Tutoring in the Write Room, CLC, and Writing Classrooms

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Tutoring in the Write Room,CLC, and Writing
Classrooms

• Fall 2005 Training Session

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Session Overview

• Welcome from Tara Hart
• What to expect in the Write Room, CLC, and
  Writing Classrooms
• Addressing ESL issues as tutors
• Dialogue-based approach to tutoring
• Writing conference role playing

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CLC conferences, by ESL status
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CLC conferences, by ESL status
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Needs of ESL students in writing courses

• Grammar
• Vocabulary
• Organization
• Thesis statements and unity
• Reading and summarizing
• American academic audiences
• Cultural needs

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ESL language needs

• Vocabulary
• Word choice
• Precision and concision
• Spelling/pronunciation
• Grammar
• Sentence structure
• Syntax
• Tense
• Punctuation

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ESL rhetorical needs

• Organization
• Paragraphing and development
• Writing a thesis statement
• Coherence and unity
• Audience expectations
• Introductions

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ESL reading needs

• Vocabulary
• Comprehension
• Interpretation
• Summarizing

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ESL cultural needs

• Knowledge of topics/issues
• Audience awareness
• Adjusting to thought patterns

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ESL help for tutors

• Read pp. 45-49 in The Bedford Guide for Writing
  Tutors
• Review Guide for ESL Tutors
• Consult ESL specialists
• Jean Svacina
• Zeke Vifansi
• Amelia Yongue
• Christine Sharpe
• Linda Dwyer

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A writing conference should be

• a dialogue about writing between student and
  tutor.
• focused primarily on the improvement of the
  writer, not the text.

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Dialogue-based tutoring strategies

• Ask questions
• Seek clarification from students
• Explore alternatives
• Explain principles
• Minimally mark on student papers

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Dialogue approach advantages

• Encourages student engagement
• Promotes active learning
• Facilitates self-discovery of writers
• Establishes trust and support of faculty

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Non-dialogue-based strategies

• Monologue
• Lecturing
• Rewriting
• Correcting
• Issuing directives

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Closing thoughts for the new term

• Accept the limitations of the context
• Emphasize positives in student writing
• Seek insights from other tutors
• Read Bedford Guide for Writing Tutors
• Enjoy the tutoring experience