Why Your Students Can’t Write—

And What You Can Do about It

William H. ThelinThe University of Akron

“I told him, 'Son, what is it with you. Is it ignorance or apathy?' He said, 'Coach, I don't know and I don't care.”

--Frank Layden, Former Coach, Utah Jazz

How Much Can We Do?

Lore= 5-paragraph essays, knowledge of kinds and forms of essays and paragraphs, de-contextualized grammar instruction, etc.

Research=form is dictated by content, genre is decided when topic and audience are established, paragraphs vary in length, grammar is taught in the context of a student’s writing, etc.

Lore vs. Research

Enough Rigor?

Grammar?

Appropriate Grading?

Just Passing Them On?

What Are They Doing in English Composition??!!??!!

• Hours It Takes

* 66-67 hours per class reading bare minimum number of papers (20 minutes per paper) * 8 ½ 40-hour work weeks spent reading and responding to assignments if teaching 4 classes (not counting prep)

Hiring Situation

Labor Conditions

Assignments based in personal experience

Focus on structure and grammar

Lack of reading

Lack of Conceptual Learning/Transferability

Curriculum

Assignment Construction

“That was only for English Composition!”

Disciplinary Knowledge

Once They Leave (Who? Me?)

Full-Time Hires

Accountability through Assessment

Multi-Modal and Service Learning Projects

What We’re Doing

Control curriculum from programs with articulation agreements

Teach parameters and conventions of every discipline

Solve the ongoing labor problem

What We Can’t Do

Assign a handbook

Multiple drafts

Reinforce concepts learned in English Composition (Thesis, Audience, Organization, Language Use) and translate those into the conventions of your discipline

What You Can Do

Reasons for problems1) Not knowing rules2) Dialectical Issues3) Hyper-Corrections4) Regression5) Not seeing errors6) Grammar Check7) Previous teaching8) Remembering rules incorrectly

What about Grammar????

Do not correct errors for the students (circling, crossing out, etc.)

Refer them to the handbook Spot patterns of error (do not over-correct) Translate from their dialect Do not panic! Grammar has to count Model correct prose for students

How You Can Help