One-On-One Tutoring

What does the English Learning Center provide?

The English Learning Center and ESL lab provide one-on-one tutoring. See the Labs link for information on English 502L and153, and ESL 253L, 254L, 255L, and 502.

What can writing instructional assistants help with?

The Cabrillo College English Learning Center tutors can help with these questions. Any Cabrillo student may come to the English Learning Center to work with a tutor. Students may discuss their writing for any class. When students log in, their instructor receives a referral via email. The writing does not have to be for an English class; students may also bring in essays for financial aid, job, and university applications, or other personal and professional writing projects.

English Learning Center tutors help students choose a focus for their papers and decide what information to include and what information is unnecessary or distracting. We discuss ways to order the information to make the paper as effective as possible. We also help students discover ways to make smooth transitions in ideas and language. If a student has a recurring problem with grammar, the tutor will help the student learn to identify the specific problem and discuss options for correcting it. We encourage students to develop their own writing voices.

What will an instructional assistant not do?

English Learning Center tutors will not proofread papers (go through a paper correcting all grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors). Our goal is to help students improve their writing skills; making corrections for writers does not help them recognize and correct their weaknesses. We discuss effective writing strategies and possible revisions with students. It is up to students to consider our advice and decide what works best for their papers and writing styles.

What is the goal of the English Learning Center?

Our goal is to help students develop their own writing styles. We want students to have a clear understanding of different types of essays and writing techniques so that they can choose what is most effective for a particular piece of writing and its intended audience and purpose.

When a student registers at the English Learning Center, an electronic referral is sent to his or her instructor or instructors.

These no-credit, no-fee labs provide one-on-one tutoring to any Cabrillo student.