Hi SLA: Writing Class! Or should we call ourselves the Language Ladies' Lodge? I am eager to meet those of you I don't know yet and to accompany you on this journey to learn about second language writing. Can you please introduce yourselves on this blog before the first day of school?
Tell us the program you're enrolled in, the languages you speak and write; what types of writing you do in each language; what kinds of writing you like to do and why; what languages, courses, and levels you have taught and/or tutored; and what your language-related research interests are.
I can start. I speak English as an L1 (first language) and Spanish as an L2 (second language). At various times, I have also spoken Italian and Quichua (an indigenous language in Ecuador), but I probably couldn't speak them now on demand--it would be a huge embarrassment!
I like to write non-fiction in English, mainly essays about travel and family. As part of my job, I also write academically in English, mainly reviews, proposals, articles, comments on student papers, and of course, endless emails!
I've written some stories, both fiction and non-fiction, in Spanish, and have taken Italian Composition, where we did many imaginative and fun writing exercises. In Quichua, the only original piece I've written was a short speech for my son and daughter in law's engagement ceremony in Ecuador.
I used to teach various levels of Composition and ESL Writing at different colleges in Chicago. At Iowa, after a few years of teaching Rhetoric, I now mostly teach travel writing, tutor-training courses for the writing center I direct, and this SLA-writing course. For better or worse, I spend as much time on administration for the Rhetoric department and the writing center as I do on teaching and research.
Hi! My name is Rocky Wood and I am a first year PhD student in Language, Literacy, and Culture. My L1 is English and my L2 is Spanish (although I haven't used it in about 9 years). I have a little knowledge of Italian, Indonesian, and Korean.
ReplyDeleteIn my L1 I mostly write non-fiction academic papers and travel journals. I have recently begun compiling and writing up family narratives in the hope of creating a family book of memories. My BA is in Speech Communication, so I written quite a few speeches. When I was younger I used to write fictional short stories, but I haven't written anything in many years.
My writing in the different L2s is very basic. I have written some class assignments (history explanations, letters, emails, etc), a few speeches, and one poem in Spanish. As for the other languages, most of my writing have been sentences and short paragraphs that are common in textbooks.
I have about 8 years teaching ESL/EFL to a variety of levels and in a variety of contexts. In terms of teaching writing I have taught basic textbook assignments such as writing emails, opinion papers, and travel blogs. In my more advanced classes I focused on speeches and presentations and academic papers. In some of my private lessons I did a little with translating poetry and plays from Indonesian to English. Recently, I joined the College of Education Writing Resource where I have the pleasure of working with a variety of students on different academic papers.
I am very interested in culturally relevant pedagogy and biliteracy, and I intend to researching different multicultural approaches to literacy for immigrants. In terms of writing, I hope to learn different ways to incorporate one's L1 and culture into different L2 writing.
Hi! I am Fang Wang. I am a second year PhD student in the Foreign Language and ESL Education program. My L1 is Chinese and L2 is English. Having come to the United States for five years, I have done a lot of academic writing and professional writing (e.g. personal statement, cover letter). The direct and concise writing style in the US has become some part of me, which causes my speaking and writing change in L1. Also, being far away from home, I have experienced some degree of L1 loss. Therefore, I seldom do any writing in Chinese now.
ReplyDeleteIf possible, I would like to write poem and fiction in English. I tried to write one fiction about "Finding Nemo" in one of my master classes and it turned to be much better than I thought. However, I think language proficiency is a major hinder in my fiction writing. If my English is native like, I can write fictions in a much natural way.
Before coming to the US, I was an EFL teacher in China. In the US, I used to teach at church, elementary school, and IEP. At IEP, I taught writing to intermediate-level students. Now, I am an ESL instructor at The Eastern Iowa Community College and teaching the four skills.
My research interests are second language reading and writing assessment. Specifically, I am interested in the composing processes and skills involved in integrated and independent writing tasks and the effect of extensive reading on learning.
My name is Amanda, and I’m in the Language, Literacy, and Culture program. My L1 is English and my L2 is Spanish. I can also get by alright with Portuñol, but I regret never having learned proper Portuguese. Maybe this summer (like I say every spring). My work at the writing center turned me on to the struggles of graduate student writers as they develop fluency and confidence, and my language-related research interests have mainly to do with academic discourse, particularly as it’s encountered in U.S. higher education. I am also interested in the issues of voice and of crafting an identity on the page.
ReplyDeleteIn Chile, I taught English to adults for the Berlitz Institute—the McDonalds of language acquisition—in the mid 90s. My only “credential” was my native English speaker status, and after a brief training in the “Berlitz Method,” I started working 12-hour teaching days, picking up the lessons wherever the last teacher had left off, in assembly line fashion. After a couple of years, I had my own “method,” developed through trial and error, and I left to start my own small school with a friend. While abroad, I lost a lot of fluency in my L1, so I spent the first couple of years back in the US celebrating every hackneyed saying I regained. At the same time, I was rarely speaking Spanish anymore, so I’ve experienced serious fluency loss in my L1 AND L2. ACK! Use it or lose it. The struggle is REAL!
I don’t write much in Spanish anymore, mostly emails and reports through the freelance interpreting jobs I take to keep my Spanish from getting totally rusty. I wrote a lot for my undergraduate major. Then I wrote a lot of business and curriculum-related stuff for my language school. And I also wrote drafts and drafts of long, frustrated/sad/angry letters to my then husband. We had a difficult marriage, and I often joke that was where I really learned Spanish because I had to use it to stand up for myself!
Most of the writing I do in English these days is for school, and I love the challenge of becoming a better academic writer. However, in undergrad, I was exposed to creative nonfiction and fell instantly in love with the genre. I’m still enraptured after all these years and hope to someday have the time and the courage to try getting something actually published in that idiom. Right now, though, I just need to focus on getting through the Ph.D.
My name is Tiffany Downing. I am a second year master's student in the Linguistics Department. I specialize in teaching ESL. My L1 is English. My L2 is Spanish although I haven't used it in a few years. I also studied Greek in college for a year.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy writing research papers for my classes in my field. I also like to write fiction. I used to write poetry and short stories when I had free time. All of my writing is done in English unless I send a short message to a friend in Spanish.
I have been teaching ESL courses for the last year. In particular I have taught Oral Skills. Oral Skills is a class the includes pronunciation, academic discussions, presentations, as well as many other things. In general the students I teach are fairly good speakers of English. I help them prepare to take regular university courses. Last spring I had the pleasure of teaching Language and Society. I am interested in research about language acquisition first and second.
Hi everybody!
ReplyDeleteI'm Claudia, I'm on the Language, Literacy, and Culture program in Teaching and Learning.
I'm from Venezuela, so Spanish is my mother tongue. I also speak English and Italian, and I consider myself proficient in both, even in writing. I studied French for a few years but I can't say I speak it, although I still can read and understand it.
Basically, I’ve taken writing classes in four different languages!
I love writing anything, be it papers for classes, my thoughts on a particular topic, and even reviews of every book I read. I am not very disciplines about it though. I only write what I feel is an obligation.
I’ve taught English as a foreign language back home, as well as EFL writing skills. I have also taught basic Spanish as a second language, and lately, I have helped students with Spanish writing in the Writing Center.
I have a lot of language interests, including Spanish writing (as a foreign language); academic writing in English for non native speakers of English, and bilingualism.
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ReplyDeleteHello. My name is Kye Gon Lee. I apologize for the late response. I just came back from Korea yesterday and I’m still in jet lag. I’m in PhD program of Foreign language and ESL.
DeleteI speak Korean as an L1 and English as an L2. I enjoy writing diaries or essays in Korean based on my personal stories and thoughts about my life. I tend to speak Korean at home most of time for my children’s L1. Sometimes I use English with my children whenever they asked me to help with their homework or read English books.
I have taught English in Korean various levels so many years from elementary through college. I’m also a certified English teacher in Korea for middle (junior) and high school students. I still need to work on writing academically in English. I wrote a master thesis regarding EFL reading assessment in Korea, which has been enhanced by developing formative and summative assessment.
Moreover, I became interested in young bilinguals’ language practice at home as I have taught Korean for my own kids. I’m interested in effective formative feedback for bilinguals’ L1 or L2 writing skills, and how it affects their motivation to learn their both languages.
Hi Everybody!
ReplyDeleteI’m a fourth year doctoral student in the Language, Literacy, and Culture program. I’m from Mishawaka, Indiana. Other than mini Spanish lessons on Sesame Street, English was the only language I heard as a child. I took some Spanish in college and attended language school in Mexico and Guatemala, but I have very little experience writing in any language other than English.
I earned undergraduate degrees from Indiana University in Secondary English Education and Sociology. I also studied abroad in Northern Ireland, Mexico, and Sri Lanka. Although I certified to teach secondary English, I felt too constrained by standards, principals, and parents, so instead of applying for teaching jobs, I moved to Fairbanks, Alaska, where I earned an M.A. in Applied Linguistics and taught a variety of composition, literature, and linguistics courses. After graduating, I took my dream job as Assistant Professor of Developmental Reading and Writing at University of Alaska Fairbanks Interior-Aleutians Campus. When the grant money fell through after my first year, I moved to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to teach writing to medical students at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University.
This is my 4th year as a graduate assistant at the College of Education Writing Resource (formerly known as the Collaborative Writing Consultancy), a peer writing support service for College of Education graduate students. I also teach a class called “Language and Learning.” As a researcher, I’m interested in people’s experiences writing, especially why they seek out readers and what they expect from those interactions. I’ve just started writing my dissertation proposal. Eek!
I'm really looking forward to working with all of you this semester!
Hi Language Ladies! My name is Upendo, a am a non graduate student. Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant of Swahili. My L1 is Swahili and my L2 is English. Am interested to learn other languages as well.
ReplyDeleteMost of my writing was based in writing assignments. I love writing short Swahili poems to educate students about real life in Tanzania.
I have one semester experience of teaching Swahili as a second language. I taught how to write official and friendly letters, short stories, emails, plays and translations.
This is my second semester in L2 teaching. I am interested in teaching second language to adult learners. I am writing for my graduate studies.