Learning Intersections: Language Links
(Asynchronous Session - Online)
Writing and Argumentation: Writing is Not a Debate View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Jacob Wirshba
Understanding academic writing as strictly argumentation poses a serious threat to incoming college students. It hampers their ability to transition to academic styles of writing. This problem begins in secondary education and often persists through much of a student's academic career. The thesis driven paper is a major suspect to seeing writing as an argument or debate, and this formulaic approach overemphasizes a single sentence, a superstructure with no surprises, and curtails a paper’s ability to advance ideas or to be question driven. Yet, as a First-Year Writing instructor at Boston College, I offer students new ways of perceiving writing, and my research focuses around the methods, techniques, assignments, and metaphors that help move students past the restricted argumentative ideology. I reveal to students the explorative nature of writing, reinvigorating the prospects of writing and research. Further, I explore the background, rhetoric, and semiotics of the argumentative paper, finding it largely steeped in persuasion. My work engages with researchers such as Michele Eodice, Joseph Harris, Barry Kroll, and James Porter who all see the strictly argumentative paper as inimical to student learning practices and processes. In short, writing is communal, constructive, and deliberative, but too many students view it as a debate. Whereas debates and argumentative papers often deal with superlative positions and dogmatic speech, writing provides opportunities for qualifications, degrees, prolonged analysis, opinions, and advancements.
Error Analysis in Modern Chinese as a Second Language Teaching: A Study on Direct Object and Verbal Complements View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Chiara Uliana
This research presents the results of a summary of the most common mistakes made by Chinese as a Second Language students and highlights the specific ones in which both the direct object and a verbal complement are present in the same sentence. This summary has been made with an exploratory methodology by consulting the corresponding bibliography materials, as well as personal materials and classroom observations collected during the last ten years of teaching the Chinese language by the author of this work. This research has a triple aim: (1) to observe if among the mistakes made by the students the presence of the direct object does indeed play a role; (2) what kinds of mistakes students make, especially in sentences where both the direct object and the verbal complement are present at the same time; (3) design teaching practices and activities to help students overcome these difficulties. This summary is not intended, nor can it, be a complete list of all the possible mistakes that an individual could make when learning this aspect of the Chinese language since this depends on innumerable factors (used language pedagogy, type of exercise proposed, other languages spoken, effective native language, mental linguistic concepts, etc.). The data show specific patterns of behavior that should be taken into consideration by CSL professors at all levels of education. As explained by the study, the results have been applied to language teaching methodology with excellent results.
Dialogic Teaching - Strategies for Developing Oral and Written Skills in Online French as a Second Language Courses View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Marie-Anne Visoi
The implications of online teaching on course design are far-reaching. A coherent, humanistic perspective on course content and delivery, thoughtful choices of course materials and modes of assessment provides the basis for a quality, inclusive learning environment. When teaching French as a second language courses in a synchronous format, content and skills can be presented in a new context through differentiated instruction supported by carefully selected digital tools. The proposed dialogic strategies align well with the variety of learning styles, motivations and interests of 21st century undergraduate students and promote the development of soft skills through active listening, oral communication and written expression. The strategies discussed in this paper focus on designing online course content (online text, videos, audios) that integrates meaningful dialogue and allows time for students’ questions, concept clarification and discussions in Blackboard supported tutorials. With key themes presented in a scaffolded sequence, the instructor will guide students to build a social presence through oral and written online interaction as they participate in synchronous activities and formative assessments. In intermediate and advanced French courses, the contextual information provided through online authentic materials and presentations will further develop linguistic and cultural competence. Self-correction short quizzes and self-evaluation activities will decrease students’ anxiety when communicating in French, while allowing them to monitor their own progress throughout the course. In addition, the implementation of an online discussion forum where students write entries regularly will ensure team building and collaboration.
