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Course Syllabus

ENGL 2950 Methods and Practice in Tutoring Writers

  • Division: Humanities
  • Department: English & Philosophy
  • Credit/Time Requirement: Credit: 3; Lecture: 3; Lab: 0
  • Prerequisites: Tutors need excellent writing and interpersonal skills. Completion of English 1010 or equivalent.
  • Semesters Offered: Fall
  • Semester Approved: Spring 2020
  • Five-Year Review Semester: Summer 2025
  • End Semester: Fall 2025
  • Optimum Class Size: 15
  • Maximum Class Size: 20

Course Description

This course is designed for students who wish to be writing tutors, English instructors, or educators. Course work will include essay writing, grammar assignments, and extensive discussion of tutoring theory and techniques. Students working as writing tutors elsewhere on campus are encouraged to take ENGL 2950. Formerly ENGL 2280.

Justification

ENGL 2950 gives English majors, education majors, and other interested students an opportunity to learn about tutoring and tutoring pedagogy, as well as to continue to improve as writers and potential teachers. Class time will be spent studying specific theories and techniques for tutoring writers. Students in the course will read extensively from literature on the subject of tutoring. They will write formal papers and tutor responses in order to hone their writing skills to better understand the learning/teaching process. Students will also have opportunities to teach the class.

Student Learning Outcomes

  1. Students will know common writing techniques and the most commonly assigned papers.
  2. Students will know specific skills for tutoring various types of writers.
  3. Students will understand that tutoring writers is a dynamic process in which the tutor must adapt techniques to the unique needs of each writer.
  4. Students will demonstrate a basic understanding of English grammar.
  5. Students will demonstrate a basic understanding of MLA and APA citation styles.

Course Content

Readings from required texts and selections from "The Writing Lab Newsletter" are used to reinforce and stimulate ideas for classroom lecture and discussion. Students are trained to do research for class presentations, written papers, and to help clients with their research. Topics include the following: tutoring ESL writers; professional behavior in the tutoring environment; the writing process; creating better writers not only better papers; consulatant/client rapport; review of grammar and usage; and all writing can be improved through writer and audience dialogue.