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THE ROLE OF WRITING CENTERS AT ACCREDITED U.S. UNIVERSITIES IN NON-ANGLOPHONE CONTEXTS

Shaana Aljoe

Abstract

The link between American accredited universities in non-English speaking contexts and the creation of traditionally staffed writing centers is examined in relation to enhancing student engagement. Although writing centers have become fairly commonplace as any other ‘academic’ subject at many universities in the US, there seems to be a deficit in writing center provision at universities outside of the Anglophone context. Research suggests that students are unaware of their need for writing assistance at universities when writing in their second or third language, so the need to establish writing support centers could be a significant factor. Many students attending English-medium universities in non-English speaking contexts are unfamiliar with the concept of academic institutional accreditation and the existence of ‘degree mills’ which can make it difficult to discern and expensive for the unwitting prospective student. This paper argues that the presence of a university writing center could be a persuasive indicator of a reputable university because it evidences an institution’s cogent commitment to improving student outcomes.

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DOI resolver: doi.org/10.5593/SGEMSOCIAL2015/B12/S3.141

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