SHOULD YOU TAKE WRITING 60 for Native or Non-Native Speakers?

Writing 60 for Non-Native Speakers is designed for students who are preparing for Writing 91 and need help with ESL language issues and error patterns. Writing 60 for Native Speakers does not address ESL-specific language issues. 

You should take an ESL Writing Skills Course if you have

Ø       lived in the US less than five years.

Ø       lived in the US for more than five years AND have never attended college.

Ø       attended ABE/ESL classes and are now enrolling credit courses.

Ø       completed Writing 30.

If you register for Writing 60 for native speakers and your skills indicate that you should be in 60 for non-native speakers instead (or vise versa), the instructor will ask you to move to the course appropriate to your needs as a writer.  

Important Notes:

Ø       Speaking a second language at home does NOT necessarily require a student to take the ESL Writing Skills Courses.

Ø       Students who attended high school in the US for one or two years are likely to need the ESL Writing Skills courses since they may still retain characteristics of typical ESL student writers. 

For writing instructors: Addendum to Tracking Document

The following samples indicate “typical” student writing for each level.  We are still working on placement and tracking, so your initial diagnostics may unfortunately reveal a “hodge podge” of students.  You may have students who have placed into Writing 30, but their writing clearly shows that they should move to Writing 60.   Based on diagnostics and discussions with students, you should feel free to strongly recommend that students change courses (Writing 60 for native speakers to Writing 60 non-native speakers) or levels (Writing 30 to Writing 60).

Samples from students who should be in Writing 30:

My opnion is older age bad because older age always sick and tyering.  This is frustration age because many things to get difficut and we have no work to get retirement benefit that this not successful to ran life so, people taking frustration and mad.  This time always think about death and sick.

   Many people anxiety for this age because leave stress about so many thing.  The older ager memory about different thing lead and good.

  Some people take retirement and this time to do self job to get more many.  The other people take vacation for long time and participate church and mesegide.  So, many people happy older age.

           Note severe syntax difficulties and lack of clear verb tense construction

OR

My education at Highline community college valuable to me is good place fore education and to succeeded.  It give me a good future.  It is best college for me.  I wanted take education for my future in Highline CC.  I wanted to become good life, and to succeded my dream.  I wanted take my goals.

           Although syntax is clearer than above, sentences are extremely simple and repetitive (no coordination/subordination) and many problems with verb tense.

 Sample from student who should be in Writing 60 for non-native speakers:

There are many famous role models to be admired in this world.  I myself admire someone who is not famous.  Her name is faduma Jama, and that is my mother.  I admire my mother, because she tough me how to be myself.  She had done excellent job raising me.

As young child without father she suppurated and provides me anything I need and more.  The greatest achievement my mother accomplished was, when we were in Africa she borrowed money to start her own business, she begins selling door to door.  After three years we were the richest family in our city.  Dispute the civil war in Somalia and loosing her wealth she never sowed weakness, or regret.    She always advised me to look ahead, not back.  My mother has the most magnificent strength, great quality, kindness and she is selfishness.

                    There are some problems with word choice and verb tense but generally syntax is clear and student is using subordination/coordination effectively, though there are errors.

The person in my family that I admire and respect most would have to be my dad.  He is a hard worker.  He kept our family healthy and successful in life.  He’ll put his mind into one thing and later on you see him finished what he had picture.

   The reason why I admire my dad is because if it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t’ be here in this United state.  He got me and my mom here from Cambodia for better living.  When we came here we got nothing, until my dad state working 2 jobs a day for low amount of money to start us with.  Moving from one apartment to another, because people was not very nice to us, just because where from a different country and we don’t have much money as them.  Every thing to better after we bought a house and my dad work at a better job which payer more than what he had, also my mom did work too! My dad once told me that one day we will have a nice house, nice car and no one would judge us again, he was right we been success, as long you can picture what you want and you put your mind into it an you’ll get it.

             Although this writer has pretty good vocabulary/word choice control and is managing verb tense generally well, there are errors with verb tens, articles, and minor agreement errors throughout and definitely problems with sentence boundaries (run-ons).

Samples from students who should be in Writing 60 for native speakers:

I greatly admire my Uncle ___ who has been my guardian since my childhood.  He imparted me a lot of good traits and qualities which I could be proud of.  For example, he taught me how to be generous to other people by giving what they want and not waiting of anything in return.  Also, respecting every individual and their rights.  Knowing how to respect other people will respect you the same way as you do to them.  He’s very flexible and that is one thing I admire to him most.  He knows very well on how to mingle with different types of people, eventhough he just meet them and didn’t know who they were.  He’s not a snooty type of person and everyone can easily reach him out.  I admire all of this traits of my Uncle – because it changed me into a better person.

The awkward/imprecise language in this piece and the problems with sentence boundaries (fragments) indicate that this student should be in Writing 60.  Note that there are not ESL-type errors in this piece.

The person that I truly admire and have the most respect for is my father.  I admire how hard he words for his family.  How much he believes in education is the only way to succeed in life.  He came to the U.S. without any education background but he had work hard enough to be able to afford to pay for my education.  He is giving the opportunity to go to school in which he never had for himself.  I am grateful for him that is why I want to succeed in school and get my career stated so I could repay him for everything that he has given me.  I know that I am truly lucky to have a father like him he didn’t just abandon me or left me on my own to pay for college but he stood by me and agreed to pay for my college until I am all done.  That is a father that loves his child with all his heart.  He doesn’t spoil me by materialistic things but with an education that will be with me forever, I know that is an investment in my future.

As with the sample above, the awkward/imprecise language and problems with sentence boundaries (run-ons) indicate that this student should be in Writing 60.

Sample from student who should be in Writing 91:

There are many people whom I admire but none like my mother, --.  My mother is my greatest inspiration.  She is a strong, beautiful woman.  She has successfully raised ten children of her own plus her younger siblings.  My mother has given my siblings and I all the love and care a women could ever give.  She has taught us right from wrong.  Even though she has went through many difficult times she has always overcome them.  Although she didn’t have much for herself and her family she gave charity when she could and tried her best to help out the people in need.  With her great personality and social skills, she helped many women get through the same obstacles she did.  Everyone in our neighborhood highly respected her.  Ever since I was young I wanted to be a strong independent woman just like her.  I have great respect and admiration for my mother.

There is a very minor verb tense error and article error in the above, but a student writing at this level should be moved to Writing 91.  The complex and effective sentence structure and good control over tense and vocabulary are too high for the ESL 60 or Writing 60 level.