“A table and two chairs”: Starting a writing center in Łódź, Poland

Reichelt, Melinda; Salski, Łukasz; Andres, Jan; Lowczowski, Ed; Majchrzak, Ola; Molenda, Marek; Parr-Modrzejewska, Anna; Reddington, Elizabeth; Wiśniewska-Steciuk, Ewa

doi:10.1016/j.jslw.2013.03.002

Cited by 10 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Researchers have adopted different methods including but not limited to grounded theory, discourse analysis and conversation analysis to analyze text and first language (L1)/L2 tutor and L1/L2 tutee speech and interaction. Overall, these diverse articles have detailed students' attitudes towards writing, perceptions and needs (Hutchings 2006;Thonus 2001;Weigle and Nelson 2004); the writing center interventions and effects on student writing (Archer 2008;Williams 2005); the features of tutors' talk (Liu and Zhao 2007;Thonus 1999Thonus , 2002Thonus , 2004; advice regarding the sequential organization of language (Waring 2012); factors influencing writing center work ) and models of writing support programs in different cultural contexts (Leibowitz et al 1997;Reichelt et al 2013;Xiao 2001).…”

Section: Writing Center Research and Tutoring Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

More than just language advising: rapport in university English writing consultations and implications for tutor training

Lee

2015

Language and Education

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Adopting a case study approach with multiple data sources, this paper explores the ways in which rapport is built, and its impact on the learning process based on five successive writing support consultations between a native English-speaking (NES) tutor and her second language (L2) tutee in a Hong Kong university. With reference to the prepared coding categories, six strategies that realize the four key elements of rapport management were identified, namely greetings, small talk, the use of qualifiers and mitigation devices, first-person plural pronouns, praises and expressions of empathy, and open-ended questions. These strategies symbolized association, addressed face work and emotional reactions, and encouraged equity in the directive and tutor dominance writing consultations. Motivated by the harmonious relationship, the tutee gradually took a more active role in learning in different ways by asking questions, expressing an opposite view, admitting inadequate knowledge, reflecting on cognitive processes, and initiating small talk. The implicit impact was further reflected in her improved self-rating and the completion of the five consultations. Pedagogical recommendations for tutor training are made.

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Section: Writing Center Research and Tutoring Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

More than just language advising: rapport in university English writing consultations and implications for tutor training

Lee

2015

Language and Education

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“…Content developers must acknowledge that there are Englishes and ways of using English beyond those that exist as prestige varieties in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Given that there is growing interest in both writing centers (Reichelt et al, ; Tan, ) and online writing labs, in the EFL context (Paiz, , ; Tan, ) OWL administrators and content developers must work to make sure that the writing resources acknowledge and account for this pluricentric linguistic landscape.…”

Section: Content Development Best Practicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Writing centers have seen considerable growth across the traditionally defined English as a foreign language (EFL) context (Archer, ; Johnston, Cornwell, & Yoshida, ; Reichelt et al, ). Concomitantly, there has been increasing interest in launching online writing labs (OWLs) in many of these contexts (Paiz, , ; Tan, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Building online writing labs: Recommendations for L2 writing content development

Gherwash

Paiz

2019

TESOL Journal

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Online writing labs (OWLs) have assisted writers since the mid-1990s. Recently, increasing interest in creating OWLs outside of North America has arisen (Gu & Ding, 2002;Paiz, 2017Paiz, , 2018Tan, 2011). This interest in OWLs specially designed to address second language (L2) writers and their particular concerns, results from an interest in starting physical writing lab services in the traditionally defined English as a foreign language context (Reichelt et al., 2013). Despite renewed interest in OWLs, neither the TESOL nor writing centers literature has kept pace, so potential OWL designers and content developers lack research-informed, practical guidance on OWL content development best practices. This article outlines five content development best practices based on a hybrid theoretical framework informed by L2 writing and writing centers theory as well as on the practical experiences of the authors, former content developers and graduate administrators of one of the world's longest continually running OWLs. These best practices encourage would-be OWL designers to consider how to maintain linguistic and global accessibility of their resources as well as ways to create value around the multilingual and multirhetorical resources of their local users. The article concludes by looking at the potential benefits of future OWL expansion outside of North America and applying these best practices for content development.

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“…Teaching in Poland remains heavily based on syllabuses designed by external bodies of the Ministry of Education clerks and assessment that can rarely-when time allows-be adapted for specific educational contexts, such as students' individual interests, previous experiences, or learning background (Reichelt et al, 2013). English is a compulsory subject taught as a general course with the use of one of the course books approved by the Ministry of Education, which introduce all language skills in activities designed particularly to prepare the students for their final exams.…”

Section: Teaching Writing In the Research Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, it cannot remain unnoticed that the theories, as well as the aspects, are not separate but rather complementary and it is up to the teacher as to which theory and methodology will be implemented in a particular situation, as the teacher needs to adapt to perspectives and limitations of a specific teaching context, namely, the learners' and teachers' preferences, the school curriculum, and external assessment. However, in the Polish education system, secondary school students write little, and although teachers have a wide array of methods and approaches at their disposal, both teachers and students see writing as a tedious chore, and the writing instruction is focused on meeting exam requirements rather than developing writing fluency (Reichelt et al, 2013)…”

Section: Writing Pedagogymentioning

confidence: 99%

Dependent Writers: A Writing Centre as a Bridge Between a Teacher-Centred Secondary School and Students’ Independent Learning at a University

Gęsicka¹

2016

UCER-B

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This article discusses several aspects of starting a writing centre in a secondary school observed on a research group of students. First, it presents techniques involving students in independent development. As a response to writing being a solitary experience in the school curriculum and the teacher being a sole audience, the writing centre with its blog proposed forming a discourse community and shifting the students' dependence from the teacher to the audience consisting of peers. It provided the students with the environment (topics and peer feedback) that could engage them in exploring the social aspects of writing. The study was carried out to estimate the students' perception of the audience and the purpose of writing before and after two terms participation in the writing club activities. The article reports on the changes in students' attitudes after the intervention stage, such as improved confidence, time management, and use of feedback. It also advocates inviting other teachers to use and customize the writing club techniques, and to discuss their contexts of teaching and share ideas for possible adaptations and use.

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“A table and two chairs”: Starting a writing center in Łódź, Poland

Cited by 10 publications

References 10 publications

More than just language advising: rapport in university English writing consultations and implications for tutor training

More than just language advising: rapport in university English writing consultations and implications for tutor training

Building online writing labs: Recommendations for L2 writing content development

Dependent Writers: A Writing Centre as a Bridge Between a Teacher-Centred Secondary School and Students’ Independent Learning at a University

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