Writing centers, an established, U.S.-rooted writing pedagogy, have spread across the globe, serving various populations in different countries. With Chinese universities' exciting endeavors to implement writing centers in their local contexts, little is known as to whether and how the writing center approach serves Chinese EFL students' specific…

Community-oriented education has witnessed an increasing interest in online service-learning opportunities. Digital Learning Companion is an online service-learning project supported by Taiwan's Ministry of Education to give students experiential learning opportunities and practice social responsibility. As part of the initiative, 189 local and…

An exploration of pronunciation tutorials designed for speakers of English as an additional language (EAL) in a university context in Australia suggests that developing abilities to speak clearly involves more than just focusing on the sounds that are uttered. Students' comments and observations collected during pronunciation tutorials highlight…

The purpose of this study was to explore the potential of computer-mediated communication (CMC) tools to facilitate second language acquisition and develop English as a second language (ESL) teaching skills and cultural awareness. The paper describes a collaborative online project between students from China and the USA, who communicated using the…

This study examines the differential impact of tutor labeling vs. non-labeling approaches on the performance; motivation beliefs; and cognitive, social, and teaching presence of low-achieving students. Two interactive tutoring strategy patterns are investigated based on the taxonomical e-moderating model of Salmon. In addition, the tutees' online…

Based on the social cognitive learning theory (1997), peer learning can be viewed as an effective way of enhancing learning. In this study, peer tutoring, a form of peer learning, was examined. The current study investigated the influence of a peer tutoring program implemented at Sultan Qaboos University on students' English self-concept. 125…

An adaptation of the traditional literary concept of close reading was developed for use in a largely multilingual classroom in which both first language (L1) and second language (L2) students were struggling to comprehend theoretical, lexically dense texts in English. This simplified method of reading a text iteratively and critically is proving…

One of my first experiences with teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) was during my years as an undergraduate, working with the Somali-Bantu Community Organization (SBCO) in Syracuse, NY. My fellow undergraduate tutors and I worked specifically with 4th-6th grade students, developing lesson plans and implementing project-based learning…

Academics often treat students' discipline-specific literacy as unproblematic. In doing so they may underestimate the difficulties for university students as they move between subjects of study that may involve different disciplines, language genres and academic practices. This paper describes an initiative aimed at supporting students in reading…

A method of testing student pronunciation involves recording a poem. Students transcribe the words they mispronounced in phonetic script and have it checked by the tutor. The phonetics tutorial is required by first-year students majoring in English who are not native speakers. (SW)

Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, received a grant and organized a recruitment campaign to obtain college student volunteers for area literacy councils. The campaign structure included: (1) contacting education departments in eastern Pennsylvania colleges and acquainting them with literacy councils, adult basic education, and the…

Discusses interviews of English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students' conducted to assess their reactions to a tutorial project for improving cognitive performance in content courses through the use of talk and writing as learning tools. The study concludes that ESL learners should be given opportunities to use their own language resources to…

Results from 291 first-year Australian college students with learning and writing difficulties (language minorities or students from other countries) suggest a direct effect of those difficulties on performance in first-year biology. College language and learning services that address areas in which students recognize their difficulties may…

Describes the Academic Support Programme (ASP) established at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa in response to (1) the disadvantaged educational background of Black students and their consequently high dropout rate, and (2) the projected increases in the enrollment of such students. ASP primarily serves students whose home…

The purpose of this report is to provide information on the outcomes of the Intervention for College Attendance Program, a program of competitive grants awarded to postsecondary institutions, professional organizations, and community-based organizations. Prior to the 2008-09 biennium, the program focused on provision of college awareness and the…