Blog #6

The readings for Wednesday's class, both the article and the chapter from Ryan's book, focused on how to and how not to handle specific situations as a tutor. The article was specifically focusing on how to handle a situation with an ESL or ELL writer. The article stressed what to mention and what not to mention. It also talked about what aspects of the writing you should focus on and what aspects you should not focus on. The article stressed that in order for an ELL writer to be successful they do not have to write like a ENS would. The article said that minor mistakes are okay and asked the question does it have to grammatically fit into the mold that we have for a proper paper. I find this stance on the issue a little bit frusterating because I feel that an ELL will want there paper to be grammatically perfect and natural sounding because that is what they beleive their instructor will want. I feel that it is far overstepping the boundaries of the tutor to choose not to focus on grammar and other surface issues while working with an ELL writer, unless we are explicetly told not too, because it is the tutor that these ELL writers are turning to for help with the technicalities of the English language. For me it goes back to what we decided earlier this year, which is that the tutor should do his or her best to make the paper as good as it can be in the eyes of the writer. It is situational. If the writer wants to focus on grammar than that is what the tutor should focus on.
The section from Ryan's book was about how to act and how not to act in response to writers anxiety, stress, and other complications. Once again in this situation the tutor must read the writer and be able to responde accordingly. It is situational. Every session will be different and the tutor must responde as they see fit, not according to the perscribed response that they read in a textbook.