Reflections in ESL/EFL (Writing) Classrooms

By Lisa Parzefall

Think back to a moment in your teaching when you learned or understood something better or differently (e.g., an encounter with a student, research, conversation with a colleague, or conference). What was it? How did it change your understanding of L2 learners? How has it impacted your teaching? A simple introductory reflection like this can help foster engagement with an idea or concept early on in your classroom session.

What is Reflection?

Reflection is the process of thinking carefully and thoroughly about ideas and emerging with new knowledge and insights from that reflective encounter. Dewey (1933) defined reflection as “an active, persistent and careful consideration of any belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the grounds that supports it and the conclusion to which it tends.” Reflection, therefore, is an active willingness to engage with what we already “know” and reflect on how we know it. By doing so, we can gain insight into various processes that help us make knowledge, such as writing. For example, reflection on one’s writing is a crucial step “in the development of autonomy and self-editing processes” according to Hyland (2009). When we provide students with an opportunity to reflect on their writing—and not just their finished product, but also the processes of writing—students are able to gain insight into how they learn. This critical consciousness can help students learn from the way they learn (and have learned already) and move forward with a more critical and conscious mindset.

Moving a step beyond gaining autonomy over one’s writing process, reflection can also be used in other contexts that don’t necessarily apply to writing. Reflection pushes an individual to see past their own life, connect their experiences to larger social issues, and determine what can be done to prompt changes. Critical pedagogue Paulo Freire (1973) ascribes those who reflect with the ability to recognize forms of oppression in societies. Therefore, reflection can help us see “the bigger picture” and instill social change.

Why Teach Reflection?

Teaching reflection, especially in an L2 context, is helpful because some of our students may have never been asked to explain their thinking or verbalize their reflections before. By doing so, we can help students to foster problem-solving and writing skills (Avarzamani et al., 2009). More importantly, reflection prompts critical thinking and helps with language development. Dzekoe (2017) found that reflection helped students notice not only linguistic but also rhetorical problems in their writing. Another positive aspect of teaching and incorporating reflections into the classroom is that it helps students see their progress and approach their learning from an asset-based viewpoint rather than a deficit-based one.

In addition to linguistic, rhetoric, and motivational benefits, reflections can be incorporated as low-stakes and ungraded, small assignments without pressure and, thus, can help with writing skills and the creation of ideas. Reflecting on what we know and how we know it can also build a foundation for the transfer of knowledge. Furthermore, reflections can be used in any classroom setting and context, independent from the learner’s proficiency level, skill level, age, and career goals. Reflections can be used in smaller assignments, as formal written assignments, for peer reviews, for readings, homework assignments, course goals, and much more.

How to Teach Reflection?

Incorporating reflections on a daily or weekly basis helps students to get used to this kind of thinking and allows teachers to scaffold critical thinking exercises. By allowing students to take time in class to reflect, students might gradually see the benefit of reflections and begin reflection on their own and in other classes. Asking students to think critically about their own goals and how to achieve them can develop awareness, authority, and empowerment within the students. Keep in mind that scaffolding might be needed, depending on your (the instructor’s) goals for the reflective exercise. For example, if you ask, “What have you learned today?” students might be tempted to summarize (first, I learned X, then I did Y, etc.) rather than to reflect. More specific questions can prompt students to respond in more depth and reflect (e.g., What have you specifically learned about inferences today? How do you approach them? What might be challenging about inferences? What are good strategies for readers?). Depending on the teaching context, teachers will need to adjust the prompts accordingly.

Reflective Prompts/Assignments

Although there are a variety of examples on the internet, I wanted to share some of the exercises I offer in my classes. I like to have students reflect from various points of views and to learn to think from someone else’s perspective. Therefore, I might ask them to do the following: “Put yourself into the perspective of X and describe/explain…” Another great activity for the writing classroom is to ask students to reflect on the course goals (or personal writing goals) and how they have achieved them. I ask them what was helpful in achieving them, what they specifically did to work towards these goals, and what some of the challenges were along the way. Then, I ask them how their new skills will help them in other classes, in the future, or in their daily lives.

Teachers = Students → Need to Reflect

As teachers, we are students, too. As learners, it is crucial to reflect on our own practices so we can grow. As instructors, we can reflect on how we present information to students or reflect on questions such as: Who speaks more or less during class and why? What are the goals we want students to reach and how can we help them achieve them? What are our students’ goals and how can we help them achieve those? How can we make our classrooms more inviting and accessible? How do we encourage and support different learning styles as well as different languages and voices within the classroom? Most certainly, there are infinite questions that we can ask ourselves as instructors to reflect on our teaching practices, but we need to start somewhere. In order for our students and ourselves to learn and grow, we all need to reflect.

References

Avarzamani, F., Farahian, M., & Qian, M. (2019). An investigation into EFL learners’ reflection in writing and the inhibitors to their reflection. Cogent Psychology, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311908.2019.1690817

Dewey, J. (1933). How we think: A restatement of the relation of reflective thinking to the educative process. Houghton Mifflin.

Dzekoe, R. (2017). Computer-based multimodal composing activities, self-revision, and L2 acquisition through writing. Language Learning & Technology, 21(2), 73–95.

Freire, P. (1973). Education for critical consciousness (M. Bergman Ramos, Trans.). Continuum.

Hyland, K. (2019). Second language writing (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.

Lisa Parzefall teaches first-year writing, professional and business writing, and ESL/EFL classes at DePaul University and Loyola University, Chicago, IL.


Reflections in ESL/EFL (Writing) Classrooms By Lisa Parzefall Think back to a moment in your teaching when you learned or understood something better or differently (e.g., an encounter with a student, research, conversation with a colleague, or conference). What was it? How did it change your understanding of L2 learners? How has it impacted your teaching? A simple introductory reflection like this can help foster engagement with an idea or concept early on in your classroom session. What is Reflection? Reflection is the process of thinking carefully and thoroughly about ideas and emerging with new knowledge and insights from that reflective encounter. Dewey (1933) defined reflection as “an active, persistent and careful consideration of any belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the grounds that supports it and the conclusion to which it tends.” Reflection, therefore, is an active willingness to engage with what we already “know” and reflect on how we know it. By doing so, we can gain insight into various processes that help us make knowledge, such as writing. For example, reflection on one’s writing is a crucial step “in the development of autonomy and self-editing processes” according to Hyland (2009). When we provide students with an opportunity to reflect on their writing—and not just their finished product, but also the processes of writing—students are able to gain insight into how they learn. This critical consciousness can help students learn from the way they learn (and have learned already) and move forward with a more critical and conscious mindset. Moving a step beyond gaining autonomy over one’s writing process, reflection can also be used in other contexts that don’t necessarily apply to writing. Reflection pushes an individual to see past their own life, connect their experiences to larger social issues, and determine what can be done to prompt changes. Critical pedagogue Paulo Freire (1973) ascribes those who reflect with the ability to recognize forms of oppression in societies. Therefore, reflection can help us see “the bigger picture” and instill social change. Why Teach Reflection? Teaching reflection, especially in an L2 context, is helpful because some of our students may have never been asked to explain their thinking or verbalize their reflections before. By doing so, we can help students to foster problem-solving and writing skills (Avarzamani et al., 2009). More importantly, reflection prompts critical thinking and helps with language development. Dzekoe (2017) found that reflection helped students notice not only linguistic but also rhetorical problems in their writing. Another positive aspect of teaching and incorporating reflections into the classroom is that it helps students see their progress and approach their learning from an asset-based viewpoint rather than a deficit-based one. In addition to linguistic, rhetoric, and motivational benefits, reflections can be incorporated as low-stakes and ungraded, small assignments without pressure and, thus, can help with writing skills and the creation of ideas. Reflecting on what we know and how we know it can also build a foundation for the transfer of knowledge. Furthermore, reflections can be used in any classroom setting and context, independent from the learner’s proficiency level, skill level, age, and career goals. Reflections can be used in smaller assignments, as formal written assignments, for peer reviews, for readings, homework assignments, course goals, and much more. How to Teach Reflection? Incorporating reflections on a daily or weekly basis helps students to get used to this kind of thinking and allows teachers to scaffold critical thinking exercises. By allowing students to take time in class to reflect, students might gradually see the benefit of reflections and begin reflection on their own and in other classes. Asking students to think critically about their own goals and how to achieve them can develop awareness, authority, and empowerment within the students. Keep in mind that scaffolding might be needed, depending on your (the instructor’s) goals for the reflective exercise. For example, if you ask, “What have you learned today?” students might be tempted to summarize (first, I learned X, then I did Y, etc.) rather than to reflect. More specific questions can prompt students to respond in more depth and reflect (e.g., What have you specifically learned about inferences today? How do you approach them? What might be challenging about inferences? What are good strategies for readers?). Depending on the teaching context, teachers will need to adjust the prompts accordingly. Reflective Prompts/Assignments Although there are a variety of examples on the internet, I wanted to share some of the exercises I offer in my classes. I like to have students reflect from various points of views and to learn to think from someone else’s perspective. Therefore, I might ask them to do the following: “Put yourself into the perspective of X and describe/explain…” Another great activity for the writing classroom is to ask students to reflect on the course goals (or personal writing goals) and how they have achieved them. I ask them what was helpful in achieving them, what they specifically did to work towards these goals, and what some of the challenges were along the way. Then, I ask them how their new skills will help them in other classes, in the future, or in their daily lives. Teachers = Students → Need to Reflect As teachers, we are students, too. As learners, it is crucial to reflect on our own practices so we can grow. As instructors, we can reflect on how we present information to students or reflect on questions such as: Who speaks more or less during class and why? What are the goals we want students to reach and how can we help them achieve them? What are our students’ goals and how can we help them achieve those? How can we make our classrooms more inviting and accessible? How do we encourage and support different learning styles as well as different languages and voices within the classroom? Most certainly, there are infinite questions that we can ask ourselves as instructors to reflect on our teaching practices, but we need to start somewhere. In order for our students and ourselves to learn and grow, we all need to reflect. References Avarzamani, F., Farahian, M., & Qian, M. (2019). An investigation into EFL learners’ reflection in writing and the inhibitors to their reflection. Cogent Psychology, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311908.2019.1690817 Dewey, J. (1933). How we think: A restatement of the relation of reflective thinking to the educative process. Houghton Mifflin. Dzekoe, R. (2017). Computer-based multimodal composing activities, self-revision, and L2 acquisition through writing. Language Learning & Technology, 21(2), 73–95. Freire, P. (1973). Education for critical consciousness (M. Bergman Ramos, Trans.). Continuum. Hyland, K. (2019). Second language writing (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. Lisa Parzefall teaches first-year writing, professional and business writing, and ESL/EFL classes at DePaul University and Loyola University, Chicago, IL.
Spring 2022 - Volume 50, Issue 1