Reading - The key to being a good reader in any language is to read, read, and read some more! Even leisure reading may help you expand your vocabulary, increase your reading speed, and improve your comprehension of written text. Use our library and resources to cultivate strategies that work for you and the different kinds of reading you will be doing in your courses.
Vocabulary - Your coursework will become increasingly rigorous throughout your program. Learning the specialized terminology in your field and academics, in general, will help you understand complex concepts and read and write effectively in your discipline. While inferring meaning from context clues is still valid, notice the jargon used in your field, study it as necessary, and incorporate it into your writing.
Reading Comprehension - College coursework requires a lot of reading, and there's only so much time in a day. Successful students read for understanding by implementing strategies that help them comprehend text as efficiently as possible while retaining the information—learning new terms and making sense of academic jargon while reading is essential. It is just as important to reading actively by paying attention to the features of a given text and using pre-and post-reading strategies.
Note Taking - Interacting with your course content and assigned readings by marking and annotating supports active reading and comprehension. Leverage existing technology to highlight within your e-books and implement note-taking strategies to paraphrase what you read, formulate your thoughts, and draw connections between curricular concepts. Translating into your home language maybe be particularly useful but strive to take notes in the language of instruction to practice new vocabulary and ensure clarity of detail.
Read and Incorporate Feedback - Incorporating feedback from previous assignments will assist you in submitting your highest-quality work. After you generate ideas, create a plan and write the first draft. It can be messy! Review your text with the help of available tools and resources and incorporate the feedback you receive. Finally, when checking your grades and instructor feedback, reach out to your instructor for clarification of any comments you don't understand so that you can implement changes in your next submission. Practice makes progress!
Grammar, Mechanics, and More - Although your instructors will provide written feedback when assessing your work and entering your grades, they generally won't provide exhaustive notes on all the errors they notice. Take control of your writing development by leveraging available resources. Polish your scholarly work with the help of our services which will review your work for grammar, mechanics, and many other elements of writing. Grammarly can be a great support, as is the Writing Coach, who aims to return written feedback in 24-48 hours.
ESL (English as Second Language) Writing Resources
The Writing Center now offers additional support for our diverse student population.
Writing can be challenging; writing in a second language can be even more complicated. The CLU Writing Center is here to help! In our technology-driven world, many online resources assist in writing successfully at the graduate level.
Writing for Audiences in US Academic Settings
OwlPurdue. (2013, June). Writing for audiences in US academic settings [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/vfY_rcAKIAw
How to Incorporate Audiences into your Writing
OwlPurdue. (2013, June). How to incorporate audiences into your writing. [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/vfY_rcAKIAw
Audience: Introduction and Overview
OwlPurdue. (2013, June). Audience: Introduction and overview. [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/4_ypxLRYsrE
The following websites will assist with your grammar and mechanical skills:
Dave's ESL Cafe offers numerous lessons about sentence structure, word use, and more.
Wyzantis a web resource designed with the ESL student in mind. Please visit this resource for mini lessons to assist in mastering the English language. Here you will find lessons on the parts of speech, vocabulary strategies, and much more.
Activities for ESL Studentsis an extensive, diverse collection of prescreened online activities for ESL students of all levels and their instructors and a link to The Internet TESL (teaching English as a second language) Journal.
The following websites will assist with vocabulary and writing:
Common Errors in English Usage is a companion website to Paul Brian’s book; this site highlights some of English's most commonly misused and misunderstood aspects.
Talk English helps students identify, integrate, and understand English through a series of exercises categorized into topics such as interview English, business English, travel English, and more.
Visuwordswill allow you to see the connections between words. Whether a native English speaker or a second language user, this website will allow you to see and make a stronger connection to words.
More resources:
ESL Podcast is a series of podcasts to assist students to learn pronunciation and word usage in a conversational context. The podcasts use current events, pop culture, and typical social situations to illustrate concepts.
