Showing posts with label Writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Writing. Show all posts

Monday, July 19, 2021

Registration and testing now for free English classes at Church of the Ascension in Oakland.

Registration and testing is now open for free English classes at the Church of the Ascension in Oakland. From a July 16 Facebook post:
We are registering students now and testing them for FREE English classes for internationals. We offer levels 0-6 mostly in person on Monday mornings (9:00 am), Wednesday evenings (6:30 pm) and Thursday evenings (6:30 pm) starting September 13, 15, 16th and some classes online. You can attend one or three classes a week. We offer citizenship classes for levels 2 and 3, writing, speaking, listening and speaking, grammar and speaking, and pronunciation and speaking. We also offer special clubs and field trips and some one on one conversation partners. Contact Pittsburghenglish4u@gmial.com or contact us through church of the Ascension on Ellsworth Avenue in North Oakland (4729 Ellsworth) . All books are secular; however, English learner Bible studies are also offered on various days.
More information is available on the church's website. Those interested should contact Pittsburghenglish4u@gmail.com.

Monday, January 27, 2020

International Cafe, "Building Blocks: Writing Solid Paragraphs," January 31 at Pitt.



The University of Pittsburgh's Writing Center will hold its next International Cafe on January 31 on the topic of "Building Blocks: Writing Solid Paragraphs."
Paragraphs are the building blocks of argumentative essays, but they are often very tough to write. it's easy to digress or fall into paraphrase, and even easier to not indicate the purpose of the paragraph and how it fits in with the paragraphs around it. Come to find out more about how to write strong, evidence-based paragraphs.
It runs from 3:30 to 4:30 pm in the University of Pittsburgh Writing Center and is free and open to the Pitt community.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

International Writing Cafe: "Journaling Your Way to Writing Success," October 18 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Writing Center will host its next International Writing Cafe session, titled "Journaling Your Way to Writing Success," on October 18.
You might find that your instructor gives you a writing assignment, and you have no idea how to start. Or maybe you feel you don’t have enough practice writing, only opening up a document when your teacher asks you, but not quite finding confidence in your writing.

In this International Café, students will learn about effective informal journaling strategies that can be incorporated into anyone’s regular writing practice. Students will discuss models for journaling, and practice writing a journal entry that can help them move toward successful writing. **Students who participate in this Café will be offered written feedback from the facilitator, handed back at our Nov. 1 session.** Facilitated by Rachel McTernan.

Thursday, October 3, 2019

International Writing Cafe: "Go with the Flow," October 4 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Writing Center will host its next International Writing Cafe session, titled "Go with the Flow," on October 4.
Have you received feedback from your instructor telling you that your paragraph or essay needed more “flow”? “Flow” in writing usually refers to the smooth and clear movement from one idea to the next. But how can we achieve good flow when we sit down to write or revise? This Café session will provide students useful strategies in syntax and organization for making sure your writing flows from beginning to end. Students will practice identifying flow in writing, and will try their hand at writing a paragraph with different kinds of flow. Facilitated by Sam Pittman.

Monday, September 10, 2018

"International Café: A Café for Critical Reading," September 14 at Pitt.



The University of Pittsburgh's Writing Center will host "International Café: A Café for Critical Reading" as the first meeting of this series for international students.
Has your instructor ever said, “don’t summarize the reading; instead analyze it?” How does a person read analytically? And why do so? In fact, those questions—how and why—are two keys to reading analytically, critically, creatively, and actively.

This session will introduce crucial steps in reading for the purpose of writing about a text. You are invited to bring us a text (essay, poem, story, or some other) that your course requires you to write about, or one that you want to write about, and you’ll get the practice you need to read—analytically, creatively, critically, and actively.

This session is facilitated by Marylou Gramm.
The workshop runs from 3:30 to 4:30 pm in the Writing Center, located at 317B O'Hara Student Center (map). It is free and open to Pitt students.

Thursday, January 25, 2018

International Café: "Proof Positive: Quick Proofreading and Editing Strategies" at Pitt, January 26.

The University of Pittsburgh's Writing Center will host its next International Cafe workshop, "Proof Positive: Quick Proofreading and Editing Strategies," on January 26.
How can you become a better editor of your own work while you’re writing? What strategies can you use to proofread your own writing once you’ve already produced a draft? At this International Café, we’ll learn and apply specific strategies for editing and proofreading, and learn the difference between the two. We’ll also address some of the most common language troubles International Students face in their writing.

You are encouraged to come with a paragraph of your own in-progress writing to work on your independent editing and proofreading skills.
The workshop runs from 3:30 to 4:30 pm in the Writing Center, located at 317B O'Hara Student Center (map). It is free and open to Pitt students.

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

International Café: “Write Up, Speak Up: Practicing Your Presentation Skills” at Pitt, December 1.

The University of Pittsburgh's Writing Center will hold its next International Cafe workshop, "International Café: “Write Up, Speak Up: Practicing Your Presentation Skills," on December 1. The workshop runs from 3:30 to 4:30 pm in the Writing Center, located at 317B O'Hara Student Center (map). It is free and open to Pitt students.

Monday, November 13, 2017

"Using Quotations to Generate Ideas" at University of Pittsburgh Writing Center's International Cafe, November 17.



The University of Pittsburgh's Writing Center will host its next International Cafe session on November 17, on the topic if "Using Quotations to Generate Ideas." International Cafe workshops are designed to "tackle some of the difficulties of writing and using English as a non-native speaker."
Supporting our ideas; providing evidence; stating an opponent's position---these are all some uses of quotations in our writing. But did you know that you can use quotations to generate new ideas for your essays? No matter what stage of the writing process you're in, come to this active workshop to learn and practice techniques for productively interacting with quotations. You're encouraged to bring a text you are currently writing about to use during the workshop.
The series runs from 3:30 to 4:30 pm in the Writing Center, located at 317B O'Hara Student Center (map). It is free and open to Pitt students.

Thursday, October 5, 2017

University of Pittsburgh Writing Center International Cafe: "The More You Know: Building Vocabulary to Strengthen Your Writing," October 13.


This event is open to University of Pittsburgh students. The University of Pittsburgh Writing Center offers an "International Cafe" series throughout the year with workshops for the needs of international students. The third of 2017-18 is "The More You Know: Building Vocabulary to Strengthen Your Writing".
Do you struggle to know which vocabulary words to use when writing your assignments successfully and fluently? During this session of the Writer's Cafe, we will read several short pieces of published writing, and generate useful lists of vocabulary words and phrases that relate directly to the actions and relationships within each piece. This vocabulary will help us to begin writing about these readings in more authentic and successful ways. You’ll leave with vocabulary-building strategies that you can take to your other writing assignments. Facilitated by Laura Waxman.
The free event starts at 3:30 pm in the Writing Center in the O'Hara Student Center at 4024 O'Hara Street in Oakland (map).

Wednesday, September 6, 2017

International Café: "Goals and Expectations: Understanding Your Writing Assignments" at Pitt, September 15.

This event is open to University of Pittsburgh students. The University of Pittsburgh Writing Center offers an "International Cafe" series throughout the year with workshops for the needs of international students. The first of 2017-18 is "Goals and Expectations: Understanding Your Writing Assignments".
When you receive a writing assignment from your instructor, you may find yourself unsure of what your instructor is looking for, or even frightened by how much is expected of you. What kind of paper does your instructor want? Are you being asked to summarize, interpret, discuss, make connections, argue—or all of these? What if your instructor uses long lists of questions to prompt your writing—which do you answer, and how? If you have been given a writing assignment that you don’t yet understand, bring it with you to discuss as we learn techniques for interpreting your writing assignments. Facilitated by Sam Pittman
The free event starts at 3:30 pm in the Writing Center in the O'Hara Student Center at 4024 O'Hara Street in Oakland (map).