Writing as a Second Language

Writing as a Second Language
- Used Book in Good Condition
â€œStop talking! You're supposed to be working on language!â€ â€•overheard in an elementary classroom by writer and storyteller Donald Davis. From the moment they are born, we encourage children to talk. We enunciate for them, applaud their expanding vocabularies, and hang on their every word. That is, until they enter school. At that time, we expect them to stop talking and measure their language abilities through a new medium: writing. While the educational system focuses on the written product as the sole measurement of language development, many children fail to measure up to established standards. Why? Because, Davis observes, writing is not our first communications tool; for most of us it functions as a â€œforeign language.â€ The problem is, individuals are not capable of â€œcreatingâ€ or â€œthinkingâ€ within a foreign language. Davis argues that we must step back into our familiar â€œfirstâ€ languageâ€•the spoken wordâ€•as our creative medium and learn to â€œtranslateâ€ into that new foreign language called writing. With enough success, writing will eventually become a second language instead of a foreign language. When we talk about language arts in our school, we focus on reading and writing instead of nourishing the whole oral and kinesthetic package that is our spoken language. Davis argues that talking and writing need not be mutually exclusive in language development. In this book, he lays out the method he has used in countless residencies in schools across the United States, working with adults, teens, children, and teachers.
Country USA
Brand August House Publishers
Manufacturer August House
Binding Paperback
ReleaseDate 2005-12-14
UnitCount 1
EANs 9780874835670

Country	USA
Brand	August House Publishers
Manufacturer	August House
Binding	Paperback
ReleaseDate	2005-12-14
UnitCount	1
EANs	9780874835670

Writing as a Second Language

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