ZTC Course & Resource

College Composition for Second-Language Learners highlights diverse perspectives and voices:  gender, ethnicity, language, etc.  The authors selected for the language section are Firoozeh Dumas, author of Funny in Farsi, mentioned above, Amy Tan, David Sedaris, and Gustavo Arellano, LA Times writer and OCC alum and adjunct faculty. By focusing on the diverse perspectives and voices of the authors, we also encourage students to validate their own voices, perspectives, and experiences.  This makes the readings more relevant for students. 

For the intelligence section, students explore Jean Anyon’s work on inequalities in the school curriculum based on social class, Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences, and Daniel Goleman’s theory of emotional intelligence (EQ).  For this paper, students have written on AI, cultural competency, and adaptive intelligence. These topics are interdisciplinary and can be applied to many areas of an undergraduate education.  

For the third research paper, students work on a film paper, looking for themes and symbolism through research, in preparation for other writing classes. There is also a unit devoted to essay writing.  The text has sample student papers and essays.

While not the primary focus of the text, there are grammar components throughout to help students recognize and edit their second language errors. In addition, the text attempts to introduce students to various writing devices–using hyphens, semi-colons (“fancy periods”), alliteration, similes, words/phrases in another language, and transitions in different positions, among others. 

Statewide Impact:

A typical Freshman Composition textbook is approximately $80 -$100 dollars.  Many times, not all of the readings are utilized. 

About the Professors:

Maria D. Lerma. Professor, English as a Second Language

As a second language learner of English, I learned English by reading–and writing.  I strongly believe that second language learners will become proficient in the target language by reading and learning new vocabulary through context clues and an English-English dictionary.  Because of my love of reading, I read constantly, and I expose my students to my newfound treasures.  I am a big fan of Viet Thanh Nguyen, and we read some of his work in class.  We are fortunate that our classes have a mix of Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Saudi Arabian, Ukrainian, Turkish, Romanian, Mexican, Peruvian, Argentinian, Burmese, Algerian, French, Dutch, Russian, Persian, Afghan, and other nationalities, so we celebrate that diversity.  

My research interests are online learning and student engagement.  While I find the concept of online learning to be important because it gives students access and equity to education, I am equally captivated by the concept of student engagement as proposed by George Kuh (and others)-- we instructors and the institutions in which we work need to provide students with opportunities that foster their love of learning and encourage active participation in their learning (Pascarella and Terenzini).  

Marely Cervantes. Assistant Professor, English as a Second Language

Creating a welcoming environment for my students is at the forefront of my teaching philosophy. As chair of the ELL department, I spend most of my time working with adult students in noncredit classes. Though noncredit adult students greatly vary from former doctors to individuals with little literacy in their native language, they all share two pressing needs: the hunger to reclaim their voice and an urgency to acquire language skills that they can apply to their everyday lives. 

I aim to address these two needs in every class I teach, including credit classes. In writing classes, such as ESL A100, I want my students to grow confident in their writing and become empowered to voice their thoughts compellingly and convincingly. Further, I strive to help my students leverage strong writing skills in their workplace, studies, and personal lives. 

At the heart of this book are scaffolding and modeling: two techniques instrumental in creating a welcoming environment for students to move towards becoming more effective writers. Scaffolding and modeling also align with two of my research interests: Sweller’s Cognitive Load Theory and Terrell Strayhorn’s work on the importance of a sense of belonging.