Understanding ESL Compositions: Should L1 Conventions Prevail? Carol A. Nuñez, Ph. D. Department of English, School of Humanities Ateneo de Manila University

Understanding ESL Compositions: Should L1 Conventions Prevail?

Carol A. Nuñez, Ph. D.Department of English, School of Humanities

Ateneo de Manila UniversityPhilippines

ATENEO DE MANILA UNIVERSITYPHILIPPINES

Change in ‘langue-scape’

• Transformation in language situation – From 1970s increasing use of Filipino, Taglish

(code mixing of Tagalog & English); code-switching

– More publications in Filipino, Taglish (tabloids & magazines) – literature & journalism

– TV & radio use of Filipino, Taglish, other major languages, e.g, Cebuano, Ilocano, Bikol

– Increasing nationalism


On teaching writing in English in the Philippines

• English as medium of instruction

• Writing in English taught before writing in Filipino– Based on American textbooks & practices,

e.g., current-traditional & process writing

• Teaching of writing in Filipino similar to teaching of writing in English


On teaching writing in English in the Philippines

• Change in students– Knowledge of English– Use of Taglish or other code-mixing

• Change in media & pop culture– Pop songs in Filipino/Tagalog or even Taglish

on TV & radio – Use of code-mixing & code-switching


The Classrooms

• Bilingual Policy – 1974; revised 1987

• Problems– Lack of textbooks– Lack of teacher training – Resistance from various sectors

• English in private schools

• Business favored graduates with ‘good’ English [oral & written skills]


Conventions in English L1 Compositions

• Linear & hierarchical organization (expository writing)

• Parag (¶) –originally only a printer’s mark

• Thesis statement (usually last sentence of 1st paragraph)


• Topic sentence (sometimes implied)

• Unity – 1 topic per paragraph

• Coherence – “sticking to the point”; ideas flow logically from sentence to sentence



• Use of active verbs

• Being direct to the point

• No ‘flowery’ words

• Preference for short vs. long sentences – Economy of words


On Coherence & Cohesion

• Coherence “logical connection” and “smooth flow of ideas” ; “sticking to the point”; also called global coherence– Semantic meaning

• Local coherence cohesion; superficial connection between sentences– Syntactic meaning


Research questions

1. What are the features of coherence in student essays written under test conditions?

2. How do these essays adhere to, or deviate from, coherence patterns established by research applying topical structure analysis (TSA)?


Framework for analysis

• Expectations of English prose– Linear development– Hierarchical ordering of ideas

• Contrastive Rhetoric (Kaplan 1966)– Contrastive analysis– Cultural differences between languages– Culture-based conventions & ways of thinking

affect writing


Framework for analysis—cont’d • Theories of coherence

– Text-based theory• Coherence inscribed in texts• Writer-responsible texts

– Reader-based theory• Coherence produced by reader; reader-

responsible• Example: two speakers

A. There’s the doorbell.

B. I’m in the bath.


Unit of measurement: T-unit

• Minimum terminable unit (Hunt 1965)• Approximates comparability in

sentences of novice writers regardless of use of punctuation marks


On T-unit

• Contains an independent or main clause along with subordinate clauses & modifier

• Ex: We are all unique human beings/ and as we mature we undergo changes, different kinds of changes. (from Essay EN10-14-M)


Methodology

• Identification of T-unit boundaries

• Identification of topics according to Topical Structure Analysis (TSA)

• Plotting of topics– Parallel progression (PP)– Sequential progression (SP)– Extended parallel progression (EPP)


Topical Structure Analysis or TSA

• TSA – way of describing textual coherence based on semantic relationships between sentence/T-unit topics & discourse topic

• Topic what sentence is about– John threw the ball.– John’s throwing the ball caused panic among

the players.

• Topic not always grammatical subject


Topical Structure Analysis or TSA

• Topic– repeated from sentence to sentence– Shifts from one sentence to next– Interrupted & resumed in succeeding

sentences

• “Flow” or movement of topic can be charted Topic Progression Chart (TPC)

• TPC coherence pattern


Example of repeated topics

1. Chocolates are a national craving.

2. Records show that they are sold in huge quantities –11.2 pounds per capita per year.

3. Designer chocolates often sell for nearly $30 per pound.

- Connor & Farmer (1990)


Types of Topical Structures -1

• Parallel progression (PP) sentence topics are semantically identical(1) Chocolates are a national craving.

(2) Records show that they are sold in huge quantities –11.2 pounds per capita per year.

(3) Designer chocolates often sell for nearly $30 per pound.


Example of shift in topic

1. I saw a strange man on the street.

2. He was wearing a large badge.

3. The badge was multicolored and gaudy.



Types of Topical Structure - 2

• Sequential progression (SP) sentence topics always different; comment or predicate of previous sentence becomes topic of next sentence

Example:(1) I saw a strange man in the street. (2) He

was wearing a large badge. (3) The badge was multicolored and gaudy.


Topic Progression Chart of Sequential Progression

• Topic

1. I

2. He

3. badge


Interrupted topic

• (1) Body language varies from culture to culture. (2) To say yes, Americans nod their heads up and down. (3) Japanese and Italians use the same nod to say no. (4) Body language is an important skill for international managers.



Type of Topical Structure – 3Extended parallel progression

• Parallel progression temporarily interrupted by a sequential progression

(1) Body language varies from culture to culture. (2) To say yes, Americans nod their heads up and down. (3) Japanese and Italians use the same nod to say no. (4) Body language is an important skill for international managers.


Topic Progression Chart of Extended Parallel Progression

1. Body language

2. Americans

3. Japanese and Italians

4. Body language


Features of Coherence (TSA)

• The greater the number of topics, the wider the dispersion incoherent– Digression

• More parallel than sequential topic progression (PP>SP) coherent

• More sequential than parallel topic progression(SP>PP) incoherent


Discussion

• 34 essays or 5% of all essays written by Ateneo college freshmen enrolled in English 10 or ‘Introduction to College English’

• Written as 2nd half of diagnostic exam on 1st day of class, 19 June 2006

• Used random sampling from 668 essays


Discussion

• 13 Essays with SP > PP– Confirm Lautamatti’s and Witte’s findings,

i.e., essays with higher incidence of SPs less coherent than essays with opposite features

– 1 essay confirms Schneider & Connor’s findings about a different kind of sequential progression(ESP) contributes to textual coherence


Significant Findings

• Essays with SP > PP (continued)

– Common features of an incoherent essay

• Higher incidence of sequential to parallel progression

• Topical depth of 4 and greater

• High ratio of T-unit topics to no. of T-units


Significant Findings on Coherence

Essays by Filipino students ‘digress’ Topic not in 1st sentence/T-unit

‘Deviate’ from recommended L1 conventions, i.e. non-linear


Conclusion

• Given the ‘digression’ of Filipino ESL essays need to examine ELT methods, textbooks, language policies


Conclusion

• More questions than answers– Should L1 convention regarding coherence

be applied to ESL/EFL learners?– Whose standard do ESL /EFL teachers

follow when they teach writing to ESL/EFL learners?

– Whose English do ESL/EFL teachers promote?

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Understanding ESL Compositions: Should L1 Conventions Prevail? Carol A. Nuñez, Ph. D. Department of English, School of Humanities Ateneo de Manila University