Bilingual Student Writers: A Question of Fair Evaluation

Abstract

The process approach to writing is currently receiving much attention in classrooms across the nation. Its popularity may be attributed to two factors. One, it is perceived as a way of empowering and motivating students to communicate their own ideas without outside imposition from the teacher (Delpit 1988, Atwell 1987, Graves 1983, Calkins 1983). Two, it is believed to be a way of allowing students to develop writing skills following a more natural approach (Graves, Sowers 1986)-similar to the approach used in the acquisition of oral language where the message is deemed more important than the medium. A focus away from product is consistent with the belief many progressive educators have that the goal of education is to assist students in becoming independent learners who can develop to their fullest potential without arbitrary impositions set by the teacher. Lisa D. Delpit suggests that although this liberal philosophy about education may be a reasonable expectation for mainstream populations, many minority students who come to school with fewer of the accoutrements of the