Serving ESL Students in the Writing

CenterDebbie Barry

Oakland University Writing CenterEast Central Writing Centers Association Annual Conference 2014

Miami University, Oxford, Ohio

“Rather than guess how much ESL

students should sound like native

speakers, we should ask them.”

Karen M. Braxley, Ph.D., the Coordinator for Writing Tutoring, in the Division of Academic Enhancement, at

the University of Georgia, Athens, 2005, p. 114.

How do Writing Center consultants view the needs of ESL clients in the Writing Center?How can the Writing Center use this information to better serve the needs of ESL clients in the Writing Center?

How do ESL clients view the service they receive from consultants in the Writing Center??

14

ConsultantsSurveyed

62ESL

ClientsSurveyed

Consultants:Approximately how many ESL clients do you work with in an average week?

Clients:About how many times have you been to the Writing Center to meet with a consultant?

Consultants:If you know, what are the native languages of the clients you have worked with?

Clients:What is your native language?

Consultants:How much do you feel ESL issues influence your clients' ability to write academic English?

Consultants and Clients:What do you think is the greatest need of ESL clients in the writing center?

Clients:How well do you feel that the writing center meets your needs?

Two possible solutions emerge from the research:

•Writing consultants who specialize in working with ESL clients.•Allowing more time for ESL clients to work with consultants in the Writing Center.