Eliana Menacho

1) Fernsten, L. A. (2008). Writer Identity and ESL learners. Journal of Adolescent &
Adult Literacy. 52(1), 44-52. Retrieved from
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1598/JAAL.52.1.5/epdf
What?
This article focuses on the study done by Mandy. It talks about how many
students who are struggling in learning English accept the stereotype that many
teachers provide that they are not good writers
So What?
I liked reading this article because it talks about something very important that
most teachers dont think about. Teachers stereotype sometimes without meaning to and
their expectations for ELLs are lower. They become convinced they are not good writers
because they are not proficient in the language and that this means they cannot produce a
well-written product. This happens because teachers dont encourage them enough.
Teachers dont expect as much from an ESL student than a general student because they
dont want to overwhelm their student, making them feel like they are not as capable.
Now What?
I feel as though this article will help me find information on how struggling ESL
writers can learn to build up their confidence. The research is based on how students find
their voice amongst their learning of the language so I feel as though using this article
will help me build background knowledge that I can refer to when I teach my own
students. I want to help them become more proficient in writing as they progress through
their English, as well as find their own voices.
2) Ismail, S.A. A. (2011). Exploring students perceptions of ESL writing. English
Language Teaching, 4(2), 73-83. Retrieved from
Http://search.proquest.com/docview/87604169
What?
This article explores students perceptions of ESL writing. It focuses on how
writing has always been an important role in second language learning As of recently, it
has become more and more important to look at students perceptions of writing.
So what?
The articles purpose was to look at the students perceptions of general writing as
well as writing in general.
Now what?
I feel like I can use this article to gather information about the research done of
students perceptions of writing. Itll help me gain insight on how my students think and
what I can do to change any negative connotations that they have with being good
writers. I would like to show my students that writing can be fun even if they are not
proficient in the language yet.
3) Lin, M. H., Groom, N., & Chin-Ying, L. (2013). Blog-assisted learning in the ESL
writing classroom: A phenomenological analysis. Journal of Educational Technology &
Society. 16(3), 130-n/a. Retrieved from

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http://search.proquest.com/docview/1462203934?accountid=7113
What?
This article talks about using blogs as a way of encouraging emergent writers. It
helps the students develop their writing as well as incorporate technology.
So what?
It is important to know about the uses of technology in the classroom because
teachers who are old-fashioned might not understand about the benefits technology
provides. I have observed teachers in the past who refuse to try and learn about the new
innovative strategies that include technology and it is not realistic for students who are
growing into a generation filled with technology.
Now What?
I would use this article to gather information about things I can do to aid my
students writing. Incorporating technology in the classroom is a great aid to help students
who struggle with actual writing. Using technology could be as simple as including an
app during stations or including online games that help with building vocabulary.
4) Book: Literacy Development with English Learners
Citation: Helman, L. (2009). Literacy development with English learners: Researchbased instruction in grades K-6. New York: Guilford Press.
What?
This book is used with research-based instruction in grades K-6. There are plenty
of recommendations that are wide-scale and classroom-based. This book talks about the
influences of students primary languages and how students first languages influence
learning English.
So What?
It is important to know about the influences of students primary language and
first language influence in learning English because I need to understand my students
way of thinking and the way they process information. This is crucial understanding
because the way they understand and process English will be revealed in their writing.
Now What?
I can use this book to gather useful resources to better teach my children in
regards to writing. I feel like this book will help me build background knowledge on the
way my students write in accordance to their primary language and the way they are
learning English. I found this book really useful in many reasons but one specifically, was
that on page 129, there is a list of Emergent Literacy Assessments. Those will be very
helpful in assessment for when I begin looking at my students developing writing.
5) Book: Writing Instruction and Assessment for English Language Learners in K-8.
Citation: Lenski, S., & Verbruggen, F. (2010). Writing instruction and assessment for
English language learners K-8. New York: Guilford Press.
What?
This book talks all about writing instruction and how to assess
students writing. It talks about writing fluency and different writing

Eliana Menacho
features that students develop as they begin to develop their own
literacy and writing. It also talks about ALL types of writing. It even
includes response cards, e-mail and blogs.
So What?
I liked reading about how to assess student writing. Having a
specific way to assess is important because it is not just based on a
specific teachers opinion. I also liked reading about all types of reading
and how e-mail and blogs count as a way of writing. This would be a
great way to help students learn not only academic language, but also
social language so that they may build upon both types of language.
Now What?
I like this book because I can refer to it for useful resources and
tools to recognize writing levels. What I liked best was that they
provided writing samples from different grade levels which provides
concrete samples for me to look at and in the future, I can relate these
examples to my own students work. I also really liked that it provided
assessments such as page 34, where it provides English language
development performance standards for writing.
6) English Learners Academic Literacy and Thinking (Learning in the
Challenge Zone)
Citation: Gibbons, P. (2009). English learners, academic literacy, and
thinking: Learning in the challenge zone. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
What?
In this book it states how literacy is something that is continually
developed and how learning subject-specific literacy needs to be seen
as a part of learning subject content, and should be explicitly taught.
The book also talks about teaching academic literacy and how it is
helpful to move from students concrete and prior experiences and
everyday language toward more abstract language.
So What?
It is important to know how to connect students prior knowledge
from concrete, to be able to build upon and build abstract ideas and
language. I think that literacy should be continually developed even
after fluency is achieved because me, as a previous ELL myself, I still
learn new things every day even after being fluent since I was nine
years old.
Now What?
I like this book to use in my classroom because it gives helpful
ideas on how to incorporate the curriculum. Some tips that it provides
are that it is helpful to use maps, graphs, videos, movies or the
Internet to present key information multi-modally. I can use this book to
my benefit because it states specifically on how to present familiar and
concrete examples as a basis for discussing abstract concepts.

Eliana Menacho
7) Hudelson, S. (1989) Write On: Children's Writing in ESL. New Jersey:
Center of Applied Linguistics. 37-46.
Citation: Hudelson, Sarah. "Children's Writing in ESL." Eric Digests.
ERIC Clearinghouse on Languages and Linguistics Washington DC,
1989. Web. <http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ericdigests.org%2Fpre9210%2Fwriting.htm>.
What?
This article is talking about how it is important to understand the
way that ESL students think in their own native language as well as in
English. It states that students make writing predictions based on
patterns they see and an ESL students might have different
generalizations than another student because of the environment and
culture. The article also states that a student who has a stronger
knowledge of their native language has a significant impact on how
they learn their second language.
So What?
I think it is extremely important to understand these important
factors about our students. We need to understand exactly how our
students think and generalize concepts so that we may correct any
misconceptions and help them develop appropriately. It is important to
know that if a student has a writing ability in their native language, it
aids as a linguistic and nonlinguistic resource for when the student
progresses onto English writing.
Now What?
I feel that I will use this knowledge into my classroom in a way
that I can help my students keep their native language. I want my
students to showcase their uniqueness so I could have them teach us
greetings or sayings in their language so we can celebrate their
language and not make them feel like they have to stop speaking it in
order to learn English.
8) Kasia Kietlinska, Revision and ESL Students
Citation: Kietlinska, K. (n.d.). Revision and ESL Students. Retrieved
from http://exordio.qfb.umich.mx/archivos pdf de trabajo
umsnh/Escritura muy buenos2009/escritura buenoD.pdf
What?
This is a chapter talking about the attitudes that ESL students
have towards revising and editing. It states that ESL students take
criticism more harshly and feel as though they need to start all over
again. The chapter states that some ESL students have never had to
improve on content in writing in their native language before, because
to them, editing is more about the mechanics. So, if you tell a student
to correct their paper, they will want to start over again because they
will feel it is wrong.
So What?

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I think it is so important to keep in mind how our ESL students
think. Teachers need to understand how ESL students perceive certain
things negatively when we view them as aids for our writing.
Now What?
I think that now that I know this, I will be more careful with the
words I choose when reviewing a paper. I will also redirect my way of
saying correct this by asking them to read the paper out loud to
themselves so they can see if they need to make any changes.