FREE, FLEXIBLE, & ONLINE 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.
Connect with a tutor
… for writing support
- Register/login to myWCOnline and select the “HUB: Writing & AIM (Summer 2021)” schedule
- Click on an available appointment slot
- Fill out & submit appointment form as required for chosen appointment type
… for French & Spanish
- Register/login to myWCOnline and select the “HUB: Spanish & French (Summer 2021)” schedule
- Click on an available appointment slot
- Fill out & submit appointment form according to the instructions
Summer term writing & language support is available Monday to Friday, times vary:
- Summer T1: May 10-June 25
- Summer T2: July 5-August 20
Please review our policies before booking.
To access the schedules for Writing, Academic Integrity, French, or Spanish, you must first register for a myWCOnline account. Once registered, you can login to book an appointment.
For writing and academic integrity support, we offer two appointment formats: Zoom Meetings (live video chat/synchronous) and eFeedback (non-live, written response/asynchronous). Ensure you are selecting your preferred appointment type.
French & Spanish consultations are by Zoom meeting only.
Have questions or need help booking an appointment? Contact learning.hub@ubc.ca
Our tutors are trained to help you at whatever level you are at and can help you pinpoint your areas of difficulty. However, it is 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
Writing consultations
With online and flexible support from peer writing tutors, 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.
For professional learning support, book with the Learning Strategist
For technology support, contact students.helpdesk@ubc.ca
Access a variety of self-guided learning resources through the Student Learning Hub’s Online Learning Resources on Canvas.
See the other tabs for information on accessing additional writing support, help with citations, and support for non-course work documents.
Try Writeaway!
WriteAway offers free asynchronous writing support to UBC students. 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. Visit WriteAway.ca for more information.
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.
If you are a graduate student, post-doc or faculty member, please make an appointment with the Centre for Scholarly Communication.
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 or academic integrity support.
French and Spanish tutoring
We offer 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.
Great news!
We are now offering limited Spanish & French consultations during the summer terms.
Contact learning.hub@ubc.ca if you have questions.
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. 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.
ELD intake is closed till September 2021. Contact learning.hub@ubc.ca if you are looking for additional support.
Additional Support for English Language Learners
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.
At present, the following will be conducted online through Whereby – a video conferencing platform:
- Tutor interviews
- Learner assessments
- Tutor training
- Match meetings
Tutor support will be offered by phone and email throughout the fall semester.
Interested tutors or learners may contact the Coordinator directly at katia@projectliteracy.ca or at 250-762-2163 ext.3
Appointments are arranged between the tutor and the learner, so there is no need to book an appointment through the Hub online booking system.
In addition to tutoring services at the Student Learning Hub, UBC also offers the Tandem Language Exchange program. The program provides you with an opportunity to teach a language you know and learn a language you want to develop. Meet people from different cultures, improve your language learning outside the classroom, gaining valuable assets for international travel, future employment, or open the door to another culture.
We want to hear from you!
Did you have a great experience? Support not available when you need it?
Whatever the case, let us know! We welcome all feedback about our tutoring services. To share, please email learning.hub@ubc.ca or submit your feedback anonymously.
We can’t do what we do without great student staff. If you want to work in the Hub you should be in the second, third, or fourth year of an undergraduate degree program. Interested applicants must demonstrate:
- A high level of academic achievement, combined with excellent writing and communication skills
- The ability to clearly and concisely explain concepts to their peers
- Excellent communication skills and a friendly and positive attitude
- A desire to provide guidance and help others learn
Tutoring is a supplement to teaching and provides expertise, experience, and encouragement, rather than simply providing answers. Although we generally recruit staff in early spring via the UBC Okanagan Job Board, you are welcome to connect with us about your interest at any time. Check the UBCO Job Board regularly to view any current postings.
Questions? Contact us at learning.hub@ubc.ca
At this time, the Student Learning Hub does not offer any private tutoring services.
We encourage you to make use of the free support provided to you through the Student Learning Hub. For those wishing to engage in course material outside of the classroom we encourage you to check out our online resources.
For those looking for private tutors for hire, you can visit the UBCSUO tutor registry.
Please note that UBC, the UBCSUO, and the Student Learning Hub do not provide any screening or formal interview process for these tutors. It is strongly recommended to ask for sample work, and/or check references prior to working with the tutor.
