Exploring University Students’ Note-taking in Literature Courses: A Translanguaging Perspective

Abstract

Note-taking (NT) in a university lecture or a seminar taught in English is a daunting task for non-native speakers due to the specific academic and cognitive skills it necessitates. Students are supposed to comprehend the information introduced by the speaker, identify the particular register, distinguish the necessary and unnecessary information, transform spoken language into personally distinguishable written codes and information chunks and write down in the pace of speech in order not to miss key points made by the speaker. Considering note-taking as a personal study tool commonly utilized by students in tertiary education, this study attempts to understand the relationship between translanguaging and note-taking in university-level courses taught at an English Language and Literature (ELL) programme of a public university in Turkey. The data were obtained through students’ notes, student and lecturer interviews and observations during classes in the spring semester. The research primarily aims to investigate how university students take notes in content-based courses. Particular attention is paid to students’ use of translanguaging in their lesson notes. The samples reveal an adequate number of instances where students listen to a lecture delivered in L2 and take their notes in a combination of L1 and L2. The results show that translanguaging is not only a tool used verbally by students in their interactions, but also a potential asset for note-taking. Focusing on an under-researched practice and unveiling the attitudes towards it, the study reveals the functions of translanguaging practices in student notes. It thus suggests that the scope of the research on translanguaging could be broadened to the written practices and their complementary uses in academic classes.

Keywords

• Note-taking
• Translanguaging
• Content-based Courses
• Literature Courses

Üniversite Öğrencilerinin Edebiyat Derslerinde Not Tutmalarını Keşfetme: Bir Dillerarası Geçiş Perspektifi

Abstract

Bir üniversite dersinde veya seminerde İngilizce not alma (NA), gerektirdiği özel akademik ve bilişsel becerilerden dolayı göz korkutucu bir iştir. Öğrencilerden, konuşmacı tarafından sunulan bilgileri anlamaları, aktarıldığı tarzı belirlemeleri, konuşmanın gerekli ve gereksiz kısımlarını ayırt etmeleri, konuşulan dili kişisel olarak ayırt edilebilir kodlara ve bilgi yığınlarına dönüştürmeleri ve önemli noktaları kaçırmadan konuşma hızında yazmaları beklenir. Not almayı, yükseköğretimdeki öğrenciler tarafından yaygın kullanılan bir kişisel çalışma aracı olarak ele alan bu çalışma, Türkiye'de bir devlet üniversitesinin İngiliz Dili ve Edebiyatı programında okutulan üniversite düzeyindeki derslerde dillerarası geçiş ve not alma arasındaki ilişkiyi anlamaya çalışmaktadır. Veriler; öğrenci notları, öğrenci ve öğretim üyesi görüşmeleri ve derslerde yapılan gözlemler yoluyla bahar döneminde toplanmıştır. Araştırma, öncelikle üniversite öğrencilerinin içerik temelli derslerde nasıl not aldıklarını araştırmayı amaçlamaktadır. Öğrencilerin ders notlarında dillerarası geçişi nasıl kullandığına özel önem verilecektir. Örnekler, öğrencilerin ikinci dilde verilen bir dersi dinlediğinde, birinci ve ikinci dil kombinasyonunda notlarını aldığını ortaya koymaktadır. Sonuçlar, dillerarası geçişin sadece öğrenciler tarafından etkileşimlerinde sözlü olarak kullanılan bir araç olmadığını, aynı zamanda not almak için potansiyel bir araç olduğunu göstermektedir. Az araştırılmış bir uygulamaya odaklanan ve ona yönelik tutumları ortaya koyan bu çalışma, öğrenci notlarında dillerarası geçiş uygulamalarının işlevlerini ortaya koymaktadır. Bu nedenle, bu konudaki araştırmanın kapsamının, yazılı uygulamalara ve bunların akademik sınıflardaki tamamlayıcı kullanımlarına genişletilebileceğini önermektedir.

Keywords

• Not Alma
• Dillerarası Geçiş
• İçerik Tabanlı Kurslar
• Edebiyat Kursları

References

1. Al-Musalli, A. M. (2015). Taxonomy of lecture note-taking skills and subskills. International Journal of Listening, 29(3), 134-147. https://doi.org/10.1080/10904018.2015.1011643
2. Berg, B. L., & Lune, H. (2012). Qualitative research methods for the social sciences (8th ed.). Pearson.
3. Blackledge, A., Creese, A., & Hu, R. (2016). The structure of everyday narrative in a city market: An ethnopoetics approach. Journal of Sociolinguistics, 20(5), 654-676. https://doi.org/10.1111/josl.12213
4. Byrne, B. (2004). Qualitative interviewing. In C. Seale (Ed.), Researching society and culture (2nd ed.) (pp. 179-192). Sage Publication.
5. Bonner, J. M., & Holliday, W. G. (2006). How college science students engage in note‐taking strategies. Journal of Research in Science Teaching: The Official Journal of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, 43(8), 786-818. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.20115
6. Canagarajah, S. (2011). Codemeshing in academic writing: Identifying teachable strategies of translanguaging. The Modern Language Journal, 95(3), 401-417. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.2011.01207.x
7. Carrell, P. L., Dunkel, P., & Mollaun, P. (2002). The effects of notetaking, lecture length, and topic on the listening component of TOEFL 2000. Educational Testing Service.
8. Carrier, C. A., & Titus, A. (1979). The effects of notetaking: A review of studies. Contemporary Educational Psychology. 4(4), 299–314. https://doi.org/10.1016/0361-476X(79)90050-X

9. Celic, C., & Seltzer, K. (2011). Translanguaging: A CUNY-NYSIEB guide for educators. CUNY-NYSIEB. New York, NY: Cuny-Nysieb.
10. Chang, H. (2007). A study on lecture note-taking by GITI students. Proceedings of the 24th Conference on English Teaching and Learning. 212-227. Taiwan ELT Publishing.
11. Chaudron, C., Loschky, L., & Cook, J. (1994). Second language listening comprehension and lecture note-taking. In J. Flowerdew (Ed.), Academic Listening: Research Perspectives, (pp. 75-92). New York: Cambridge University Press.
12. Crawford, M. J. (2016). Lecture notetaking: Questions and answers. The Language Teacher, 40(2), 9-12.
13. Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th ed.). Sage Publication.
14. Di Vesta, F. J., & Gray, G. S. (1972). Listening and note taking. Journal of Educational Psychology, 63(1), 8.
15. Dunkel, P. (1988). The content of L1 and L2 students' lecture notes and its relation to test performance. Tesol Quarterly, 22(2), 259-281. https://doi.org/10.2307/3586936
16. Dunkel, P., & Pialorsi, F. (1982). Advanced listening comprehension: Developing listening and note-taking skills. Newbury House Publishers.
17. Espinosa, C., Ascenzi-Moreno, L., & Vogel, S. (2016). A translanguaging pedagogy for writing: A CUNY-NYSIEB guide for educators. New York, CUNY-NYSIEB.
18. Fajardo, C. P. (1996). Note-taking: A useful device. English Teaching Forum, 34(2), 22-26.
19. Fennema-Bloom, J. R. (2010). Code-scaffolding: A pedagogic code-switching technique for bilingual content instruction. Journal of Education, 190(3), 27-35. https://doi.org/10.1177/002205741019000304
20. Fisher, J. L., & Harris, M. B. (1973). Effect of note taking and review on recall. Journal of Educational Psychology, 65(3), 321- 325. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0035640
21. Flowerdew, J. (1994). Research of relevance to second language lecture comprehension—an overview. In J. Flowerdew (Ed.), Academic listening: Research Perspectives (pp. 7–29). New York: Cambridge University Press.
22. Flowerdew, J., & Miller, L. (1992). Student perceptions, problems and strategies in second language lecture comprehension. RELC Journal, 23(2), 60-80. https://doi.org/10.1177/003368829202300205
23. Flowerdew, J., & Miller, L. (1997). The teaching of academic listening comprehension and the question of authenticity. English for Specific Purposes, 16(1), 27-46. https://doi.org/10.1016/S08894906(96)00030-0
24. Garcia, O. (2009). Emergent Bilinguals and TESOL: What's in a name?. TESOL Quarterly, 43(2), 322-326. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1545-7249.2009.tb00172.x
25. Garcia, O., & Kleyn, T. (2016). Translanguaging theory in education. In O. García & T. Kleyn (Eds.), Translanguaging with multilingual students: Learning from classroom moments (pp. 9–33). New York: Routledge.
26. Garcia, O. & L. Wei. (2014). Translanguaging: Language, Bilingualism and Education. Palgrave MacMillan.
27. Hamp‐Lyons, L. (1983). Survey of materials for teaching advanced listening and note taking. TESOL Quarterly, 17(1), 109-122. https://doi.org/10.2307/3586428
28. Horner, B., Lu, M. Z., Royster, J. J., & Trimbur, J. (2011). Language difference in writing: Toward a translingual approach. College English, 73(3), 303-321.
29. Jacobs, J. K., Kawanaka, T., & Stigler, J. W. (1999). Integrating qualitative and quantitative approaches to the analysis of video data on classroom teaching. International Journal of Educational Research, 31(8), 717-724. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0883-0355(99)00036-1
30. Katayama, A. D., & Robinson, D. H. (2000). Getting students “partially” involved in note-taking using graphic organizers. The Journal of Experimental Education, 68(2), 119- 133. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220970009598498
31. Kırkgöz, Y. (2014). Students’ perceptions of English language versus Turkish language used as the medium of instruction in higher education in Turkey. Turkish Studies, 9(12), 443-459. http://dx.doi.org/10.7827/TurkishStudies.7596
32. Kiewra, K. A. (2002). How classroom teachers can help students learn and teach them how to learn. Theory Into Practice, 41(2), 71-80. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15430421tip4102_3
33. Kiewra, K. A., Benton, S. L., Kim, S. I., Risch, N., & Christensen, M. (1995). Effects of note-taking format and study technique on recall and relational performance. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 20(2), 172-187. https://doi.org/10.1006/ceps.1995.1011
34. Kobayashi, K. (2005). What limits the encoding effect of note-taking? A meta-analytic examination. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 30(2), 242-262. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2004.10.001
35. Mackey, A., & Gass, S. M. (2005). Second language research: Methodology and design. Routledge.
36. Mazak, C. M. (2017). Introduction: Theorizing translanguaging practices in higher education. In C. Mazak & K. S. Carroll (Eds.), Translanguaging in Higher Education: Beyond monolingual ideologies (pp. 1–10). Tonawanda, NY:Multilingual Matters. https://doi.org/10.21832/9781783096657-003
37. Mazak, C. M., & Carroll, K. S. (Eds.). (2016). Translanguaging in higher education: Beyond monolingual ideologies. Multilingual Matters.
38. Mendelsohn, D. J. (1998). Teaching listening. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 18, 81-101. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0267190500003494
39. Otheguy, R., García, O., & Reid, W. (2015). Clarifying translanguaging and deconstructing named languages: A perspective from linguistics. Applied Linguistics Review, 6(3), 281-307. https://doi.org/10.1515/applirev-2015-0014 Oxford, R. L. (1990). Styles, strategies, and aptitude: Important connections for language learning. In T.S. Parry, C.W. Stansfield (Eds.), Language Aptitude Reconsidered (pp. 67-125). Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.
40. Piolat, A., Olive, T., & Kellogg, R. T. (2005). Cognitive effort during note taking. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 19(3), 291-312. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.1086
41. Rapley, J.T. (2001) The art(fullness) of open-ended interviewing: Some considerations on analysing interviews. Qualitative Research, 1(3), 303-323. https://doi.org/10.1177/146879410100100303
42. Richards, K. (2003). Qualitative inquiry in TESOL. Palgrave Macmillan.
43. Rickards, J. P., Fajen, B. R., Sullivan, J. F., & Gillespie, G. (1997). Signaling, notetaking, and field independence–dependence in text comprehension and recall. Journal of Educational Psychology, 89(3), 508-517. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.89.3.508
44. Rickards, J. P., & Friedman, F. (1978). The encoding versus the external storage hypothesis in notetaking. Contemporay Educational Psychology, 3(2), 136-143. https://doi.org/10.1016/0361-476X(78)90020-6
45. Ritchie J., & Lewis, J. (2003). Qualitative research practice: A guide for social science students and researchers. Sage Publication.
46. Robinson, D. H., Katayama, A. D., Beth, A., Odom, S., Hsieh, Y. P., & Vanderveen, A. (2006). Increasing text comprehension and graphic note taking using a partial graphic organizer. The Journal of Educational Research, 100(2), 103-111. https://doi.org/10.3200/JOER.100.2.103-111
47. Robinson, D. H., & Molina, E. (2002). The relative involvement of visual and auditory working memory when studying adjunct displays. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 27(1), 118-131. https://doi.org/10.1006/ceps.2001.1081
48. Rost, M. (2002). Listening tasks and language acquisition. In JALT 2002 at Shizuoka Conference Proceedings. Retrieved in September (Vol. 25, p. 2012).
49. Sheppard, A. (2015). Note taking strategies in a lecture environment. http://archives.algomau.ca/main/sites/default/files/2015-035_003_013_001.pdf.
50. Shifidi, L. N. (2014). Integration of translanguaging in lessons: An approach to teaching and learning in Namibian junior secondary schools. A qualitative case study in three regions in Namibia. [Unpublished master's thesis]. Hedmark University College.
51. Siegel, J. (2016). A pedagogic cycle for EFL note-taking. Elt Journal, 70(3), 275-286. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccv073
52. Soltero-González, L., Escamilla, K., & Hopewell, S. (2012). Changing teachers’ perceptions about the writing abilities of emerging bilingual students: Towards a holistic bilingual perspective on writing assessment. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 15(1), 71-94. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2011.604712
53. Thomson, W., Kelvin, W. T. B., & Tait, P. G. (2003). Principles of mechanics and dynamics (Vol.2). Courier Corporation.
54. Titsworth, B. S., & Kiewra, K. A. (2004). Spoken organizational lecture cues and student notetaking as facilitators of student learning. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 29(4), 447-461. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2003.12.001
55. Tsai-Fu, T. S. A. I., & Wu, Y. (2010). Effects of note-taking instruction and note-taking languages on college EFL students’ listening comprehension. New Horizons in Education, 58(1), 120-132.
56. van der Meer, J. (2012). Students’ note-taking challenges in the twenty-first century: Considerations for teachers and academic staff developers. Teaching in Higher Education, 17(1), 13-23. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2011.590974