Abstract:
ABSTRACT
A CRITICAL APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING ESL LEARNERS‟
EXPECTATIONS AND PREFERENCES IN TUTORING WRITING
by
© Stephanie A. Quinley
Master of Arts in Teaching International Languages
California State University, Chico
Fall 2011
Despite the increasing prevalence of English-as-a-Second-Language writing centers on university campuses, there is a lack of research addressing the cultural implications of tutoring students from other countries. This study aims to contribute to the research base by taking a critical look at tutoring Chinese and Saudi Arabian international students in writing, with the theoretical basis that their expectations and preferences of tutoring composition are influenced by the rhetoric and discourse styles of their home countries. From a review of the literature, hypotheses of the two culture groups‟ expectations and preferences are drawn. Actual student input is then collected and analyzed through a written questionnaire. The comparison-contrast of the literature and data reveal a mismatch between the expected outcomes and actual student input, indicating that the two culture groups are open to a „Western‟ approach to tutoring.
