A little anecdotal evidence here: I remember Paulo Freire once telling a
story about his daughter¹s teaching (I¹m not totally sure I¹m getting this
right).  She found that if students are allowed to write in their first
language first (to develop their ideas, to figure out what they think, to
write their way towards understanding) and THEN write in the second language
(without translating, but having already explored their ideas), their L2
writing was much richer and more developed than texts written Œcold¹ in
their L2.  This implies NOT translating, but using L1 almost as a way in to
L2 writing. Elsa


On 4/9/07 10:34 PM, "Wrigley, Heide" <heide at literacywork.com> wrote:


> Although the study did not address issues of having students write in L1 and

> then translate, here are a couple of thoughts (mine only)

>  

> Translation has long been used in other countries to build language skills.

> Since the advent of the communicative approach to language teaching it has

> become out of favor. Translation workshops where students take work that they

> have created or other texts written in L1 and then render them in English can

> be an excellent way to build language awareness and put language skills to

> use. Promising are approaches that engage students in translating brochures or

> other texts for a real audience, such as offering to translate a menu for a

> restaurant or a brochure for a local business.  ³Backward translations² are a

> must in these cases.

>  

> Workshops focused on translation are most appropriate for intermediate levels

> on up where students have the English skills necessary to translate more

> complex concepts and sophisticated language.

>  

> I¹m reluctant to endorse having students write in the native language and then

> translate in beginning literacy classes ­ at that level, students tend to

> think that there is a one to one relationship between L1 words, phrases and

> structures and their L2 equivalents, and the translations tend to be both

> awkward and highly ungrammatical.  In addition, we don¹t want students to

> overly rely on translation but move them toward thinking in the target

> language. 

>  

> You do, however, make a very good point in terms of helping students to

> organize their ideas and think about what they want to say before asking them

> to write in English. This can be done in a number of ways. Here are some tips

> for teachers: 

>  

> 1. Introduce writing by using oral language first. Help students to compose

> the text orally, whether it is a story, a description, or a process. Make sure

> students have the language they need.

> 2. Connect oral language with writing through models such as the Language

> Experience Approach where the connections are obvious since students talk,

> read and write together as a group

> 3. Model what you want students to do in writing by giving an oral example (if

> you do it in writing, your students tend to copy what you said)

> 4. Dictate a few sentences that model what you want students to write that way

> they get practice in putting pen to paper without having to compose something

> from scratch (some may still copy but that¹s also writing practice and they

> may not be ready to write on their own)

> 5. Allow students to think about and talk about their ideas in L1 or L2 before

> you ask them to write. ­ that process activates background knowledge and

> facilitates the composing process.  In the beginning levels, let students know

> what they will be writing about over the next few days ­ that¹s not cheating,

> that¹s giving your students a fighting chance

> 6. Invite students to draw a picture as a starting point, again giving them a

> chance to compose a story mentally before engaging in combat with vocabulary,

> grammar and spelling. Students can create a snapshot of a scene, create a

> strip story a la Chalk Talks, or  draw an item, for example.

>  

> It¹s late ­ back to the study tomorrow

>  

> Heide

>  

>  

> 

> 

> From: specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov]

> On Behalf Of Cameron Eileen

> Sent: Friday, April 06, 2007 12:40 AM

> To: specialtopics at nifl.gov

> Subject: [SpecialTopics 260] Three Questions Regarding Research Articles

> andRelated Topics in ESOL Instruction

>  

> 

> 1. In the article "National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and

> Literacy: A Conversation With FOB... What Works for Adult ESL Students," it

> states that ESL students are better able to learn and understand English when

> the teacher or instructor of ESL is bilingual, in which case, the instructor

> can speak the students' native language or languages in order to clarify the

> students' understanding to further construct meaning.  This statement is also

> made in the article "Real World Research: Combining Qualitative and

> Quantitative Research for Adult ESL." However, if a teacher or instructor is

> not bilingual, and they want to improve ESL students' written proficiency

> levels, should the instructor who is fluent only in English be encouraged to

> permit his or her ESL students to first write an essay or paragraph, depending

> upon the written assignment, within the student's own native language and then

> work closely with the student to translate that writing into English?  Is this

> a recommended form of instruction?  For one thing, allowing ESL students to

> write within their native languages helps the instructor familiarize

> themselves with languages that may be foreign to them.  This can also help the

> student translate and interpret their own native language and correspond their

> thoughts and ideas within a contextualized English language.  This can permit

> ESL students to demonstrate writing that displays clearer contextualized

> meanings.  It also allows ESL students to demonstrate a complexity of thoughts

> and ideas as well as express critical, analytical thinking skills within

> written English, especially those ESL students who struggle with written

> English in terms of writing incoherent sentences or clauses, or students who

> write mere phrases or simple sentences with incorrect word choice and improper

> use of grammar.  The article, "Real World Research," states "English learners

> who, for example, have good higher order reading strategies in their own

> language cannot call on those strategies to help them understand English texts

> until their understanding of English vocabulary and syntax are good enough to

> understand basic sentences and expressions."  Can this same principle be

> applied to ESL students' written English?

> 

>  

> 

> 2. The article "Real World Research: Combining Qualitative and Quantitative

> Research for Adult ESL" briefly refers to the codings of a running record.  A

> running record that is incorporated in the teaching of standard American

> English and literacy within elementary schools in this country is used in a

> way that teachers can determine a student's reading abilities and

> potentialities through close observation of a student's reading processes.

> Before a running record can be implemented, the teacher or instructor first

> must decipher the probable reading level of a particular student.  For

> instance, the teacher must select a book that the student will easily be able

> to read along with selecting two other books that may be more challenging to

> this same student. Students must read 50 words within each of the three books.

> To correspond the running record in accordance with the student's reading, the

> teacher must listen closely and observe, paying strict attention to the

> student's substitution or replacement of words, repetition of words, omission

> of words, pronunciation and/or mispronunciation of words, and number of

> self-corrections the student makes during their reading.  Once the student is

> finished reading 50 words within all three selected books, the teacher must

> add up all of the student's errors.  The book in which the student made no

> less than five errors is selected for appropriate reading in terms of a

> substantiated reading level since it presents more of a challenge.  However, a

> book in which a student makes more than five errors is considered too

> difficult for the student to read or comprehend.  I brought this up because in

> a standard English or literacy class in grades K-12, a student can be placed

> within a specific reading level or group and is given reading material in

> accordance with that particular reading or grade level, as it pertains to a

> balanced literacy model in adherence with the curricular standards of a

> running record.  Students are given reading material that is slightly more

> challenging in order to assist these students in mastering the English

> language.  Once students have mastered the English language and have acquired

> appropriate English reading skills, they will be able to read books that are

> several reading or grade levels above their current reading performance level.

> Can a running record such as the one I have previousy described be applied

> within an adult literacy program for ESL students?  Instead of using grocery

> store fliers, electricity bills, and immigration documents, can literature be

> incorporated in an adult literacy program for ESL students?

> 

>  

> 

> 3. In the research study discussed in the article "Instruction, Language, and

> Literacy: What Works Study for Adult ESL Literacy Students, the BEST Oral

> Interview was incorporated in measuring listening comprehension,

> communication, and fluency.  In the footnote of that same research study, it

> states that the BEST Oral Interview also includes measures of pronunciation

> and a reading and writing score which were not used in the study.  I would

> actually like to know more about those measures of pronunciation, reading, and

> writing, and how they are assessed in determining a student's perfomance

> level.  Recently, I completed a training session for both print-based and the

> computer-adaptive BEST PLUS software program which measures the same items

> that were measured in the research study 1)listening comprehension, 2)

> language complexity or fluency, and 3) communication.  When I completed the

> training session in BEST PLUS there was no mention of scoring for

> pronunciation, reading, or writing.  Also, I wanted to know if these

> measurements had been included in your research study, would it have any

> effect on the students' performance levels quantitatively? Also would it have

> any statistical significance whatsoever in this particular research study if

> these variables had been taken into consideration when the BEST Oral Interview

> was administered?

>   

> 

> 

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> 

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