Frequently Asked Questions: My Friend Helped Me Check My Essay
Sometimes students will turn in a draft of their work (essay, paraphrase, etc...) that is far superior to any of their previous efforts. When questioned about this amazing improvement, they might tell you that their friend "helped" them with it.
Suggestion:
First off, it's good to explain to the student that it's not ok to have their friend "help" them with their work, and that you cannot give them credit for their friend's work. I might also explain to them that each assignment is a learning opportunity. It's a chance to try things, make mistakes, and then learn from a trained ESL teacher about why it's a mistake and how to avoid the mistake in the future. Having a friend correct their work actually robs the student of this chance to improve because the friend most likely won't know why something is wrong or how best to avoid the same mistake next time. It's really a big picture issue centered around the question of why he is taking the class in the first place. For those students who actually want to learn and improve, this approach can prove helpful. On the other hand, some students don't really care about learning or improving their skills. They're just looking for the shortest/easiest way to get into the university with the least amount of effort. There's not much you can do to convince these students of the value of education.
If you let the student revise their essay, I'd give them a different topic to write an essay on. Otherwise, the revised draft will look much like the first one since it's hard to avoid this when it's the same essay on the same topic.
|
