Hi Rob, Many of our students are ESL learners, but I also have native English speakers who never acquired college-level writing/communication skills. I do require papers in my classes, and spelling/grammar/mechanics/etc. usually make up 15-20% of my grading criteria. I give students my grading rubric at the start of the semester, and I do get a few students who cry foul over my system. Their logic is that I shouldn't count off for writing because, after all, I'm a Psychology teacher. My response is that, if students cannot effectively communicate their ideas in English, it doesn't matter what they know about Psychology (or any other college course). Julie
Julie A. Penley, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Psychology Special Assistant to the Dean El Paso Community College PO Box 20500 El Paso, TX 79998-0500 Office phone: (915) 831-3210 Department fax: (915) 831-2324 email: [email protected] webpage: http://dnn.epcc.edu/facultywebpages/jpenley -----Original Message----- From: FLINT, ROBERT [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 15, 2010 1:00 PM To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) Subject: [tips] English as a second language Albany, NY is not a terribly diverse community, and thus I have not frequently been faced with students for whom English is a second language. I was shocked by a recent student request to reduce their point deductions on a term paper (resulting from excessive spelling, grammatical, and punctuation errors) because the individual claimed English was her second language. Have those of you who teach at institutions with a more diverse student body received such requests? Sincerely, Rob Flint -------------------------------- Robert W. Flint, Jr., Ph.D. Professor of Psychology The College of Saint Rose [email protected] --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13295.327efb45357264e0d764058cad59bba0&n=T&l=tips&o=6497 or send a blank email to leave-6497-13295.327efb45357264e0d764058cad59b...@fsulist.frostburg.edu --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=6498 or send a blank email to leave-6498-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
