Guides: Writing Center / ESL: Overview of Resources

Writing and ESL Help

Spring Semester Updates!

The Writing Center will be open through the end of June from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. M-Th and other times as arranged.

Make appointments or check availability here: https://uncsa.libcal.com/appointments/writingcenter-esl

All posted hours;are subject to change without notice; check on the appointment calendar to book times and ensure available appointments.

For further information about the Writing Center at UNCSA, or to request alternative meeting times, email Nora Streed.

English as a Second Language (ESL)

University of North Carolina School of the Arts provides tutoring in English as a Second Language (ESL) for admitted students who want or need support. In addition to language instruction, we also offer help and support for any international students experiencing culture shock or struggling to adjust to life on campus, in North Carolina, and/or in the US. There are currently no ESL courses offered. Make ESL appointments with Nora Streed here: https://uncsa.libcal.com/appointments/NoraStreed/writingcenter-esl

For further information about the ESL program at UNCSA, contact the ESL Program Director, Nora Streed.

Inclusive Language Resources

The PDF documents below contain some quick reference guides regarding inclusive language. Feel free to print and distribute them if you find them helpful. If you want to discuss inclusive language in your writing or other situations, please feel free to make an appointment to talk to Nora Streed. We're not here to police your writing for political correctness, but rather to help you use language to get your message across in the most accessible, inclusive, and respectful way possible.

Language Matters!
Nobody wants to walk on eggshells for fear that some innocent or well-intended remark will cause offense – or get them fired, or worse. Consider, however, that if you use language that can be considered offensive, cruel, demeaning, or thoughtless, you will very likely be seen as a person who is offensive, cruel, demeaning, and/or thoughtless.
A Brief Glossary
Sometimes it sounds like people are talking another language. This list provides quick definitions of some inclusive terminology you may not have heard used in a particular way before. It is not a list of mandatory substitutions for commonly understood terms, and it is not meant to be a complete list.
What You're Actually Saying When You Ignore Someone's Gender Pronouns
Gender is complicated, and the transgender spectrum might be a whole new concept for you. It’s not important that you understand everything perfectly. It’s important that you listen, and trust that, with time, you will begin to understand.

Writing Resources

Download PDFs with helpful information on the following topics:

Quick Writing Tips for Every Writer
A few tips to help you get started.
Proofreading Guide
Some helpful hints for more effective proofreading.
The Dreaded Apostrophe
Correct apostrophe usage explained, with helpful flowchart.
Tips for Writing Good Emails
Don't waste your time -- or your readers' time -- with poorly written emails.
Comparative Essay Pointers
Here is a handy set of pointers for writing an excellent comparative essay on any subject from our colleagues at the University of Toronto.
An Unusual Way of Speaking, Yoda Has
This 2015 article from The Atlantic briefly explores the grammatical features and linguistic elements that make Yoda sound so alien to English speakers' ears.
The Formatter
By UNCSA School of Filmmaking Professor Joy Goodwin. This is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to format their screenplay properly. I for one can't wait for the movie :)
MFA Thesis Guide.
Please meet with someone in the Writing Center and/or the Library to discuss your thesis plans. We're here to help! This handout offers a quick overview of some common formatting conventions for certain types of thesis projects.

ESL Resources

Use of Articles in English
A useful and concise overview of the rules about the use of definite and indefinite articles in English, from our colleagues at the UNC-Chapel Hill Writing Center's website.
ESL Learning Apps
If you'd like an online ESL learning app, all UNCSA staff, faculty, and students have access to TRANSPARENT via NCLive. There is an English Immersion version for everybody, and special apps aimed at speakers of Chinese (Mandarin), Arabic, Farsi, Hindi, Spanish (both Castilian & Latin American), Urdu, and 26 other languages.

The English Grammar Workbook for Adults by Michael DiGiacomo
ISBN: 1646113195
Publication Date: 2020-06-02
On reserve in the UNCSA Library, this is an engaging, self-guided way to improve your English grammar. The workbook has everything you need to learn essential elements, including nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, tenses, and beyond. Then, you'll apply what you've learned to everyday situations you could encounter at school, at work, social situations, creative writing, online, and more. This clear, concise book is useful for ESL/EFL and other grammar students who want to work on writing English.

Helpful Links

UNC Chapel Hill's Writing Center's website has excellent, relevant, and helpful guides.
George Orwell's classic 1946 essay Politics and the English Language offers some simple strategies for making your own writing stronger, clearer, and more useful to your readers.
Purdue OWL is an excellent resource for MLA formatting guidelines and contains a great deal of high quality reference material.
Grammar Rock videos are fabulous learning tools for basic grammar information. No, really. You might not be able to get the songs out of your head, but that's kind of the idea.
Merriam-Webster's online dictionary is easy to use and contains many helpful articles & videos about word use issues as well as a fun "Word of the Day" app and of course a fully functional online dictionary and thesaurus.
The Story of English. This PBS documentary from 1986 is available here on a YouTube playlist broken up into many 10-minute segments. The companion book is listed below. It's a very good overview of the history of the English language and its proliferation throughout the world. Helps sort out some of the confusion about why English is the way it is.
Free Language Learning Apps! All UNCSA students, staff, and faculty have access via NCLive to TRANSPARENT Language Learning Apps. Go at your own pace and learn one (or more!) of over 100 languages in the app, from Afrikaans to Dakota to Latvian to Quechua to Welsh and Zulu! Also includes English learning apps for non-native English speakers.

Writing Center / ESL