Prioritizing what a writer says is far more important than how they actually say it. This is especially true when approaching culturally informed writing as a Writing Center Peer Tutor. As a Peer Tutor, it is our job to work with writers on their written projects and help them feel confident about their writing and provide them with tools and skills they can use to do so. However, there have been countless instances where EAL (English as an Additional Language) and ESL (English as a Second Language) writers felt unheard or ‘difficult to tutor,’ simply due to the fact that the way in which they structure and write their essays differs from the ‘American way.’
American Essay Structure
Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Kathleen Jones White Writing Center’s website has a source on the American essay structure and what elements are included:
- Directness: the problem or issue is stated at the beginning of the paper, followed by specific examples or evidence to support the issue
- Audience: your audience will affect the language you use and how much you explain certain concepts
- Clear Examples: Can you show/prove your main point?
- Citations: include references to any ideas or direct quotes taken from someone else’s paper
- Modes of Writing: how formal or informal your language should be
Due to this being the way many tutors who grew up in American schools were taught how to structure essays, it can be difficult to steer clear of this structure when attempting to give feedback on an essay that differs from this. However, it’s important to realize that, like we say at DePaul’s Writing Center, “there is no universal writing process that all writers (should) use” and we should honor that especially when we are met by culturally informed pieces of writing.
Ridicules and Criticisms of Varying Essay Structures
Many other cultures that we see from international students at DePaul follow a much different argumentative and essay structure than the Westernized one we are taught here in America. For example, according to a 1998 College Teaching Study about international Chinese students in American schools (who make up a large portion of DePaul’s international student population as well), the most important aspect of writing for them is the demonstration of artistic talent. These students like to show their ability to manipulate language, and to demonstrate their unique and artistic way of writing with the use of idioms and metaphors. This is much different than the straightforward “academic” way of writing that we are taught here in America.
These students reported often being ridiculed by their teachers and professors, stating that the work they were proud of was given low marks, while the work they did not like writing received good marks. Frustrated, the students reported giving up on trying to improve their writing, instead memorizing, and parroting the type of writing that got them good grades and getting no gratification from it.
In the interest of linguistic justice and diversity, we at the Writing Center cannot try to manipulate a writer’s unique voice to try to fit a Westernized standard. We should be focusing on making sure a writer leaves every appointment excited to write, and not trying to emulate a writing style that does not inspire them. Because after all, anyone who writes anything is a writer.