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Crossing the Curriculum
As college classrooms have become more linguistically diverse, the work of ESOL professionals has expanded to include research on the experiences of multilingual learners not only in ESOL courses but also in courses across the curriculum. At the same time that ESOL professionals are trying to understand the academic challenges that learners face beyond ESOL courses, faculty across the disciplines are trying to meet the challenge of teaching students of differing linguistic backgrounds. Crossing the Multilingual Learners in College Classrooms responds to these issues and concerns by capturing the complex and content-specific nature of students' and teachers' experiences and providing a nuanced understanding of how multilingual students' learning can be fostered and sustained.
Crossing the Multilingual Learners in College Classrooms is unique in bringing together the perspectives of researchers, students, and teachers. These multiple lenses allow for a richly layered picture of how students and teachers actually experience college classrooms. Common themes and pedagogical principles resonate across the three distinct sections of the
*Part One, "Investigating Students' Experiences Across the Through the Eyes of Classroom Researchers," consists of chapters written by ESOL and composition researchers who have investigated multilingual students' experiences in undergraduate courses across the curriculum.
*Part Two, "Learning Across the Through Students' Eyes," consists of chapters written by two multilingual learners who chronicled their experiences as they crossed the curriculum over time.
*Part Three, "Engaging Students in Through the Eyes of Faculty Across the Curriculum," consists of chapters written by faculty from several academic fields--Anthropology, Philosophy, Nursing, Literature, Sociology, and Asian American Studies--who discuss their own attempts to address the needs of multilingual learners in their classrooms.
Crossing the Multilingual Learners in College Classrooms is unique in bringing together the perspectives of researchers, students, and teachers. These multiple lenses allow for a richly layered picture of how students and teachers actually experience college classrooms. Common themes and pedagogical principles resonate across the three distinct sections of the
*Part One, "Investigating Students' Experiences Across the Through the Eyes of Classroom Researchers," consists of chapters written by ESOL and composition researchers who have investigated multilingual students' experiences in undergraduate courses across the curriculum.
*Part Two, "Learning Across the Through Students' Eyes," consists of chapters written by two multilingual learners who chronicled their experiences as they crossed the curriculum over time.
*Part Three, "Engaging Students in Through the Eyes of Faculty Across the Curriculum," consists of chapters written by faculty from several academic fields--Anthropology, Philosophy, Nursing, Literature, Sociology, and Asian American Studies--who discuss their own attempts to address the needs of multilingual learners in their classrooms.
252 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2003
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July 19, 2011
I only read two of the chapters from this book. I read Martha's story and Mitoko's story. Both dealt with what it feels like to be a ESL student in college. While both were a bit overwritten, there was a lot of good information for professors. I also had to write a compare and contrast paper on these two chapters. I include part of my paper below.
Both Martha and Motoko emphasize the importance of the professors’ teaching style and pedagogy, identify the impact of their English ability on their classroom performance, although each sees the impact somewhat differently, and provide insight into how ESL students want to be treated in the classroom.
Both Martha and Motoko emphasize that professors’ teaching style and pedagogy, or method of teaching, play a central role in the classroom experience. It is the professor, not the subject matter, that determines students’ overall response to a class; that response comes from how the professor conducts the class, presents the subject matter, and treats the students. Both wrote of professors that assigned challenging reading and writing assignments, but that then helped the students develop critical reading and writing skills, and responded to student writing with support and encouragement. Both wrote about wanting to feel valued by professors and treated with respect.
In stark contrast to these positive experiences, Martha and Motoko also describe classes taught by professors whose lecture-style and pedagogy increased students’ frustrations and confusion. Martha describes a chemistry class in which she felt “disoriented” from the first time she entered the auditorium where it was taught and struggled to find a seat. The professor spoke rapidly, did not ask for questions, failed to make eye contact with the students, and his lectures did not help to clarify the concepts students were reading about (101). Martha was constantly lost during lectures, her efforts were never enough to catch up, and she felt like she “was climbing a muddy mountain” (101).
Motoko and Martha also both describe the struggles they experienced in their classes because of their English ability, although Martha often sees her English skills as separating her from the other students, while Motoko sees her English ability as a personal shortcoming and a reason for classroom struggles. Martha felt that her English skills created barriers between her and other students and felt marginalized by such barriers, especially in her large lecture-based chemistry class.
In describing their experiences in the classroom, both Martha and Motoko emphasize the need for professors to treat them as students, not to stereotype them as ESL students. Based on their experiences in various American university classes, both Martha and Motoko clearly identify the crucial role of the professors’ teaching styles and pedagogy in the students’ learning experience. They also both see their English ability as having an impact on their classroom experience and often silencing them, but Martha sees her English as separating and marginalizing, while Motoko sees her English ability as a personal weakness that is responsible for her struggles. Both Martha and Motoko want professors to challenge them as students, not stereotype them as ESL students. Martha’s and Motoko’s personal accounts provide important insights into the teaching and learning process.
Both Martha and Motoko emphasize the importance of the professors’ teaching style and pedagogy, identify the impact of their English ability on their classroom performance, although each sees the impact somewhat differently, and provide insight into how ESL students want to be treated in the classroom.
Both Martha and Motoko emphasize that professors’ teaching style and pedagogy, or method of teaching, play a central role in the classroom experience. It is the professor, not the subject matter, that determines students’ overall response to a class; that response comes from how the professor conducts the class, presents the subject matter, and treats the students. Both wrote of professors that assigned challenging reading and writing assignments, but that then helped the students develop critical reading and writing skills, and responded to student writing with support and encouragement. Both wrote about wanting to feel valued by professors and treated with respect.
In stark contrast to these positive experiences, Martha and Motoko also describe classes taught by professors whose lecture-style and pedagogy increased students’ frustrations and confusion. Martha describes a chemistry class in which she felt “disoriented” from the first time she entered the auditorium where it was taught and struggled to find a seat. The professor spoke rapidly, did not ask for questions, failed to make eye contact with the students, and his lectures did not help to clarify the concepts students were reading about (101). Martha was constantly lost during lectures, her efforts were never enough to catch up, and she felt like she “was climbing a muddy mountain” (101).
Motoko and Martha also both describe the struggles they experienced in their classes because of their English ability, although Martha often sees her English skills as separating her from the other students, while Motoko sees her English ability as a personal shortcoming and a reason for classroom struggles. Martha felt that her English skills created barriers between her and other students and felt marginalized by such barriers, especially in her large lecture-based chemistry class.
In describing their experiences in the classroom, both Martha and Motoko emphasize the need for professors to treat them as students, not to stereotype them as ESL students. Based on their experiences in various American university classes, both Martha and Motoko clearly identify the crucial role of the professors’ teaching styles and pedagogy in the students’ learning experience. They also both see their English ability as having an impact on their classroom experience and often silencing them, but Martha sees her English as separating and marginalizing, while Motoko sees her English ability as a personal weakness that is responsible for her struggles. Both Martha and Motoko want professors to challenge them as students, not stereotype them as ESL students. Martha’s and Motoko’s personal accounts provide important insights into the teaching and learning process.
Displaying 1 of 1 review