The EAP center provides workshops to ESL (English as a second language) students, writing tutors, and faculty members in addition to working with students and faculty individually.
If you need an individual consultation, please contact Tingting Kang.
Teaching Suggestions*
- Remove unnecessary barriers that disadvantage international students
- Find a text that covers the material but does so in a clear, accessible way
- Make sure assessment prompts are clear and easy understood
- Design welcoming discussions
- Ask students to refer to some writing or reading that they did in preparation for the class
- Offer a key question in multiple forms (e.g. say it out loud and write it on the board)
- Invite all students to take a minute and write a response to the question
- Ensure that all students start discussion with something concrete to refer to
- Create opportunities to improve
- Break assignments into phases where students can brainstorm, draft, receive feedback, revise, and edit
- Allow multiple moments for you to intervene in the students’ process throughout the semester
- During assessment, stay focused on your class goals
- When reading a student’s paper with the aim of giving feedback, focus on what you are understanding instead of what seems to be missing.
- Write (or say) back to them what it is you think they’re saying instead of merely commenting, “I don’t understand” or “unclear.”
- Remember to return to your class’s goals. Is the student responding to the assignment? Is the student critically analyzing the content? Offer feedback on those larger issues as well as on their errors.
- Become familiar with resources for your multilingual students
- English for Academic Purpose (EAP) Center
- College Writing Program
- International Student Office
Resource Library
Resource Library located in the EAP center is available and free to all the Lafayette College students. These books are great resources for:
- Academic Listening
- Academic Reading
- Academic Speaking
- Academic Writing
- Tutoring ESL Writing
Click here to see the book list.
Academic Reading Resources
Reading appropriate academic articles intensively and extensively is one of the best ways to improve academic reading and writing skills.
Click here to see a list of academic journals and other reading resources recommended by the faculty members at the Lafayette College.
*References:
Carroll, J., & Ryan, J. (2005). Teaching international students: Improving learning for all. Routledge.
Jimenez, F. (2017). Creating linguistically inclusive classrooms. Inside Higher Ed.