Lin Zhu
Writing clearly and correctly seems to be the most significant difficulty among other English learning problems for today’s college students. Some may even have difficulty in speaking English confidently. Here is a guide on how to learn English in a short space of time.
Certain amount of students need more help in English and approximately 15 percent of Pierce students are below college-level English courses, said Donna Accardo, English department chair, who teaches English 21 and a Shakespeare class.
“There are challenges understanding correct grammar and writing clearly,” said Accardo.
Her words were echoed by advisers from the Writing Lab, the only place on campus currently providing English writing tutoring based on a similar program in the Learning Center that was suspended nearly a month ago.
“Sometimes, students have difficulty organizing,” said Bonnie Rapp, adviser in the Writing Lab since 1982.
“Many times, they have difficulty with the thesis or the main idea statement.”
By looking at the first page of an essay presented by a student and the guidelines supplied by his or her teacher, an advisor can tell if the writing is on the right track and if the student’s grammar errors follow a particular pattern. If a student is finding difficulty with their essay writing, they may turn to a UK writing service or one that is closer to their area, to get help and learn the best way to set out and construct an essay.
“You can see it all,” said Jeanine Brown, co-adviser in the Writing Lab since 1992, “You don’t have to go far.”
According to them, weaknesses are usually developed with certain kind of patterns or different groups, especially in grammar.
Also, students have problems developing ideas and giving details to support them.
These problems may be caused by students “ill-prepared” in high school education as well as their language background.
“Students did not gain and master these basic skills in high school,” said Accardo. “And many of them speak more than one language, so they didn’t have as much background in English.”
Solutions to these problems may sound simple: take English classes; and read and write in English.
“Take English [classes] early, don’t put them off,” said Accardo. “Because English skills are useful, if not vital or critical, in other classes as well.
“Don’t try to be working 40 hours a week and taking English two hours. English classes are very difficult and challenging.”
Students who think they might have learning disabilities should go and talk to the advisers in the Special Services Office for help, she added.
To students whose native language is not English, Rapp suggests “immersion.”
“Don’t assume that you can learn a language in a classroom,” she said.
“You have to use the language, however awkward it feels, outside the classroom in order to acquire the language and use it as a tool.”
The Writing Lab offers one-on-one instruction in grammar, forming paragraphs and essay structure. Brown stressed that the purpose of the lab is to tutoring, not to correct papers.
“There is a difference between tutoring and editing,” she said. “That is a very important distinction.”
Editing is when somebody changes something and rewrites it for the person. In tutoring, the advisor uses the text written by the students to enlighten them as to their weaknesses and helps them to avoid those errors, said Brown.
Rapp and Brown both have master’s degrees in English and have taught English 101 before. Rapp also teaches at Valley College.
They see students every day from English, history, geography and speech classes.
Basically, any student who needs assistance in English writing and diagnosing can go and visit the Writing Lab, Room 1612.
Office hours:
9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday and Tuesday,
9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday and
9:30 a.m. to noon on Thursday.
Walk-ins are welcome.
“Be aware of your own weaknesses and strengths and you have them both,” said Rapp. “A good tutor will point out both and attempt to teach you how to avoid weaknesses and capitalize your strengths.
“In other words, our job is to make sure you need us less every time you come here.”