Cynthia S. Wiseman

Professor
Academic Literacy and Linguistics

Office: N-499C

Office Hours: By Appointment

Phone: +1 (212) 220-8373

Associate Professor Cynthia S. Wiseman served as a U.S. Fulbright Scholar, Vietnam (2015) at Pham Van Dong University in Quang Ngai, Central Vietnam where she worked with English language teachers in the Department of Foreign Languages.

Professor Wiseman has taught English as a Second/Foreign Language for more than 40 years, teaching English as a Foreign Language in Senegal, West Africa; Catalao, Brazil; Colima, Mexico; Paris, France; Shilou, Xinzhou & LinXian, Shanxi Province; QingLong and Shizhizhuang, Hebei Province; Chifeng Inner Mongolia; Binhai, Haiuan, and Xinghua, Jiangsu Province; and Huang Ping County, Guizhou Province in China; and English as a Second Language (ESL) in New York, Maryland, Vermont and New Jersey in the United States. She has also taught French and Spanish in high school and middle school, as well as Linguistics and Evaluation and Assessment in MA teacher training programs in New York.

Dr. Wiseman is active in professional organizations including the American Association of Applied Linguistics (AAAL), Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and New York State Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (NYSTESOL). She served as President of NYS TESOL from 2000-2001 and currently serves as Business Manager. Professor Wiseman earned an Ed.D. in the Applied Linguistics program at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her doctoral dissertation focused on assessment of second language writing.

Expertise

Linguistics, Language and Literacy, English Education, Distance Learning, Assessment of Second Language Writing, Evaluation & Assessment, Curriculum Design, Program Development, Critical Thinking, English for Specific Purposes

Degrees

M.S. School for Professional Studies CUNY 2017, Business Leadership and Management,
B.A. University of Mississippi, English,1974
M.A. School for International Training, Brattleboro, VT, ESL/French Pedagogy,1983
Ed.D. Teachers College, Columbia University, Applied Linguistics,2009

Courses Taught

3 CRS.3 HRS. ANT 115 ANT 115 (Language and Culture (Same as LIN 100)): This course will introduce students to linguistics, the study of language, and language in multicultural urban settings, including topics such as children's language acquisition, bilingual families and bilingual education, language and gender, different varieties of English and contemporary language use. The readings will draw on works in linguistics, literature, sociology, anthropology, and related topics. Students will improve critical reading and thinking skills and produce reflective and expository writing based on the readings in connection with their own experiences and backgrounds.
3 CRS.3 HRS.NULL LAB HRS. CRT 100 CRT 100 (Critical Thinking (Same as PHI 115)): Critical Thinking (Same as CRT 100) is designed to develop the mind and help students learn to think clearly and effectively. Through substantive readings, structured writing assignments and ongoing discussions, students will examine concrete examples from their own experience and readings and contemporary issues in the media to learn how to analyze issues, solve problems, and make informed decisions in their academic, professional, and personal lives.
6 HRS.NULL LAB HRS. ESL 94 ESL 94 (English as a Second Language): This advanced level course emphasizes writing and reading skills; however, oral skills are not neglected. In writing, students focus on introducing, developing, supporting, and organizing their ideas in expository essays as well as in narrative and descriptive writing.
6 HRS.NULL LAB HRS. ESL 95 ESL 95 (Intensive Writing): This intensive writing course for ESL students focuses on basic components of effective writing, including paragraph development and structure, sentence structure, word choice, and content. Students read and respond to a variety of texts and use argumentation, narrative, and description as modes of developing ideas in writing.
3 CRS.3 HRS. LIN 100 LIN 100 (Language and Culture (Same as ANT 115)): This course will introduce the student to the study of Language and Culture. The course will introduce related topics, such as bilingual/bidialectal families and bilingual education, language and gender, literacy in a changing, technological society, child language acquisition, and different dialects and registers of English. The readings will draw on works in linguistics, literature and related fields. Students will work on critical reading and produce writing based on the readings in connections with their own experiences and backgrounds.
3 CRS.3 HRS.NULL LAB HRS. LIN 110 LIN 110 (The Structure of English): This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the grammatical structures of standard American English, allowing them to read, write, and interpret written texts critically and efficiently Through analysis and discovery, students will learn to evaluate the grammaticality of the written work they produce in their academic coursework. In addition, students will explore a variety of writing genres and styles, and learn to manipulate language more effectively, enriching both their production and understanding of written texts.
3 CRS.3 HRS. LIN 220 LIN 220 (Language Teaching Practices): This course will provide students with an understanding of the theoretical foundations and principles of language instruction and language learning. Special emphasis will be on studying pedagogical approaches to TESOL that address the learning needs of diverse language learners in multiple settings (e.g. one-on-one or small group tutoring vs. classroom). Topics will include relationships between and identities of practitioners and learners (e.g. racial, ethnic, linguistic, typical and atypical), research-based methodologies, teaching for productive and receptive language skills, and the relationship between curriculum planning, assessment, and feedback. Prerequisites: [ENG 100.5 or ENG 101] and LIN 101 or Departmental Approval
3 CRS.3 HRS.NULL LAB HRS. LIN 250 LIN 250 (Forensic Linguistics): This three credit, 200-level course will explore the complex relationship between language and the law. The course critically considers the role of language and its power in the legal process. Three branches of forensic linguistics (handwriting, phonology, and discourse analysis) will be discussed. We will examine the work of dialectologists, creolists, and graphologists who have used linguistic evidence to interpret evidence (e.g., blackmail and ransom notes), and voice and spectrogram analysis will also be discussed. The course will also examine how linguists are involved in the legal process when they serve as expert witnesses. Prerequisite: ENG 201

Research and Projects

Communicative Language Teaching: Teacher Training in Vietnam

Dr. Wiseman completed a Fulbright at a local university in Central Vietnam doing teacher training and conducts teacher training in language education in China each summer. She is interested in examining the communicative approach in English language learning in English as a Foreign Language contexts, particularly in China and Southeast Asia.

Look Who’s Talking: Investigating characteristics of L2 writing: ESL, Generation 1.5, and NS of English

Dr. Wiseman is investigating characteristics of L2 writing among three populations of emerging writers: Native speakers of urban dialects, Generation 1.5 English speakers, and ESL speakers. The purpose of the study is to identify surface grammatical features, e.g., systematic spelling errors, lexical choices, grammar errors, and syntactical complexity that characterize the writing of these populations.

Technology and Education

What are the pedagogical uses of technology such as wikis, digital storytelling, online games, and ePortfolios in the ESL writing classroom? How do these technologies promote language acquisition and writing skills?

Publications

Salzburg Seminar: Professional development in a global village. Inquirer 13, 84-89.2006, BMCC
Are there any alternatives? Portfolio Assessment. Idiom, 36(1), 13, 27. .2006, NYSTESOL
Revisiting Educational Solutions at 99 University Place, Idiom, 35(3), 1, 20-21.2005, NYSTESOL
Wiseman, C. & Juza, P. (2013). Compliment Response Behaviors of ESL and Bilingual Speakers in an Urban College. 2013, The Linguistics Journal, 7(1), pp. 68-81.
Investigating selected facets in measuring second language writing ability using holistic and analytic scoring methods2008, ProQuest-CSA, LLC
Blogging into L2 Writing. Idiom, 37(1), 1, 21. 2007, NYSTESOL
Book review of Understanding Language Testing by Dan Douglas, 2010. In Working Papers in TESOL & Applied Linguistics, 12(1), pp. 55-58. New York: Teachers College, Columbia University2012, Working Papers in TESOL & Applied Linguistics, 12(1), pp. 55-58. New York: Teachers College, Columbia University.
Wiseman, C. (2007). “The Globalization of American Slang.” In (Eds.) Sanabria C. & Sanabria, K. Academic Listening Encounters: American Studies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Contributing Lecturer. 2007, Cambridge University Press
Identifying Components of a Successful Academic Advisement Program: BMCC Faculty Advisors Reflect on Academic Advisement, NACADA(30)2: pp. 35-52 2010, National Academic Advising Association
Book review of Language Development Over the Lifespan by Kees de Bot and Robert W. Schrauf (Eds), 2009. New York: Routledge. Pp. v + 313. In Working Papers in TESOL & Applied Linguistics,2010, Vol. 10, No. 2. 2010, Teachers College Columbia University
Rubrics: A Compass to Navigate the Way.2009, Faculty Focus, BMCC
Purpura, J.E, Graziano-King, J., Grabowski, K., Dakun, J.W., Kim, J.H., Crohn, N., & Wiseman, C. “An Analysis of the Foreign Language Needs of SIPA “2003, Unpublished study sponsored by SIPA Columbia University and the Mellon Foundation.
Wikis: A Knowledge Platform for Collaborative Learning in ESL Reading2013, TESOL Journal, Vol 4, Issue 2, start page 359
Rater effects: Ego engagement in rater decision-making2012, Assessing Writing(17), pp. 150-173.
Cultivating global competencies in the BMCC classroom: A BMCC strategic steering committee on globalization initiative. 2014, BMCC Faculty Focus
Book review of Studying Speaking to Inform Second Language Learning by Diana Boxer & Andrew H. Cohen (Eds), 2004. In Working Papers in TESOL & Applied Linguistics, 4(2). New York: Teachers College, Columbia University.2005, Working Papers in TESOL & Applied Linguistics, Teachers College, Columbia University
A Comparison of the Performance of Analytic vs. Holistic Scoring Rubrics to Assess L2 Writing. 2012, Iranian Journal of Language Testing(2)1, pp. 59-92.
Glisson, L., McConnell, S., Palit, M., Schneiderman, J., Wiseman, C. & Yorks, L. Looking in the Mirror of Inquiry: Knowledge in Our Students and in Ourselves2014, Teaching & Learning Inquiry: The ISSOTL Journal, 2(1), pp. 7-20
Wiseman, C. (2015). Using web 2.0 applications to support collaboration in the language learning classroom.2015, Lembaga Bahasa & Pendidikan Profesional LBPP LIA International Conference Journal 8(1)
Integrating Global Competencies into the Curriculum. In FRN National Symposium Proceedings from Teaching a New Generation of Students. (November 18-19, 2016).2017, Faculty Resource Network (FRN)
McNamara, G., Rennis, L. & Wiseman, C. Measurement of College Students attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors regarding sustainability. (2014).2014, The International Journal of Sustainability Education, 9(3), pp. 31-46.
Wiseman, C. & McConnell, S. (2016). The Value of Game Play and Collaboration. Asian Journal of Education and eLearning 4(3), pp. 104-119.2016, Asian Journal of Education and eLearning.
Integrating global competencies in the curriculum. (2016). In Ramos, F. Editor, & Sanz, I. Editor. Proceedings of the II International Colloquium on Languages, Cultures, Identity, pp. 1-11.2016, Los Angeles, CA: Loyola Marymount University & LA School of Education.
Washback effects of the gao kao on Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in the EFL Classroom in China. (2016). In J. Fox & S.V. Aryadoust (Eds). Trends in Language Assessment Research and Practice: The Middle East & Pacific.2016, Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Cultivating global competencies in a diverse world: Pedagogical strategies and assessment of student learning in the community college classroom.2018, Proceedings from NYU FRN National Symposium November 17, 2017
Wiseman, C. (2017). Subordinating Teaching to Learning. Language Magazine, December 2017, pp. 18-21.2017, Language Magazine
Belknap, J., Tran, M.D., & Wiseman, C. (2018). Using Newsela to support reading and writing. In Ho Chi Minh City University of Food Industry ELT Upgrade Conference 2018 (December 1, 2018) Proceedings of A Focus on Fluency, pp. 505-512. ISBN: 978-604-2018, Ho Chi Minh City University of Food Industry ELT Upgrade Conference 2018

Honors, Awards and Affiliations

Award for Professional Achievement, Teachers College, Columbia University, Department of Arts and Humanities.
Award for Professional Achievement. TESOL New York 2008. Teachers College, Columbia University, Department of Arts and Humanities.
Woman of Distinction New York State Assembly Citation for contribution in Academia, February 2008
Salzburg Seminar, Salzburg, Austria, 2005, Participant.
Special Award for Tireless Advocacy Efforts on Behalf of Part-time Instructors. Special Award, NYSTESOL, presented at 33^rd Annual NYSTESOL Conference at Rye Brook, NY, November 8, 2003.
Professional Development Award, TESOL San Antonio 2005.
US Fulbright Scholar, Vietnam, AY 2014-2015. Dr. Wiseman was awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant for teaching/scholarship in teacher training/language education in Vietnam in the AY 2014-2015. The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations and foundations in foreign countries and in the United States also provide direct and indirect support. The Program operates in over 155 countries worldwide.
Travel Award to Associate Professors, 2018 CUNY Academy and the Central Office of Research, April 2018.
Fellowship Award for Academic Year 2017-2018. Project to investigate impact of curriculum enhanced to integrate global competencies in the Humanities.
Award for Support for Academic/Creative Scholarship, Moving from Associate to Full Professor, CUNY Office of Academic Affairs, Fall 2017.
Faculty Publication Grant, BMCC, 2016-2017.

Additional Information

Dr. Wiseman’s dissertation “Investigating selected facets in measuring second language writing using holistic and analytic scoring methods,” was an investigation of the performance of a direct assessment of L2 writing in a community college setting. The study examined the main effects of four facets of the assessment context: examinee L2 writing ability, rater severity, prompt type, and scoring rubric. This was a mixed-methods study,that employed both quantitative and qualitative methods of analysis. Multi-faceted Rasch Measurement (MFRM) was used to measure the main effects of the four facets. Verbal reports (think aloud protocols and a retrospective questionnaire) were used to further investigate rater decision-making behaviors.