Sunday, May 18, 2008
Student Union Building, Upper (Queensborough Community College)
98

Teaching Scientific Writing to Second-Language Students

Mark Kobrak, Brooklyn College and The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, Brooklyn, NY

Learning the conventions of scientific writing is a challenge for any student, but students non-native speakers of English are at a significant disadvantage. The conventions of basic collegiate writing are often violated when discussing technical questions, and the extended vocabulary necessary for scientific presentations is an additional challenge. We review the existing literature on the teaching of writing to non-native speakers, and discuss strategies for providing support to these students.