Abstract

To support international students using English as a second language, many universities now provide access to one-to-one writing tutorials with language teaching specialists. Although writing tutorials have become widespread, the current study is one of very few investigations into their interactional unfolding. This study examines advice giving as an interactional practice in 21 video recorded writing tutorials at a British university. Using Conversation Analysis and drawing upon Membership Categorisation Analysis, this study highlights two main contextual features of writing tutorials. First, advice is given in a context in which students can make use of two advising bodies for their studies; writing tutors and academic tutors. Second, although the writing tutors cannot give definitive advice on some issues raised by students and defer to their academic tutor, there still remains an interactional opportunity to offer some alternative forms of support during the tutorial. This study will primarily focus on the writing tutors’ post-deferral supporting practices. Despite claims that the writing tutors’ lack of subject-specific knowledge can lead to ineffective support, this study argues that writing tutorials with generalist language teaching specialists are a valuable site for international students to develop institutional knowledge that can support effective contact with academic tutors.

摘要

为了支持使用英语作为第二语言的国际学生，许多大学现在都提供语言教学专家一对一的写作教程。尽管写作教程已经广泛传播，但是当前的研究是对其互动性展开的极少数研究之一。这项研究在英国一所大学的21个视频录制的写作教程中考察了作为互动实践提供的建议。本研究使用“对话分析”并利用“成员资格分类分析”，重点介绍了写作教程的两个主要上下文特征。首先，在学生可以利用两个咨询机构进行学习的情况下提供建议。写作导师和学术导师。第二，尽管写作导师不能就学生提出的某些问题给出确切的建议并服从他们的学术导师，但仍然存在一个互动的机会，可以在教程期间提供一些替代形式的支持。这项研究将主要侧重于写作导师的递延后支持实践。尽管声称写作导师缺乏特定学科的知识会导致无效的支持，但这项研究认为，通才语言教学专家撰写的教程是国际学生发展机构知识的宝贵站点，这些知识可以支持与学术导师的有效联系。这项研究将主要侧重于写作导师的递延后支持实践。尽管声称写作导师缺乏特定学科的知识会导致无效的支持，但这项研究认为，通才语言教学专家撰写的教程是国际学生发展机构知识的宝贵站点，这些知识可以支持与学术导师的有效联系。这项研究将主要侧重于写作导师的递延后支持实践。尽管声称写作导师缺乏特定学科的知识会导致无效的支持，但这项研究认为，通才语言教学专家撰写的教程是国际学生发展机构知识的宝贵站点，这些知识可以支持与学术导师的有效联系。