Faculty InstituteFaculty Institute

Marcie M. WilliamsMarcie M. Williams mwilliams3@pace.edumwilliams3@pace.edu

Kristen di GennaroKristen di Gennaro kdigennaro@pace.edukdigennaro@pace.edu

Pace UniversityPace University

May 27, 2004May 27, 2004

Origins and ExplanationOrigins and Explanation

• Dissertation ProposalDissertation Proposal• Two partsTwo parts

– CultureCulture– Skills AreasSkills Areas

• Also influenced by cultureAlso influenced by culture

Basic StatisticsBasic Statistics

• 1985 – 343, 777 international 1985 – 343, 777 international students (IS)students (IS)

• 1996 – 457, 9841996 – 457, 984• 2001 – 582, 9962001 – 582, 996

• 10% of IS are enrolled in MBA 10% of IS are enrolled in MBA programs (approx. 60,000 programs (approx. 60,000 students)students)

Cultural IssuesCultural Issues

• Cultural presuppositions of a society that Cultural presuppositions of a society that could affect learning.could affect learning. – philosophy & religion, concepts of nature & science, literature, philosophy & religion, concepts of nature & science, literature,

notions of government, myths. These are very influential. notions of government, myths. These are very influential. Strevens (1983)Strevens (1983)

• Many professors are from dominant, Many professors are from dominant, mainstream society and expect their mainstream society and expect their students to adhere to and follow the same students to adhere to and follow the same rules.rules.– Will disempower and disenfranchise. Will disempower and disenfranchise. Cummins (1994)Cummins (1994)

• Have to adopt to mainstream culture and Have to adopt to mainstream culture and it could encourage academic failure. it could encourage academic failure. Kraemer Kraemer (1997)(1997)

Skill areas – by StudentsSkill areas – by Students

• Reading, note-taking, asking questionsReading, note-taking, asking questions• Depended on major and class standingDepended on major and class standing

• Soft Science – research papers, read academic journals, Soft Science – research papers, read academic journals, presentations.presentations.

• Undergrads – multiple choice tests, lab reports, read Undergrads – multiple choice tests, lab reports, read and make graphs & chartsand make graphs & charts

• Grads – academic journals, presentations, research Grads – academic journals, presentations, research papers, critiques, in-group discussions. papers, critiques, in-group discussions. (Ostler, 1980)(Ostler, 1980)

• Writing skills v. importantWriting skills v. important• Students spent 80% language use on reading Students spent 80% language use on reading

and listening, only 20% on speaking and and listening, only 20% on speaking and writing. writing. (Christison and Krahnke, 1984)(Christison and Krahnke, 1984)

Skill Areas according to Skill Areas according to InstructorsInstructors

• Writing and LanguageWriting and Language– Hold students responsible Hold students responsible (Zamel, 1995)(Zamel, 1995)

• Varied by dept.Varied by dept.– Art and business listening was importantArt and business listening was important

• Reading important in all depts. And Reading important in all depts. And ranked first in most.ranked first in most.

• Speaking not as important Speaking not as important (Johns, 1981)(Johns, 1981)

WritingWriting

• InstructionsInstructions• Value JudgmentsValue Judgments

– Not real worldNot real world– Do not value writing – must tell them!Do not value writing – must tell them!

• PlagiarismPlagiarism– Numerous sources in Western writing but not worldwide – Numerous sources in Western writing but not worldwide –

Japan/Islamic cultures.Japan/Islamic cultures. (Pennycook 1990)(Pennycook 1990)

– Cultural GapCultural Gap (Spack, 1988)(Spack, 1988)

• Discourse PatternsDiscourse Patterns (Clyne, 1987)(Clyne, 1987)

• Critiques Critiques (Barks and Watts, 2001 and Connor & Kramer 1995)(Barks and Watts, 2001 and Connor & Kramer 1995)

Reading & VocabularyReading & Vocabulary

• ImportanceImportance– #1 skill#1 skill– Determining factor Determining factor

in academic in academic successsuccess

• DifferenceDifference– AmountAmount– TypeType

• Culturally loaded Culturally loaded

• Important in all Important in all skill areasskill areas

• 39% of word 39% of word families not families not learned in EAPlearned in EAP

• Should be familiar Should be familiar with specific with specific vocabvocab

• Origin of wordsOrigin of words

Mokhtari & Sheorey, 1994; Shih, 1992; Carson, 2001; Paymond & Parks, 2002; Benson, 1991, Sutarsyah, Nation & Kennedy, 1994; Corson, 1994

SpeakingSpeaking

• CultureCulture– Vietnamese exampleVietnamese example

• FearFear• Lack of KnowledgeLack of Knowledge• RequirementsRequirements

– Grads - formal oral presentationsGrads - formal oral presentations– Undergrads – group workUndergrads – group work– Soft science – group work, class participation, debatesSoft science – group work, class participation, debates– Hard science – group work, projectsHard science – group work, projects

• SkillsSkills– ContributionsContributions– Hold their ownHold their own– PresentationsPresentations

Listening & Note takingListening & Note taking

• American ProfessorsAmerican Professors– JokesJokes– IdiomsIdioms– FriendlinessFriendliness– Clues as to when to take notesClues as to when to take notes

• CultureCulture– Movie clipsMovie clips– Asking for clarificationAsking for clarification

• Body LanguageBody Language– ShrugShrug– LecternLectern– Eye contactEye contact

Implications & what to Implications & what to take from this sectiontake from this section

• Misunderstandings could be from a Misunderstandings could be from a variety of sourcesvariety of sources– Skills Skills – CultureCulture

• Culture affects skillsCulture affects skills

Action ResearchAction Research

Moving from published literature to Moving from published literature to identifying and investigating issues identifying and investigating issues with Pace populationwith Pace population

Speaking Skills & Cultural Speaking Skills & Cultural KnowledgeKnowledge

• What do students say/do when What do students say/do when they have neglected to complete they have neglected to complete an assignment?an assignment?

Apology StrategiesApology Strategies

• What if students lack the linguistic skills to What if students lack the linguistic skills to respect social norms?respect social norms?

Students appear rude, uninterested, Students appear rude, uninterested, ambiguous.ambiguous.

Research Questions:Research Questions:  1. Do ESL students use apology strategies 1. Do ESL students use apology strategies

similar to native speakers?similar to native speakers?2. Do students at different proficiency levels rely 2. Do students at different proficiency levels rely

on different apology strategies?on different apology strategies?

Procedure and ResultsProcedure and Results

Students at three proficiency levels:Students at three proficiency levels:-- low intermediate-- low intermediate-- intermediate-- intermediate-- advanced-- advanced-- native speaker comparison group-- native speaker comparison group

Results: Students in different groups Results: Students in different groups relied on different types of apology relied on different types of apology strategies; more advanced learners strategies; more advanced learners closer to native speakers.closer to native speakers.

ImplicationsImplications

Cultural (in this case, pragmatic) Cultural (in this case, pragmatic) knowledge may not coincide with knowledge may not coincide with linguistic knowledge.linguistic knowledge.

Instructors should recognize that Instructors should recognize that different social norms exist and that different social norms exist and that international students may need to learn international students may need to learn new social norms in addition to new social norms in addition to language skills.language skills.

Reading & Writing Reading & Writing CorrelationsCorrelations

• How much do reading and writing How much do reading and writing correlate?correlate?

• Does L1 evidence indicate evidence for Does L1 evidence indicate evidence for L2?L2?

• Pace placement test for writing levels:Pace placement test for writing levels:– Should we include a long reading in a writing Should we include a long reading in a writing

test?test?– What would happen to our test reliability?What would happen to our test reliability?– What about validity?What about validity?

Reading and Writing Reading and Writing (cont.)(cont.)

High stakes tests should be…High stakes tests should be…

1.1. Valid Valid

A writing test should test writing.A writing test should test writing.

2.2. ReliableReliable

Results must be accurate so that Results must be accurate so that students are not placed in a level too students are not placed in a level too high or too low for their abilities.high or too low for their abilities.

ProcedureProcedure

Administered two-part test to ENG 100A Administered two-part test to ENG 100A Ss:Ss:

• 20-minute reading test.20-minute reading test.• 50-minute writing test.50-minute writing test.

Tests scored by trained raters using a Tests scored by trained raters using a rubric.rubric.

Scores entered into SPSS for analysis.Scores entered into SPSS for analysis.

Results…Results…

Writing testWriting testNormal curve Normal curve High reliability (.80)High reliability (.80)

Reading testReading testNormal curveNormal curveLow reliability (.21)Low reliability (.21)

**Correlation between reading and writing = .31 **Correlation between reading and writing = .31 (R & W overlap about 30%, partly due to (R & W overlap about 30%, partly due to chance)chance)

ImplicationsImplications

Reading and writing might not Reading and writing might not correlate as much as we think.correlate as much as we think.

Skills may correlate differently for Skills may correlate differently for ESL students.ESL students.

Many of our students may be Many of our students may be Generation 1.5, not “true ESL” Generation 1.5, not “true ESL” students.students.

There is a need for more data.There is a need for more data.

Helpful Guidelines?Helpful Guidelines?

Assumption that including essay-writing Assumption that including essay-writing guidelines in the instructions to an essay task guidelines in the instructions to an essay task will help ESL students write more developed will help ESL students write more developed and accurate essays.and accurate essays.

Research Question:Research Question:Does the inclusion of explicit guidelines for how Does the inclusion of explicit guidelines for how

to complete an essay during a timed in-class to complete an essay during a timed in-class essay task help, hinder, or otherwise affect L2 essay task help, hinder, or otherwise affect L2 learners’ writing?learners’ writing?

ProcedureProcedure

Group of ENG 110A students.Group of ENG 110A students.

Two tests: 1 “bare prompt”Two tests: 1 “bare prompt”

1 with guidelines1 with guidelines

Essays scored by two raters.Essays scored by two raters.

Scores entered into SPSS.Scores entered into SPSS.

Results – QuantitativeResults – Quantitative

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

Grammar Organization Content Instructions

Task 1Task 2

Results – QualitativeResults – Qualitative

Questionnaire responses revealed Questionnaire responses revealed that… that…

• Most students did not notice the Most students did not notice the additional guidelines as a additional guidelines as a difference between the two test difference between the two test formats.formats.

• Most students did not find the Most students did not find the guidelines very helpful.guidelines very helpful.

ImplicationsImplications

In some cases, “useful” instructions In some cases, “useful” instructions or guidelines may mislead students or guidelines may mislead students to produce inferior work.to produce inferior work.

Instructors should consider the Instructors should consider the effects of task instructions on effects of task instructions on students’ performance.students’ performance.

Overall ImplicationsOverall Implications

• ESL students’ academic skills may ESL students’ academic skills may not be equally developed.not be equally developed.

• Reading and writing may not Reading and writing may not correlate as strongly as we expect.correlate as strongly as we expect.

• What instructors think are “useful” What instructors think are “useful” guidelines may not be so useful for guidelines may not be so useful for students.students.

ConclusionConclusion

We feel there is a need to…We feel there is a need to…1.1. Identify practical applications of published Identify practical applications of published

research and how these relate to Pace research and how these relate to Pace students.students.

2.2. Increase faculty understanding of ESL Increase faculty understanding of ESL students’ needs and abilities.students’ needs and abilities.

3.3. Develop greater awareness of issues that Develop greater awareness of issues that deserve further investigation.deserve further investigation.

4.4. Conduct more empirical studies with our Conduct more empirical studies with our particular student population.particular student population.