“What key concepts in the course have, thus far, been most helpful for your tutoring in the writing center?”

There is a few concepts that have been helpful to me when tutoring in the reading and writing center. I wanted to go off of what happened in my appointment two weeks ago—I worked with an ESL student for the first time. Doing those readings and discussing the topic in class definitely helped me work through the appointment, but it was still hard. She spoke good English; however, I had a hard time with her accent. What was funny was she told me she wanted to learn how to speak like a native speaker—she wants to learn English slang. This was partly my fault because I speak so carelessly sometimes, compared to how I write. I had to use words she would understand. But the ESL book had mentioned that ESL students would say that!! I couldn’t believe it actually happened. What I had a hard time with (something I don’t think the book really went over) was her not being open to what I had to say. For example, she used the word “methods” when she meant to say “beliefs.” I told her that I knew what she meant, but “beliefs” may work better here. But she didn’t want to change the word. And this being my first ESL appointment, I didn’t know what to say. I tried to explain “context” to her, but I was having a hard time with that. Do you have any suggestions we can go over in class?

Another strategy I have used a lot is revising and not changing a student’s work. That has been a HUGE thing to me. It’s so hard to not change things because I’m in the Advanced Writing & Editing class and we’re supposed to copyedit and do endnotes about what to change or add for one student in the class. In the writing center, it’s all like DO LESS. So working with students and what they already have to offer has been difficult, but rewarding. The student always feels good when they leave the appointment because they are more confident with the essay they have written. That’s the best feeling to me.