education
Why Writing Matters —
Especially for Immigrant Students and
Second-Language Learners
“W
ords have no borders,” writes celebrated Haitian-
else. In short, if students are to learn, they must write.”
American author Edwidge Danticat in the intro-
In their cover letter to Congress, Caperton and Bob Kerrey,
duction to a College Board report, released today, chair of the National Commission on Writing and president of
that takes its title from her simple but profound words. In a series The New School, write, “Two hundred and thirty-three years
of intimate essays, mixed with comments from qualitative ago, the Continental Congress released a document known for-
research, high school students offer nuanced accounts of the pain ever after as the Declaration of Independence. Most of us can
and joy of moving from one culture to another, with a special
still recite many of the words from memory as a consequence of
focus on how learning to write and learning to write in English
being given that assignment when we were in school.
open up new worlds for the country’s growing population of
“We can recite the words because our founders were literate
nonnative speakers.
people who were adept at converting ideas into written words. …
One in four children in the United States has a foreign-born
Since then the social, political and economic value of writing has
parent. And nearly 10 percent of public school children — some
only increased. That is why the College Board created the
5.1 million students — are classified as English language learn-
National Commission on Writing [and] why the Commission has
ers, a proportion that rose 60 percent from 1995 to 2005.
attempted to focus attention on the current status of writing in
In “Words Have No Borders: Student Voices on Immigration,
America.”
Language and Culture,” a project of the College Board’s Nation-
At the same time, these young people affirm that learning to
al Commission on Writing in collaboration with the National
write in English has eased their cultural transition, opening up
Writing Project, students express a range of views on learning to
new worlds and opportunities.
write and becoming proficient in English. These students, from
“English has gotten me to a high point in my life,” says
more than a dozen countries, describe where they came from and
Robert M. Another student, Guianeya H., whose family emigrat-
why they came, what they encountered and their dreams for the
ed from Cuba to Michigan and then to Miami, feels the same
future. They also describe the challenges they face as they learn
way: “Throughout life writing is the key: to exams, academics
to navigate a new culture.
and attaining a bright future,” she writes in her essay.
Yet, as College Board President Gaston Caperton said, their
The essays in the new report are drawn primarily from work
words are at heart optimistic. “Underlying all these stories is an
submitted by 41 high school teachers around the country. In
unmistakable current of hope, courage and hard work, clearly
addition, some are from the essays offered for “Letters to the
illustrating that, as in the past, these students are among our
Next President: Writing Our Future” project, an online writing
nation’s greatest assets.”
project for students cosponsored by Google and the National
Caperton notes that in “The Neglected ‘R:’ The Need for a
Writing Project. Finally, some comments come from focus
Writing Revolution,” the 2003 report issued by the commission,
groups designed to capture as much student diversity as possible.
the writing process itself is identified as helping English learners
These conversation groups included 40 high school juniors
achieve their academic ambitions. “If students are to make
and seniors from four U.S. regions. Half the students were born
knowledge their own, they must struggle with the details, wres-
in the United States, while the others came from 13 different
tle with the facts, and rework raw information and dimly under-
nations. The teenagers came from a range of economic back-
stood concepts into language they can communicate to someone
grounds in urban, rural and suburban areas. English was not the
first language of 55 percent of students, and three-quarters still
“Helping Children Succeed”
speak a language other than English at home.
When asked what practical assistance helped them learn Eng-
The Hardin County Schools are
lish, students’ answers included:
located in central Kentucky 30 min-
Support from the school system, including English as a
utes south of Louisville. We service
Second Language classes and bilingual instructors;
14,000 plus students in a culturally
Help from English-speaking peers, whether as translators or
diverse community. We have over
academic tutors;
2,200 employees working at over 20
Assistance from teachers who took a special interest in them
locations across the county. For
and helped them find resources for improving their English; and
employment opportunities, visit us
Serving as a translator for parents, a practical impetus for
on the web at:
making quick progress.
www.hardin.k12.ky.us
For more information, please see the commission’s Web site
The Hardin County Board of Education does not discriminate on
at www.writingcommission.org. HNM
the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age or disabil-
ity in employment or the provision of services.
Source: Collegeboard.com
56 Celebrating over 15 Years of Embracing Diversity WWW.HNMAGAZINE.COM
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84