The Starr Lab

   The Learning Center.

   217 Roosvelt Hall    951-5624.

In addition to approaching reading in English with near-native skill, ESL students must be able to think deeply and creatively about what they have just read and how it relates to the world around them. They must also be able to write down their thoughts in a way that conveys them clearly. For this reason, good grammar, attention to how arguments should appear on paper, and appreciation for the conventions of written American English are essential.

With this in mind, The Starr ESL Learning Center was created through a corporate grant and is staffed by ESL faculty and several tutors. There are also thirty computers on site. Each semester the Center serves students enrolled in free-standing writing courses (ESL 14.1 and 15.1). Writing students work in small groups for one hour per week; each group selects weekly activities.

The Center also offers conversation groups in which students can improve their oral skills. These weekly groups are made up of three or four students and a tutor.