This document discusses strategies for working with ESL students in a university writing center. It outlines a no-editing policy and focus on providing English language and emotional support to build students' confidence. Writing consultants are encouraged to acknowledge difficulties, provide practical skills training, and recommend supplemental resources like online grammar tools, podcasts, and movies with subtitles. Areas for improvement include additional consultant training, collaborating more closely with the English Language Support department, and helping students achieve small writing goals.

1. REACHING ACROSS THE
TABLE
Working with ESL Students in the Writing
Centre

2. Introduction
 Blair Mlotek and Alicja Grzadkowska
 Ryerson Writing Centre consultants
 Part of the Student Learning Support
Department at the university

3. Working with ESL Students
 No-editing policy
 English Language Support department
 Grammar/spelling + emotional support
 Confidence in their writing

4. Sympathizing with Students
 Acknowledging difficulty
 Practical skills: How to take
brainstorming and move it into
something more
 Compliment
 Relating

5. Tools We Use
 Online grammar help tools
 Grammar module through Ryerson
 Podcasts
 Movies with subtitles
 Writing in their own language

10. Grammar module offered through my.ryerson

13. Podcasts
 History Chicks
 Radiolab (WNYC)
 Serial (NPR)
 Canadaland
 Stuff Mom Never Told You
 Quirks and Quarks (CBC)
 The English We Speak (BBC)

14. Areas of Improvement
 Better training for consultants
 Not just teaching, but trying to support this
added stress
 Achieve small goals
 English Language Support collaboration
 Share experiences
 Arrange a speaker

15. Discussion
 What do you do in your Writing Centre to
accommodate ELL students?
 What do you think you could do in your Writing
Centre to improve you work with ELL
students?