UWC Tutor, Director present research at the 2010 International Writing Center Association Conference

Baltimore, MD (Nov 2010)-Senior UWC tutor, Aileen Valdes, and UWC Director, Dr. Kevin Dvorak, presented last weekend at a joint conference hosted by the International Writing Centers Association and National Conference on Peer Tutoring in Writing. The conference was November 4-6 in Baltimore.

Valdes and Dvorak delivered a session entitled “Using Spanish to Tutor English: A Qualitative Study of Sessions Involving Bilingual Tutors and Students.” This IWCA Research Grant-funded project examines how Spanish is used during writing center-based tutoring sessions between bilingual (English- and Spanish-speaking) tutors and students. Based on their research, Dvorak and Valdes believe Spanish is effectively used at two critical points during sessions: 1) to develop rapport through linguistic solidarity and 2) to work through occasional moments of confusion when words and/or ideas are clear in the primary language (Spanish) but not the secondary (English).

Aileen said that "the IWCA/NCPTW Conference was a wonderful experience. I had the opportunity to meet many professionals in the writing center field and learn from their experiences as tutors and educators, especially in the area of working with ESL and ELL students. I look forward to sharing the different tutoring techniques and pedagogies I learned with my fellow tutors at the UWC."