ESL students face several challenges when coming to a new country to study at a university. Among some of the factors that challenge instructors when it comes to teaching this type of class are cultural background, bias and values, religion, language difficulties, adaptation, fear of the unknown, and culture shock. Why are such aspects so challenging? Because they influence every stage of the teaching process: interaction between teacher/students, students/students, pair and group work, collaboration, peer response activity, class dynamics, classroom management, and so on.
Helping ESL Students (and foundation communication students) Become Better Proofreaders
Composition instructors who work with ESL students often have to deal with final drafts containing numerous, noticeable errors of spelling, punctuation and grammar. Part of the problem may be that the student’s mother tongue employs a different writing system, so the act of combing their own English writing for mistakes will be more cognitively demanding. Also, it must be said that many students simply lack the appropriate level of concern for, or good habits of, proofreading. A simple activity called “Proofreading for Cash” can help teachers try to instill these good habits. It involves taking a few representative examples of student mistakes from previous compositions, incorporating them into the form below, and devoting a short span of time at the beginning or end of a lesson once a week to having students fix them. The activity works best in pairs or small groups, and can be used once a week or according to some other regular schedule.
Proofreading for Cash
Put your proofreading skills to the test. With a partner, try to correct the spelling, punctuation, or minor grammar mistakes you find in the following sentences. For each sentence, you must place a bet between $100–1000, based on how confident you are in your corrections. If your corrections match those of the instructor, you win! After totalling all losses and gains, we’ll see who are the best–and richest–proofreaders in the class.
Bet Loss Gain
- A writer has many communication channels to chose from, therefore he should choose carefully.
- By substituting familiar words for unfamiliar ones you can make you audience comprehend your ideas more quicker.
- At least 4 or 5 members of our team will probaly attend the meeting at three p.m. on Tuesday March 4th.
- Over two hundred fifty years ago one of Americas early statesman recognised a fundamental writing principal.
- If you are trying to persuade someone be sure that your proposal or request is benificial to him.
—Edna Lima, Erik Voss, Jing Xu, Jim Ranalli