students to conjugate both regular and irregular verb forms (the drill techniques/slot technique). In the reading class, we would read simplified novels in class and teachers would translate the texts to students (translation method). In speaking class, I was lucky comparing to others because I was in this catholic school. The school would have some English-speaking teachers (one Filipino, one Indian, one American) to teach us once a week.
I also had a chance to study French after I graduated. I enrolled myself into a French class offered through the France embassy in Bangkok, Thailand. The class would meet on a regular basis of 3-hour class, once a week. This is an integrated skill class in which all four skills would be taught and practiced in the class hours. I enjoyed the class very much. Though I am not fully fluent in French, I still remembered how to introduce myself in French.
Another language in which I learned through traveling is Spanish. I never took any classes in Spanish, but I decided to backpack with my friend to South America. People would think that English could be used as well in those countries. It’s not true! I needed to learn Spanish to travel as well. Well, my friend also could not speak Spanish. We traveled by using Lonely Planet’s Latin American Spanish Phrasebook. In the book, it gives basic conversation and useful word lists. Though I could not speak Spanish, I actually employed some French words that I remembered to use in Spanish. It worked! I could survive during those two months of backpacking. At the end of the trip, I know some basic Spanish words as well as some Spanish dishes I can cook at home.
Up until my family moved to a new house, I also had to move to a new school. In this new school, I am required to learn English. My first exposure to English is at the age of 8 or 9 years old. I barely remembered how I started my English lessons, but I know that English is not my favorite subject at that period of time. I failed the tests almost every academic year. Though I can read and write, teachers would explain the rules on the board. We students needed to write those rules down in our notebooks. Then we needed to do some exercises in which most of the time these exercises asked students to conjugate both regular and irregular verb forms (the drill techniques/slot technique). In the reading class, we would read simplified novels in class and teachers would translate the texts to students (translation method). In speaking class, I was lucky comparing to others because I was in this catholic school. The school would have some English-speaking teachers (one Filipino, one Indian, one American) to teach us once a week.
I also had a chance to study French after I graduated. I enrolled myself into a French class offered through the France embassy in Bangkok, Thailand. The class would meet on a regular basis of 3-hour class, once a week. This is an integrated skill class in which all four skills would be taught and practiced in the class hours. I enjoyed the class very much. Though I am not fully fluent in French, I still remembered how to introduce myself in French.
Another language in which I learned through traveling is Spanish. I never took any classes in Spanish, but I decided to backpack with my friend to South America. People would think that English could be used as well in those countries. It’s not true! I needed to learn Spanish to travel as well. Well, my friend also could not speak Spanish. We traveled by using Lonely Planet’s Latin American Spanish Phrasebook. In the book, it gives basic conversation and useful word lists. Though I could not speak Spanish, I actually employed some French words that I remembered to use in Spanish. It worked! I could survive during those two months of backpacking. At the end of the trip, I know some basic Spanish words as well as some Spanish dishes I can cook at home.
Reflection on Post-process
The process writing has dominated the filed in second language writing (SLW) for decades. Students would do pre-writing, writing, peer responding, and rewriting as a process of writing. This process claims to give students a sense of learner autonomy in which students can employ such process to write in different writing pieces. Reflecting from my experiences, I have been taught to do the process writing with multiple drafts, giving and responding to friends’ drafts. It is difficult, as Atkinson suggests, to teach writing without this approach.
Then the “post-process” paradigm comes into the field. As the readings suggest, there is no concrete definitions for the term. Some scholars (Matsuda (2003) and Casanave (2003)) are cautious about the definition and the use of the label in the SLW field. Other readings focus on the social, political, and cultural aspects of both the writing and the writers. Personally, I will be careful when using this term as I am still not so sure about the definitions as well. Though Kent (1999) defines the term that “writing is public,…interpretive, [and]…situated” (p. 1), every piece of writing can be classified into those categories. I agree with Casanave’s and Matsuda’s remarks that the label is socially constructed and can be interpreted in different meanings. This could add both complexities and “multiplicity” (Matsuda, 2003, p. 79) to the field.
Another interesting point to be made here is Casanave’s discussion of her Japanese students. This is nothing new to my personal experience as well. Due to time constrain and overloaded with contents, teachers and students do not have a chance to even respond to their friends’ writing, let alone to receive the paper back from teachers. Some teachers employ this teaching practice; however, students do not see the importance of peer response. This also leads to the failure in appropriating western pedagogies to different contexts. The issue of (self) perception in doing peer response should be discussed and reconstructed to students.
Is the process writing really outdated? How well students and teachers prepared for this so-called post-process? How do you define the term? What are teaching implications to be included in this post-process approach? These are questions in which I think are important to be considered.
Then the “post-process” paradigm comes into the field. As the readings suggest, there is no concrete definitions for the term. Some scholars (Matsuda (2003) and Casanave (2003)) are cautious about the definition and the use of the label in the SLW field. Other readings focus on the social, political, and cultural aspects of both the writing and the writers. Personally, I will be careful when using this term as I am still not so sure about the definitions as well. Though Kent (1999) defines the term that “writing is public,…interpretive, [and]…situated” (p. 1), every piece of writing can be classified into those categories. I agree with Casanave’s and Matsuda’s remarks that the label is socially constructed and can be interpreted in different meanings. This could add both complexities and “multiplicity” (Matsuda, 2003, p. 79) to the field.
Another interesting point to be made here is Casanave’s discussion of her Japanese students. This is nothing new to my personal experience as well. Due to time constrain and overloaded with contents, teachers and students do not have a chance to even respond to their friends’ writing, let alone to receive the paper back from teachers. Some teachers employ this teaching practice; however, students do not see the importance of peer response. This also leads to the failure in appropriating western pedagogies to different contexts. The issue of (self) perception in doing peer response should be discussed and reconstructed to students.
Is the process writing really outdated? How well students and teachers prepared for this so-called post-process? How do you define the term? What are teaching implications to be included in this post-process approach? These are questions in which I think are important to be considered.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
recent publications
Book Reviews
- Chamcharatsri, P. B. (in press). [Review of the book Teaching academic writing]. SLW IS Newsletter
- Chamcharatsri, P. B. (in press). [Review of the book A synthesis of research on second language writing in English]. Asian EFL Journal
- Chamcharatsri, P. B. (in press). [Review of the book Advances in discourse studies], Journal of Sociolinguistics
- Chamcharatsri, P. B. (in press). Do we have to problematize our identity? [Review of the book Problematizing identity: Every struggles of languages, culture, and education ]. Journal of Language, Identity, and Education.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Fluency 2 - continued
Another technique to practice writing fluently is to use pictures or (silent) comic strips. Just look at the pictures and describe or invent the stories related to it. Keep writing by adding the conversation lines, characters, atmospheres, and so on. This helps students to be more creative in their writing as well.
If you are using a computer classroom, you can also ask students to open the notepad or Word program, switch off their screen, then start writing continuously for 5-10 minutes. Ask students to not stop typing on their keyboards. This is another technique in using freewriting in the computer classroom.
I hope these techniques might help students to practice fluency in their writing classrooms.
If you are using a computer classroom, you can also ask students to open the notepad or Word program, switch off their screen, then start writing continuously for 5-10 minutes. Ask students to not stop typing on their keyboards. This is another technique in using freewriting in the computer classroom.
I hope these techniques might help students to practice fluency in their writing classrooms.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Teaching writing with community-based content
I have been working with a local Thai teacher on a teaching project she is working on. Her first initiative was to focus on the teaching writing through creative writing; however, I have included the critical aspect of teaching writing to her project in which she has not really been properly introduced. I have proposed to her a community-based/service learning pedagogy to this writing project. The service learning pedagogy grows out from critical/feminist approach by giving more value to local knowledge, background, and wisdom.
By proposing this topic, I asked her to use local knowledge and local wisdom as writing assignments to be assigned to students. Students can introduce tourist attractions with historical background attached to the brochures or drawing maps with different routes for different activities for tourists to use. Another assignment would be writing on local culture, foods, and religions. This could help both teachers and students to integrate local knowledge in English language as well. This could help counter the stereotypes in which others think.
This is an on-going project that I am still working with this local teacher. I will come and add more progress about this project.
By proposing this topic, I asked her to use local knowledge and local wisdom as writing assignments to be assigned to students. Students can introduce tourist attractions with historical background attached to the brochures or drawing maps with different routes for different activities for tourists to use. Another assignment would be writing on local culture, foods, and religions. This could help both teachers and students to integrate local knowledge in English language as well. This could help counter the stereotypes in which others think.
This is an on-going project that I am still working with this local teacher. I will come and add more progress about this project.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Fluency - the first start
I have recently answered my colleagues' questions regarding the development of students' writing skills. I propose a few writing activities that I believe they can be useful for EFL students. These activities are under the same theme, developing fluency in writing.
Freewriting is the first activity in which I believe it helps students to generate more ideas. It also helps students to look beyond the accuracy or the focus on correction, which should be focused at the later drafts of the paper. Freewriting helps students to gain fluency through writing continuously for 5 to 10 minutes without stipping. If students cannot write or think of anything to write, ask students to write "I dont have anything to write" until students have something else come to mind. This will also help students to develop their "voice" in their writing.
Dialogue journaling is another activity I am suggesting to my colleagues. This dialogue journaling is a fun activity in which it helps students to gain skill in responsing to students' questions and to clarify, to be more specific when writing. Teachers can also ask questions for students to clarify awkward sentences, generate more questions for students to think beyond thier ideas, and practice students about peer responses. This is a low stake writing, so students do not worry much about grammar and acuracy. Fluency is the key in this activity.
The last one is to ask students to keep daily journal. This can be appraoched thematically or randomly. This is also another low stake writing in which students do not need to show this to students if they do not want to. They can clip pages together when teachers ask students to submit.
I hope all these three activities will help EFL students to develop their writing skills.
Freewriting is the first activity in which I believe it helps students to generate more ideas. It also helps students to look beyond the accuracy or the focus on correction, which should be focused at the later drafts of the paper. Freewriting helps students to gain fluency through writing continuously for 5 to 10 minutes without stipping. If students cannot write or think of anything to write, ask students to write "I dont have anything to write" until students have something else come to mind. This will also help students to develop their "voice" in their writing.
Dialogue journaling is another activity I am suggesting to my colleagues. This dialogue journaling is a fun activity in which it helps students to gain skill in responsing to students' questions and to clarify, to be more specific when writing. Teachers can also ask questions for students to clarify awkward sentences, generate more questions for students to think beyond thier ideas, and practice students about peer responses. This is a low stake writing, so students do not worry much about grammar and acuracy. Fluency is the key in this activity.
The last one is to ask students to keep daily journal. This can be appraoched thematically or randomly. This is also another low stake writing in which students do not need to show this to students if they do not want to. They can clip pages together when teachers ask students to submit.
I hope all these three activities will help EFL students to develop their writing skills.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
L2 writing has been synthesized into your hands
In accordance to Matsuda's article in 1999 on Composition Studies and ESL Writing: A Disciplinary Division of Labor, compositionists should start reading and studying about second language (L2) writing because of the growing of ESL student body in the university. This is the most recent and up-to-date book on L2 writing that everyone will find satisfactorily.
The editors have laid out the content thematically and pointed out the missing puzzles of the field for teacher-researcher scholars to work on the missing issues effectively.
This book is suitable for both novice and expert in the field. For novice, this book is a great place to start as the content of the book is most recent and has synthesized the references for easy traceback. Experts will also find this book a homage to the field. Some often leftout and overlooked issues are identified.
Also this is a great book for a supplementary text for introductory course in composition and L2 writing, teacher educator will be ableto use this book as well.
Matsuda, Paul Kei. "Composition Studies and ESL Writing: A Disciplinary Division of Labor." CCC 50.4 (1999): 699-721
Friday, June 5, 2009
My ongoing/current research topic
At this moment, I am in Thailand to attend an international conference, Asia TEFL. Before I come back, there has been an unresolved demonstrations and violent actions regarding the discontent of Thai people on government and elections. When I come back, there are signs everywhere in an attempt to reunite Thai people again.
In this connection, I have come up with a research project under the title -- Visual/Multimodal Rhetoric and Thai-Harmonious Identity Reconstruction.
Welcome to Composition and Second Language Writing Blog
If you like to compose, you come to the right place!!
This will be the place to discuss and share your stories and experiences through writing. Whether you are (becoming) experts or novices in composition and second language (L2) writing, this will be a good place to contribute and start the conversation on writing issues.
This will be the place to discuss and share your stories and experiences through writing. Whether you are (becoming) experts or novices in composition and second language (L2) writing, this will be a good place to contribute and start the conversation on writing issues.
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