Composition and Conversation: Exploring the Link in EAL Writing

Laura Friddle, Collaborative for Multilingual Writing and Research coordinator, and Lisa D. Lenoir, Peer Tutor and CMWR Team Member

Who We Are

E Pluribus Unum: Writing Center Planning for a Global, Multicultural World Albert DeCiccio, 2002.

DeCiccio states that writing centers should take the lead within universities in encouraging multicultural perspectives. Writing centers need to respond to their demographic demands by reconceptualizing how they use space, time, money, and staff to develop initiatives geared toward multilingual writers.

CCCC Statement on Second Language Writing and Writers. Conference on College Composition and Communication, January 2001 Revised November 2009.

Writing Program Administrators must incorporate an awareness of wide-range multilingualism to program design and research. Writing centers are central to this process: 1. They are a place where issues surrounding second language writing and writers can be investigated. 2. They have an outreach-oriented mission to work with underserved multilingual communities and a large constituency that crosses university departmental boundaries.

DePaul University Data

CMWR Initiatives

Conversation Partner Appointments

Respond to a need for language support within DePauls International Community
English Language Academy International Programs Exchange Students Full-time international students participating in undergraduate and graduate programs

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Our Appointment Methodology

What Do I Talk About?!? Agenda Setting Is Your Best Friend
Major Goals
Offer the student(s) some options for how to approach the appointment Find out what theyre looking for on a grammatical/linguistic level

Our Appointment Methodology

Different Approaches
We can practice conversation We can talk about conversation. We can talk about language.

Our Appointment Methodology

We can practice conversation
By picking an interesting topic.
Movies. Chicago. Johnny Depp.

By learning more about one another.

Where are you from (can we find pictures on the internet)? How long have you been in Chicago? Do you like it? Would you like recommendations for places to go and things to do? What would you recommend to me that you have done so far?

Our Appointment Methodology

We can talk about conversation.
Identify different conversational contexts.
How do you strike up a conversation with someone you pass in the hall every day? How do you strike up a conversation with a classmate?

What are some of the challenges youve faced in conversation is there any type of conversation or situation in particular youd like to discuss?

Our Appointment Methodology

We can talk about language.
Are there words or phrases youve encountered that you have questions about? Whats most different about the structure of your language and that of English? What do you find most challenging about learning English?

Our Appointment Methodology

The Grammar Question
Find out what the student is looking for from you in response to their contributions to the conversation:
Would you like me to identify errors for you so we can discuss them? Would you like to ignore the grammar in our conversation and just focus on the exchange of ideas?

Our Appointment Methodology

During The Appointment
Openly refer back to and adjust the agenda as you go along. Dont be afraid to pause and take stock of what youve covered and possible changes of focus.

Our Appointment Methodology

Ending the Appointment
5 Minutes of Meta
Major Goals
Summing up what the appointment covered Looking forward to whats next for the student.

Our Appointment Methodology

A Few Points to Keep in Mind
Be sensitive to how your partner feels about speaking English Saying, Its a bit noisy in here; could you say that again or something similar allows you to gain clarification without making the speaker feel insecure about his or her speech. Make sure theres an exchange. (Pay attention to how much youre talking) When it comes to grammar, model rather than correct. Be conscious of how nervousness may affect your pacing. Make sure you give your partner time to respond. Conversation for conversations sake tends to fall flat and sound contrived (Dooley 501). Your genuine interest will have a strong influence on the conversation.

Research Question

Does developing spoken communication have an impact on the quality of written communication?

Hypotheses
A relationship of exchange exists between spoken and written competency one informs the other. A close examination of Conversation Partner Appointments demonstrates that these sessions aid in making better writers as well as better speakers.

Supporting Theories & Literature

Sociocultural Theory
Vygotsky claimed that all higher cognitive functions, including writing, develop out of social interaction internalized as inner speech (Connecting Speaking and Writing in Second Language Writing Instruction Weissberg15). Kenneth Bruffee (1995)writes, If thought is internalized public and social talk, then writing is internalized talk made public and social again. If thought is internalized conversation, then writing is internalized conversation reexternalized (Weissberg 15)

Supporting Theories & Literature

Writing Instruction Theory
Speech activity accompanies various aspects of composition, such as whole class discussions or peer review groups.
Speech activity that acts as an adjunct to composing. Talking through a composition before writing it. Speech activity as a calisthenic function. As cognitive calisthenics, oral exercise may or may not lead up to a tangible written product. Instead, these activities develop the kinds of linguistic, social awareness, or epistemic skills that underlie writing of one kind or another (Writing to Speak: What Goes On across the Two-Way Street Rubin and Kang 214).

Supporting Theories & Literature

A considerable body of developmental theory about emergent writing as well as about life-span literacy learning in English and about languages other than English explicates the dependency of writing development on underlying oral skills (Rubin and Kang 211).

Family & Home Literacy Experiences L1 Reading Knowledge L1 Writing Instruction

L2 Oral Proficiency

L2 Writing Proficiency

L1 Oral Knowledge

L2 Writing Instruction Personality Factors & Learning Styles

L2 Reading Knowledge

(Weissberg 28)

Research Methodology
Interviews of a larger pool and case studies of a smaller pool. Interviews with both the English Language Learners and Peer Tutors who have conducted a large number of Conversation Partner Appointments.

EAL & Tutor Interview Process

Establish basic context for the individuals language learning experience. Establish the individuals experience with conversation partner appointments. Have the individual evaluate his or her experience with this type of appointment with a view to deconstructing what takes place during them. Ask the individual to reflect on the relationship between spoken and written fluency do they perceive one and, if so, how does it function.

Longitudinal Case Studies

Conduct an initial interview with EAL students and tutors who agree to participate. Arrange for follow up interviews through the Winter Quarter to analyze specific appointments. Conduct closing interviews.

Sources
DeCiccio, Albert C. Pluribus Unum": Writing Center Planning for a Global, Multicultural World. , 2002. Print. Rubin, Donald L. and Kim Kang. Writing to Speak: What Goes on across the Two-Way Street. The Oral-Literate Connection: Perspectives on L2 Speaking, Writing, and Other Media Interactions. Eds. Diane Belcher and Alan Hirvela. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2008. Print. Weissberg, Robert. Connecting Speaking & Writing in Second Language Writing Instruction. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2006. Print. CCCC Statement on Second Language Writing and Writers. Conference on College Composition and Communication, January 2001 Revised November 2009. Nov 1, 2012. Web.

Questions and Comments Please feel free to contact us at cmwr@depaul.edu For more information about our program, visit www.depaul.edu/writing