Two students sit on concrete steps inside the Fipke building. In the forebround, a student with blonde hair and a grey cloth mask looks down at their laptop. In the background, a student with pink hair does the same.

FREE & FLEXIBLE SUPPORT FOR

WRITING & LANGUAGE

The Student Learning Hub at UBC’s Okanagan campus provides free writing and language support for undergraduate students. Join us and develop your confidence, independence, and proficiency in academic communication. Don’t wait—successful learners access support early and often.

If you are in need of writing support over the summer months, please email the Student Learning Hub at learning.hub@ubc.ca.

Connect with a consultant

Access free support for writing, French, Spanish, and English communication

Writing consultations

Improve your academic writing skills at any stage of the writing process

French & Spanish support

Increase your confidence & proficiency in French or Spanish

English language development

Practice speaking skills & gain confidence communicating in English

Connect with a consultant

Book a writing or language consultation now!

LOGIN TO QRESERVE

Login with your CWL and access the “UBCO-Student Learning Hub” site.

First-time user or need help booking?

VIEW OUR QRESERVE GUIDE

If you have trouble accessing QReserve or need help booking an appointment, please contact learning.hub@ubc.ca.

Appointment format options

There are a variety of ways that writing and language consultants can support you.
You can select which option works for you when you book your appointment through QReserve.

  • Asynchronously through E-feedback
    Although this option does not involve meeting with your consultant, it must still be scheduled through QReserve. Once you’ve booked your appointment and uploaded your paper, you will receive an E-feedback letter from your consultant within three hours after your scheduled appointment slot.
  • In-person at the Student Learning Hub (LIB 237)
    It’s always best to book your in-person appointment through QReserve in advance as consultants can book up and are not always available for drop-in appointments.
  •  Online through Zoom
    This is a virtual, scheduled appointment where you and your consultant will connect online through Zoom.
  • Hybrid: online and in-person 
    When consultants have hybrid written next to their name on the QReserve schedule, this means that the consultant is available to support you both online and in-person. You will be able to select which mode works best for you.
Book your appointment

Writing consultations

With support from a peer writing consultant, you can sharpen your drafting, writing, and revising skills while learning strategies for navigating the confusing world of academic writing.

Undergraduate students from every discipline, working on any type of written course assignment (or presentation), are welcome. Get support for all stages of the writing process:

  • developing a draft
  • clarifying an argument
  • organizing written materials
  • understanding editing techniques
  • creating effective sentence structures
  • integrating sources
  • maintaining academic integrity
  • building beneficial writing habits

Our tutors focus on you, the writer, not the paper, and thus don’t “edit” or “proofread.” Instead, they listen/read carefully, answer questions about approaching different types of writing assignments, and provide feedback on how a reader experiences your writing.

To book with a writing consultant:

Login to QReserve

The above link will take you directly to the Writing consultant calendar. Alternatively, you can login to  access.qreserve.com/ ubcostudentlearninghub and locate “Writing Consultations” in the list of services. Hovering your cursor over the title will show you a Calendar link to view the Writing Consultation schedule.

Additional resources & FAQs:

French and Spanish consultations

 Available now for Winter Term 2!

We offer support for all undergraduate students enrolled in Spanish and French classes at UBC Okanagan. This term we are please to be able to offer Japanese support as well. The tutors will assist students in understanding how to:

    • use reference tools effectively to access the grammatical concepts needed to resolve specific language issues
    • understand language conventions for sentences, punctuation and spelling
    • practice pronunciation

To book with a language consultant:

Login to QReserve

The above link will take you directly to calendar for language appointments. Alternatively, you can login to access.qreserve.com/ ubcostudentlearninghub. Locate “Language Consultations” in the list of services. Hovering your cursor over the title will show you a Calendar link to view the language consultant schedule.

 

English Language Development

In recognition of the academic excellence and rich diversity that students with language backgrounds other than English bring to our campus, the Student Learning Hub offers free English language acquisition supports for students.

We offer peer support to develop English speaking skills so students feel more confident presenting their work, participating in class and conversing with classmates and instructors. Our specially trained consultants provide you with a comfortable, informal environment for you to practice, ask questions, and get individualized support for your unique needs.

Intake for ELD support is open for the 2024-2025 Academic Year. If you are interested in English Language Development support, please fill out the form below and a consultant will reach out to you:

Request ELD Support

English Language Conversation Circle

A blue gradient background with an image showing line drawing icons of four people around a speech bubble and the student learning hub and center for scholarly communication logos

Do you want to practice your English speaking skills? Join our English Conversation Circle

In this friendly and relaxed learning environment, you will have the opportunity to practice speaking English with other learners.

These sessions open to anyone at UBC Okanagan who would like conversational speaking practice, including undergraduate students, graduate students, and post-doctoral fellows.

Come and join us to practice your English speaking skills in a comfortable and supportive setting.

Learn more and register

Additional Support for English Language Learners

English as an Additional Language (EAL) for Work-Life Success

English as an Additional Language (EAL) for Work-Life Success is a series of three twelve-week English courses (36 hours total per course) designed to build language skills and confidence communicating in the workplace and other areas of life. Learners will gain new English skills, learning strategies, and a greater understanding of how communication works in Canadian workplaces. In addition, learners will practice new language while working in pairs and teams to explore work-related topics and problems.

Learn more about EAL for Work-Life Success

Project Literacy

A community partnership between UBC Okanagan Library and Project Literacy Central Okanagan Society has enabled Project Literacy to bring their One to One Tutoring Program for English language acquisition to the UBC Okanagan campus. Each Winter Term (September and January intakes), the Project Literacy Education Coordinator will organize up to 20 tutor/learner matches. The Coordinator will arrange to meet with each learner to help them determine their goals and objectives, as well as assess their baseline literacy skills.

Appointments are arranged between the PL tutor and the learner, so do not book through the Student Learning Hub online booking system. 

LEARN MORE about Project Literacy

Our Philosophy

Linguistic Justice, Language Awareness, and Plurilingualism  

Language has historically been used as a tool of oppression against Indigenous Peoples in Canada and people of the global majority worldwide. We acknowledge that the UBC Okanagan campus is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Syilx Peoples, speakers of the nsyilxcən language. We also recognize and value that there are many Indigenous languages, traditional knowledges, and ways of being.  

We reject the claim that standard academic English is the only correct form of English. We affirm the value of multiple Englishes in a global academic setting as well as a learner’s right to make language choices and use their own English in their communication (National Council of Teachers of English [NCTE], 1974). 

We acknowledge the inherent value of linguistic and cultural diversity in research and challenge educational practices that disadvantage multilingual learners (CCCC, 2020). We aim to empower multilingual learners to develop their voice in their work and make language choices in their writing and academic communication. We use evidence-based communicative practices that are centred on the learners’ goals. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Tips on preparing for my session?

Our consultants are trained to help you at the level you are at and can help you pinpoint your areas of difficulty. However, it’s important that you share some written work with your tutor so they can accurately assess and address your unique needs and goals.

Whether you are just getting started or in final revisions, prepare to share or provide your tutor with:

  • The assignment description and/or rubrics (as provided by your instructor)
  • Anything you’ve completed so far (ex. a rough plan, a full draft, a brainstorm or mindmap, or even a sentence!)
  • All questions and concerns you would like to address

Need citation help?

The Student Learning Hub tutors will not assist with citation questions or reference list formatting as our campus library already provides excellent citation and research support. If you need assistance with citations, contact the library through this form or find your subject librarian.

Have a quick citation question? Get support from AskAway a live chat service that connects you with librarians from across British Columbia.

Are you a graduate student?

If you are a graduate student, post-doc, or faculty member, please make an appointment with the Centre for Scholarly Communication.

Working on a grad school application, Honors thesis, or paper for publication?

If you are an undergraduate student working on a graduate school application, Honors thesis, or paper for publication, please contact learning.hub@ubc.ca.

Looking to refer a student?

See our faculty resources to learn more about how best to refer students for writing or academic integrity support.