COACHING

M U LT I L I N G U A L
WRITERS

AGENDA
Terms
Strategies
Common grammar errors
Plagiarism

USEFUL
TERMS

SOME USEFUL TERMS

Ferris, D. (2009) Teaching College Writing to Diverse Student Populations. Ann

Arbor: University of Michigan Press: 4 [Figure 1.1].

USEFUL TERMS
(CONT.)

EYE LEARNERS VS.

EAR LEARNERS

From: Ferris, D. (2009) Teaching College Writing to Diverse Student Populations. Ann Arbor:
University of Michigan Press: 30 [Figure 2.2].

HOW DO THESE GROUPS COMPARE?

From: Ferris, D. (2009) Teaching College Writing to Diverse Student Populations. Ann
Arbor: University of Michigan Press: 22 [Figure 1.3].

COMPLEXITY OF
POPULATION
How old were you when you came to
the U.S.?
How long have you been in the U.S.?
How did you learn English?
What are your L1 literacy experiences?
What are your L2 literacy experience?

COMPLEXITY OF
LITERACY EXPERIENCES
What kind of exposure have you had to
college-level academic literacy?
What level of computer literacy do you
have?
Was your literacy acquisition
interrupted?

KEY
STRATEGIES

KEY STRATEGIES
Importance of scaffolding
Importance of being direct
(vs. directive)
Importance of student
engagement

STRATEGY #1:
SCAFFOLDING
Make language more accessible
Lessen the language load
Locate key words
Use graphic organizers

Speak intentionally
Choose simple vocabulary
Avoid filler words (umm, like, etc.)
Make sure learner grasps one idea before moving on
Watch the learners eyes to gauge comprehension

STRATEGY #2: BEING

DIRECT VS.
DIRECTIVE

Fine line between giving students information

they dont have and telling them exactly what to
do.

Direct = helping students understand writing style, genre,

etc. through conversation and questioning
Directive = telling students whats right and correcting
every single mistake

Why?
Allows you to learn from the student
If you are directive, the student must be a follower

STRATEGY #3:
ENGAGE THE STUDENT
Tell and show.
Model. Tell students about your own writing or thinking process.
Focus on process, not content.
Look at sample papers if the student doesnt understand the
assignment

Respond as a reader.
Give feedback on ideas, not just grammar
Share your own ideas
Point out ideas that make you thinkor make you think differently.
Highlight places that are unclear. Ask writer to expand their ideas.
Play devils advocate.
Look for places writer could strengthen arguments.

KEYS TO REMEMBER
1. You dont have to choose between
substance & grammar.
2. Look for ways to talk about language
with repeat students.
3. Know who youre working with: one
size does not fit all.

COMMON
GRAMMAR
ERRORS

COMMON ERROR
TYPES
1. Subject-verb agreement errors
Every college student know how to choose
clothes that looks professional.

2. Verb tense errors

I was working on my paper since 6 a.m.

3. Verb form errors

I will driven to the airport next week.

COMMON ERROR
TYPES
4. Singular and plural errors
I have turned in all my homeworks this week.

5. Word form errors

Im happy to live in a democracy country.

6. Sentence structure errors

Words left out
Extra words
Incorrect word order

ARTICLES
Define the word the.
What is the difference between a and
an?
What is the difference between a and
the?
What is the difference between a and
some?

ARTICLES
Define the word the.

ARTICLES
Define the word the.
What is the difference between a and
an?

ARTICLES
Define the word the.
What is the difference between a and
an?
What is the difference between a and
the?

ARTICLES
Define the word the.
What is the difference between a and
an?
What is the difference between a and
the?
What is the difference between a and
some?

ARTICLES
Determiners: communicate definiteness or
indefiniteness
Articles: a, an, and the
Possessive: my, our, your, his, her, its, their
Demonstratives: this/these and that/those

Why are articles hard for ELLs?

Not all languages have determiners
Acquired very late in the language learning process
Count / noncount nouns

COUNT & NONCOUNT

NOUNS

COUNT & NONCOUNT

NOUNS
Common Nouns
Count Nouns

Indefinite
Definite

Proper Nouns
Noncount
Nouns

Singular

Plural

A(an)

--

--

The

The

The

Definite in and
of themselves.
No article is
needed to
mark
definiteness.

COUNT & NONCOUNT

NOUNS

COUNT & NONCOUNT

NOUNS
Some key differences between languages:
Spanish:
Use articles but not count & noncount nouns in the same
way.
No distinction between a and one.
Indefinite article can be plural.

Chinese & Korean

Has no articles

TIPS FOR
ADDRESSING

PL AGIARISM

PLAGIARISM
Be direct and explicit when discussing problems
with using sources
Did you consult any sources as you wrote this paper?
YES: Discuss which components came from other sources
NO: show parts of paper that are problematic

Remain supportive, nonjudgmental, and

encouraging
Use terms like borrowed words or too-close paraphrase

Compare the actual sources to the paper.

PLAGIARISM
Questions to ask students:
What have you been taught about how academic writers should
use sources?
Are writers expected to consult sources as they write papers, or
are they expected to base their writing on their own ideas?
Are writers expected to use direct quotes from sources? If so,
how do they separate the sources words and ideas from their
own?
How do writers acknowledge their sources to their readers? Do
they use footnotes, in-text citations, or a works cited page?
Is it every appropriate or expected for a writer to copy words or
ideas directly from a source without citing the source?
Does our native language have a word for plagiarism? If so,
what does it mean? What have you been told about US
academic conventions regarding plagiarism and source use?

PLAGIARISM
Responding to plagiarism
Show student academic policy.
Explain potential consequences of plagiarism.
Remember the Writing Center is a safe space.
Document your suspicions in Confidential Notes in
WCOnline.