Some of the assumptions about values and ethics that I can only figure the ELS students might hold comes down to the demographic we might come in to contact with. In my limited experience I was able to edit a manuscript for a Chinese graduate student and it was enlightening about the different types of epistemology and ethics attached to the Chinese way of producing scholarly work. The student's manuscript did not have any plagiarism in it, but it was laced with ideas and ideologies that were easily identifiable. When I brought this up to the student he commented on how in China it is okay to take another person's work without attribution and it was seen as sort of an honor to do so. If someone's idea was good enough to be used elsewhere then they should be proud.
This reminds me of Hofstede's models for the different types of culture and the ideologies that are associated with each. In our society it is highly individualistic whereas Chinese culture is extremely collectivist. This difference in mindset I think it directly connected to how plagiarism is treated. Bringing this back to the ELS students, if they are from a society that promotes collectivism there is a hurdle to be had in teaching how writing and attribution to others will be handled. I can't simply say, "Don't plagiarize." because the difference in the culture creates a bit of a block that I have to elaborate on and make clear to them. I have to go over how not citing another person's work within their own work will result in some serious penalties. Additionally, I imagine there will be some mystery surrounding how the environment of TTU works.
We talked a little bit about a hidden culture in the university system here that isn't explicitly stated. I imagine it's worse for the ELS students because they don't get the opportunities a lot of the time to stay on campus for extended periods and interact with students who are actually attending university. The hidden culture is doubly hidden from them so having them come to campus and expose to them the inner workings of some of the vital systems, such as the library, that move information around the campus seems to be a good way to demystify the university environment for them.
Finally, having them come and sit in on a class might reveal some differences, but more importantly, some similarities between the teaching and university cultures. Making theses differences and similarities more explicit allows us to breach common ground with other cultures and to adapt and remodel our own teaching style to accommodate those students who are from different areas. My final question pertains to TTU. In my courses, we have a population of students that have English as a second language, but we do not cater to them in any way. There is no way to tell how many we have or where they are from. Why don't we have training and programs in place to help our instructors to cope with the shock that comes with teaching in a multicultural classroom? Students fail not because they don't know the material, but they don't know the culture and standards that are set. Adapting to the different needs of different cultures and realizing ways in which to reach out and accommodate as well as to educate seem to be at the center of my thoughts on this subject.
Yes, as Liz mentioned at ELS, plagiarism is a very sensitive issue there, as it as at TTU, and should most definitely be addressed. Coming up with clear reasons why copying others' ideas isn't appropriate in our context is very important, and students should hear different positions coming from different people as much as possible. You're right in that us going there and then their sitting in on a class is helpful. How many chairs are available, generally, for others to use? It would be awkward if they needed to stand. I believe we do not do enough for students who have English as their second language or who are having basic writing problems in our courses. We can do more, and gathering additional experience, like you're doing, is helpful.
ReplyDeleteOur 1301 and 1302 courses are capped at 35 students, so there will be at least that many seats available, maybe a few more, depending on the classroom. Most classes are generally full or close to full, so having additional seating for the ELS students during normal class times might be tricky.
DeleteI agree that we should do more for students who have learned English as their second or third language, but where I struggle is in knowing how to implement those things in a way that is constructive and most beneficial to all of the students in the classroom. I'm really looking forward to observing how the instructors at ELS handle the intercultural dimension of their classrooms. Hopefully I can get some good ideas for incorporating ESL features into my own courses through our work with ELS and our readings this semester.
Hey Michael,
ReplyDeleteThe plagiarism issue is interesting to me because I just don’t know how to handle it. I’m sure the ESL students have a hard time grasping our view of plagiarism as well. I wonder if they might find it hypocritical since it’s becoming more acceptable in the Western entertainment world to “rip-off” other artists’ concepts, music, plots, etc. A good many songs on the radio these days are actually using samples from older or lesser-known songs. I would like to explore ways to explain this concept to ESL students in a way that is respectful to them, but also effectively explains why we view “copying” this way. Right now, I’m really not sure how to approach it.