Tutoring

Tutors, all of whom have a master’s degree in ESL or a related field, are available to work with students on a one-to-one basis to improve their reading, grammar, and writing skills.

Please note that this is not a proof-reading service. Tutors work with students to review their assignments while developing the skills that will allow them to become more proficient readers and writers. Some of the reasons why a student may choose to see a tutor include:

• To brainstorm ideas for a paper
• To review/revise a draft
• To review a professor’s comments and get assistance in rewriting a paper
• To check a student’s understanding of a reading assignment
• To improve a student’s grammar and self-editing skills

It is important that a student come prepared to a tutoring session. This means that they should bring with them a copy of the assignment, all relevant sources and materials, and any notes they have made. The student should also be prepared to take an active role in the session (e.g. asking questions, making suggestions, and making corrections).

Tutoring appointments for 30 or 60 minutes are available Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the fall and spring semesters. Tutoring services are also available during the summer terms, but on a limited basis. Students may receive tutoring for a maximum of one hour per day and two hours per week. In special circumstances, arrangements may be made to tutor Suffolk students who cannot come to the office online. Students who would like to make an appointment can call the Second Language Services office at (617) 573-8677 or stop by the office at 73 Tremont Street, 5th floor.

Make A Referral

We encourage Suffolk personnel, especially instructors, to refer students who demonstrate weakness in their command of English to our services. A student may be referred by filling out a referral form, which can be obtained from a department secretary or by downloading the form. [PDF]

Referring professors will receive periodic evaluations about the student’s usage of our services and their language proficiency.

English 095/096/101 Labs

ENG 101 labs are offered for students taking ENG 101 who need more than occasional tutoring to complete their course work successfully. Students may be placed in ENG 101 plus lab as a result of their admission scores. Professors teaching ENG 101 may also require students to attend the lab. Students taking ENG 101 may also attend an ENG 101 lab voluntarily. The ENG 101 labs are non-credit and no grades are given, but periodic evaluations of student participation will be sent to the students’ ENG 101 professors. Any student interested in an ENG 101 lab, please contact Second Language Services.

We also offer a series of writing labs linked directly to designated sections of ENG 095 and ENG 096 (Developmental English Skills). These labs are meant to support small groups of students in the same section of ENG 095/096 in areas of reading comprehension and writing. Labs meet two hours per week and are non-credit; however, students receive a grade for the lab which is part of their grade for their ENG 095/096 class. All students placed in ENG 095 or ENG 096 are required to take the lab attached to their section.

If you need additional information or help registering for a lab, please contact Janet Oliver at 617-573-8677 or joliver@suffolk.edu

Workshops

Students who are interested in improving a particular skill can work with an instructor in a small, informal group setting. Workshops meet for one hour a week. Attendance is voluntary and no grades or homework are given. We typically offer workshops in TOEFL preparation, pronunciation and accent reduction, informal and classroom Conversation, and reading, vocabulary, and discussion.

Students who would like to join a workshop can call the Second Language Services Office at (617) 573-8677, or stop by the SLS Office at 73 Tremont Street, fifth floor. Spring 2013 workshop times to be announced.