Writing Center Mission

The Writing Center is dedicated providing students with a supportive,

collaborative space in which they can experiment with and improve

their writing in English.

Our goal is to promote the concept of World Englishes by providing

tutors and learners with strategies and tools that help them take

ownership of English and discover their own voices in their writing.

We aim to provide tutors and teachers with the approaches necessary

to combat preconceived notions about L2 learners capabilities in

written and spoken English, and to provide them with the knowledge

they need to effectively make use of available resources, both for use

during their time at this institution and into their future uses of

English. We aspire to help learners solidify the specific writing and

speaking (presentation) skills that will benefit our learners most when

they return to their home countries or proceed to schools and

businesses in English-specific contexts.

We strive to continuously improve our practices by drawing on the

session reflections of our tutors and the feedback we receive from the

writers who visit us. We acknowledge the cultural diversity of our

learners and value their input as we strive to make our center a place

where all learners can feel that they are respected and their ideas

valued.

Writing

Center

Handbook

Developed by: Vanessa Armand

Acknowledgements

The structure of this handbook and the theory behind it was largely

inspired by the work presented in the Writing Center Handbook

developed and used at the University of Illinois at Chicago Writing

Center.

Table of Contents

Introduction: What is peer tutoring? 1

Chapter 1: The responsibilities of our Center 2

Chapter 2: Spelling R-E-S-P-E-C-T 4

Chapter 3: Authority and conversation 6

Chapter 4: Grammar and language use 8

Chapter 5: The purpose(s) of writing 9

Chapter 6: Plagiarism 20

Chapter 7: Reflections 21

Chapter 8: Leading Group-Work 22

Useful Resources and Links 23

Introduction: What is peer tutoring?

Before you read, think about

What is a tutor? Write your own definition.

What is a peer? Write your own definition.

What are the benefits of having a tutor who is your peer?

What are the drawbacks of having a tutor who is your peer?

The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines a tutor as someone

who is responsible for the instruction and guidance of someone else. It

defines a peer as someone who is of equal standing with someone

else. So when we put the two words together to form peer tutor we

might ask: how can someone who is responsible for someone else be

equal to that person? To answer this question, we need to think about

tutoring in a terms of Merriam Websters word guidance. Peer tutors

are students who gives guidance to their fellow student writers based

on specialized knowledge that they have gained in their training to

become tutors. They work with these writers to clarify and develop

the messages that those writers wish to convey in their work, and help

them to navigate the complex system of genres and styles that often

make writing in English difficult. Since peer tutors are students, too,

they are still learning and improving their own English writing, which

means that they are often able to offer helpful hints and personal

lessons and stories that can help writers work through some of the

same challenges that they, themselves, have encountered. Peer tutors

are not experts in English, but they are very knowledgeable in finding

resources to help answer questions about writing in English, and can

offer help to writers learning how to use these resources outside of

this school.

Chapter 1: The responsibilities of

our Writing Center

THE WRITING CENTER ITSELF: As a Writing Center that

is focused on helping learners own the English they speak

(and write), we should encourage writers to use their own

ideas and writing style, even if it is influenced by their native

language(s). At the same time, learners come to the Writing

Center to improve their English writing skills and often to

make their writing more professional, polished, and native-

like. To best help learners achieve these goals, the Writing

Center should provide them with the tools they need to

understand the conventions of writing in English, and thus be

empowered with the ability to fully express their ideas and

voice in their writing.

OUR TUTORS: In our Writing Center, tutors engage writers

in discussions about the writers work and ideas. By doing

this, they help writers gain confidence in their ability to write,

while also responding to what those writers need and hope to

achieve during a session. Even though tutors are peers, and

may even be friends, it is important for the tutor to be

professional and directive during a session, so that the team

can be as productive as possible.

1

2

OUR DIRECTORS: The role of Directors in our Writing

Center is to train and mentor peer tutors in the conventions of

English writing, the practices of peerness, and the

maintenance of respect and professionalism. They serve as

sources of knowledge that are always available to help during

sessionsto give advice, answer questions, and even help

clarify tutor and/or writers meaning. To do so, they must

establish and maintain supportive relationships with tutors,

encouraging them to reflect on how their work with different

writers can influence and help improve their own writing.

Practically speaking, they are the ones who coordinate with

tutors about their schedules and work with teachers to plan

time for classes to come to the center for group work. They

also communicate with teachers about current writing

assignments at the school in order to best prepare tutors for

the writings that writers are likely to bring to the Center.

They organize writing-related (often tutor-led) workshops and

lectures for the school, and manage the Writing Center library

of resources.

Chapter 2: Spelling R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Before you read, think about

What is respect? How do people in your culture show respect? How is this different from the way Americans show

respect?

------------------------

Think about a time you disagreed with someone in a conversation but you were able to continue talking with

him/her. What did you do or say to show respect and keep the

conversation going?

Merriam Webster defines respect as a feeling or

understanding that someone or something is important and should

be treated in an appropriate way. The ways that people show respect

for others may vary from culture to culture, but in our Writing Center,

we strive to show respect in ways that are understood by all. To do

this, we need to constantly be aware of the ways in which we allow

our beliefs to influence our interactions and conversations with others.

By remaining open and sensitive to different perspectives and beliefs,

we can engage in more constructive and informative discussions,

which can help us, as well as our writers, grow in understanding of

cultures that are less familiar to us, of our own native cultures, and of

how these cultures interact on a global scale. Above all, it is important

to acknowledge that we will not always agree, but that we can work

together to express and negotiate our beliefs through the language of

respect

3 4

Writers come to the Writing Center seeking help with their

work, and in doing so open themselves up to criticism and judgment.

If you have ever had someone read your writing with you, you might

relate to the feeling of vulnerability and pressure that writers can feel

in tutoring sessions. It is for this reason that peer tutors must always

show respect for writers beliefs, ideas, and English proficiency level

in sessions. In a tutoring session, you can show respect for the writer

by nodding and asking thoughtful questions, allowing him/her to

speak without being interrupted, and by listening carefully and

responding sensitively and thoughtfully to his/her questions and

concerns.

It can sometimes be challenging to help writers express

themselves without doing the work for them, especially if they are

beginning learners who may have difficulty constructing their ideas in

English. However, by using questions, and by helping the writer to

use his/her own words, a tutor can effectively remain respectful of that

persons ideas and needs. If you, the tutor, disagree with a writer

about something they are writing, you can look at a language resource

(if it is an issue with English), and/or ask a WC administrator for help;

always remember, however, that it is the writers choice what s/he

decides to say in his/her writing, and you must be respectful of this

choice. Ultimately, tutors need to avoid appropriating--taking over a

writers workand writing it as though it were the tutors own work,

because, in taking over, the tutor is controlling the writers ideas

instead of showing respect for them.

Chapter 3: Authority and Conversation

Before you read, think about

What is authority? Write down your ideas and look in a dictionary for more definitions.

In what ways can conversations between a teacher and a student be different from a peer tutor and a writer? Who has

authority in these different conversations?

What would you expect a WC tutor to say or do in a tutoring session with you? Why would you expect this?

The word authority can have the following meanings: a) the

power to control someone or something, and b) the quality of knowing

a lot about something or having expertise. In conversations between

teachers and students, the teacher usually holds the authority (both

kinds). However, between tutor and writer who are peers, the meaning

of authority changes to the second definition. It is important to

remember that no two people have the exact same knowledge in their

minds, nor have they had the exact same experiences that have shaped

this knowledge. You and a writer will have different levels of

expertise with English, with the type of writing the writer is doing,

and with the content that the writer is writing about. If a writer is

more knowledgeable about a subject related to the writing task, that is

OK. By having the writer explain it to you, s/he is practicing English

and improving the clarity of his/her ideas. If you are more

knowledgeable, share this knowledge with the writer (in a respectful

way that helps the writer understand what you are talking about).

5 6

Your knowledge will probably help the writer with the assignment

and in future conversations s/he might have about the topic.

Sometimes, writers will expect you to correct all the errors in

their work, and may even expect you to write their work for them,

since they presume that you have knowledge of writing that is far

more advanced than their own. It is important to remember that you

cannot read writers minds to know what they want to say in their

writing, nor do you know exactly what their teacher wants. You and

the writer must collaborate (work together) to produce the work that

best represents what the writer wants to say. As for authority with the

English language and with the conventions of writing in English, you

are notand do not need to bean expert to be a good tutor; you

simply need to know when to say I dont know and how to help the

writer find the answers s/he is looking for. Not knowing an answer

actually provides you with both an opportunity to learn and to teach.

In working with the writer to find the answer to a question or problem,

you not only learn the answer (and how to find it) for next time, but

you teach the writer how and where to find it as well. This kind of

knowledgeknowledge howis often even more helpful for a

writer than simply stating a fact or opinion as an answer (knowledge

that). Showing the writer where/how to find something means they

can use this resource later on their own, and can continue to do so

even when they are no longer at this school. Basically, you are helping

the writer (and yourself!) become more independent and self-

sufficient learners of English.

Chapter 4: Grammar and language use

Before you read, think about

Why do you think language learners often say grammar is their biggest concern for tutoring sessions?

In what ways could focusing on grammar make a writer uncomfortable or upset? When would grammar be an OK

focus during a tutoring session?

What is a voice in writing? Brainstorm some possible meanings, then look it up in a dictionary; compare your ideas

to the definitions.

Writing in a second language can be intimidating; you have to

think about so many things at once: content, vocabulary, grammar,

genre, and how you express your voice. Similar to the voice you speak

with, a voice in writing is the expression of your personality, ideas,

and opinions, which shows who you are through the words you

choose and how you arrange them in your writing. It is a key element

of any writers work, especially a writer who comes from a different

language background. Concerned about the complex rules of English

grammar, writers may come to the WC expecting tutors to simply find

and fix grammatical errors in their work. However, often times,

simply correcting grammatical mistakes does not make the writers

message clearer, and can change the sentence into something that the

writer does not wish to say. Focusing on errors can even frustrate and

humiliate the writer, and can make them feel that their ideas are not

valued. By simply correcting grammar mistakeswhether or not the

writer wishes a tutor to do soa tutor appropriates (takes over) a

writers work and voice. To avoid this, ask writers questions to clarify

their ideas, then together, rewrite to best represent what they want to

say. On the other hand, if a writers overall message is clear but it

difficult to read because of a specific grammatical issue, the tutor can

ask the writer about the grammatical choices s/he made and work with

the writer to make the message clearer by changing the grammar to fit

the message. If you are unsure of how to do this, you can always ask a

WC administrator.

7 8

Chapter 5: The purpose(s) of writing

Before you read, think about

In what ways are speaking and writing similar? Different?

Look at the list on the next page. How many of these kinds of writing in English have you done in the past? Make a list.

Describe the characteristics (pieces) of each kind of writing.

In what ways are they similar? In what ways are they

different?

What kind of writing is easiest for you? Hardest? Why?

What is your favorite/least favorite kind of writing? Why?

When we speak and write, we create language and share our

ideas. We usually think about speaking as having a conversation and

interacting with others. Even when we give a presentation, we are

participating in a conversation: we talk to our audience and expect

them to respond in a certain way, perhaps even to talk back at the end

with comments and questions. The same can be said about writing;

this is especially true for cover letters, business proposals, emails, and

presentations, but is also true for academic essays and creative

writing. When we write, we have a conversation with our readers.

Even if in some cases, such as academic writing, we never get to

know their responses, but we still expectwantthese readers to

react a certain way. To make this happen, we create a certain tone

(mood) by using a certain register (levels of formality), certain verb

tenses, and a certain points of view. We often think about what our

readers will think and how they will feel when reading our writing,

and then revise (make changes) to our writing to change this reaction.

Of course, we dont always know who are readers will be, so it can be

difficult to imagine how they will react. In this case, it is important to

think about the relationship we want to create with the readers (is it

personal? formal? instructional?), and the way we want voice (our

personality and identity; see Chapter 4) to sound in the words we use.

This may seem like too much to think about, but writing takes

practice, and we often need to rewrite a piece of writing multiple

times before it truly represents our thoughts and feelings.

When tutoring in the Writing Center, you will often be asked

to help a writer with a genre (kind) of writing that you have never

written before or about a topic that you dont know anything about.

Thats OK! The most import thing to remember during peer tutoring

sessions is that you are notand do not need to bean expert of

writing in English. Even most native speakers are not experts at

writing in English! In Chapter 3, you learned about authority and

how different people can have different kinds (and levels) of

knowledge about different topics. The goal of a peer tutoring session

is for you and the writer to share the different knowledge and ideas

you have, and to use these differences to help the writer clarify and

improve his/her writing. Dont worry. If you are not familiar with the

type of writing that the writer is doing, use the following definitions

(pp. 11-13) and Key Questions to help you in the session.

Genres of writing common to our students:

Professional: o CVs o Cover Letters (or Letter of Intent) o Personal Statements

Business: o Proposals o Formal emails/letters o Oral presentations o Memos

Casual: Informal emails/letters

Academic: (Essays) o Narrative o Compare/contrast o Expository/instructions o Cause and Effect o Persuasion/argumentation

Creative Writing: Poetry and fiction

9 10

Professional: o CV or Resum: a short document that describes your

education, work experience, etc. It uses bullet points to

outline the experience you have that is most important

and relevant to the job you are applying for. If you

have room to add detailed descriptions of these

experiences, you can, but you will often write about

these experiences in your Cover Letter, instead.

NOTE: It usually only 1 page long.

Key Questions: What is the job you are applying for? What are the responsibilities of this position?

Does the employer say what they want in a candidate? If so, what?

What experiences have you had that relate directly to this position?

What other experiences have you had that might relate to this job?

o Cover Letter (or Letter of Intent): a letter that is sent with your CV to explain why you are applying for a

position/job and to give more information the details

of the experiences that you listed on your CV. The

goal of this letter is to convince the employer that you

are the best candidate for the job. It should tell him/her

what you know/like about the company/business, and

how you are different from other candidates (what you

have to offer the company/business). NOTE: The ideas

you include should flow smoothly from one to the next

in your writing; the Cover Letter is not simply your

CV in paragraph form. Be sure to introduce yourself

and your purpose at the beginning, and to thank the

reader(s) at the end.

Key Questions: What do you know about this company/business? What do you like about it?

Why do you want this job? How will it help you it in the future?

What experience do you have that makes you different from other

candidates?

What other responsibilities have you had in the past that would be

important for this position? What experiences have you had that

would help you in this position?

o Personal Statement: similar to a Cover Letter, but more personal. The purpose is to tell the employer

about your previous experiences, current goals, and

future ambitions (dreams). It tells about the skills and

abilities you have that are important for the position

you are applying for. One way that a Personal

Statement is different from a Cover Letter is that it

describes you as a person (your personality traits) and

allows the readers to get to know you. NOTE: Imagine

this writing to be a kind of pre-interview. Let your

voice be present in this writing. If you make the

readers laugh, they are more likely to remember you.

Key Questions: Tell a personal story that demonstrates the

personality trait that you want the employer to remember

about you. This story should be relevant, interesting, and

can be funny.

Where are you in your career currently?

Where do you want to be?

What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses?

How can you change them to sound like strengths?

What are some of your previous experiences (that relate to

this job)?

How did these experiences affect who you are now?

Business: o Proposals: a bid for business (that helps you grow

your company). 2 types of proposals: Solicited: when a

company is looking for a business to complete a

project and asks businesses to compete to convince the

company to pay them to do the project. Unsolicited:

when a business wants to create a relationship with

another (usually larger) business and offers ideas for

how the two businesses would benefit from working

together. For both, do research about the company you

are writing to, and use words and expressions that are

familiar to your audience and field.

11 12

Key Questions: What do you know about the company you are writing to? (NOTE: the more you know, the more you will be able to

understand the needs and wants of this company, and the more likely

you will be to win that companys business).

What solutions do you have for the problems this company has?

What can the company gain from working with you?

Have you worked with clients in this field before? What would they

say about you?

What samples of work do you have that show your expertise?

o Formal email/letter: A business letter that is short and to the point; it answers who, what, where, when, why,

and how in relation to the business topic of the email

or letter, but does not include unnecessary details. It

usually begins with Dear Sir or Madam, To Whom

it May Concern if the reader is unknown, or with

Dear + Title and Name of Reader if the reader is

known. If the writer includes attachments, s/he should

include a brief explanation of them (what they are and

the purpose they serve). To end the letter, the writer

uses Sincerely if s/he doesnt know the reader, or

Yours truly if the writer knows the reader well.

NOTE: The reader should sign the email with

his/her name, followed by his/her title, business

address, phone number, and email address (and

website if necessary).

Key Questions: Who are the readers and what is your

relationship with them?

What is the purpose of this letter? (ex. Discuss a problem,

offer an idea/solution, discuss changes, make a request)

What is the most important information to include?

Of the details that you have included, which ones are the

most/least important? Which ones can you delete?

What do you expect the reader to do with this

information?

o Memo: A short letter/email used to make public announcements, discuss procedures, report on

company activities, and inform many employees about

important information. Anything confidential should

not be written in a memo. The tone is informal and

friendly, but not unprofessional.

Key Questions: What is the purpose of the memo?

(Discuss procedures, make an announcement, report on

company activities, tell employees about important info)

Is all the information in your memo new information to

your readers? If not, you can mention that in the memo.

What is the most important information? (put it first)

What is the least important information? (put it last)

o Oral presentations materials: PowerPoint slides or other types of visual aids (charts, graphs, etc) that give

the basic points of what you are talking about. The

font size should be large enough for your audience to

read from the farthest part of the room where you are

giving the presentation. They use colors and font type

that is appropriate for the field and audience. They use

the same format on each slide to show similar points,

and a different format to point out a specific point.

NOTE: Do not use a lot of long sentences or

paragraphs on your slides because they can distract

your audience from what you are saying (instead, they

will be trying to read).

Key Questions: Who is your audience and what is your

relationship with them?

What is the topic of your presentation?

What is the purpose of your presentation? (What do you

want to accomplish?) What kinds of language do you need

to accomplish this?

What points are similar and how are they related?

Are some points more important than others? Why?

(Make them look different to grab audiences attention).

13 14

Academic: (Types of Essays) http://web.gccaz.edu/~mdinchak/ENG101/expository_writing.

htm

o Narrative: an essay that tells your reading about a personal experience that you or someone else has had.

It tells a story, but also talks about a central idea

(theme) and lesson that has been learned from the

experience. It talks about what not why, uses facts

as the basis for the story, and contains descriptive

language that creates images in the readers mind. It

may include dialogue. Narratives essays are usually in

the 1st or 3rd person perspectives; they use past tense,

action verbs, similes/metaphors, and a lot of personal

voice.

Key Questions: What happens to you/the main character

in the story?

Where does the story take place? How does this impact

the story?

How does the story begin/end? What is the main problem

in the story? How is the problem solved?

What is the theme of the story? What message do you

want your audience to remember from your story? What

lesson did you learn from this experience?

o Compare/contrast: A comparison essay is an essay in which you talk about the similarities between two

things; a contrast essay is an essay in which you talk

about the differences. It uses cue words like: different;

in contrast; alike; same as; on the other hand. There are 2 ways to organize comparisons/contrasts: 1) block

arrangement of ideas where the writer talks about one

side (block A) and then the other (block B); 2) point-by-point arrangement of ideas where the writer

compares the two sides point by point (Point 1A, 1B;

Point 2A, 2B). Writers usually use comparison or

contrast to support their personal point of view.

Key Questions: What is the topic you are writing about?

What two points are you comparing or contrasting? (And

how do they relate to your topic?)

Why is this topic important to you? What is your view on

this topic? Which point do you support? Why?

What details are you using to support your arguments?

How are you organizing your paper? (block or point-by-

point)

Why is this topic important/relevant to your readers?

http://www.eslbee.com/compcont.htm

o Expository: An essay that describes a process (instructions about how to do something) or a thing

(using the 5 senses to describe it). It can also analyze

people, objects, or events, and provide facts and ideas

that are supported by historical and/or scientific

evidence. It has a thesis and presents information

without bias. It uses cue words like: first, second,

third; next; then; finally.

Key Questions: What topic are you writing about?

Are you describing a process or describing a thing?

What do you know about this topic? What do you need

more information about?

What is your thesis?

What facts can you use as supporting evidence for your

description?

o Cause and Effect: A cause/effect essay focuses on the relationship between two [or more] experiences or

events. It can talk about the causes, the effects, or

both. A cause essay talks about the reasons something

happened. An effect essay talks about the

consequences of an event. It uses cue words like:

reasons why/that; ifthen; because; thus; therefore; as

a result.

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http://web.gccaz.edu/~mdinchak/ENG101/expository_writing.htmhttp://web.gccaz.edu/~mdinchak/ENG101/expository_writing.htmhttp://www.eslbee.com/compcont.htm

Key Questions: What is the topic of your essay?

Why is this topic important to you?

Are you writing about the causes of an event, the

consequences/effects of an event, or both the causes and

effects of an event?

List the causes and/or effects that you know of for this

event. What other causes/effects might be possible?

What facts/evidence can you use to support your claims?

o Persuasion/argumentation: A persuasive essay tries to convince the reader to agree with the writers

opinion and to think the same way the writer does. To

do this, it includes facts and quotes as support for the

writers perspective. It must have a clear conclusion if

it is to be convincing to the reader. It is important to be

confident in your opinion and to let this confidence

show in your writing. NOTE: Write from the readers

perspective; this way, you can find and fix holes in

your argument and make it stronger and more

effective.

Key Questions: What is the topic of your argument?

Why is this topic important to you? Why should the reader

care about this topic?

Describe how you feel about this topic. (What is your

argument?)

What are other possible views on this topic/argument?

How could you answer these questions & counter

arguments?

Do you have a clear conclusion? If not, what is missing?

How can you make your conclusion clearer/stronger?

http://www.eslflow.com/Acargumentativessay.html

Creative Writing: o Fiction: A story that contains character with specific

personalities/identities, and descriptive language that

creates images in the readers mind. It may include

dialogue. It can be imaginary, factual, or both; some

genres include: fairytales, mysteries, science fiction,

romance, horror stories, adventure stories, and

personal experience. Narratives are usually in the 1st

and 3rd person perspectives; they use past tense, action

verbs, specific nouns (oak instead of tree),

similes/metaphors, and a lot of personal voice. They

also help the reader imagine the world that the writer

wants to create by using the senses; this means that

the writer can use the following 5 senses questions

to create detailed descriptions of characters, settings,

mood, and experiences.

What does it smell like?

What can be heard?

What can be seen?

What does it taste like?

What does it feel like?

(http://ncowie.wordpress.com/2008/02/10/features-of-

narrative-writing/)

Key Questions: What happens in the story?

Where does the story take place?

Who are the main characters? Describe them.

How does the story begin/end? What is the main problem

in the story? How is the problem solved? What is the

theme of the story? What message do you want your

audience to remember from your story?

o Poetry: Poetry is a very complex form of creative writing. There are countless types of poems, some

with strict rules, and some with no rules (freeform).

The main elements of poetry are: speaker (1st, 2nd, or

3rd person), subject/topic, theme (makes an important

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http://www.eslflow.com/Acargumentativessay.htmlhttp://ncowie.wordpress.com/2008/02/10/features-of-narrative-writing/http://ncowie.wordpress.com/2008/02/10/features-of-narrative-writing/

point about the topic), and tone (writers attitude

towards the topic). Other important elements are:

poetic devices (allusion, hyperbole, paradox), the

sound of the poem (alliteration, onomatopoeia), and

the symbolism of the poem (abstract meaning made

from of objects, things, places, etc.). In some types of

poems, emphasis, rhyme, meter, pauses, and stops are

important for how the poem is read (and therefore how

it is interpreted).

Key Questions: What kind of poem are you writing?

Does this kind of poem have rules? If so, what are they?

What is the topic (and theme) of your poem?

Why is this topic/theme important to you? Why are you

writing about it?

Are certain sounds important for your poem? (Does your

poem use rhymeex. Cat/hat--? Does it use

alliterationex. big black-eyed bug--? Does it use onomatopoeiaex. Bang! Whoosh!--?)

Are pauses or stops important in your poem?

What symbols do you use in your poem? Why?

What other symbols might you use instead or in addition?

-----------------------

As you can see, there are many different kinds of writing, each with

its own rules and style. Regardless of what kind of writing you are

doing, you will express your ideas differently than someone else who

is writing the same paper/piece, because your experiences, native

language, and ideas make up your distinct voice. For this reason,

you should not be afraid to let this voice show in your writing.

-----------------------

Chapter 6: Plagiarism (this will be transformed into a workshop, perhaps ones that

tutors can hold for our greater school population; this chapter

will give basic information and explanation exploring the

following questions)

Before you read, think about

What is plagiarism? Have you had any experiences with plagiarism? If so, what happened?

Why is it such a big deal in the U.S.?

Plagiarism is very common among English language students. Why do you think this is?

Plagiarism comes from the Latin word plagiarius to kidnap.

It refers to kidnapping someone elses words or ideas and using them

as your own. These original words and ideas are called someones

intellectual property. Different cultures around the world think

about intellectual property and plagiarism in different ways. Even

within the U.S., different groups think about these things differently;

here are the three major groups that you will most likely encounter in

your writing, and the ways they see plagiarism:

1. Academic groups think that ideas, texts, inventions, and research are intellectual property. Therefore, if you find

something that was written by someone else and that you want

to use in your own work, you must give them credit for the

idea/words you are using. You can do this in a few ways that

we will discuss later.

2. Public groups are less concerned about ownership of words and ideas because authors dont usually think about making a

profit from the words/ideas they put into the public. If you are

using a public work in your writing, you should make

reference to it, but you do not need try to find the author to

reference.

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3. Business groups are very concerned about competition and making profit. Therefore, they are very protective of their

original words/ideas. Slogans are a good example of this; you

cannot use another business slogan without their permission.

However, if a company uses a stock phrase (a very common

phrase used by many similar businesses) or a newly created

word that you want to use in your writing, you do not need to

quote that company as the source. If you are unsure about

whether or not you should quote a source, ask your teacher.

Avoiding plagiarism

So, how do you know when you have plagiarized someones

words/ideas and when you have used them appropriately in your own

work? This can be a difficult question, but it is a very important one.

The consequences of plagiarism can range from failing a course to

being expelled from school, and even (in business settings) being

sued! So how do you avoid it? Here are some tips:

ALWAYS DOCUMENT YOUR SOURCES FOR:

Word-for-word (direct) quotation

Paraphrases or summaries of someones work

Ideas, opinions, interpretations that others have developed

Facts or data that someone else has found

Information that is not accepted by most people

Illustrations, charts, graphs, photographs, interviews, etc.

Anything that you take directly from the internet (include the website address and the date that you found it)

YOU DO NOT NEED TO DOCUMENT YOUR SOURCES FOR:

Ideas, opinions, interpretations that are your own

Common knowledge

Commonly used quotations and expressions

For more information on HOW to document your sources, see:

Anson, C. & Schwegler, R. (2008). The Longman Handbook for

Writers & Readers (5th ed.). New York, NY: Longman.

Chapter 7: Reflections

As an EF Tutor, you are expected to write short reflection posts about

your tutoring sessions as part of your AY course. This helps the

Writing Center Directors ensure that the WCs objects and mission

are being carried out thoughtfully and appropriately. This also gives

you a chance to practice their narrative writing skills, and to sharpen

the skills of self-reflection that will be useful for other interactions

that involve collaborationboth in class and in your professional

careers. This will also give you time to think about how you can

improve your own writing using what you have learned in your

tutoring sessions.

Questions for tutors to think and write about:

What did the writer want to work on?

What kinds of questions did I ask the writer to help make the

writers ideas clearer?

What comments/suggestions did I give the writer? How did

s/he respond to my comments?

One thing I learned in this session about writing or about

English was

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Chapter 8: Leading Group-Work

1: Introduce yourselves

2: What is the assignment/writing task that the students are working

on? What do they think are the teachers expectations of the work? (Is

there a rubric?)

3: How is this writing task is similar and/or different from other

writing tasks that the students have done for this class?

If this is the first time they are writing for this class (or if there are new students), how is this task similar or different from other

types of writing they have done in English?

4: What are the features of this genre? (think about 1st vs. 2nd vs. 3rd

person; register/tone; tense) Do students know about them and how

they are used? Explain these features if you know them, or look them

up in a reference book. You can also ask the teacher or WC Director.

5: Are students writing about the same topic or different topics?

If the same topic: What do the students know about the topic already? Have students share what they learned in class. What

other perspectives might people have on this topic?

If they have different topics, have each student tell the group about their topic. Ask the other students to answer these questions:

a. Does Student As topic relate to the assignment? How? b. Do the details that s/he gives support the main idea? What works

well? What needs improvement?

c. What other ideas do his/her main point/supporting details make you think of? Do you have personal stories or ideas that you can

add to this topic? Tell about them.

d. What did you like most about this persons work? e. What advice do you have for this person to help them improve

their writing for this task?

6: What questions do students still have (about the assignment, topic,

style, genre)? Can other students help answer these questions? Can

you brainstorm with them? Ask the teacher?

7: What are some next steps that the students can take to complete this

task? Brainstorm with them to help them form a plan of what to do

next in their writing process.

Useful Resources and Links

Dictionaries:

http://www.learnersdictionary.com/

Merriam-Websters Essential Learners English Dictionary: (2010). Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster.

Longman Dictionary of American English (4th ed..). (2008). Pearson Education ESL.

Thesauruses (for synonyms & antonyms):

http://thesaurus.com/

http://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/

The Oxford Learners Thesaurus: for B2-C2. (2008). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Translators:

http://wordreference.com/ Grammar:

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar

Kolln, M. & Gray, L. (2009). Rhetorical Grammar: Grammatical Choices, Rhetorical Effects (6th ed.). Upper

Saddle River, NJ: Longman Pearson.

Murphy, R. (2003) Grammar in Use (3rd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Smalzer, W. R., & Murphy, R. (2003). Basic Grammar in Use. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Academic Writing

Graff, G., & Birkenstein, C., (2010). They Say, I Say: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing. New York, NY: Norton & Co.

Harris, J. (2006). Rewriting: How to do things with Texts. Logan, UT: Utah State University Press.

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http://www.learnersdictionary.com/http://thesaurus.com/http://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/http://wordreference.com/http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar

References

Anson, C. & Schwegler, R. (2008). The Longman Handbook for

Writers & Readers (5th ed.). New York, NY: Longman.

Baack, E. Writing Effective Comparison or Contrast Essays. Retrieved

from http://www.eslbee.com/compcont.htm

Denny, H. (2010). Facing Nationality in the Writing Center. In H.

Denny (Eds.), Facing the center: Toward an identity politics of

one-to-one mentoring. (pp. 117-143). Logan, UT: Utah State

University Press.

DeSoto, M. What is Expository Writing? Retrieved from

http://web.gccaz.edu/~mdinchak/ENG101/expository_writing.ht

m

Graff, G., & Birkenstein, C., (2010). They Say, I Say: The Moves that

Matter in Academic Writing with Readings. New York, NY:

Norton & Co.

Harris, J. (2006). Rewriting: How to do things with Texts. Logan, UT:

Utah State University Press.

Katikati College English student blog (2008, Feb 10). Features of

Narrative Writing. [Creative writing post]. Retrieved from

http://www.eslflow.com/Acargumentativessay.html

Kolln, M. J. & Gray, L. (2010). Rhetorical Grammar: Grammatical

Choices, Rhetorical Effects (6th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson

Education.

Merriam-Websters Essential Learners English Dictionary: (2010).

Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster.

Murphy, R. (2003) Grammar in Use (3rd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge

University Press.

Longman Dictionary of American English (4th ed..). (2008). Pearson

Education ESL.

Opinion/Argument Writing. Retrieved from

http://www.eslflow.com/Acargumentativessay.html

The Oxford Learners Thesaurus: for B2-C2. (2008). Oxford: Oxford

University Press.

Paesani, K. (2006). Exercices de style: Developing Multiple

Competencies Through a Writing Portfolio. Foreign Language

Annals, 39(4), 618639. doi:10.1111/j.1944-9720.2006.tb02280.x

Queneau, R. (1981). Exercises in Style. (B. Wright, Trans.). New

York, NY: New Directions Publishing. (Original work published

in 1947).

Severino, C. (2004). Avoiding Appropriation. In S. Bruce & B. Rafoth

(Eds.). ESL Writers: A Guide for Writing Center Tutors. (pp. 48-

59). Portsmouth, NH: Boynton-Cook.

Smalzer, W. R., & Murphy, R. (2003). Basic Grammar in Use.

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Wulff, A., Henderson, A., Williams, C., Marshall, L., Saravia, L., &

Aleska, V. (2010). The UIC WC Handbook: To be a peer.

Chicago: The University of Illinois at Chicago Writing Center.

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http://www.eslbee.com/compcont.htmhttp://web.gccaz.edu/~mdinchak/ENG101/expository_writing.htmhttp://web.gccaz.edu/~mdinchak/ENG101/expository_writing.htmhttp://www.eslflow.com/Acargumentativessay.htmlhttp://www.eslflow.com/Acargumentativessay.html