Some questions for Thursday's discussion on Bloch's and Pecorari's articles

I'm posting here the discussion questions that I will be bringing up in class tomorrow. The topics are something I chose basically as an organizational tool, and as a way to condense questions into themes if (when) we run out of time to address each specific point.

I also wanted to put up a link to ISU's Code of Conduct, which includes a short clause on plagiarism (I will have hard copies of this clause in class tomorrow).

Discussion Topics and Questions: Plagiarism

Culture

1. Considering how Bloch believes the internet complicates issues of plagiarism: are we (the U.S. or the Western world) shifting our views on plagiarism, textual borrowing, and textual ownership because of the internet? Do you agree with Bloch that we might adopt more “Eastern” views?

2. Have we advanced in the internet-plagiarism issue since this book’s publication (2001)?

3. Does knowing the debate surrounding Asian perceptions of plagiarism—particularly in China, as discussed by Bloch and Pennycook—change your teaching style to L1-Chinese students?

4. We’ve talked about types of plagiarism that are more problematic than others. Are some cases of textual borrowing more serious in terms of source? (Internet forums vs. academic journals)

The University

1. Is it ever “counter-pedagogical” to bring an instance of plagiarism to university attention? (going off of the words of Howard, qtd in Pecorari, 232)

2. Are there different motivations to plagiarize in an L1 and in an L2? What about in an ESL course or in a university writing course?

Practical Approaches

1. Should we treat cases of plagiarism differently in an L2 classroom vs. an L1 classroom? Should the consequences be equal?

2. This is a problematic/debated concept in L1—so in L2 writing classrooms, should teachers follow the trends of that debate or is it necessary to develop another pedagogy specific to L2 literacy?

a. What happens then when NNSs are put into an L1 comp. or writing-intensive course?

3. The texts point us to the idea that in both L1 and L2 classrooms we need to include and explain the rationale behind plagiarism policies. How do we do that? What are some practical ways to approach this idea?

Take into consideration:

- the L1 and the L2, as well as the L2 level and/or general education level

- a cultural approach?

- a historical approach?

- the force of the word “plagiarism”