Introduction

A summer community college’s second language (L2) adult grammar and vocabulary course’s objectives included reading, writing, and grammar structures: structures that conjure visions of sentence diagrams and recitations. But this 8-week course concluded with ESL adults developing a classroom community through their blogs, where they expressed genuine cultural misunderstandings and misinterpretations using the storybook character of Flat Stanley. These story/journal blogs helped students articulate personal exasperations or vexations about social and cultural values/behaviors and traditions in rural western Virginia and, ultimately, find some sagacity in their new communities.

The 8-week biweekly course provided the opportunity to explore Zhou’s (2009) theory that L2 adults acquire language when used in creative “real writing” (p. 44) situations, because the session encouraged the adults to be as creative as possible with Flat Stanley blogs. This course also supports Kim’s (2005) research with journals as a means for adults to express their innermost feelings about social and cultural situations. Blogs are not new in language classes, but these Google Drive sites were different because each student, through explicit grammar lessons, created their own “story blog” using an individualized Flat Stanley figure.

Background

Flat Stanley is a familiar educational tool for young learners—a means to teach geography, reading, and writing to native-English-speaking elementary students using the colored cut-out character from Jeff Brown’s classic Flat Stanley stories. Students write a letter, or send a digital message, of Flat Stanley to global friends and relatives—with hopes of a response. But, this elementary character is not a frequent community college visitor. With instructional flexibility, however, Flat Stanley met college objectives for the course: to teach various language structures as well as develop the simple sentence to a more complex form. The course could have been a series of worksheets and quizzes/tests, preformed language exercises that Zhou (2009) argues against. Instead, the Flat Stanley catalyst provided the adults an opportunity to create authentic language structures, allowing the students’ voices, cultures, experiences, and personalities to be heard in the blog.

Blogs are forms of journals, and journal writing is a tried and true method to teach writing to both language learners and native-English speakers. As Kim (2005) clearly explains, journal writing encourages L2 writers to be creative in language use while “promoting social interaction” and “critical literacy” (p. 22). Keeping the art of journal writing alive in the 21st century, blogs can be used as a means to engage the L2 learner with peers and instructor, what Kim (2005) describes as “meaning-making practice of language learning” (p. 22). Kim (2005) used dialogue journals for a more “learner-centered curriculum” (p. 22) but also as a means of inspiring and challenging the L2 adult; the journal became an instrument for the learner to construct and negotiate meaning (p. 24). Using a Flat Stanley paper doll and selfies, these college students did the same, but instead of introspective journals, the adults were able to playfully explore cultural circumstances and give explanations of and for themselves through Flat Stanley. For example, a Dominican student’s alter-ego Flat Stanley explained the responsibilities of a dutiful Dominican son, a far cry from the Dominican’s American friends who may not have understood their Dominican friend’s family obligations. Blogging, the students explored cultural differences while navigating and building language skills with each Flat Stanley chapter.

Goals

The intention was to present the grammar lesson during class and have the students use the instruction to write creatively and authentically. Class instruction included the explicit grammar lessons: cloze worksheets, diagramed sentences, and vocabulary drills. For example, simple past tense regular and irregular verbs were introduced in class; in groups/ pairs, students created authentic sentences verbally. For homework, the students would write their “history” of Flat Stanley using the previously instructed verb form. Lessons included progressive verbs, past and present participle and modals would/will/ought to and can/could/might. After each class, the students were directed to create a new “page” or chapter in their blogs using “[un]constrained constructed responses” (Zhou, 2009, p 34). Chapters were shared the following class with peers who would offer suggestions or modifications. All students had access to peer blogs and were encouraged to provide useful feedback on the blog before or after classes.

Process

In the first class, each student was given an 11x14 inch paper Flat Stanley to “clothe” in “native” colors/styles. The adults were perplexed when handed the Flat Stanley paper, and even more so when told to dress Flat Stanley in colors/clothing from their native countries; most were unfamiliar with coloring but proceeded obligingly, though somewhat mystified. In the end, the South Korean Flat Stanley wore the traditional South Korean flag on his armband, and the Russian Flat Stanley wore the stereotypical fur hat of a Cossack, to name a few. After Flat Stanley was clothed, the students heard the story of Flat Stanley, which was followed by the first grammar lesson. From this, the pattern of lesson, group work, peer editing, and writing was established.

Outcome

Because each adult wanted to make his or her story unique, students motivated themselves to try new structures and sentences or sequences. These adults, between the ages of 19 and 60, represented various language levels and a myriad of cultural and educational backgrounds. The blog enabled the student to begin the story at individualized levels and progress as language skills were acquired. As one student reported, “the language (or story) came easier using Flat Stanley” because even though Flat Stanley was not real, the paper doll became real to the student(s). Because of blog format, as individualized language structures developed, the students were able to make modifications throughout the 8 weeks until the final week of presentation. Students challenged themselves to develop the best, the most original, the funniest, the most shocking, or the most daring Flat Stanley story. The final presentations brought laughter but understanding among the students and between student(s) and instructor.

Discussion

Interestingly and unintentionally, students’ Flat Stanley stories reflected students’ weariness and frustrations with American culture as Flat Stanley became the catalyst for students’ selves and situations. This was evident not only to the students but to the course instructor. Reading the blogs of their peers, the L2 adults came to understand each other and were able to identify with the cultural and social representations of each Flat Stanley. This understanding and expression bound the class together. Pats on the back, an exchange of telephone numbers, or a nod of understanding connected the students across continents, cultures, and ages.

In the blogs, the Russian Flat Stanley was a decorated and heroic war champion with a legendary name, a reflection of the Russian student’s discomfort at being nameless and insignificant in rural Virginia. The mischievous Korean Flat Stanley expressed the difficult and awkward behaviors of an American visitor in a Korean home. The Brazilian Flat Stanley conveyed the cultural shock of living in a mountainous rural area compared to the sophisticated urban areas of tropical Brazil, while the student was trying to find a place in a community that did not recognize his or her attributes and education. The Colombian Flat Stanley’s illegal status made the class laugh but touched a heartfelt nerve as the adults could relate to the situations. As the instructor, I was able to understand the levels of cultural compatibility and lack of understanding these students experienced though had not or did not voice in other ways.

Even though these situations were presented as stories, these stories were genuine articulations. Discussing Flat Stanley’s exposure to new cultural and social situations brought depth and openness to classroom conversations among peers and between students and the instructor. This became very obvious with a Colombian student’s story of Flat Stanley’s drinking problem. The student could not talk about her American father’s problem, but Flat Stanley’s escapades through her stories gave newfound understanding to the student’s home situation.

Another unintentional outcome evolved from peer editing. Often, ESL adults are hesitant to provide feedback either as a corrective or suggestive mark. But, peer editing in this class was anticipated as students shared Flat Stanley escapades. The L2 adults would question structures before making comments on peer work. This opportunity displaced the stigma of asking questions or making mistakes, because often the question was centered on a peer’s work, and not the work of the student asking the question. Instructor modeling, correcting, and feedback became classroom discussions—an indirect method of teaching explicit grammar.

Conclusion

Flat Stanley blogs presented the opportunity for new grammar structures in authentic adult sentences, an unintended collegiate competition for the best story: Flat Stanley was portrayed as an illegal alien who ended up in the Colombian airport without a passport. Flat Stanley was the precocious Korean houseguest, a Dominican student’s nemesis, an underage Colombian alcoholic, and a misunderstood Brazilian employee. The real outcome was adults building a cultural community of understanding through the displacement of circumstances on a paper doll named Flat Stanley.

References

Kim, J. (2005). A Community within the classroom: Dialogue journal writing of adult ESL learners. Adult Basic Education 15(1), 21–32.

Zhou, A. A. (2009). What adult ESL learners say about improving grammar and vocabulary in their writing for academic purposes. Language Awareness 18(1), 31–46.

A former journalist/editor with a weekly newspaper,Lisa G. Currie, BA English/writing and MS TESOL, adjunct professor of ESL and developmental English at Lord Fairfax Community College in Middletown, VA, has been teaching youth and adult ESL students for 10 years. Contact Lisa at lcurrie@lfcc.edu.