In her article “The Use and Misuse of Academic Words in Writing,” (2012), Andrea Marie Cons compares the writing of students who are developing their English language skills to those who are not native speakers but who have reached a level of proficiency such that they are no longer grouped with second-language learners. While it is true that language is something learned over a lifetime, as new words are invented and new meanings are given to old words, Cons focuses on so-called “academic words” which serve as more enduring markers of academic achievement. Cons refers to students with less developed skills as “English learners” (EL) and to students who were formerly ELs as “redesignated fluent English-proficient” (RFEP). I found this article appealing because it deals with English for purposes or academic writing, such as that found in the secondary and tertiary schools. This is the area in which I currently work, and as more RFEP students are working alongside native speakers in the classroom and the workplace, these students will need writing skills similar to those demonstrated by their peers. My choice of article was also informed by my experience as a writing teacher for native-speaking students whose writing did not meet the expectations of their grade level. I anticipate using my TESOL degree to work primarily with students who are learning English in order to have better access to education, because I believe that a high school diploma and at least some college will continue to be expected by many employers in the future, and because I believe that many of the world’s best colleges will continue to provide at least some instruction in English. This paper will first summarize the reasons for Cons’s research and how th... ... middle of paper ... ...ck of competence with such words is a barrier that keeps ELs in remedial classes or, worse, in normal classes where they are held to lowered expectations. Such barriers can function as a type of “glass ceiling” which, once broken, affords access to the full wealth of educational opportunities in the areas of literature, social studies, and the sciences. Works Cited Cons, A. M. (2012). The Use and Misuse of Academic Words in Writing: Analyzing the Writing of Secondary English Learners and Redesignated Learners. [Electronic version.] TESOL Journal, 3.4, 610-638. Coxhead, A. (1998.) Academic Word List. University of Wellington. Retrieved from http://www.victoria.ac.nz/lals/resources/academicwordlist/ Salahu-Din, D., Persky, H., & Miller, J. (2008). The nation’s report card: Writing 2007. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/main2007/2008468.pdf
Mike Rose, author of The Politics of Remediation, explains that “linguistic exclusion'; is the barrier that prevents many new college students from excelling in the academics at any given university. Gerald Graff, on the other hand, feels that the problem comes from the lack of communication between professors, and that many of the times the students are taught the same concepts but through opposite understandings and in a bias fashion.
Sam Dillion wrote “What Corporate America Can’t Build: A Sentence” for an audience of college students, employees and corporate people. In his article, Sam points out that companies are spending a lot of money annually on remedial training. According to Sam, the writing problem appears in e-mails, reports and texts. He is informing his audience to brush up on writing skills before entering the corporate world, in order to avoid remedial training. Companies like to hire employees with excellent writing skills but many of employees and applicants fall short of that standard.
In Downs and Wardle’s article, they argue and identify the flaws in teaching writing in college. Demonstrating the misconceptions that academic writing is universal, but rather specialized in each case. Citing studies and opinions from esteemed professionals, Downs & Wardle state their points and illuminate the problem in today’s many colleges.
Michaela Cullington, a student, wrote a paper “Does Texting Affect Writing?” in 2010 for an English class. The paper is an examination of texting and the belief that it negative effective student’s writing. Cullington goes into detail about textspeak- “language created by these abbreviations”- and their use in formal writings. She organizes the paper in a way that is confusing to understand at first (pg. 1). At the end of the paper, she discusses her finding in her own research which comes to show that texting does not affect writing. But this is contradicting to the information she received from the teachers. The students and the teachers were seeing differences in the use of textspeak in formal writing. Cullington has good support for her
Murray, Charles. “Are Too Many People Going to College?” They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter In Academic Writing. Ed. Gerald Graff. 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. 222-242. Print.
Throughout the span of the past few weeks I have traversed the globe, visiting several countries and regions, only to realize that although new methods develop, language as a way of expressing ones self has remained the most effective. Despite this fact, language still has its pitfalls. Neil Postman, in his essay “Defending Against the Indefensible,'; outlines seven concepts that can be used to aid a student in better understanding the language as a means of communication. He describes how modern teaching methods leave a student vulnerable to the “prejudices of their elders';, further stating that a good teacher must always be skeptical. He urges teachers of all subjects to break free from traditional teachings as well as “linguistical tyranny';
Flynn, K. & Hill, J. (2005). English language learners: A growing population. Mid-Research For Education And Learning, 1-11.
When I was first accepted into the AP Language & Composition course, I felt overwhelmed. I had always received above average grades in all subject areas, but because this was an AP course I was unsure if my English skills were up to par. During the summer, my anxiety about the course increased. I began to feel that my writing skills were inferior to the skills of my peers’. Before this course, I did not have a developed writing voice or style. I had little knowledge of what phrases or words to avoid using in writing. I started to wonder if I truly belonged in an AP course. After having completed this course, I have a better grasp of the English language and have acquired skills that have improved my writing.
Professor Ken Macrorie is frustrated, and through his article “The Poison Fish” is willing to help college students become good writers instead of using phony and pretentious language to impress their teachers. He names this language, Engfish through his frustration of the use of the phony language he explains why it is bad, and then with an optimistic tone gives hsi college students a way to become great writers .
What do you think of when you think of complex writing? Many people would think of something that they couldn’t read because it was to hard to read. That issue is exactly what is being addressed in the world of academics today. Academics today are writing to a level that is very hard to understand, sometimes even to fellow academics. To the advantage of those who hate reading complex writing, other writers and researchers are starting to speak out on the topic. A newer style of writing is becoming more popular through the controversy. That style of writing is clear and concise writing. It is still controversial as to what is the “best” or what should be used as the common writing style, but there could be a time in the near future that writing by academics and less scholarly people, alike, are writing in the same way.
Graff, G., Birkenstein, C., & Durst, R. K. (2009). The Growing College Gap. "They say/I say": the moves that matter in academic writing : with readings (p. 379). New York: W.W. Norton & Co.
The lack of basic skills is financially a problem, too. The government and employers are also spending too much money on basic writing skills. A 2003 survey of managers shows that employers are spending $1.3 billion a year on basic writing. (Begley, Sh...
The purpose of this assignment is to explain the impact of English language learners in the classroom. As a foreign student, English language learner in the United States faces multiple challenges for achieving academic success. To successfully complete a task, they need to master both English as a language and how it is used in core content classes especially when they are an adult. When trying to assist in instructing English language learners, they usually have many concepts and language abilities that they need to master, as do the teachers that are trying to teach them. With the incorporation of the concepts and approaches to identify and assess the issues and concerns that we have learned in our classroom instruction, such as lesson preparation,
Writing is an important part of everyone’s life, whether we use it in school, in the workplace, as a hobby or in personal communication. It is important to have this skill because it helps us as writers to express feelings and thoughts to other people in a reasonably permanent form. Formal writing forms like essays, research papers, and articles stimulates critically thinking. This helps the writer to learn how to interpret the world around him/her in a meaningful way. In college, professors motivate students to write in a formal, coherent manner, without losing their own voice in the process. Improving your writing skills is important, in every English class that’s the main teaching point; to help students improve their writing skills. Throughout my college experience I have acknowledge that
Academic writing skill is very essential for the college students. Through academic writing, the students can express their thoughts, feelings and point of view on a certain issue or topic. In presenting ideas about variety of issues, students need to follow certain rules in writing academic essays. Academic writing is a specific type of writing that is needed in writing formal essays in a certain course. To create a well-constructed essay, it is very important for the students to use academic writing style. It has specific features which include academic tone in the essays. To achieve formality of tone, students must maintain the objectivity of their written texts. Unfortunately, some of the students tend to use personal pronouns