Tutor-Tutee Interactions in the Writing Center: A Case Study at a College in South China

This dissertation, "Tutor-tutee Interactions in the Writing Center: a Case Study at a College in South China" by Qianshan, Chen, 陈倩珊, was obtained from The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong) and is being sold pursuant to Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 Hong Kong License. The content of this dissertation has not been altered in any way. We have altered the formatting in order to facilitate the ease of printing and reading of the dissertation. All rights not granted by the above license are retained by the author.
Abstract:
The writing center provides individualized instructions for students to improve their writing. Though a lot of writing center research focuses on English as a Second Language (ESL) students, there is no study on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students in mainland China context. This study attempts to bridge that research gap by examining writing center interaction and its succeeding influence on students' revision.
The study examines six writing center interactions by using conversation analysis to reveal interactional patterns. Students' pre-session text and revised text are analyzed linguistically by adopting discourse analysis. Participants' interpretations are compiled from interview data to provide their perceptions of the writing center.
The findings that emerged from conversation analysis of tutorial transcriptions, discourse analysis of students' writing, and the interview data for this study include:
(1) In writing center interaction, the tutor is the dominant speaker while the student is the subordinate participant.
(2) Institutional context, limited knowledge about students, and Chinese culture of learning affect the tutor-tutee interaction.
(3) Issues covered in the interaction become the focus of students' revision.
(4) Lexicogrammatical issues are the focus of writing center interaction and students' revision.
(5) Students speak highly of the interaction and tutors' help.
This research provides a thorough description of the writing center interaction, its subsequent effects on students' revision, and students' perceptions on the interaction. The implications of this study include: (a) eliciting more information at the beginning of the interaction; (b) adopting flexible tutoring approach; (c) encouraging students to take active participation; and (d) providing training for tutors.
DOI: 10.5353/th_b5017777
Subjects:
Interaction analysis in education - China
English language - Study and teaching - China
Writing centers - China

Mais sobre este produto