“The Grammar Debate” by Austin Jones
Writing is an essential skill to master when trying to learn a second language, and the field of Second Language Acquisition has published many studies which try to guide educators on the methods they should use when correcting that writing. The field has tried to aid instructors by researching methods, ideas, and implementations that could aid in the process, but the evidence is far from conclusive. This article contains an analysis of the meta-study “The “Grammar Correction” Debate in L2 Writing: Where are we, and where do we go from here? (and what to do in the meantime…?)” by Dana Ferris. The argument presented discusses the validity and thoroughness of Ferris’ conclusions about error correction in the writing of students of a second language. These conclusions carry ramifications out of academia and directly into the practices and effectiveness of language learning classrooms everywhere.
“ASL as a Foreign Language” by Christopher Patterson
“American Sign Language is such a beautiful language to watch!” is what onlookers often say to me after observing my deaf group of friends and I interact. The hand gestures, body language and the facial expressions combined create the beautiful language that is American Sign Language, or ASL. Exposure to new languages such as American Sign Language expands the mind of a person and heightens their knowledge. It also gives a cultural experience a person shall never forget. Even though American Sign Language is not necessarily a foreign language, it should be allowed to be a foreign language credit in colleges and universities. The increasing interest in learning American Sign Language in the general public means that there is an increased interest at the colleges and universities levels as well. The diversity in America is spiking interest in learning second, third and even fourth languages. Many well-known colleges and universities such as Purdue University and Stanford offers ASL as a foreign language credit.This is all the more reason to offer American Sign Language as a credit for foreign language at all of the colleges and universities in America.
“The Obsession with Education” by Tung Nguyen
More than ever, education is becoming more and more of a priority as everyday students to seasoned professionals realize the value of information and how effective ways of processing that data can help us as a society to find solutions that effect positive change and progress. But like any of the things used to better ensure our lives, there can indeed be “too much of a good thing.” “The Obsession with Education” is an essay that was placed into the collection for the Critical Studies in Education Journal not only for its relevance to critical issues that affect our education system, but also for its involvement with a finding new ways to foster effective learning and growth. This essay’s newly-founded argument regarding intellectual progress, however, happens to stop and take a look back at how certain key aspects of education are being dealt with. By pausing to identify and re-evaluate unseen or overlooked obstacles within our education system, we as educators, learners, and a community can hope to better foster beneficial growth and ultimately, move forward. That is what the essay “The Obsession with Education” seeks to accomplish.