Araceli Rodriguez

Professor Doutherd
English 5M
November 26, 2017
Beneficial for Multilingual Students

According to Dana Ferri, a former 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 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 staying 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 being asked to change their writing style in college
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. In the article by Dana Ferris,
she offers students locations where they can go to at Sacramento State for support. Locations
such as the writing center, Learning skills center, and the ML writing program are all available to
support multilingual students become successful. As stated before, it is possible for multilingual
students to improve with their writing as long as they work harder and seek support.
Multilingual students tend to have a limited vocabulary which is a challenge therefore,
class readings expand that vocabulary with its content. 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 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 defines a writer as a reliable source, allowing them to be more confident
with their writing. 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 as advised by class readings. 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.(514). As a first time college student, Janet
completed her paper by writing more about facts and information. She never really evaluated or
challenged the authors claims throughout her writing and that is something that students should
be doing. From this reading, multilingual students can learn how to write with authority to help
them develop their college writing skills. 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 rhetorical situation is beneficial to multilingual

students. Multilingual students 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. (350-351). Bitzer identifies
exigence, audience, constraints in his article to highlight a rhetorical situation. 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. Understanding a rhetorical situation 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 the readings discussed are beneficial because they offer advise
and skills that can be used to improve their reading and writing. The reading Multilingual
Students and College Writing, helps the audience understand the challenges that multilingual
students face and it goes into detail on steps a multilingual can take to help them adapt into
American English writing. 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 be aware of a rhetorical situation which leads 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.
 Work Cited

Grant-Davie, Keith. Rhetorical Situations and Their Constituents. Rhetoric Review 15.2

(1997): 350-351.Print.

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.