Why Working at a University Writing Center is Awesome

This past Thursday was my final day at the University Writing Center. It was incredibly bittersweet. It has been one of the best jobs I've ever had for many reasons, primarily the main reasons anyone would love a job: flexibility, community, variety of work, and helping others. But leaving is also a means for celebration for any student leaving the Writing Center. As all tutors at the center are students, leaving means graduation and greener pastures in parts unknown. Even with the prospects abroad as a legitimate TESOLer,this coming August, it's hard to call leaving the UWC a draw.

Picture of Writing Centers, c. 1591

Most people, even students at the university, don't have a clear idea of a UWC because they've never been. Others think it's a storehouse of knowledge where you can drop your paper off to be checked for grammar (linked to Andrea Lunsford's Collaboration, Control, and the Idea of the Writing Center). Mostly, it's just an awesome place where people come in, talk about their papers, and get peer feedback from people who have been shown to have some competency in writing to learn some new tricks to add to their writing. You learn something new every time you come in.

For someone who has never worked at or been to a  UWC, it may be hard to imagine, so, here's a snippet from my final session. A preface: The whole session was a bit strange because I had just gotten back from the eye doctor on campus who had dilated my pupils to the size of saucers and severely impeded both my ability to read and my sensitivity to light, in addition to making me look like I was either on something or had a concussion. Sounds fun, no? Despite looking like a feral cat and being disoriented from the perspective shift, it went really well. On Thursday around 3:00 I greeted my appointment in the main office and walked him back to our workroom to sit at one of the tables. He was a graduate student working on a final paper for his negotiations course for an MBA. He graciously agreed to read his paper out loud (given my imposition). The premise of the paper was: use the negotiation strategies learned in the course and apply them to your own negotiation. Looking for an extra pickup truck for transport, the writer had gone above and beyond and solicited nine different people on Craigslist for the perfect truck. After meeting with his ninth seller, he came across the perfect truck that met his specifications and using a very humorous method of chewing down the price, i.e. walking around the car with scrutiny, acting uninterested, sighing audibly (I think the descriptions of his grumbles were my favorite) saying he had other cars to look at, and eventually knocked the price down from $2000.00 dollars to $1200.00. As someone

OBD Scanner and ODB: Not same same.

who royally fails at negotiation, it was a pretty insightful read. We chatted about the course, about graduation, about life, about grammar and the succinctness of his writing style, about using academic vernacular in lieu of more informal words, about places where additional examples would be helpful for clarification of certain concepts and about something called an OBD monitor which plugs into the car and reads diagnostics. It's all really cool stuff. However, I misheard what he said and thought he said "ODB", like the rapper, wherein we both shared in a 10-second dance party singing 'Shimmy Shimmy Ya'. Mm-hmm. Best job ever.

This final session was particularly fun for one of my favorite reasons: the writer left with constructive feasible goals by the end of the session, I got to learn on the job about cool stuff I'd never even thought about, and we both had fun. People from all over the university bring their papers to be looked at and offer all their best (or sometimes not-so-best) ideas for revision, so this dual-sided learning happens frequently on the job and it's one of the things that has made working at the Writing Center super duper awesome. My last session ended on a sweet, satisfying note, as have all of my adventures at the university in the 16 months I have been here. :)

English as a Language of the World, Jay Walker 2009

I find this quote incessantly facinating.

"English represents hope for a better future; a future where the world has a common language to solve its common problems."

TESOL 2013 Dallas, TX

TESOL International Convention 2013 Dallas, TX

…was amazing! As a green graduate student experiencing her first TESOL, I don’t think I could really imagine how many people “6,000” was until  a stampede of educators bustle through the halls of the Dallas convention center once their sessions released. The convention presentations were simply inspiring. Over 1,500 presenters from 100 countries shared their ideas at TESOL 2013. The TESOL program is THICK; nearly 240 pages. To give some perspective, from 7:30 to 8:00 each day, there were nearly 30 concurrent sessions at the same time. For the program, I was expecting a slender book with brief descriptions. However, when I was handed the program, I nearly dropped the 250 page behemoth from weight alone. ...Okay, I'm exaggerating, but the book is still big!

Critical Thinking with the World Peace Game

From before day one, my brain was exploding with information! TESOL was gracious enough to, Wednesday night, stream their plenary speaker John Hunter teaching critical thinking strategies with his amazing World Peace Game. Though the TESOL opening speech is not available any longer, his famous TED Talk is. His talk is an utterly inspiring motivator to get teachers to think outside of the box.

Comic Books in the ESL Classroom

For classroom use, I was able to find practical applications for free technology, and even comic books. Common core standards in the USA were a BIG topic this year at TESOL, as it has been for all education. "Reading as a Superpower" is a series of books designed to teach reading with subjects that all kids love-- comics, including Star Wars, Marvel, and DC!  Here is a quick write up of their awesome wares from the School Library Journal: http://www.slj.com/2012/11/webcasts/reading-is-a-superpower-comic-books-graphic-novels-literacy/



Research in NNEST
Research is a much more personal subject, and for myself I attended two research-oriented presentations on NNEST in TESOL, including the annual content-area meeting of the NNEST interest group in TESOL. Sitting next to George Braine was  unequivocally one of the nerdiest and most exciting moments of my time in TESOL and I won't soon forget it. Especially because my colleagues and I will be presenting this May at the regional SSTESOL conference on NNEST and NEST Perceptions in Asia, this was incredibly informative. http://nnest.asu.edu/

Corpora

There were also two very special presentations on corpora in ESL education. If you haven't used corpora, oh boy, are you in for a pleasant surprise! One was by Alison Youngblood, a PhD candidate from UCF as well as my former practicum director for the Soy Culto intensive English Program. Alison presented a history of corpora which was beyond mind-boggling. The amount of accumulated, searchable knowledge on the internet today is beyond staggering. Perhaps it comes as no surprise that researchers have accumulated very specific information, including the English language, in amazing databases called corpora. Corpora accumulate words from written articles, T.V. and radio broadcasts, books, and more. The other presentation was by both Alison and another student in my cohort, Christina Torres, who spoke on practical applications for integrating corpus in vocabulary lesson planning. Here is a link to the most used American Corpus, BYU's COCA: http://corpus.byu.edu/coca/

Job Marketplace
Another amazing aspect of TESOL 2013 was the job marketplace. Here, employers from around the world signed up to meet with hundreds of eager applicants. 45-minute interviews were scheduled online and then conducted in-person. It is an incredible opportunity for anyone seeking employment in the field, and even if you weren't at TESOL Convention 2013, they have a great online application as well! http://www.tesol.org/convention2013/job-marketplace

All in all, I feel incredibly fortunate and excited to be part of TESOL. As graduation looms above my head, I guess the best course of action next is to study for my comprehensive exam and get ready to experience even more amazing things in the field as I continue to develop as a professional. :)

Problems of Practice: ESL Students in the University Writing Center

Problems of Practice Inquiry into Tutoring ESL/NNS Students

Leah DeLorenzo and Charlotte Jones

Inquiry Question:

What perceptions do tutors have of non-native speakers and English and how might those perceptions affect teaching and learning in the Writing Center?

According to Thonus (1993) satisfactory scores do not always translate to college-level academic writing. To be admitted to the University of Central Florida as an International Student, students must get 80/120, or approximately 66.7%.. The following is a Level 3 (out of 5) Writing Sample, from the TOEFL iBT website.  

When we were children, we were taught to tell truth. Telling truth and being honest also become

the criteria of judging a person. I do think that most people prefer to live in a world of pure truth

and it is also the best wish of all kind hearted people. However, what we have to face is not the

dream land. Telling truth all the time could only exist in our dreams. In another word, lies could

not be avoided.

I will illustrate my opinion with the following facts. In the business world, always telling

truth equals to commit suicide. For example, when competitor company is asking the content of a tender or the cost of a major product, telling truth is nonsense. Furthermore, we could learn from old collegue that to keep the business secrete is to keep the position.

For those people whose profession is politics, lies is their favorite language. In order to

stablize the mood of anxcious people, some times president has to tell lies to comfort the peolple so that no more serious result will hapen.  Among friends, allways telling truth will also cause lots of avoidable confllicts. For example, when a 49 years old lady ask her froend whether she is beautiful or not. If the answer is No (truth for sure). We could imagine the accompanied results. This is why we are using the term white lie to find the suitable reason to use minor lies.

However, despite all these difficulties, we should always try to be honest and tell truth as

much as we could. In lots of situation, to tell truth can strengthen the relationship and deepen the

communication and understanding among people. Especially among family memers, telling truth

is quite necessary for every one. A family full of lie will bankrupt immediately. In a word, in

different situation, we should tell different words.

What does the research show?

Lyons, G. (1992). Validating cultural difference in the writing center. Writing Center

Journal,12(2), 145-158.

• Learn to understand where the writer is coming from
• Says to “ask tough, honest questions... about his or her own prejudices, commitments, and ethos.” (p. 157)

Blau, S & Hall, J. (2002). Guilt-Free Tutoring: Rethinking how we tutor

non-native-English-speaking students. Writing Center Journal 23(1), 23-44

• It is realistic to alter your practices (p. 29)

Thonus, T. (1993). Tutors as Teachers: Assisting ESL/EFL students in the writing center.

Writing Center Journal, 13(2), 13-26

• Repeat Sessions: Working with students in multiple sessions
• Ask good questions: “How would you write that in your language?” ( p. 20).

Volunteer Challenge: WE WANT YOU!

The University of Central Florida’s IEP program CMMS conducts a Conversation Hour open to students and volunteers who want to help international students improve their English. We challenge you to volunteer an hour of your time (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursday 1:00-3:00 at the Barbara Ying Building next to the Student Center).

Resources for Tutors

• A Guide to Tutoring Non-Native English Speaking Students, John Jay College of Criminal Justice
• http://resources.jjay.cuny.edu/erc/tutoring/worksheets.php
• Over 66 worksheets for tutoring ELLs
• Longman Dictionary
• COCA for advanced learners
• http://corpus.byu.edu/coca/
• Keys to Teaching Grammar by Keith Folse
• New Resource: "Articles, Prepositions, and Verb Tenses"
• https://docs.google.com/document/d/1URnzDAiz1dJtIJJ9TZC4NXTQzH1JhNsXH6XCvrWDJPk/edit

Calling all English Teachers in Asia!

Greetings all English teachers!

As some of you may know, I am currently working on my Master of Arts in TESOL back home in Orlando at the University of Central Florida. I’m nearly finished, but before my work here is complete I am being asked to conduct some research. My colleagues and I have been examining other areas on native and non-native EFL instruction and have devised a survey eliciting teacher opinions.

So, I am in need of your help! If you are currently (or have previously been) teaching English as a foreign language in Asia and could spare five minutes (at your desk) to complete this short survey, I would be incredibly grateful. The survey is fairly straightforward and, of course, completely confidential. There's a short section for you to add your comments as well. :)

Please share the survey with their native/non-native English teacher friends/colleagues as well. The link is provided below:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/embeddedform?formkey=dFc5VmRURXlnQl80aWtBWTd4RHNTdGc6MQ

The more participants, the merrier, so tell a friend! Most of our respondents will have experience in South Korea, but if you know anyone with experience in Japan, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan or southeast Asia that would be very helpful as well.

Thank you so much, your responses are immensely appreciated!

All the best,
Charlotte :)

Playing with Geert Hofstede's Dimensions of Culture

Geert (Hassel)hofstede...

School is back in session, and my first assignment is due today: a paper on Geert Hofstede's Dimensions of Culture. The great news? It was actually fun!

While the highly essentialist nature of this model has its obvious limitations, this comparison tool provided by the website of The Hofstede Centre gives a surprising amount of general insight between cultures, dividing them into five dimensions and giving a nice explanation at the bottom page about what they all mean.

It's fun to play with too! Below is a screenshot of the United States and South Korea. The differences in individualism are incredible to see quantified.

The tool is here: http://geert-hofstede.com/countries.html

 

It's also interesting to look at the generalized differences between cultures like Sweden and Saudi Arabia, China and Canada. Some things are surprising!

However, while I see the value in such a  generalized view, I cannot also help but conjecture that a model like this downplays the complexity of individuals and of culture. What do you think?

My Top 5 (Generalizable) Games to Supplement Lessons

Fun, customizable, quick-prep games!

When teaching elementary level EFL in South Korea, I rarely found worksheets useful. My students usually had difficulty getting up the courage to speak, so incorporating games that utilized their participation and speaking helped students gain courage in class.


5. Jenga

If ever I found myself at the end of a lesson with five minutes to spare, my students knew there would be a review game to pull out of a hat. My favorite was undoubtedly Jenga. Jenga isn't an English game you say? Not so! I've found Jenga remarkably helpful while reviewing vocabulary at the end of a lesson, and is a great way to informally assess how even the quiet students have grasped the material.

Materials: Jenga game

Target Vocabulary: Customizable
The teacher situates his or herself at a desk
Have students to line up in front of your desk.
Ask question to the student at the front of the line. If they get it correct, they are able to take a turn with the Jenga piece. If they are incorrect, they must go to the back of the line.

This usually takes between 5-10 minutes for all the pieces to fall.


4. Go Fish




Go Fish is a great way to get students to write, speak and communicate with target vocabulary.

Materials: Notecards (cut in half)

Target Vocabulary: Customizable / "Do you have..." "Yes I do." "No, Go Fish."

Write the vocabulary on the board and have the students copy them onto their notecards
Have students group into pairs (or have them work in threes if you want to) and shuffle the cards
Rock-Paper-Scissors to see who goes first
The first person asks the runner-up if they have any of the cards they need to complete their pairs
If the person has them, they say "Yes I do" and give player 1 the card. If they don't, they say "No, go fish." and player 1 takes a card from the deck
This continues until all cards are matched and the winner has the most cards!



3. Golden Bell

"Golden Bell" is a famous game show in South Korea. It is also the name I learned this review game under. The two, upon revision, are remarkably un-related, but it's still a great final review.

Materials: Dry erase boards (or a piece of paper each)

Target Vocabulary: Customizable
Give each student a dry erase board and have them draw three stars at the top
Ask a question, and require the students to write the correct answer on the board
If the student answered incorrectly, mark the star off the board with a red/green marker
The last man standing wins



2. Read - Speak - Write Relay Races

Materials: Paper, Chalk/white board

Target Vocabulary: Customizable
Divide classes into two teams
Assign roles to each student (Reader, Speaker , Writer). These roles will rotate
Write a sentence (or word, or paragraph depending on level) on a piece of paper and tape it outside the classroom door.
Choose a student from each team to be the reader of the paper
Count off for them to read it, then release them to the listener
The speaker then runs to the writer at the board, who writes the sentence correctly
The first team to get the phrase/sentence/paragraph correct gets a point


1. Powerpoint Template Games

Prior to coming to Korea, I had only heard of Powerpoint Jeopardy Games. Then, I found out about Waygook.org and the amazing work done with Powerpoint template games. My favorite stand-bys are:

• Pass the Pencilcase: http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/mod83-1271462-pass-the-pencil-case/
• Super Mario Classroom Blast: http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/mod83-1271360-template-quiz-super-mario-classroom-blast/
• Robots vs. Aliens: http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/mod83-1271345-template-quiz-robots-vs-aliens/

Pass the Pencilcase is essentially "Hot Potato" with the Benny Hill Theme playing. Super Mario and Robots vs. Aliens are versions of the bomb game. They incorporate sound, animation and are highly customizable. The kids absolutely love them.