Intra-university collaboration and language learners:
CELAC, CAPS, and ESL students at UNM
Dr. Paul Edmunds, Center for English Language and American Culture
Dr. Daniel Sanford, Center for Academic Program Support
Working with Writers 2011
Multilingual Writers at UNM
• Learners of Non-English Languages
• Native speakers of a non- English Language,
learning a native language for literacy
• ELL students:
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Second-language learners of English
Immigrants, and children of immigrants
Speakers of NM heritage languages
International Students
Multilingual Writers at UNM
• 916 current international students at UNM,
representing 91 countries
• New admits (per year, approx.)
– 200 degree seeking
– 150 exchange
– 70 intensive English
CELAC Overview
• History
– Since 1978
• Purpose
– Designed for students who
are planning to attend the
University of New Mexico
or another U.S. university
– Students develop
university-level skills in
grammar, reading, writing,
listening & speaking.
• TOEFL Placement &
Proficiency exams
CELAC Instructors
• MA and PhD students at
UNM (e.g. Linguistics, COE)
• Many years of teaching
experience
– Both in the U.S. and
abroad
• Passionate about
teaching English
• Understanding of different
cultures
CELAC Students & Activities
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Fall and Spring semesters: 60 -70 students
Summer session: 30 - 40 students
Represent over 25 different countries
Small class sizes: 8 -15 students
English only in classes
Fun Cultural Field Trips
CELAC Classes
• 5 levels of instruction
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Academic Bridge
Advanced
High-Intermediate
Intermediate
Low-Intermediate
• TOEFL Preparation Course
• Intensive: Classes meet 5 days a week
– 9AM-1PM or 1PM-5PM
– 20 hours class time per week
– 2-4 hours of homework daily
Writing at CELAC
• Genres
– Instruction regarding informal and formal
writing registers
– Informal genres:
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Dialogue journals
Newspaper content (articles, ads - CELAC Bugle)
Poems
Recipes & cookbooks
Email correspondence
Writing at CELAC
• Genres
– Formal genres:
• Resume & cover letter
– Academic essays:
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Narrative
Comparison/Contrast
Cause & Effect
Argumentative
– Portfolios & Class Publications
Writing at CELAC
• Sentence, paragraph, & essay structure
– Length and difficulty by class levels
• Low-Intermediate – Intermediate: Sentence/Paragraph
• High-Intermediate – Advanced: Multi-Paragraph
• Academic Bridge – Multi-page w/citations
• Writing process
– Highly structured: brainstorming, outlining, drafting,
revision, final product
– Elements of essays may be completed one at a time
to “lead students through” process
Writing at CELAC
• Resources
– Library visits
• Research librarians demonstrate use of databases
– Citation format
• MLA in preparation for English 101
– APA as alternate
– Ortega Language Lab
– Afternoon groups
• CAPS ESL Conversation
• “Real World English”
– Teacher Office Hours
CAPS Writing & Language
Center: Overview
• Purpose
– Designed for current
UNM Students
– Students are
supported in the
development of
writing, language, and
literacy skills that will
help them to navigate
the university and the
life beyond.
– Over 5,000 visits in
2009-2010
Why a combined
Writing & Language Center?
– Writing is language!
– Writing and language are
both means to access
communities.
– Allows for a holistic focus
on L2 Writers.
– Provides an opportunity to
apply writing center.
pedagogy to non-English
languages.
– Allows us to advocate for
the role of heritage
languages within the
academy.
Writing Drop-in Lab
Primary format of services
since Fall 2009.
Goals:
• To embody a view of writing
as a collaborative act
• To implement in practice a
view of writing as a process
• To validate student users as
intelligent commenters on
ideas and writing
• To advance a view of the
writing center as a place to
write, rather than as a place
to get writing fixed
Non-English Writing Drop-in
Labs
• Spanish, in collaboration
with El Centro de la Raza
• Navajo, in collaboration
with American Indian
Student Services
Wrap Up
• High level of structure
– Orient international students (from a variety of academic
and cultural backgrounds) to the academic/writing system
in the U.S.
• Lead students through assignments incrementally
– Assure each step receives full attention
• Build skills in database searches
– Finding academic articles, learning reference formatting
These principles help prepare our students to be
successful in their academic classes at UNM – in
line with our Mission.
Wrap Up
• Know your student population.
• Know your partners.
• Go where the students are.
• Use peer review to build student’s confidence as
readers.
• Use sequenced assignments to give students the
chance to write without being crippled by the fear of
doing it wrong.
These principles help prepare our students to be
successful in their academic classes at UNM – in
line with our Mission.
What do you do in working with multilingual writers
in your classes?
CONTACT US:
Dr. Paul Edmunds pedmunds@unm.edu Dr. Daniel Sanford dsanford@unm.edu
CELAC http://www.unm.edu/celac
CAPS http://caps.unm.edu