Writing Center

Use Google Translate to view this page in other languages.

Resources Tutoring services Writing in the major Specific Support Faculty and staff International students Spanish speakers
WRITING CENTER HOME STAFF DIRECTORY RESEARCH INITIATIVE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY	Writing Support for Spanish Speakers Latino students are the fastest growing yet most vulnerable demographic in higher education. Approximately 60% of Latino high school graduates enroll in college, yet less than one-third of those enrolled will earn their college degrees (Padilla). With the right academic support, however, they have the ability to excel on their class assignments and to succeed in their education and beyond. Padilla, R. "Camino de La Universidad: The Road to College." Lumina Foundation. n.p., 2007. Web. 5 Jan. 2009. Spanish-Speaking Student Academic Needs The majority of Spanish-speaking students are stigmatized as college writers. Because they possess oral proficiency in English, they are often mistakenly believed by professors to possess written proficiency in English as well. As a Writing Center, we have learned that the majority of Spanish-speaking students enrolled at our institution share unique features: they were born in the United States, and they are circumstantial and functional bilinguals. They have learned English as an additional language for the purpose of functioning in society, and they are fluent in the everyday oral tasks and social interactions required of their first language (L-1) Spanish and their second language (L-2) English. Oftentimes, however, as functional circumstantial bilinguals, they are unable to read and write in their L1 of Spanish, which adversely affects their literacy development in English. The Writing Center at Western Oregon University has adapted to support the academic needs of the growing population of Spanish-speaking students. We are actively Researching the academic needs of the Spanish-speaking student population Creating workshops to support reading and writing skill development Aiding faculty in working with Spanish-speaking students Specialized Workshops Spanish-speaking students have both global and local writing error patterns with root causes that differ from those of their domestic and international peers. Because they have acquired English through social immersion within the language and culture of the United States, their writing often contains features with "conversational, phonetic qualities of 'ear-based' language learning" (Reid 77) in which they inaccurately apply their knowledge of Spanish and oral English to written English. With the support of outside research, the Writing Center has identified three primary linguistic reasons for Spanish-speaking students' top error patterns which we have labeled the following: Spanish Syntax Transfer Oral Spanish Transfer Oral English Transfer The Writing Center has developed specialized workshops to help students identify these error patterns and utilize their Spanish to self-correct them. Faculty Support Faculty can face difficulty in meeting the academic needs of this student population. The director and professional staff in the Writing Center specifically aid faculty in promoting Spanish-speaking students' success by providing consultations and workshops to better understand and teach to the writing challenges these students face. We provide specific support by Offering writing workshops that target the common writing challenges of Spanish-speaking students Discussing recommendations on challenges related to the teaching of Spanish-speaking students Writing Instructors and tutors can read articles about the challenges of Spanish-speaking students from the field of Linguistics, Bilingual Education, and ESOL to inform their theoretical and pedagogical direction of second-language writing research: ARTICLES Linguistically Diverse Students and College Writing: What is Equitable and Appropriate? Building on the Sound System of Spanish: Insights from the Alphabetic Spellings of English-language Learners The English Spelling Strategies of Spanish-Speaking Bilingual Children A Brief History of Bilingual Education in the United States Language Influences in the English Writing of Third- and Sixth-Grade Mexican-American Students Eye Learners and Ear Learners: Identifying the Language Needs of International Generation 1.5 in College Composition edited by Mark Roberge, Meryl Siegal, and Linda Harklau Students and U.S. Resident Writers by Joy Reid Speakers of Spanish & Catalan by Norman Coe Serving Generation 1.5 Learners in the University Writing Center by Terese Thonus Transcription of Spanish and Spanish Influenced English by Brian Goldstein Additionally, through specialized workshops and individual consultations, an English Writing Specialist for Spanish Speakers serves as an academic resource for the Spanish-speaking student population, the tutors who work with them in the Writing Center, and the faculty who teach them. English Writing Specialist for Spanish Speakers Heidi Coley coleyh@wou.edu (503) 838-8640 The English Writing Specialist for Spanish Speakers teaches Spanish-speaking students how to use their knowledge of Spanish to become better writers of English through ongoing research, specialized workshops, and individual consultations. Websites for Latino Students in Higher Education Excelencia in Education Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities The Journal of Hispanic Higher Education Lumina Foundation for Education Pew Hispanic Center
Contact Writing Center 503-838-8286 \| or e-mail: writingcenter@wou.edu
MissionWestern Oregon University \| 345 N. Monmouth Ave. \| Monmouth OR 97361 \| 503-838-8000(V/TTY) \| 1-877-877-1593 \| webmaster@wou.edu Text only