Editor’s note: I recently put out a call to hear the stories and perspective of those that work in our centers who come from a multi-lingual, multi-national, multi-cultural background. I hope you enjoy the following stories from Claudia and Kumar as much as I do, and the way they highlight the important, fostering work writing centers do.

And read part two, now posted!

CLAUDIA QUEZADA GARRIDO
Pursuing a MA in English Language and Literature at the University of Michigan-Flint

Currently I am one of only 3 international students in the English Language and Literature program. I come from Chile, where I got my B.A. in English and Education. As you may have guessed, my first language is Spanish. I learned English at University. While I was in my junior year I was awarded a scholarship to work as a language assistant in the UK. I lived in South Wales for a year, helping High School seniors develop their language skills in Spanish. Until that point in my life, my contact with English had been limited to the classroom setting. Living in a country where the language is actually is spoken is very different.

I taught English as a foreign language for five years after I graduated upon my return from the UK. I felt I needed to experience more, to learn more about the language, so I came to the US for graduate school.

To become a tutor at our writing center, you need to take a class first. When I first took the class, I did not feel I was qualified to help others with their writing process, especially because as an International student, I was still struggling with my own writing. I still am. And yet, there was something about the class and the writing center that made me change the view I had about myself as a potential tutor. When the class was over I sent my job application and I was hired. I was very happy about it because I felt that I was not going to become a peer writing tutor in spite of being an international student but thanks to it.

As an international/second language learner I am more aware of the language than some of the students who come to the writing center. My grammar is not perfect, but I can help student solve most confusing passages. My argument is that if an idea is clear to me, it should be clear for any other reader and that usually helps the student/writer feel more confident about their writing. My previous teaching experience has also given me some tools to assist other international students who are struggling to convey their ideas using the language. We share tips on how to deal with certain writing obstacles. We draw comparisons between our previous experiences writing back home and how to handle the academic expectations in American universities.

Patience and kindness can go a long way with non-native speakers. For many of them it takes courage to show what they write to an English speaker because they may feel exposed to judgment and/or embarrassment. Keep in mind that in other cultures writing is seen as a personal, even private process, so some international students may be uncomfortable sharing what they write. A little positive reinforcement is always welcomed.

There are so many terms to refer to non-domestic students: International students, non-native speakers, intercultural, multicultural, ESL (English as a Second Language), ELL (English Language Learner), EFL (English as a Foreign language) and ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages). Each of these terms implies slight linguistic and cultural difference, but at the end of the day, we are all here with different levels of English proficiency and we contribute to campus diversity. In that context I think the one I prefer is simply international. It sounds more neutral and inclusive that the others.

After graduation, I plan to return to my country and go back to teaching. Ideally I would like to work with other TESOL teachers in my community so we could help our students further develop their literacy skills in English in hopes those skills would transfer to Spanish. Most of our students struggle with reading and writing and I think what I have been learning at UM-Flint as a graduate student and a tutor at the writing center will help me achieve my goals.

KUMAR RAMANATHAN
Undergraduate Writing Fellow at the Academic Resource Center at Tufts University, majoring in Political Science and Philosophy

I was born in Tamil Nadu, which is all the way down south in India (the closest major city is Chennai/Madras). However, I grew up in Hong Kong, and moved to the US four years ago for college. I have been to English-medium schools all my life, but have been both in schools where the majority of my classmates spoke English as a second language and those who spoke it at native level. Part of speaking English at a native level and growing up in places where English is spoken primarily as a second or third language has meant that my communication skills are sharpest in my writing.

Being an international student has affected my tutoring experience primarily in that I think I have been able to understand or at least recognize the complexities and ranges of international students’ experiences with language, writing, and academics in general. English language fluency does not always correlate to writing ability — some students can express themselves better in writing than in speaking and vice versa, and the whole range of abilities changes the way I tutor. This kind of range is of course also present for American students, but I think there is a key difference when the difficulty in expression comes from the fact of having to deploy a second or third language. The writing process demands an internal translation, whether to English in general or to the conventions of American academic writing in particular, for many international students, which can be frustrating and alienating. I think it can be very helpful when tutors recognize and name this alienation, even if we cannot do something to help directly address it.

On top of that, I think generally not making assumptions about people’s writing abilities based on their international background is important. It seems like an obvious point, especially since we ought to walk into any session with a serious and specific respect for the student, but it can be easy for stereotypes to slip in, especially when we try to predict what kinds of problems students might be facing in order to better help them.

Have a question for Claudia or Kumar? Comment below! And don’t forget to read part two!