Feeling College Writing: Emotional Dynamics of First Year Comp at an HSI

• In Event: 21020 - Section on Sociology of Education Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 3: Learning and Mentoring in Higher Education

Abstract

College writing courses, which figure predominantly in the first year general education curriculum of most colleges and universities, can provide a crucial moment in students’ early academic experience, especially for Hispanic student’s decision to persist or withdraw (Mendez Newman 2007). Furthermore, when college writing courses incorporate requirements for public speaking, students whose first language is Spanish may feel judged by peers who are native speakers. This paper examines an experimental section in a required college writing and speaking course in which bilingual instructors at an HSI in Northern Indiana used English as the main language of instruction and assessment but utilized Spanish for clarification, check-ins, and follow-up while encouraging peer-to-peer support in Spanish inside and outside the classroom. Using an action research approach, data were collected from surveys on students’ writing and speaking confidence at the beginning and end of the semester, while face-to-face interviews allowed students to comment on their general satisfaction with the course while providing ideas for improvement. Results strongly suggest the effectiveness of such an approach for lowering anxiety and creating an emotional climate conducive to learning and success for Hispanic students in their first year of college.

Author

• Robert Brenneman, Goshen College