Many universities offer first-year writing courses designed specifically for English language learners. The purpose of these courses is to offer students additional academic support and greater individualized writing instruction. Yet Matsuda (2006) has expressed concern with such courses, as often language diversity is not recognized or valued. Placing English language learners in first-year writing courses with domestic students helps celebrate diversity, while still improving students’ writing skills and offering them valuable personalized instruction. In fall 2009 and 2010, I taught a section of first-year writing designed for English language learners and domestic students. The English language learners enrolled in this course were international students who had been at the university for only a short time. Most spent at least one semester in the university’s IEP before advancing to their undergraduate programs. The domestic students were in their first semester of study.

Aware of the challenge Matsuda presented, I strived to recognize and celebrate the rich diversity represented in the class. One way was to encourage students to use multiple linguistic codes in their assignments, specifically in their multimodal compositions―texts that stray from the printed word or alphabet and include features such as animation, sound, and music (Tulley, 2009). A specific multimodal assignment I designed for this course was a digital narrative (see appendix). For this assignment, students transposed a written narrative about a memorable childhood event into a video using either MovieMaker or iMovie. Rather than solely depending on the written word, students were encouraged to use visual images, sound, and animation to tell their stories. I began the unit with a tutorial on how to use MovieMaker (we met in a PC computer lab) and then encouraged students to visit the Student Technology Center on campus if they needed further assistance.

Many students already knew how to use the computer software and served as tutors, helping other students with their projects. Because the class met in a computer lab, I also assisted students with any technical difficulties they experienced.

Overall, the technology helped create a collaborative atmosphere, build class rapport, and provide students with a platform to share their cultures. In addition, because digital narratives required students to use photographs and music, along with some written text, the English language learners could bring their native languages into their work by combining or blending languages through different types of text. This strategy is called code meshing.

WHAT IS CODE MESHING AND HOW IS IT USED?

Code meshing calls for students to apply their language skills in a sophisticated rhetorical style in order to best communicate with an audience. According to Canagarajah (2006), when code meshing, “It is not even sufficient to learn different English varieties [or in this case languages] and use them in appropriate contexts (as proposed by code switching models); now minority students have to learn to bring them together to serve their interests” (pp. 598-599). In other words, students must learn strategies for negotiation, knowing when to mesh the dominant discourse with a variety of nondominant discourses in appropriate academic settings. Code meshing worked well in the digital narratives assignment, because the English language learners were allowed to utilize their native languages in order to introduce domestic students to a vast array of voices. Indeed, it was a true global representation of language and culture, which was one way to celebrate language diversity in our class.

Because my students had never heard of code meshing, I felt it was imperative to introduce the strategy at the beginning of the unit. Indeed, most students were previously taught to write in a very formulaic academic style and had never had the freedom to create texts by blending or meshing multiple languages. Therefore, we discussed code meshing as a rhetorical strategy and analyzed examples, focusing on how and when to use code meshing in an academic setting.

Ultimately, code meshing became an effective strategy for both the English language learners and native speakers. A current movement in writing instruction, known as the translingual approach, values all forms of English, asking of writing not whether its language is standard but what the writers are doing with the language and why. For in fact, notions of the “Standard English speaker” and “Standard written English” are bankrupt concepts. All speakers of English speak many variations of English, every one of the accented, and all of them subject to change as they intermingle with other varieties of English and other languages. (Horner, Lu, Roster, & Trimbur, 2011, p. 304-305)

Thus, with so many different dialects of English represented by both the domestic and international students in a writing classroom, teaching code meshing as a rhetorical strategy is important, not only for nonnative speakers of English but also for native speakers. It then allows students to best communicate with an audience, using their individual accents. It also values their unique voices and celebrates diversity.

Overall, I believe it was the multimodal nature of the assignment that best helped my international students use multiple linguistic codes to effectively communicate with an audience. Each student presented his or her digital narrative to the class and explained the rhetorical strategies he or she used to design his or her digital narrative. The rhetorical analysis of each text helped the class understand the overall meaning of the narrative. Takayoshi and Selfe (2007) have argued that multimodal compositions such as digital narratives cross “geopolitical, linguistic, and cultural borders” (p. 2). And Shin and Cimasko (2008) have claimed multimodalities provide English language learners with alternative tools for communicating with an audience. Therefore, multimodal compositions such as digital narratives help students, especially English language learners, communicate effectively with their classmates, offering them creative opportunities to communicate without depending solely on the written word. And in this case, the multimodal compositions helped them effectively blend their first and second languages―a strategy I hope they will continue to apply in other multimodal and formal writing assignments.

To blend their languages, the students included sound clips from their native countries, wrote words or phrases in their native languages, and even included music from their home countries. Drawing on their native languages helped them share their languages and cultures with their audience of international and domestic peers. (See two sample international students’ digital narratives.)

A Chinese student created the first video in which she shares a story about playing a prank on her younger brother. Though she does not use the Chinese language in her narrative, she does include a song by a Chinese artist. The second video created by a Korean student is a good example of code meshing. In his narrative, he blended his first and second languages by including a Korean song and written text.

CONCLUSION

Through this assignment, students learned to blend multiple languages with a specific purpose. It offered them new rhetorical choices to help them best communicate with an audience and allowed them to share their native cultures and languages with their peers. Though some composition instructors may hesitate to move away from traditional writing instruction in which standard written English is not a focus, as Horner et al. (2011) pointed out, writing instruction is moving toward a heterogeneous model where all voices must be celebrated. Therefore, it is important for writing teachers to teach all their students when and how to effectively use code meshing in their writing assignments.

Little to no research has been conducted on code meshing in English language learner instruction, as most research still focuses on code switching. In addition, no research has been conducted on the use of code meshing in multimodal compositions as a means to effectively communicate with an audience. I believe both are important bodies of research, as code meshing and multimodal compositions provide our students with a variety of rhetorical tools so they can express themselves and effectively communicate with others.

REFERENCES

Canagarajah, S. (2006). The place of World Englishes in composition: Pluralization continued. College Composition and Communication, 57, 586-619.

Horner, B., Lu, M-Z., Roster, J. J., & Trimbur, J. (2011). Opinion: Language difference in writing toward a translingual approach. College English, 73, 303-321.

Matsuda, P. K. (2006). The myth of linguistic homogeneity in U.S. college composition. College English, 68, 737-651.

Shin, D., & Cimasko, T. (2008). Multimodal composition in a college ESL class. Computers and Composition, 25, 376-395.

Takayoshi, P., & Selfe, C. (2007). Thinking about multimodality. In C. Selfe (Ed.), Multimodal composition research for teachers (pp. 1-12).Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.

Tulley, C. (2009). Taking a traditional composition program “multimodal.” Computers and Composition Online, 2. Retrieved from http://www.bgsu.edu/cconline/Tulley09/.

Erin K. Laverick, PhD, directs the Intensive English Language Program at The University of Findlay. She is also a member of the TESOL Standards Committee. Her research interests include second language writing pedagogies and multimodal compositions.

APPENDIX

ASSIGNMENT SHEET FOR DIGITAL NARRATIVE

Introduction: For this assignment you will take your written narrative and transpose it into a brief 2- to 3-minute visual presentation, using either MovieMaker or iMovie.

Like the written narrative, we will spend time in a computer lab so you can workshop. You will also complete a peer review activity and conference with me. In addition, you are encouraged to visit the Student Technology Center (STC) for additional help when we are not working in-class.

Really Super Important: Please save your video to a DVD and turn it in to me on Wednesday, September 29. You will also need to include the DVD in your portfolio for the English department to review at the end of the semester.

Getting Started: We will first watch sample digital narratives and discuss how the authors constructed them. You will then do some brainstorming to help you sequence and organize your video presentation. Also, think about if you want to include music, voice-overs, etc. How will you transition from slide to slide? Do you have any cool photos that you can include? Do you want to re-create a scene for your video?

Requirements: You must include the following in your video:

Introduction: Include a slide with your name, the title of your video, etc. This will help you set the mood of your video.

Body of the Film:

• Include videos, pictures, and other images that will help you advance your story.
• Include either a voice-over or written narration on the slides to tell your story. If you do not use a voice-over, you could put your video to music.
• There must be some oral component to your video.
• When advancing from slide to slide, be sure to add transitions.

Conclusion:

• After wrapping up your story, you must include a final slide in which you cite the credits. For example, any music, lines from text, interviews, and/or pictures must be cited. Your credit page should follow MLA documentation conventions.