“CLOSE READING” AS A COURSE THEME IN A MULTILINGUAL CLASSROOM”

Innovative Methods and Practices of Academic Writing and Writing Instruction

“CLOSE READING” AS A COURSE THEME IN A MULTILINGUAL CLASSROOM”

Leora Freedman

Faculty of Arts & Science, University of Toronto/ Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Recently, an initiative emphasizing “Close Reading” was implemented in a mainstream introductory theory course with a largely multilingual student population. This initiative is part of a broader collaboration between an academic department and an English Language Learning (ELL) specialist in a large research institution in North America. The intent of this intervention was to improve students’ academic reading and writing capability, as well as to combat high rates of plagiarism. The goal of the course is for students to become capable of reading challenging theoretical texts and applying the theories in analyses of literature and art as well as historical accounts. It was decided to support students’ reading comprehension as a path toward improving writing and analytical ability (Grabe 2001; Leki 2001). The course instructor developed a unique style of lecturing through modeling various approaches to reading closely and analytically. These approaches were documented by the ELL specialist so that other instructors can emulate the techniques. Students were also given a 12­step method for approaching texts independently, reinforced by discussions, quizzes, and an essay. Some students were still unable to generate an original analysis. However, many others demonstrated an improved grasp of critical thinking, and the rate of plagiarism dropped. Materials generated by this initiative have also been adopted by other departments. These results support the theory that multilingual students’ progress in English can be assisted through unobtrusive methods that also benefit native English­speakers (Hafernik & Wiant 2012).

References

Grabe, W 2001, ‘Reading­writing relations: Theoretical perspectives and instructional practices’ in ​ Linking literacies: Perspectives on L2 reading­writing connections​ , eds ​ D Belcher & A Hirvela, University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor, Michigan, pp.15­47.

Hafernik, JJ, Wiant, FM 2012, ​ Integrating multilingual students into college classrooms: Practical advice for faculty​ , Multilingual Matters​ , ​ Toronto.

Leki, I 2001, ‘Reciprocal themes in ESL reading and writing’ in ​ Landmark essays on ESL writing​ , eds T Silva & P K Matsuda, Hermagoras Press, New Jersey, pp.173­190.