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Multilingual Support

The Institute for Writing and Rhetoric provides a variety of support for undergraduate students and graduate students who use English as an additional language, and for faculty members working with students who use English as an additional language.

Support for Undergraduate Students

Undergraduate students seeking advice on writing should visit our online writing materials, and take advantage of the services provided by RWIT.

RWIT (the Student Center for Research, Writing, and Information Technology) offers support to all students seeking to improve their writing. To make an appointment (and to learn more about this valuable service) visit the RWIT  website.

Support for Graduate Students

At Dartmouth, multilingual graduate students have a unique and valuable resource: the support of a multilingual writing specialist. Dr. Michelle Cox, a scholar in multilingual writing and rhetoric, is available to provide support on:

• Seminar papers and presentations
• Articles written for publication
• Theses and dissertations
• Conference proposals and presentations
• Grant applications
• Application letters, resumes, and CVs

While Dr. Cox does not edit students' writing or provide grammar exercises, meeting with Dr. Cox to review a draft of your work will help you become a more adept and fluent English user.

To make an appointment, contact Dr. Cox at least 24 hours before your desired meeting time at michelle.cox@dartmouth.edu. Students may request a one-time conference or regular conferences (weekly or biweekly). Conferences are held in Baker 205 and generally last 60 minutes. Dr. Cox offers two types of conferences:

Writing conferences: During writing conferences, Dr. Cox helps students move through the process of writing, focusing on the students' questions and concerns. You may meet with the multilingual specialist at any point in the writing process – from brainstorming, to drafting, to finalizing a draft. Dr. Cox does not edit students' writing, but helps students learn to identify and edit grammatical issues in their own writing. For writing conferences, be sure to bring:

• Two copies of a current draft of your writing (or email a copy before your meeting and bring your laptop)
• An assignment description (the instructions your professor gave you for this project)
• Any feedback your professor has given you to earlier drafts of the same piece of writing or to former assignments (to give Dr. Cox a sense of how this professor responds to your writing and what he/she values in writing)

Oral presentation conferences: During oral presentation conferences, Dr. Cox helps students communicate more effectively to the audience. You may meet with Dr. Cox at any point in the process – from preparing a conference proposal, to drafting (whether it be in the form of an outline, a paper, PowerPoint slides, or a poster), to practicing delivery. For oral presentation conferences, be sure to bring:

• Either the assignment description or the conference announcement and presentation guidelines
• Any materials you've prepared for the presentation

If you are seeking support for conversational English, contact the Language And Cultural Exchange (LACE) program at Pluralism.and.Leadership.Office@Dartmouth.edu.

Faculty Support

For faculty working with graduate students who use English as an additional language, Dr. Michelle Cox is available to:

• Work with faculty to help them support a multilingual graduate student, which may include analyzing student writing, discussing signs of progress, and discussing approaches to supporting the student.
• Work with faculty to share and develop pedagogical strategies that support multilingual writers
• Direct faculty to literature on specific issues related to multilingual writing, such as aspects of second language writing development or pedagogical approaches to working with multilingual students.

Contact Information for the Multilingual Writing Specialist:

Michelle Cox, PhD
Multilingual Writing Specialist
Institute for Writing and Rhetoric
Room 205 Baker Library
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH 03755
Phone: 603-646-9843
Email: michelle.cox@dartmouth.edu