Araceli Rodriguez

Professor Doutherd
English 5M
November 19, 2017
Revision Summary
In order to complete draft 2 of the research paper there were changes and things added in
order to meet the requirements. The main feedback I received from my peers was that I had to
make sure my quotes connected well to the point. I did so by rewording some sentences making
the connection between the point and the quotes more clear. Since the outline only consisted of
the point, quote, and explanation, I added a transition sentence in each paragraph in order to
make sure that there was a smooth transition going into the quote. A peer suggested that I should
add another claim in order to be able to meet the length requirement. I did so by adding a
different claim from the article Multilingual Students and College Writing. In each of the
paragraphs I made sure that I further explained the quotes that were selected. By doing so it helps
to better understand how all the readings selected would be beneficial for multilingual students to
be aware of. Another peer review feedback was that some of the quotes were too long and
suggested to make them shorter. I did so by properly cutting some of the wording I quotes in
order to make sure that I only incorporated the main point and idea that I wanted to focus on.
Last but not least I switched some words around in the intro and added a sentence in order to
make it more clear.
Araceli Rodriguez
Professor Doutherd
English 5M
November 19, 2017
Beneficial for Multilingual Students

According to Dana Ferri, a professor in the English Department of Sacramento State

University, a multilingual writer is someone who grew up speaking another language besides
English. Being multilingual is beneficial because those students have knowledge of different
languages however, in college that can be the challenge. Ferri asserts that multilingual writers
face the challenge of properly writing and reading at the college level, due to learning English at
a late start. Multilingual first year college students face the challenge of adapting into college
writing. Therefore, there are certain reading response readings that will help other multilingual
students improve their own reading and writing skills.
Being bilingual is beneficial in many ways however, when it comes to writing a
multilingual student must work harder in order to properly adapt to American English college
level writing. In the article, Multilingual Students and College Writing by professor Dana
Ferris, Ferris offers advice to multilingual students on how they can improve with their reading
and writing. Ferris states, In writing classes, they should pay more attention to understanding
the assigned writing task, identifying and communicating a clear purpose, organizing ideas in
ways that will be effective for the readersand supporting ideas with the types of evidence that
will conceive their readers (24-25). Transitioning into writing at the college level may be
difficult for multilingual students; which is why Ferris is advising multilingual students to make
the extra effort of paying more attention, stay organized with their ideas, and get to the point
when it comes to their writing. Multilinguals mix the skills and strategies of both their
languages, which is why it is more challenging to adapt to one. Students may feel that they are
are being asked to change their writing style however, all it really means is that they just need to
adapt. They can do so by making sure they understand what a specific writing assignment is
asking of them, get it done by exploring ideas to support their writing, and look for resources if
they need support.

When it comes to writing, multilingual students tend to have a limited vocabulary which
is an obstacle. The article,Multilingual Students and College Writing, advises that improving
ones vocabulary and grammar knowledge is a big step that leads to the development of better
writing skills. Reading is a natural and easy way to get exposed to different words and sentence
patterns. The more one reads, the more one learns about the language, and the more tools are
available for writing(26). Professor Ferris offers advise in the article that a multilingual can
expand their vocabulary and grammar knowledge if they read more frequently. Reading is an
effective thing to do, even just for fun because it helps with the improvement of reading skills
that are needed in college. Good reading skills and strategies are needed in college because the
majority of time essays that are assigned require the understanding of a certain reading. Reading
and writing skills both are effective skills that multilingual students need to improve upon in
order to become successful college English writers.

Writing with authority is a writing skill that many first year college students lack.
Writing with authority is beneficial to use when writing because it defines the writer as a reliable
source, allowing them to be more confident with their writing since confidence is what
multilinguals need. Ann M Penrose and Cheryl Geisler authors of Reading and Writing Without
Authority state, The traditional response to the problem of lack of authority is to try to increase
the domain knowledge upon which authority is supposedly founded (516). Domain knowledge
helps a writer better develop their comprehension skills in order to develop the correct writing
components that will be used in a writing. In reference to domain knowledge, the authors also
state, Indeed, cognitive research has demonstrated the critical influence of domain knowledge
on comprehension and recall and on such components of writing performance as topic choice,
organization, and coherence. (516). A students ability to write with authority will improve once
they understand the importance of domain knowledge. Once that is done, it is easier to
comprehend an assignment and that will lead to the development of a better written paper.

Students may be better at reading than writing therefore, using reading strategies in
writing should be done more often. There are students that do not incorporate their reading skills
in writing which makes it difficult to understand the students writing. In Reading and Writing
Without authority, Penrose and Cheryl remark, These strategies were used haphazardly, but
what is more striking is that none of this rhetorical sophistication was reflected in Janets writing.
Janets approach to this task revealed that she sees no role in herself in this conversation (514).
In the article, Janet as a first time college student completed her paper by writing more about
facts and information that was given. She never really evaluated or challenged the authors claims
throughout her writing and that is something that students should be doing. With the mistakes
that are highlighted throughout this article, multilingual students can learn how to write with
authority to help them develop their college writing skills from this reading. Part of students
sticking to just writing about facts and information may be due to the fear of being wrong when
challenging the author and making an argument. However, doing so are the elements that make a
paper effective and good.

Understanding the fundamentals of a rhetoric situation is beneficial to multilingual

students. Multilingual students will come across writing styles in college that they have never
been exposed to in their early education; Therefore, the article Rhetorical Situations and Their
Constituents by Keith Grant-Davie is beneficial to read in order to understand how to write a
rhetorical analysis paper. Keith states, ... we might define a rhetorical situation as a set of
related factors whose interaction creates and controls discourse. However, such a definition is
better understood if we examine the constituents of situation. Bitzer identifies three: exigence,
audience, and constraints (350-351). According to Davie exigence is the issue/ purpose, the
audience is people that can help solve/ detect the exigence, and constraints are limitations put on
the rhetor. Theses are the elements that are understood from the reading. Understanding what a
rhetorical situation is, is beneficial because it makes writers negotiate with their audience,
instead of imagining that they are writing to a random person. Writing with a purpose and being
open to the different perspectives of others is also beneficial because they get to understand other
writers viewpoints.

For multilingual students, transitioning from high school to college level reading and
writing can be a challenge because there are new expectations that should be met. The reading
responses discussed are beneficial for multilingual students because they offer advise and skills
that can be used in order to improve their reading and writing. The reading response reading
Multilingual Students and College Writing, helps the audience understand the challenges that
multilingual students face. It goes into detail on the steps that multilingual can take in order to
help them adapt to American English writing and improve. The article, Reading and Writing
Without Authority is beneficial for multilingual students because it highlights that writing with
authority leads to believing in yourself as a writer and learning to write in new styles. The article,
Rhetorical Situations and Their Constituents, helps students understand a rhetorical situation.
Being aware of a rhetorical situation will lead students to know how to write with exigence,
context, negotiate with audience, and avoid constraints. Although multilinguals face the
challenge of not fitting in immediately with college level writing, there are always resources
available to help them improve.
Araceli Rodriguez

Professor Doutherd

English 5M

November 19, 2017

Work Cited

Ferris, Dana. Multilingual Students and College Writing. Student Writing Handbook, 1st
edition., 2009, pp. 24-26.

Penrose, Ann M. Geisler, Cheryl. Reading and Writing without Authority. College
Composition and Communication, vol. 45, No. 4 (Dec., 1994), pp.514, 516.

Grant-Davie, Keith. Rhetorical Situations and Their Constituents. Rhetoric Review 15.2
(1997): 350-351.Print.