The University’s Academic Writing Help Centre (AWHC), which is part of the Student Academic Success Service (SASS) is a unique service on campus where students meet one-on-one with writing advisors to acquire the necessary skills, strategies and tools that will enable them to master the written language of their choice.
It was this bilingual aspect of the Centre’s mandate that drew the attention of administrators and professors at the Chowgule College of Goa in India. The College contacted the AWHC’s Manager, Marie-Lise Blain, a year ago to request the use of the Centre’s online resources. In April of this year, they contacted Blain again, this time with a different request.
“The Chowgule College of Goa in India was looking to open its own writing centre, the first in India, and they wanted to collaborate with us and call on our expertise,” explains Blain. “Their goal was to set up a service similar to ours that would help students gain proficiency in English. Ours inspired them because of our vision, method and the fact that we offer bilingual services.”
In July of this year, Marie-Lise Blain made the journey to India for three and a half weeks. While there, she worked with English professors to familiarize them with the University of Ottawa’s teaching method and approach.
“They were extremely welcoming and open to learning new approaches and methods of instruction,” recounts Blain of her experience. “However, what really struck me about the whole experience was that students are the same all over the world. I thought that I would encounter some big differences, but in the end the same learning difficulties were revealed.”
While other Universities around the world are hearing about the University of Ottawa’s Writing Centre, it continues to remain a well kept secret here on campus. It is an important service for students that not only offers personalized appointments with qualified Writing Advisors, but also workshops, a graduate students program a Writing Kit among other online resources and much more.
For more information, visit www.sass.uottawa.ca/writing.
