Multilingual Resources
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Colby’s Multilingual Writing Specialist, Dr. Ghada Gherwash, provides ample opportunities for multilingual writers to hone their writing skills in academic American English. These opportunities include:
1) writing courses designed specifically to meet the needs of international students (class list),
2) workshops geared towards second language writing and writing issues
3) one-on- one sessions that focus on working with students on their Colby-related writing.
There are two ways students can seek this help; They can either email the Multilingual Writing Specialist on their own (ggherwas@colby.edu) or a faculty member can refer them.
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Students, please do not get discouraged if one of your professors refers you to work with the Multilingual Writing Specialist. Instead, take advantage of the opportunity and keep in mind that your professors referred you because they have confidence in your abilities.
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If you think you would benefit from working with the Multilingual Writing Specialist or you have been referred to her, it is crucial to schedule a meeting as soon as possible. During the first meeting, students usually discuss their writing habits to evaluate their strengths and identify areas for improvement. In subsequent meetings, students bring papers they are working on, an outline, or an idea they wish to develop into a coherent piece of writing. It is also important that multilingual writers bring in any assignment sheets they have received from their professors.
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Different Citation Conventions:
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Resources for ESL (English as a Second Language):
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​OWL (Purdue Online Writing Lab) (click here)
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Writing for North American academic audience (click here)
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Credit-Bearing Writing Courses for Multilingual/International Students:
Fall:
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WP 111: Communication in Context: Linguistic and Cultural Diversity in the U.S. introduces students to the expectations for written and oral American academic English. Its main goal is to advance students' communicative skills. Coursework includes nonfiction reading, classroom discussions, and written and oral assignments. Students write multi-draft papers on different topics based on their interests. Grammar work occurs during the drafting process as needed. For that reason, WP 111 is not a language course, nor does WP 111 fulfill the first-year W1 writing requirement. The course is offered in the fall semester for international students who have not yet taken a first-year writing (W1) course. It is a three-credit, non-graded course.
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Fall & Spring:
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WP 112: is a non-graded weekly tutorial with a trained peer writing assistant from the Farnham Writers’ Center. The student and writing assistant meet for a total of 10 hours during the semester. Students often take this course along with WP 111, W1, or another writing-intensive course. Students may repeat this course once for credit. WP 112 is a one-credit course offered every semester.
JanPlan:
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WP291: Intensive Writing is designed to provide students with the tools needed to write successfully in their W1 classes, and beyond. This class uses writing as an instrument to examine the realities we inhabit. Through reading, writing, and reflections, students will learn more about writing and their own writing processes. They will develop the skills they need to become credible writers who can speak with authority on a variety of topics, in a variety of modes, and for a variety of audiences. Finally, this course will help students understand and use the conventions of form, style, and citation that are common in different rhetorical environments. Priority is given to students who plan to take their W1 in spring.
Spring:
WP115E: Writing through the Multicultural Lens uses the theme of multiculturalism/multilingualism as a framework to analyze non-fiction texts that are composed by writers from various cultural/linguistic backgrounds. The primary goal is to encourage students to question, interrogate and challenge the stereotypes that have prevailed in the news and social media, aiming to foster cross-cultural communication. Students will write four papers that center around a topic of their choice. Students from underrepresented domestic and global backgrounds, as well as those with a functional knowledge of an additional language(s) are especially welcome.
Fulfills the W1 and the international diversity requirements
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For questions about writing support for multilingual students, including the courses listed above, please contact:
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Dr. Ghada Gherwash
Multilingual Writing Specialist
Interim Director of the Writing Program (Fall 2019)
Email: ggherwas@colby.edu
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