WLC Language Tutor (S99801)
Summary, Scope, and Responsibilities
Student Writing & Language Center (SWLC) language tutors are empathetic listeners, self-reflective learners, and adaptive communicators and collaborators drawn to helping others and who support their peers in entry- and mid-level Spanish, French, Japanese, Chinese, Latin, Greek, German, and Russian language courses at Bates with curiosity, care, and respect for linguistic diversity. They are excited about both the language they are learning and the cultures in which those languages are spoken. Language tutors are not involved in grading or assessing students in any course. Instead, they seek to understand the writing, speaking, listening, studying, and/or reading goals of the language-learner and to ask clarifying questions, provide peer feedback, and suggest tips, tools, tricks, and resources that will support the learner in working independently, authentically, ethically, and collaboratively towards their own languaging goals.
The Basics
Department:Writing and Language Center
Supervisor:
Bridget Fullerton
Office Location:
Coram 221
Email:
bfullert@bates.edu
Pay Grade:
Hours:
3
Workers:
7
Qualifications, Requirements, and Responsibilities
Responsibilities
Language tutors are responsible for
--> attending about 8 hours of pre-semester orientation and training at the start of each semester;
--> working 2 to 4 hours of scheduled shifts in the SWLC each week as a drop-in tutor and/or for scheduled appointments with students during our hours of operation;
--> attending weekly 1 hour staff meetings and/or professional development and training workshops throughout the semester, as well as completing any required preparatory readings or activities;
--> communicating on a regular basis with the language professors and students they support to assure students are aware of the tutor’s availability; this includes conducting an informational class visit to all language classes the tutor supports at the start of each semester;
--> showing up for scheduled shifts and appointments on time or even a few minutes early, and regularly checking in on and communicating with the professional staff about the status of their Penji tutoring appointments, shifts, and schedule changes or additions;
--> completing Client Report Forms and any other written reflections or reports on tutoring sessions in a timely fashion;
--> occasionally, in consultation with a language instructor, a language tutor may design and present a workshop or host an event for students in the language course(s) on a relevant or appropriate topic;
--> respectfully communicating with and responding to the SWLC professional staff, Student Managers, and fellow tutors through assigned email lists and phone/text in an effective and efficient manner;
--> listening to and integrating feedback from the professional staff and Student Managers, fellow tutors, and tutees/clients, and language professors to improve tutoring, collaboration, and professional skills.
Requirements
Generally, language tutors should be confident as multilingual speakers at an intermediate or advanced level and be willing to help beginning level students’ development in oral and written proficiency. Specifically, SWLC language tutors must be sophomores, juniors, or seniors who are majoring or minoring in the language at Bates and who have
--> taken several courses at Bates in the language for which they intend to be a tutor;
--> earned a final grade of B or higher in the last course taken in the language;
--> completed (or be enrolled in) an intermediate or upper-level language course and earned (or earn) a final grade of B in that course;
--> worked hard on improving their own language acquisition process and study skills, as well as their own speaking, reading, listening, and writing skills in the language; and
--> a level of comfort with 100- and 200-level course material and knowledge of grammar and conjugation conventions in the language.
Language tutors will also be
--> empathetic listeners interested in talking to other students about their interest and ideas about the language they are studying;
--> effective communicators willing to improve their tutoring and languaging skills;
--> curious about teaching and tutoring;
--> interested in collaboration, self-reflection, and life-long learning;
--> open to engaging with antiracist and linguistic justice-minded tutoring practices; and
--> willing to take and integrate feedback from professors, supervisors, fellow tutors, and clients/tutees in order to grow and develop as speakers, listeners, writers, and working professionals.
Reporting
All SWLC tutors report to the Director of Student Writing and are expected to communicate with them regularly and efficiently. Though language tutors are hired, trained, and supervised by the professional staff of the SWLC, they will also communicate regularly with language professors and students in language courses about their availability and make at least one class visit to the courses they support to introduce themselves and talk about the SWLC and its services. Language tutors must treat their tutees/clients with respect, confidentiality, and care and participate as peer equals in the collaborative community that includes all writing and language tutors who work in the SWLC. They must also be willing to enthusiastically and respectfully engage with the many other tutors, Resource Representatives, and professional staff who work in Bates’ other learning center in the Peer Learning Commons: the Student Academic Support Center (SASC).
Working Conditions
Language Tutors work closely and in person with students typically for one 1.5 hour shift at a time; sometimes Language Tutors tutor online. Students must be able to sit or stand at a desk for the length of their shifts.