https://padlet.com/montg301/wamagtnqiagx0uc7 See discussion questions. en-us 2021-11-15 15:11:53 UTC 2026-02-25 00:48:04 UTC hello@padlet.com montg301 https://padlet.com/montg301/wamagtnqiagx0uc7/wish/1891547390 Reflect on experiences that you’ve had working with consultations on language-specific feedback:

• What kind of language points did you address and work through? 
• How did you feel about working through those points? 
• If you were to have done that consultation again, would you have wanted to approach the session in a different way? 
• Are there any resources you think would have been helpful to you when working through that language point?

]]> 2021-11-15 15:12:44 UTC https://padlet.com/montg301/wamagtnqiagx0uc7/wish/1891547390 https://padlet.com/montg301/wamagtnqiagx0uc7/wish/1902866071 Often times in a consultation, a client might say something like, "My professor tells me my grammar is really bad. If you see anything, let me know." This makes me feel sad at first because the client has been told that they're "bad" at something, and they don't have the confidence or feeling that their writing is good. ]]> 2021-11-19 20:05:34 UTC https://padlet.com/montg301/wamagtnqiagx0uc7/wish/1902866071 https://padlet.com/montg301/wamagtnqiagx0uc7/wish/1902873270 I actually have a quite a few returning clients who want to work specifically on grammar. As I get back into the rhythm of consulting, I've been trying to be really intentional with how I approach these sessions. In general, I don't think that there's anything wrong with helping with grammar, but I want to make sure that I don't erase student voice. I struggle with navigating departmental pressures because I know that students might be penalized for not having perfect grammar, and I have to remember that I can't fix a department in one session. Other than that, I'm currently thinking about how I can bring more student agency into these sessions, and sort of explain institutional harm and that there is no one perfect way of writing, without taking on the role of a "savior." ]]> 2021-11-19 20:10:58 UTC https://padlet.com/montg301/wamagtnqiagx0uc7/wish/1902873270 https://padlet.com/montg301/wamagtnqiagx0uc7/wish/1902874830 I know that I've worked with plenty of people who come in asking for help on grammar, but the challenge for me is making sure that I don't erase their voice from their paper while also maintaining clarity for their readers. I do wish that when starting out, I didn't stick to this preset guidelines of what grammar is and how a sentence should look like rather than what the writer wanted it to sound like from their own perspective. I feel like more resources into how to do that would've been nice when I was a newer consultant, but resources currently that I'd think is useful would be knowing how to find the balance with language. ]]> 2021-11-19 20:12:07 UTC https://padlet.com/montg301/wamagtnqiagx0uc7/wish/1902874830 https://padlet.com/montg301/wamagtnqiagx0uc7/wish/1902875930 In the past, when clients come to me asking for grammar help, I usually try to focus my "help" on passages that could be hard to understand/could be misinterpreted, and then I explain the grammatical principle instead of just making changes to the writing. ]]> 2021-11-19 20:12:56 UTC https://padlet.com/montg301/wamagtnqiagx0uc7/wish/1902875930 https://padlet.com/montg301/wamagtnqiagx0uc7/wish/1902876651 If I could return to past consultations, I would have asked where the expectation of this "correct English" came from—the professor's feedback or the student's own expectations for how they need to engage in writing practices. I think resources for how to navigate students' fears about grades or not being taken seriously by professors because of their language would be helpful. ]]> 2021-11-19 20:13:30 UTC https://padlet.com/montg301/wamagtnqiagx0uc7/wish/1902876651 https://padlet.com/montg301/wamagtnqiagx0uc7/wish/1902876720 I tend to not comment on grammar/mechanics really at all unless asked. I usually try to focus on creating clarity of language and really emphasize the writer/audience relationship. However, I never really feel 100% "good" about this strategy, even though it's what I've found works best? It always feels like we're "working on grammar" without actually working on grammar. This gets especially strange when clients insist on working on grammar when their grammar and clarity is actually "fine" but there are other issues that seem like they're in much more pressing need of attention. I toy around with the idea of having conversations about linguistic justice, discrimination, the role of interlocking systems of oppression that are expressed through the standardization of language (esp. when it comes to voice and "style"), but I can't help but feel like to have that conversation, especially with students are multilingual writers, English language learners, or from other backgrounds that are systemically harmed by these standards, comes across as super paternalistic and extremely privileged coming from someone who does have knowledge about how to navigate these discourse communities.]]> 2021-11-19 20:13:34 UTC https://padlet.com/montg301/wamagtnqiagx0uc7/wish/1902876720 tweedleb https://padlet.com/montg301/wamagtnqiagx0uc7/wish/1902877022 if i could redo a consultation I would ask why the client feels as if their writing is not natural or what they mean by wanting it to feel natural. Sometimes I let my subconscious bias get in the way of realizations in conversation like this - the realization that the client is feeling that their writing is unnatural. ]]> 2021-11-19 20:13:47 UTC https://padlet.com/montg301/wamagtnqiagx0uc7/wish/1902877022 https://padlet.com/montg301/wamagtnqiagx0uc7/wish/1902878053 i often have consultations with clients who want to work on grammar, and it is difficult for me to approach. i know and believe in the writing center's values, but i also understand the students' place in the university. i try to provide students with a few helpful concrete things they can work on, so i'm not  correcting their work but i'm helping teach them strategies they can use in the future. i like talking about grammar but i try to be intentional about it! ]]> 2021-11-19 20:14:34 UTC https://padlet.com/montg301/wamagtnqiagx0uc7/wish/1902878053 https://padlet.com/montg301/wamagtnqiagx0uc7/wish/1902883043 Reflecting on these language points, I realized that I have started to connect language and accessibility. For example, I have given writers audio tools (to hear their text read aloud) as a different way to engage with their writing. Particularly, communication in different ways, collaboration, and how we engage in conversation with writers are in the forefront for me. ]]> 2021-11-19 20:18:29 UTC https://padlet.com/montg301/wamagtnqiagx0uc7/wish/1902883043