Integrating Critical Reading in Advanced Writing Classes - PowerPoint Presentation

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Integrating Critical Reading in Advanced Writing Classes

COTESOL 2018

Mike Vallee, International English Center,

University of Colorado Boulder

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Agenda

Background, Rationale, and Research

Content-based template integrating reading and writing

Example of a writing course using readings on human rights that follows the template

Wrap up, Q & A

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Background

8 levels at the IEC: Intro, B1, B2, I1, I2, I3,

Adv

1,

Adv

2

Intro-I1: Paragraphs

I-2: Paragraphs to Essays

I-3: Different Types of Essays, Short Research Papers

Adv

1: Essays- focus on rhetoric, arguments and counterarguments,

E

mphasis on Longer Research Papers

Adv

2: Research Papers, Students should know how to write an essay

 content

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Timed Writing in IEPs

Most often personalized narrative topics or TOEFL/ IELTS expository topics

After

Adv

1, students

should

know how to organize and essays and construct arguments

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Discussion

What is the value of TOEFL/IELTS topics at advanced levels?

How well do they help students prepare for university

after students already know the

basics

of essay writing?

If students already

know the basics of essay writing,

w

hat skills shoul

d be emphasized in advanced writing courses?

Besides essays, what

types

of writing

assignments

would help to bridge the gap from IEP to university?

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Rationale for Content-Based Writing Courses

Not random topics ala TOEFL/IELTS

Students often improve structure and vocabulary at high int. to adv. levels; however, improvements in content and effectiveness of arguments are not as consistent.

Professors are assessing understanding of specific course content, not as much ability to write an essay.

IEP writing

instructors can a

ssess

students on their understanding of content in addition to writing skills and grammar/vocab

Content-based courses requires students to study unfamiliar topics and learn discipline-specific vocab

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A Little Research…

“

Research has shown that content-based ESL instruction results in improved proficiency in English language skills and appears to ease students' transition into the academic

mainstream” (Kasper, 1997).

Content-based instruction in ESL is nothing new, but ideas on implementation vary.

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Integrating Reading & Writing- Some Guidelines from Dartmouth Univ.

“Limit

the amount of reading assigned so that students have time to devote themselves to their writing.

Devote class discussion or perhaps a writing assignment to an analysis of how an argument is constructed, rather than focusing exclusively on the content

.

Provide students with course readings that are well written, and take time in class to talk with students about what, exactly, makes the writing so good

.”

(2016)

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Step 1: Topic Selection

Choose a

debatable

topic

Bonus: Choose a topic that is perceived differently in different cultures

Examples: universal health care, death penalty, immigration, human rights, etc.

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Why Human Rights?

Background- cultural relativism was previous topic

Topical & Controversial

Many consider human rights to be a Western idea, while most of our students are from the East.

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Step 2: Find Articles

Find 3-4 articles on the topic offering various perspectives- sources like The Atlantic, The Guardian- ‘the long read’, Harper’s, The Economist, etc.

The point is not to advocate for any one side but rather to consider different viewpoints

Long articles (5-10 pages that challenge students)

Test CEFR

lexile

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Example Topic: Human Rights

Articles:

1. C.

Fluehr-Lobban

“Anthropologists, Cultural Relativism, and Universal Rights” (1995)

2. T. Franck “Are Human Rights Universal?” (2001)

3. E. Posner “The Case against Human Rights” (2014)

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Step 3: Introduce the Topic

Activate background knowledge: What do s’s know about the topic?

Give a list of

discussion questions

Show a YouTube video and complete 5 W’s

Discuss key background info- look at a document or website on phones/laptops

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Example Discussion Questions

What are human rights?Do you feel you have all the human rights you need?Do you ever feel your human rights are being violated?Does your government have a good record on human rights?Which countries do you think have the worst human rights records and why do you think this is so?Do you think all people in the world are equal and everyone deserves the same rights?Which people in your country have ‘more equal rights’ than others?Do you think each government should have a minister/secretary for human rights?Are you interested in reading and watching news stories on human rights?Do you give money to human rights charities?

https://esldiscussions.com/h/human_rights.html

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Introduce the topic cont.- video

UN

Video & 5W’s:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RR4VXNX3jA

Universal

Declaration of Human Rights website

http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/

Opinions?

Are they realistic for all countries?

What is emphasized in your country?

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Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Article

3:

Everyone

has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

Article

4:

No

one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.

Article

5:

No

one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Article

6:

Everyone

has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.

Etc. 30 Articles

http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/

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UDHR articles

http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/

Go to this website. Talk with a partner. What strikes you about these articles?

How might some international students respond?

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Brief Discussion of UDHR

Opinions?

Are they realistic for all countries?

What is emphasized in your country?

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Step 4: Article Section ‘Experts’

Pass out copies

of article 1 “Anthropologists, Cultural Relativism, and Universal Human

Rights.” Divide

into sections for discussion groups- s’s will be experts on their

sections

Article will be read and annotated for

HW

Each group member prepares a document on their section with key

points/argu

ments

,

key vocab, and discussion questions (can vary these requirements) and sends to LMS

Teacher- look closely at article- begin crafting a writing prompt on a specific point where s’s would have to explain author’s arguments, logic, etc.

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Summary of article

Synopsis

of article: Author is an anthropologist who did the majority of her research in Sudan. After studying the Sudanese culture for 25+ years, she concluded that anthropologists cannot be objective reporters when it comes to practices that violate human rights (i.e. female circumcision).

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Annotation Guidelines

Annotation

compels students to be more active with the text

main ideas, important details, any questions they have, and their own ideas

Optional: teacher may check annotations for grade

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Step 5: Next Class

T creates list of discussion questions on article prior to class (mix of general content and author’s arguments)- one or two questions should hint at upcoming timed writing prompt

S’s discuss the articles in groups

using their HW

Then discuss T’s list of questions as a class

Be careful not to give away answers

T posts writing prompt on LMS.

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Sample Discussion Questions

Article Discussion: Students discuss in groups

Then discuss teacher’s questions- scaffold key

ideas. Encourage students to take notes.

Questions for first article “Anthropologists, Cultural Relativism, and Universal Human Rights”

1. What is anthropology?

2. Why would anthropologists not want to speak out against human rights violations?

3. What is cultural relativism?

4. What is the author's thesis?

5. What is the relationship between human rights and culture?

6. What caused the author to change her view?

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Additional Options

Incorporate a Ted Talk or video as supplemental material. Have students synthesize content with article

.

Ted

Talk by

Neha Reddy: Culture and Human Rights

Students can watch Ted Talk as much they may need for HW

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Writing Prompt

Create a prompt that requires close rereading of part(s) of the article.

Prompt could relate in some way to class discussion topics.

Prompt could be a series of questions that guide the organization of the essay.

This could be an in-class timed writing or take-home assignment.

If it’s a timed writing, s’s can prepare outline for HW.

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Example Prompt

Prompt: Explain why cultural relativism is used as a defense against human rights violations.  Give an example from

Fluehr-Lobban’s

article.  What is

Fluehr-Lobban’s

response to this? How might Reddy respond to this? Would she agree with

Fluehr-Lobban

?

You may prepare an outline

.

A prompt of this nature requires students to reread the article carefully to be prepared to write on it

.

Many students will be more challenged by a prompt like this. Encourage them to email or visit office hours if they have questions.

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Prompt cont.

Scaffolding of the reading is done through discussion.

If students can explain the answers to their own and T’s questions, they should be

in a

good position

to answer the prompt.

Again, if students are not sure about something, email, or visit office hours.

Sink or swim!

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3rd class

Timed Writing (45 minutes)

Check outlines to make sure they’re… outlines

Students may use the article while they’re

writing.

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Evaluation

Use rubric and grade for grammar, organization, etc.

Content grade is based on understanding of author’s arguments.

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Optional Follow-up Assignments

In-class rewrite to correct errors in content and grammar/mechanics

Take-home rewrite and expansion

Summary/Response

R

esearch paper building on ideas from timed writing

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Next article- vary methods integrating reading with writing

Repeat the process: read and annotate the article, discuss in groups,

and choose

3 sentence structures you find interesting in the article.

Dartmouth: “Provide

students with course readings that are well written, and take time in class to talk with students about what, exactly, makes the writing so

good.”

Sentence imitation exercise: explain why they chose it, grammatical analysis, imitate sentence structures

Short presentations

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Article 2 “Are Human Rights Universal?”

Synopsis: The author believes human rights do not infringe on other cultures and are not an example of the West forcing their values on the East. Instead, human rights are a result of the world becoming modernized.

Value of this article: students can consider how the human rights movement has

influenced and also how it has been rejected

by their own and other cultures.

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Article 2 Prompt

Prompt: To prove why human rights are universal Franck must contend with two common counterarguments.  In your essay, discuss why Franck believes human rights are neither an imposition on non-Western values nor a product of Western imperialism.  For each point, give an example from the article that he uses to support his argument.  Conclude with Franck's ultimate view--what 'produced' human rights?

You may prepare an outline to help you.

Students have to explain

author’s arguments.

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Article 3 “The Case against Human Rights”

Synopsis: The author believes human rights laws are too ambiguous and too extensive to be implemented effectively. He therefore suggests a scaled-back model that pays more close attention to cultural context.

Prompt:

Posner argues that '"Westerners should abandon their utopian aspirations and learn the lessons of development economics" (p. 7).  In your essay, explain why the author believes this is a valid model for human rights to emulate.  In the body of your essay, you should discuss why development economics failed, what changes have been made to improve it, and what the human rights movement could 'learn' from this series of events.  To conclude, discuss whether you believe the author is accurate in his portrayal of the lack of success of human rights because it has not 'learned' from development economics

.

You may prepare an outline.

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References

Dartmouth University. (2016).

Integrating Reading and Writing.

Retrieved from Dartmouth Institute for Writing and Rhetoric:

https://writing-speech.dartmouth.edu/teaching/first-year-writing-pedagogies-methods-design/integrating-reading-and-writing

Fluehr-Lobban

, C. (1995, Jun 5).

Anthropologists, Cultural

Relativisim

, and Universal Rights.

Retrieved from The Chronicle of Higher Education: https://www.chronicle.com/article/Anthropologists-Cultural/83376

Franck, T. (Jan/Feb, 2001).

Are Human Rights Universal?

Retrieved from Foreign Affairs: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/afghanistan/2001-01-01/are-human-rights-universal

Kasper, L. (1997). The Impact of Content-Based Instructional Programs on the Academic Progress of ESL Students.

English for Specific Purposes

, 309-320.

Posner, E. (2014, Dec 4).

The Case against Human Rights.

Retrieved from The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/news/2014/dec/04/-sp-case-against-human-rights

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Q & A

michael.vallee@colorado.edu