"What do you mean in your OWN words?" The problem of paraphrasing

Abstract

A technique for helping English-as-a-Second-Language students learn to write accurate paraphrases and summaries, free from personal interpretation, is described. Students first read, in pairs, a paragraph that has a main idea and requires some inferential thinking, especially about the tone and/or purpose. After a specific period of time, students put the passage away and answer two multiple-choice comprehension questions, one addressing the main idea and one inferential. Student pairs must decide on their answer choice and justify their response, requiring them to use their own language to talk about the paragraph. Basics of summarizing and paraphrasing are then reviewed briefly. The students, still in pairs, write a brief summary without consulting the original passage. The class then analyzes sample summaries, and compares students' interpretations, making the distinction between accurate summaries and personal interpretation. In an exercise in identifying bias, students are divided into two groups, with each given a different assignment on the same paragraph. Volunteers then share their paragraphs with class members for critiquing and identification of vocabulary and phrases showing bias. (MSE)