Kristen Di Gennaro

Faculty Bio

Kristen’s research relates to the teaching and assessment of writing, with a particular focus on sociolinguistic aspects of writing. Kristen’s empirical work examines the effectiveness (or not) of written corrective feedback in writing instruction and presumed differences between international and Generation 1.5 writers. Additional research interests include fairness in writing assessment, metacognitive approaches to teaching writing, and the interaction of language and gender. Kristen is currently the Director of Composition Studies.

Awards and Honors

• 2012, Finalist, The Christopher Brumfit Thesis Award for Applied Linguistics
• Pace University, 2006, Outstanding Contribution Award
• New York State TESOL Organization, 2004, Teacher of the Year

EdD, Columbia University, New York, 2011
Applied Linguistics -- Writing Assessment

MA, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 1998
Linguistics

MA, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 1995
Italian Language and Literature

Past Courses

ENG 110: Composition
ENG 201: Writing in the Disciplines
ENG 201: Writing in the Disciplines ESL
ENG 201: Writing in the Disciplines-ESL
ENG 205: Intro to Language & Linguistic
ENG 217: Lngg, Lngstcs, & Dscrmntn
ENG 300: Language and Gender
ENG 302: Composition Theory & Practice
ENG 304: Growth of the English Language
ENG 341: Language in Society
ENG 395: Independent Study in English
ENG 396: Language and Gender

Publications

"Naming What We Don’t Know: Graduate Instructors and Declarative Knowledge about Language"
Brewer, M. H. & Di Gennaro, K. K. (2022, February). College Composition and Communication. Vol 73 (Issue 3) , pages 410-436. https://library.ncte.org/journals/CCC/issues/v73-3

Focused written corrective feedback and linguistic target mastery: Conceptual replication of Bitchener and Knoch (2010)
Ekiert, M. & Di Gennaro, K. (2021, January (1st Quarter/Winter)). Language Teaching. Vol 54 (Issue 1) , pages 71-89.

Is feedback on grammar harmful or helpful? Questionable answers and unanswered questions
Di Gennaro, K. K. & Ekiert, M. (2020, December). Composition Forum. Vol 45 https://compositionforum.com/issue/45/feedback.php

Blurred lines: The relationship between catcalls and compliments
di Gennaro, K. K. & Ritschel, C. (2019, June). Women's Studies International Forum. Vol Volume 75 (Issue July–August)

Next steps, or rather, one step at a time: A how-to guide for implementing Writing-about-Writing
di Gennaro, K. (2019, January (1st Quarter/Winter)). Barbara Bird, Doug Downs, I. Moriah McCracken, and Jan Rieman (Eds.), Utah , United States:Utah State University Press. , pages 112-122. https://upcolorado.com/utah-state-university-press/item/3588-next-steps

Naming what we feel: Hierarchical microaggressions and the relationship between Composition and English Studies
Brewer, M. & di Gennaro, K. (2018, November). Composition Studies. Vol 46 (Issue 2) , pages 15-34.

Recommendations or choices? A review of Decisions, Agency, and Advising.
Di Gennaro, K. K. (2018, September). Vol 11 (Issue 1) https://journalofwritingassessment.org/article.php?article=123

What do they mean? Comparing international and U.S. resident second-language students’ use of sociopragmatic features in writing
Di Gennaro, K. K. (2015, April (2nd Quarter/Spring)). Writing & Pedagogy. Vol 7 (Issue 1) , pages 39-67.

From quantitative to qualitative: Writing descriptions of data from tables
Di Gennaro, K. K. (2013). ReadWriteThink. https://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/from-quantitative-qualitative-writing-31069.html

How different are they? A comparison of Generation 1.5 and international L2 learners’ writing ability.
Di Gennaro, K. K. (2013, April (2nd Quarter/Spring)). Assessing Writing. Vol 18 (Issue 2) , pages 154-171. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1075293513000056

The heterogeneous second-language population in US colleges and the impact on writing program design
Di Gennaro, K. K. (2012, September). Teaching English in the Two-Year College. Vol 40 (Issue 1) , pages 57-67. https://www.ncte.org/journals/tetyc

Investigating differences in the writing performance of international and Generation 1.5 students
Di Gennaro, K. K. (2009, October (4th Quarter/Autumn)). Language Testing. Vol 26 (Issue 4) , pages 533-559. https://www.sagepub.com/journals/Journal201816

Assessment of Generation 1.5 learners for placement into college writing courses
Di Gennaro, K. K. (2008, April (2nd Quarter/Spring)). Journal of Basic Writing. Vol 27 (Issue 1) , pages 61-79.

Fairness and test use: The case of the SAT and writing placement assessment for ESL students
Di Gennaro, K. K. (2006). Teachers College, Columbia University Working Papers in TESOL and Applied Linguistics. Vol 6 (Issue 2) https://journals.tc-library.org/templates/about/editable/pdf/Di%20Gennaro%20Forum.pdf

Presentations

Naming what we don’t know: Composition Studies’ Performance of Expertise
Brewer, M., di Gennaro, K., Choong, P. & Matsuda, P. K. (2019, March). Conference on College Composition and Communication . NCTE,

Professional Memberships

• American Association of Applied Linguistics
• Conference on College Composition and Communication
• Council of Writing Program Administrators
• International Language Testing Association
• National Council of Teachers of English
• Modern Language Association

Department Service

• Director of Composition
• Curriculum Committee [Committee Member]
• Personnel [Committee Chair]
• Interim Director of Writing-Enhanced Course Program

University Service

• CAP Faculty Advisory Board [Committee Member]
• Faculty Satisfaction Survey Committee [Committee Member]

Professional Service

Journal of Second Language Writing [Reviewer, Journal Article]
Assessing Writing [Reviewer, Journal Article]
Canadian Modern Language Review [Reviewer, Journal Article]
Research in the Teaching of English [Reviewer, Journal Article]
New York State TESOL Journal [Reviewer, Journal Article]
Oxford University Press [Reviewer, Textbook]
Language Assessment Quarterly [Reviewer, Journal Article]
Bedford/St. Martins [Reviewer, Textbook]