The focus of this paper is the writing center: its users as well as its function within a given context. Four semesters of data were examined for the purpose of identifying trends in writing center usage and assessing how these have fulfilled the stated objectives of the center at the time it was founded. It was discovered that more than half of all users were either graduate students or members of faculty, suggesting a vital role for the center in assisting emerging and established scholars in bringing their work to publication. The data also revealed that the vast majority of writing center users came in search of assistance with editing, indicating that users regard the service as product-oriented.

The Independent Learning Centre at Sung Bin Home for Girls is a language and life skills learning environment for girls between the ages of 8 and 18 who reside at Sung Bin Orphanage in Gwangju, South Korea. Although initially learners exhibited a great deal of enthusiasm for the centre, over time interest faded to the extent that many ceased to be regular users. This article describes the efforts of volunteers and orphanage staff to revive interest through a community art project intended to enhance learner identification with the centre. In addition to highlighting the importance of collaboration among stakeholders, the article asserts that undertakings of the type described here should be seen as part of an on-going process of maintaining engagement.

Dyslexia is the most commonly diagnosed learning disability in the English-speaking world, affecting between 10 and 20 percent of the adult population of countries such as the United States, Britain, and Canada (International Dyslexia Association, 2016). While diagnosis and treatment of dyslexia focusses on the act of reading, the underlying cause of the condition is thought to be a phonological processing disorder that inhibits an individual’s ability to identify separate speech sounds (International Dyslexia Association, 2002). Awareness of dyslexia has risen steadily among speakers of other languages, but for Japanese citizens and educators it remains a relatively unknown phenomenon. Differences in the orthography of languages affect reading in ways that can greatly impact the likelihood of an individual acquiring literacy (Paulesu et al., 2001). Understanding these influences is essential to ensuring the best outcomes for Japanese English language learners. 失読症は英語圏では一般的な学習障害であり、米国、英国、カナダなどでは成人人口の約10～20%に見られる(International Dyslexia Association, 2016;.)。失読症の診断や治療は読書する行為に着目しているが、その症状の原因は、個々の言語音(speech sounds)を聞き分ける能力を妨げる音韻（音素）処理障害と考えられている(International Dyslexia Association, 2002)。他 の言語の国々においても失読症への認識は高まっているが、日本の一般人や教育者においては未だ比較的認知されていない状態である。言語の正字法における違いは流暢に読めるようになる能力に大きく影響する(Paulesu et al., 2001)。これらの違いを理解する事は、全ての日本人英語学習者にとって最善の学習成果をもたらすために重要なものとなる。