Using a Narrative Approach to Cater to Multilingual Student Writers

Authors

• Hadassa Sossou, University of Massachusetts Boston

Abstract

Hadassa is a Biochemistry major from Brockton, MA. She is multilingual but does not consider herself a “multilingual student” since her primary language is English. She speaks four languages and is now learning Japanese. This semester, Hadassa met and befriended many international and ESL students at the university. She states that “after I met them, I realized that they had a lot of struggles with writing in the classroom that I never considered. So, during my research for this essay, I wanted to learn more about what could cause difficulty and how that could be resolved.” Hadassa also has learned that “understanding composition pedagogy clarifies the goal of academic writing and helps me to prioritize which ideas need to be written and in which order to achieve that goal.” She believes that writing this essay was a chance for her to promote equity in her community: “I think there is so much to be learned from people who don’t live like me. I find so much joy in traveling and meeting people, learning their language, and experiencing a piece of their culture.” Hadassa is also an event coordinator for the Black Student Center.

Recommended Citation

Sossou, Hadassa (2021) "Using a Narrative Approach to Cater to Multilingual Student Writers," Undercurrents: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Composition: Vol. 2: Iss. 2, Article 9.
Available at: https://scholarworks.umb.edu/undercurrents/vol2/iss2/9