Conversation Partners

To support multilingual writers, the Ott offers the SWELL (Speaking and Writing for English Language Learners) Program.  

Q: What is a SWELL Partner?

A: A trained peer writing tutor who will help you practice and improve your communication skills through careful analysis of samples of your own writing and ongoing conversation.

Q: What are my options for participating?

A: Our SWELL Program has two options.  You can choose one or both:  

  • In the 鈥淲ritten Grammar and Style鈥� component, you will meet weekly for 30 minutes with your SWELL Partner.  At the start of the semester, you will share 3 writing samples with your Partner.  Together you will analyze those writing samples to identify 3-5 goals: those might be patterns of grammatical error or questions of style. Each week you will work on better understanding those issues of grammar and style and putting that understanding to use in revising your own prose.  Please note: Your SWELL Partner will not proofread documents for you, but will help you learn to revise your own work. 
  • In the 鈥淐onversation Partner鈥� program, you will meet weekly for 30 minutes with your SWELL Partner. At the start of the semester, you鈥檒l set some goals for your conversational skills: Do you want to practice casual conversation?  Do you want to work on more formal spoken English?  Do you want to watch clips of movies or tv shows and ask questions about pop culture references or current events?  Whatever your goals, your SWELL partner will give you encouragement and corrective feedback along the way.  Please note: If you would like to attend Conversation Partner meetings with a friend, that is entirely welcome. 

Q: What kind of commitment is required?

A:  We ask you to commit to meeting once a week for the full semester.  Of course we can be flexible if you鈥檙e traveling out of town or facing difficult deadlines, but we ask for consistent participation because ongoing, regular practice is an important part of improving written and spoken language skills.  Your SWELL Partner will best be able to learn your strengths and help you with your struggles when you work together over time.    

Q: When and where?

A: You'll meet at the same time each week, always with your same SWELL Partner. You鈥檒l be matched with a trained peer writing tutor available at times you suggest.  During the Spring 2021 semester, all meetings are online. 

Q: How do I get involved?

Please fill out to express your interest.