Grant recipients: Rocky Penate, Cynthia Tremblay, Élise Lepage and Loula Abd-Elrazak, French Studies
(Project timeline: September 2016 - August 2017)
Description
The primary goal of this project was to verify the benefits of a French writing centre on the learning outcomes of non-native students of the language. While English-language writing centres have become a mainstay on university campuses throughout North America, including at the University of Waterloo, much less is known about the efficacy of centres addressing the particular needs of students studying a second or third language.
It is in this context that we undertook a small study aimed at better understanding the pedagogical possibilities and limits of such a writing centre. More specifically, we evaluated students’ self-assessment of written work prior to and after one-on-one consultations at the centre. The results of the project will help the French writing centre’s coordinators develop and deploy its services more effectively, by targeting specific outcomes with its limited resources.
Questions Investigated
Our project sought firstly to verify the positive effects on students’ learning of consulting a writing centre dedicated specifically to improving written production in a second language, in this case French. We also aimed to determine what motivated students to visit the French writing centre, what kept them from doing so, what resources were most needed and would be most helpful to students and what form of interaction (in the writing centre) would most effectively contribute to student-writers’ development.
Findings/Insights
Our research led us to revisit and more clearly define the principles on which the French writing centre is founded, especially the importance of collaboration throughout the writing process. While the French Writing Centre will continue to concentrate on addressing students’ questions, which revolve mainly around grammar, vocabulary and syntax, the results of this project made it clear that a writing centre can be much more. Indeed, the ideals which now inform our conception of the French writing centre align closely with those of writing centre professionals such as Andrea Lunsford and Lisa Ede, who summarize a writing centre’s potential contribution to learning thusly: “such centers serve as sites of collaboration that challenge hierarchies and traditional ways of producing knowledge, bringing student writers and peer tutors into conversation that can, and often do, change both them and their writing.” We are more committed than ever to assuring that students have the physical space and other resources needed for such collaborations to take place, empowering students to continue their learning outside of the classroom.
Dissemination and Impact
- At the individual level: The project’s conclusions regarding what services would most benefit undergraduate students’ development as writers have informed decisions regarding the training of consultants and the format of consultations.
Faculty in French Studies have a better understanding of the centre’s services and can better identify students who may benefit from a consultation.
- At the Department/School and/or Faculty/Unit levels: Regular updates during Department meetings focused on how the French writing centre can support student writing through drop-in consultations as well as scheduled workshops. The study opened up discussions about the possibility of linking some services to specific classes, in collaboration with instructors.
- At the national and/or international levels: A paper outlining the centre’s approach to writing support was presented at the 6th International Conference on Second Language Pedagogies held at McGill University in Montreal, on April 27 and 28, 2017: “Vers un modèle collaboratif de l’apprentissage : l’aide à la rédaction pour les étudiant(e)s de français langue seconde.”
Impact of the Project
The results of our year-long study confirmed the importance of thorough training for the consultants working in the writing centre. In order to achieve an adequate level of training and to assure that the writing consultants’ commitment of time and effort is recognized in an equitable manner, we plan on transforming their activities into a paid position in the future.
Furthermore, we have started developing a series of writing workshops inspired by our research into writing centres around North America. These workshops aim to supplement and complement the writing instruction that students receive in the Department of French Studies. The study also clarified which transferable skills are developed by the university’s Writing and Communication Centre and what learning outcomes are best served by the French centre, facilitating collaboration between the two.
References
Project Reference List (PDF)