Writing & language tutoring
The Student Learning Hub offers support for students looking to improve their writing and language skills in English and additional languages.
For assistance with citation and avoiding plagiarism, refer to our Academic Integrity Matters (AIM) program.
Writing consultations
We provide peer support in-person and online for undergraduate students at all levels working on any kind of writing assignment for any UBC Okanagan class in any discipline.
Our consultants can assist writers with all stages of the writing process:
- developing a draft
- clarifying an argument
- organizing written materials
- understanding editing techniques and effective sentence structures
- building beneficial writing habits
Consultants will listen carefully, answer questions about how to approach different types of writing assignments, and provide feedback regarding how a reader experiences the writing.
If you are an undergraduate student working on a graduate school application, Honors thesis, or paper for publication, please contact learning.hub@ubc.ca.
See our faculty resources to learn more about how best to refer students for writing support.
Appointments
Appointments available Monday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. during the following dates:
Winter Term 1: September 16 to November 29
Winter Term 2: January 20 to April 9
We recommend booking an appointment in advance, but feel free to stop by the Hub in LIB 237 to ask about walk-in availability.
During appointments, you can expect to be an active participant in the learning process.
To make the most of your time:
- Book well in advance to ensure a consultation time.
- Bring assignment sheets or instructions and any prior feedback from the instructor.
- Bring the document with you (printed or on a laptop); to avoid possible viruses on our computers, please do not bring your document on a USB.
- Because time is limited, bring questions about your major concerns to focus the appointment. Particularly if the document is long, it may not be possible to review the entire document.
- Please take a moment to review our policies before you book an appointment.
Online writing support
Upload your undergraduate-level course-related writing assignments at any time of day during Winter and Summer Terms. No appointment is needed. Please allow a minimum of 48 hours (may be longer during peak times) for a tutor to provide feedback on your writing.
Additional writing resources
If you need assistance with citations, you may drop in to the Library front desk at any time.
If you are a graduate student, post-doc or faculty member, please make an appointment with the Centre for Scholarly Communication.
French and Spanish tutoring
We offer appointment-based support for all undergraduate students enrolled in French and Spanish classes at UBC Okanagan.
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
Appointments
Appointments available Monday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. during the following dates:
Winter Term 1: September 16 to November 29
Winter Term 2: January 20 to April 9
French and Spanish Tutors must be booked at least two days ahead. They are not available for drop-in appointments.
Please take a moment to review our policies before you book an appointment.
During appointments, you can expect to be an active participant in the learning process.
To make the most of your appointment time, bring assignment instructions or prior feedback to the session.
Additional language resources
In addition to tutoring services at the Student Learning Hub, UBC also offers the Tandem Language Exchange program, where you can teach a language you know and learn a language you want to develop.
English language development
In recognition of the academic excellence and rich diversity that students with language backgrounds other than English bring to our campus, we have developed 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.
Appointments
Appointments available Monday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. during the following dates:
Winter Term 1: September 16 to November 29
Winter Term 2: January 20 to April 9
We recommend booking an appointment in advance, but feel free to stop by the Hub in LIB 237 to ask about walk-in availability.
During the first/intake appointment, the consultant will establish goals with the learner and create a schedule of repeat appointments. Please take a moment to review our policies before you book an appointment.
During appointments, you can expect to be an active participant in the learning process.
To make the most of your appointment time, bring assignment instructions or prior feedback to the session.
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.
After training, Project Literacy tutors will arrange appointments with their assigned learners. These appointments will be arranged between the tutor and the learner, so there is no need to book an appointment through the online booking system.
Tutor and learner recruitment will take place at events on campus in September and January. Additionally, interested learners and tutors can email:
Education Coordinator
Project Literacy Central Okanagan Society
admin@projectliteracy.ca
