The Biggest Challenges in L2 Writing
When an L2 writer begins to write, she or he faces many challenges. On a very basic level, L2 students must learn spelling in the new language. I remember elementary school phonics with lessons differentiating the [o] sound - the o in go, the ow in throw, the ough in though. It was confusing enough for a child who grew up speaking English as a first language, but for a student who is also navigating a language with which they are unfamiliar, English spelling becomes a nightmare. It would be easy for an L2 student to get so caught up in the small details, such as spelling and punctuation, they they cannot see the forest for the tress. That is, the student has a difficult time looking at the big picture of what they are trying to communicate in their written work and spend too much time with the minute details.
L2 Course Planning
One way to ease the frustration of writing and spelling in an L2 composition class would be to know the writing system of the students. With this information an instructor may be able to find texts that have common features (perhaps particular sounds or patterns that appear throughout). Instructors can also use texts with words that have common spelling features, highlighting the similarities and differences between words with particular letter blends, such as the y in my, fly and by or the differences between the y in cry versus the y in many. By pointing out these spelling patterns in slow, steady increments, students will not feel as overwhelmed with English's opacity when it comes to spelling.
Educational Context
Many of the selections that an instructor will make will be based off of the educational institution and type of class they are teaching. Selections for a 4th grade ESL classroom will be much different than the selections made for an English business course at an intensive language program meant for men and women who are already literate in L1 and have a specific set of vocabulary that they need to master for their job field. However, that does not remove the barrier created by the issues with English's varied spelling rules for the same sounds. While younger learners will primarily use children's books and texts, older learners can still benefit from these sorts of reading materials. However, older students, especially those with a specific learning goal in mind, will need material with more complex thoughts and ideas to help challenge them and assist them in reaching their literacy goals.
By combining different genres and skill levels while keeping the main goal in mind, an instructor can keep the attention of the students, reduce frustration stemming from feeling overwhelmed, and still help students reach their goals in whatever academic setting they are in. They can guide students towards seeing the big picture details that will help their written work sound cohesive and concise instead of getting caught in the smaller details in their writing.
Hi Ashley-
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that English spelling can be troublesome. Many native speakers have spelling problems,so can you imagine how these poor students feel? I have been teaching Writing 2 for quite a few years in a community college. So, of course, I see mistakes of all kinds. There is no way I can focus on each and every problem. I tend to focus on the types of errors that make their writing misunderstood or not understood. So for spelling, although I point out errors, at this low level I seldom count off for spelling. I usually have a small list of commonly misspelled words that I want them to focus on. Only those words are checked for accuracy and graded. The list includes: beautiful, restaurant, finally, college, because, different, similar...." I find this approach more manageable than trying to teach a lot of spelling rules and patterns. However, I do usually give a few simple rules, like when to double the final consonant before adding an ending like -ing. There is NEVER enough time to touch on everything that is needed. I always tell my students,"I wish this class lasted for a few more hours!", and they all look at me like I am insane and RUN for the exit- LOL!!
I am considered a generation 1.5 learner. I grew up speaking Spanish at home, and it wasn't until I started kindergarten that I began to learn English. I remember learning to write for me in the first grade was a great struggle. My teacher had to work a lot with me. I think it is a lot easier to learn how to write in an L2 language when the students are at the elementary level. When they start at the middle school or high school level, it get a lot more complicated.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I would like to say that your blog page looks great and I loved getting to know more about you in your "About Me" section. I taught Spanish 1 for 8 years, but this upcoming school year I will be teaching ESL in the middle school level(7/8 grades).
ReplyDeleteSecondly, I love your organization!! I think I am going to copy your format of having a title for each of my answers. So far, I just numbered them. Your blogs looks really nice and your input and ideas are very informative. I agree with you that spelling is very troublesome for many L1 and L2 writers.
Hi!
ReplyDeleteI probably would never consider spelling an issue in writing if I hadn't taken this course! The point you make on your first paragraph is very true, extremely relevant and can be instrumental in how a student (L2) succeeds in his/her overall education, not simply in writing.
Spot on regarding educational context! Also, before I forget, getting to know students' background is essential for sure.
I feel like we should create another blog that combines everyone's great ideas in just one place! =)
Best,
T
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ReplyDeleteHi Ashley,
ReplyDeleteWhat you said about the difficulty in spelling is so true and especially for L2 learners of English. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to learn to spell in English and not be a native speaker. Even though I am a native English speaker I would much rather spell in Spanish compared to English. Even though I realized for awhile now just how difficult spelling must be for non native speakers I have not really thought about your point that students can be so caught up in details and spend much of their time on those details. I would definitely agree and think that must be the case for many students.