the complexity of multilingual students' placement preferences

The Complexity of Multilingual Student Placement Preferences

Todd Ruecker University of Texas at El Paso

© The University of Texas at El Paso

The Context

•  Situated on the U.S.-Mexico border •  About 80% Latino •  Majority of students multilingual, first

generation


The Study

•  Inspired by Costino & Hyon’s 2007 JSLW article •  Mixed methods study •  Surveyed 10 ESOL and 10 ENG FYC classes two

times, and conducted follow up interviews with 9 students.

•  Quantitative analysis using Survey monkey filtering & SPSS. Qualitative analysis by inductive coding of responses and transcripts.


Research questions

1.  What are multilingual students’ attitudes towards various labels commonly used to describe students like them? Are these attitudes affected by students’ self-identification with the labels or self-reported usage of English?

2.  How do students view mainstream and L2 writing courses differently and how do course titles affect student perception of the courses?

3.  If given the choice, would multilingual students placed into ESL and mainstream classrooms choose the same placements that the institution assigned them? Does their placement satisfaction change between the beginning and end of a semester?


Theoretical framework

Identity as “multiple, a site of struggle,

and changing over time” (Norton Peirce, 1995, p. 14).


ESOL or English?

If given the freedom to choose, would you rather be in your current writing course, ENG/ESOL 1311, or a 1311

course in the ESOL/ENG department?


ESOL or English?



77.8

22.2

Whole life (9)

ESOL ENG

68

32

Part life (101)

ESOL ENG

80.2

19.8

Mex./Intl (81)

ESOL ENG


ESOL or English?



Of 53 ESOL students I was able to track, 7 switched to an ESOL preference while 3 switched to an ENG preference by the end

of the semester.


NES/NNES preferences

20.8

79.2

NNES/Mixed Preferences

All NNES

NES & NNES 72.9

27.1

ESOL/ENG Preferences

ESOL ENG

Would you prefer to be in a 1311 class with all nonnative speakers of English or with a mixture of

native and nonnative speakers?


ESOL qualitative responses 32 responses preferring ENG •  a desire to learn and

speak more English (9) •  expectations of the

course being more challenging or faster (8)

•  desire to be with NESs (4)

•  belief that they knew enough English (4)

114 responses preferring mixed •  the chance to practice

more English (32) •  they would learn faster

(19) •  possibilities for cultural

exchange (17) •  belief that their English

and Spanish were good enough for a mixed course (11)


ESOL qualitative responses 87 responses preferring ESOL •  the course is better for

their needs and can help them better (21)

•  they have more to learn and are not ready (16)

•  it is easier because others speak their language (14)

•  it is more comfortable (11) •  the teacher or teaching

style is better adapted to learning needs (10)

19 responses preferring NNES only •  being on the same level

with the other students (8) •  feeling more comfortable

(5) •  having similar needs (2) •  have more confidence (1)


Pamela

•  Completed high school in Mexico •  Placed in ESOL •  Initially wanted to be in English, later satisfied

with ESOL


Pamela (cont.)

Beginning of semester: “Because the student who are in the 1311 course in the English department are native English speaker, so if I want to talk with some of them, I have to speak in English too. Instead in the ESOL classes where almost everyone speak Spanish, so I do not have the necessity to use my English.”

End of semester: “That’s a really good question because I think that in English, maybe I will be with people that speak in English, so it will be better to me because I will be forced, because for example, in the ESL classes, my classmates speak Spanish, so, we speak Spanish…[but] I don’t know…I like the ESOL classes and I think that there are more, like, um, como dedidcadas.”


Amanda

•  Came to UTEP from Mexico on athletic scholarship, been learning English 3 years

•  Placed in ENG 1311 •  Initially wanted to be in ESOL, later satisfied with

ENG


Amanda (cont.)

Beginning of semester: “Because I might be a little behind in the learning comparing to the rest of my class…” Chose comp for ESL and for L2 writers “because in those the teachers may take more into consideration that they need to explain to you more in detail some stuff. Because probably some of the things we’re doing right now other people did it in high school. But since I started in Mexico, I didn’t. So maybe they could pay more attention to us.”

End of semester: “Cause I didn’t think I could do it. I thought it was too difficult and but now I think if the rest of my classes are going to be in English, I should start now with that, practicing English…I know it’s weird how I contradict myself from the beginning to here but thought this course I’ve learned that what, I just told you, that it’s better if I practice it and maybe I wasn’t really sure about myself, but now I am and I’ve learned a lot and that’s good.”


Joanne

•  Moved to U.S. to study at UTEP, been learning English since elementary school.

•  Placed in ESOL •  Dissatisfied with ESOL placement from the

beginning, approached ESOL director.


Joanne (cont.)

Beginning of semester preference for ENG: “Because the teachers do not identify you as a student with deficiencies of language and on regular English classes you get the chance to know more of English language and the culture.”


Joanne (cont.)

J: No, I don’t think they placed me accurately. That’s why I’m saying that uh, this student opinion, or, at least an interview with the student, to get to know them that, they got a lot of troubles but they can fix them, cause, I got placed in 1309 and I found I used that one, but they’re also required to take 1406, which is grammar, and I didn’t learn anything in that class, that’s why I’m like…

I: It’s too easy… J: And it’s useless, and it’s just a waste of time. I: did you take 1310? J: No, I haven’t taken it yet. I: And do you have to? J: Yeah, unfortunately. I don’t wanna take it, because I know it’s a

reading class, and I took history, I also took philosophy, I took sociology, so I’m like those are really hard classes for reading, so why should I go to ESOL, you know?


Implications

•  Identities are shifting and dynamic, not static, and thus so are preferences

•  Problem when fluid preferences clash with rigid placement systems

•  Tests are insufficient to be the only consideration in placing students

•  Inadequacy of simple mainstream/ESL dichotomy


Recommendations

1.  Consider student opinion •  Student abilities and motivations are diverse •  DSP introduced by Royer and Gilles (1998),

recommended in CCCCs statement on L2 writers

•  Potential of online surveys (Crusan, 2006) •  Necessary to inform students about options


Recommendations

2.  Increase flexibility •  Joanne revealed limits of a system that treats

a complex, dynamic identity as static. •  Student preferences/knowledge change


Recommendations

3. Ensure credit for ESL courses •  Insult to injury if not receiving credit for ESL

class •  Students can spend 2 years without credit •  Adding to linguistic repertoire should be

considered college-level work


Recommendations

4. Rethink course design •  Cross-cultural composition as alternative to

mainstream/ESL dichotomy (Silva, 1994; Matsuda & Silva, 1999)

•  Requires a teacher who is knowledgeable in working with L1 and L2 writers and a balanced mix of L1 & L2 English writers

•  Alternative in linking courses: similar assignments, having students from different classes work together on assignments, meet for peer review


References

Costino, K. & Hyon, S. (2007). “A class for students like me”: Reconsidering relationships among identity labels, residency status, and students’ preferences for mainstream or multilingual composition. Journal of Second Language Writing, 16(2), 63-81.

Crusan, D. (2006). The politics of implementing online directed self-placement for second-language writers. In P.K. Matsuda, C. Ortmeier-Hooper, & X. You (Eds.) The politics of second language writing: In search of the promised land (pp. 205-21). West Lafayette, IN: Parlor.

Matsuda, P.K. & Silva, T. (1999). Cross-cultural composition: Mediated integration of U.S. and international students. Composition Studies, 27(1), 15-30.

Norton Peirce, B. (1995). Social identity, investment, and language learning. TESOL Quarterly, 29(1), 9-31.

Royer, D. J., & Gilles, R. (1998). Directed self-placement: An attitude of orientation. College Composition and Communication, 50(1), 54-70.

Silva, T. (1994). An examination of writing program administrators’ options for the placement of ESL students in first year writing classes. WPA: Writing Program Administration, 18(1-2), 37-43.


Thank you!

If you would like a copy of this presentation or talk more about this study,

please email me at [email protected]

If you would like to learn more about my work,

please visit my website at toddruecker.com

the complexity of multilingual students' placement preferences

Education

esol students

esol classes

english belief

esol preference

mixed course

faster course

inyour current writing

end of semester