As a long-time member of the The Collaborative For Multilingual Writing & Research(CMWR) here at DePaul’s University Center for Writing-based Learning (UCWbL), it’s easy for me to forget that not every writer is as eloquent as those who participate in the events I attend. Many of the writers that I work with — whether they’re attending Conversation and Culture, joining Walk and Talks, or participating in Global Coffee Hour — are comfortable with their English skills enough to engage in casual conversation; even Conversation Partner appointments which used to focus more on conversational techniques and popular culture in America. In these situations, we’re not as focused on what writers are doing right or wrong, but rather on the quality of the overall communication.
When it comes to more structured situations, particularly Face-to-Face appointments, it’s easier to notice when English as an Additional Language (EAL) writers might not be getting what they need in and outside of appointments. A lot of times, professors will send these students to the writing center for help, especially in classes where studying grammar or rhetorical conventions are not part of the course material. Many times, this can be frustrating for tutors because professors expect us to provide quick fixes for helping writers improve their English; as we all know, the phrase “quick fixes” doesn’t really fit into our UCWbL philosophy.
In Lucie Moussu’s article Let’s Talk! ESL Students’ Needs and Writing Centre Philosophy, Moussu explains the root of this issue — especially the disconnect between professors and WC staff — and provides potential solutions for staff within a writing center when facing these frustrating or unfamiliar. For the sake of quick reference, I’ve decided to explore some of these tips below within my own experience as a tutor:
1. Practice What You Preach
Oftentimes it’s easy to forget the concept of global issues when working with EAL writers. Something that I try to be conscious of is the rate at which one improves their writing. For me, it’s best to just be straightforward and let the writer know that these things take time, and “quick fixes” will not help improve their writing in the long run. A suggestion that can be helpful here is to ask the writer what they struggle with the most and find (whether it’s through your own knowledge, the internet, theory, or other tutors) a great resource for them to reference. It might also be helpful to suggest that the writer create a small outline or diagram for the grammatical/rhetorical conventions they struggle with the most; this can help create a quick frame of reference that they can keep on hand whenever they’re writing. In doing all this, it’s important to emphasize that practice makes (almost) perfect, because then writers will see writing as a larger skill, and not just something they have to do!
2. Giving Feedback Grounded in the Real World
It’s often the case that professors will send the UCWbL EAL writers when they don’t have the time (or, unfortunately, the patience) to help their students who may be having trouble with their writing skills. In these cases, or others like this, something concrete that you can advise a writer to do is the bring in professor feedback. It might help take out the work of what the writer needs to focus on; plenty of professors will point out in their comments specific obstacles writers continuously run into, without explaining how to clear those obstacles. As tutors, we can take these suggestions and turn them into larger-scale lessons for our writers that they can take with them beyond the tutoring session and even the assignment. If a professor is constantly commenting on clear areas of subject-verb disagreement, then a few minutes of the appointment can be devoted to explaining to your writer what this is and how to recognize it. Putting a name to a pattern may help a writer feel less overwhelmed, and it gives them something concrete to think about as they continue to write and revise on their own.
3. Show Don’t Tell
I’ve noticed that it’s easy to simply answer a grammar question from a writer without providing tools for the writer to improve on it the next time around. Not only is this harmful to the writer’s skill development, but it also gives the impression that tutors are merely copyeditors. As many aspects of our philosophy state, it’s important to teach rather than just suggest. I really like to provide examples, whether it’s Face-to-Face or Written Feedback, for writers to keep in mind. If they continuously forget articles, I may explain the different kinds of articles and provide five sentences that need them — then, it’s up to the writer to insert the articles where necessary. This is a low-risk way to allow writers to practice their skills, and it helps tutors avoid making changes without context, where the writer could potentially make the same mistake after they leave.
4. Normalize the Knowledge
If you don’t feel like you know enough about working with EAL writers, or you feel like you don’t work with them enough to warrant further understanding, then it might be time to reevaluate your perspective or the knowledge you’ve received so far. Although the majority of the writers we work with on a daily basis are native speakers of English, one single appointment with an EAL writer can make or break their experience at the UCWbL, and their perception of continuing to develop their written English skills. The effect that we as tutors have on the writers we work with, especially writers who might feel less comfortable trying to express their skill-based concerns, is profound and valuable. It’s important to brush up on skill-based strategies before an appointment with an EAL writer. And since they often come in without us having prior knowledge of their English skills, we should always be learning and developing our tools in working with these writers. Chatting with CMWR members, participating in events, or referring to team coordinator Katie B. with questions is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to diving into regular collaboration with EAL writers! Writing Center practices and theory-based knowledge must normalize the presence of EAL writers within our community, instead of seeing them as the exception to the rule.
5. Come See Us Again!
There have been some appointments throughout my three years here at the UCWbL where I’ve wished that I tried harder to provide incentive for writers to come back. Specifically with EAL writers, I’ve seen such tremendous improvement and confidence with those who I’ve worked with on a long-term basis. It’s easy to simply help writers fix grammatical mistakes and send them on their way, but that may be doing more harm than good. I always recommend, especially with writers who have expressed clear concern about their own English skills (and the lack of additional attention they receive in their courses), that writers come in again or work on particular concepts further with another tutor. Not only is this an opportunity for a writer to receive more feedback on their writing, but it also develops a habit of skill-building within appointments and feeling more confident expressing specific needs that a writer may have initially been too uncomfortable or confused to discuss. I think this can also be a great way to practice the concept of improving one’s writing, rather than simply fixing it.
Wrapping Up
There are so many more tips and tools that tutors can use when working with EAL writers, and not all of the obstacles or frustrations that are faced (for both writers and tutors) can be outlined in one short blog post. Too often do tutors, myself included, fumble in these appointments and retroactively wonder what they could’ve done differently to truly benefit the writer they’ve just let slip out the door. Tools such as the Moussu article, and so much more beyond that, are radically important in changing the way we operate. The idea of being overly prepared is never a bad thing, and it’s my genuine belief that all tutors should be well-equipped to work with multilingual writers and English-language learners before they come through the door.