Understanding Different Processes of Learning and Thinking

Although we have discussed the potential differences in tutoring an ELL student and the respective barriers that they encounter, I never truly understood how much their cultural dissimilarity accounts for their differences in writing and learning until I read Redden’s “Chinese Students in the Classroom”.  Redden explicitly details how different aspects of a Chinese student’s educational experience are affected by their cultural disposition.  I found her article insightful as she explains exactly how this cultural difference manifests itself in writing, thinking, and in all of a Chinese student’s educational experience.

It is important to acknowledge that a lot of what we would consider as “errors” stem from what Chinese students have been taught for years.  The particular frequent “errors” that Redden cites are implicit points and indirect conclusions.  This poses an interesting problem for writing consultants, as a consultant may find himself in a position requiring a drastic “re-teaching” of certain elements of writing.  Redden explicitly states “Writing was hard to almost half of the participants not only because they had to write in a non-native language, but because they had to grapple with writing expectations different from China's” (6).  That is, a consultant may find himself having to teach a Chinese, or ESL student, something against what the tutee has already learned.  This spurs the question: what is the best way of doing this?  Consultations with Chinese students are different because they may not have the prior knowledge that non-Chinese students have to draw from.  This makes these consultations unique, so my question is what is the most effective way to run a consultation in which a consultant has to teach a drastically new method/style of writing to a Chinese student?

Beyond this, I think it is important to focus on the other, non-writing, parts of Redden’s essay.  Redden describes that all parts of a Chinese or ELL student’s education is affected by their native culture.  Specifically, their thinking, speaking, and social lives are all drastically different.  Redden notes that Chinese students often struggle to find a balance in their education, as they have to allocate significantly more time to reading and studying, as it is not in their native language, and are often afraid of making mistakes in front of others.  One may ask why this is relevant for writing consultants to know, but I think the answer is simple.  Consultants have to have a basic understanding of the differences and the reasons for those differences of Chinese and ELL students.  That way, consultants can better understand certain patterns of error in writing or in thinking.  Moreover, if consultants are more aware of the nature of these “errors” they can better cater their consultations to their students.

In all, Redden’s essay was insightful, as it gave me a better look into how each part of education, from writing to speaking to thinking, is affected by a student’s cultural disposition.  Consultants must realize where an ELL student’s potential differences come from so a consultant can better cater to their needs.