1. WAC & English Language Learners
Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC)
April 11, 2019

2. Workshop Goals
Become familiar with the diverse, multilingual student body at City Tech
Understand challenges that ELL writers face
Learn how WAC principles can support these writers

3. @City Tech
As of Fall 2018, 73% of City Tech students report speaking a language other than English at home*
*Data from City Tech Fact Sheet,

4. "What would you like to do better for your ELL writers?"
Snowball Activity
On a piece of paper, write an answer to the following question:
 "What would you like to do better for your ELL writers?"

5. Snowball Activity
Pick up a snowball and respond to your colleague's comment

6. Students at Oregon State University discuss writing and cultural differences
Part One:
Part Two:
Part Three:

7. Some things to consider
Cultural backgrounds influence academic expectations (style, citations, collaboration, and plagiarism)
Academic discourse is a language that requires instruction and practice
"Writing with an accent" doesn’t necessarily obscure meaning

8. How can WAC help?
Main goals should be writing-to-learn, proficiency with course material, and prioritizing higher order concerns

9. WAC principles Scaffolding Detailed, written assignment prompts
Models of good work
One-on-one meetings about writing (incentivize office hours, get creative)
Writing-to-learn activities (low-stakes writing practice is key)

10. Supporting English Language Learners
Assignments
Classroom activities
Evaluation

11. 1. Assignments Low-Stakes
Have students post on Blackboard or OpenLab and respond to each other's work 
Provide a grade-free occasion for your students to explore course content
High-Stakes
Assign multiple drafts
Include a detailed grading rubric
Provide feedback selectively rather than comprehensively

12. 2. In-class activities
Encourage participation: use questions to guide reading
Use online tools (such as Poll Everywhere)
If doing peer review, ask students to exchange papers before class (rather than during class)
Review the difference between higher and lower-order concerns

13. 3. Evaluation and assessment
Low-Stakes
Start this early in the semester to see which students might need more support
Consider letting ELL students do low-stakes writing in their native language (Huh, Lee & Lee 2013) before sharing in English with their classmates
High-Stakes
Emphasize higher-order rather than lower-order concerns (though for ELL writers, these concepts can overlap)
Focus on improvement (effort) rather than an "ideal" outcome
Explain to your students that you will not correct every error

14. References and Resources
Cox, Michelle. (2014). "In Response to Today's 'Felt Need': WAC, Faculty Development, and Second Language Writers." In WAC and Second-Language Writers: Research Towards Linguistically and Culturally Inclusive Programs and Practices, ed. Terry Myers Zawacki and Michelle Cox (The WAC Clearinghouse and Parlor Press):  
Huh, M-H., Lee, Y-S., Lee, N. (2013). Mediation through the first language during the second language writing: A sociocultural approach. English Teaching (68):  
McMartin-Miller. (2014). "How much feedback is enough?: Instructor practices and student attitudes toward error treatment in second language writing." In Assessing Writing (19):  

15. Visit WAC's OpenLab site!