WAC for International Students

Welcome to Confederation College!

In your classes, you may be required to read, write, listen and speak as part of your learning. Ontario employers of college graduates expect graduates to be able to use language for a variety of purposes at work to communicate with customers, coworkers and supervisors.

Jandersen · Welcome To Confederation College

View the following Quick Guides:

Visit the Core English Skills Review to strengthen your reading and writing skills, build your vocabulary, and more.

Here are some key points about writing and learning that will help you in your studies:

Learning and Using New Vocabulary

Jandersen · Learning And Using New Vocabulary

In College, you are expected to use the vocabulary you learn both in your written and spoken assignments, and also during the practical parts of the program (labs, scenarios, clinical, etc.):

learn and use new vocabulary in your writing and speaking;
use a variety of techniques to learn new vocabulary such as
- keep a list of new terms and definitions you have learned in class or from the textbook
- keep a list of commonly used phrases from your area of study (i.e. business, health, technology language)
- practice using the terms; create flashcards to review them away from class
- learn how to pronounce the word and its various forms
- use new terms and definitions appropriately in your written assignments, as well as in hands-on assignments
you may use a translator (electronic) or bilingual website to translate terms from English to your first language while you are studying but this may not be possible during class activities, tests, and in practical situations
always ask your instructor if you can use an electronic translator during class or lab before you do so
avoid writing an assignment in your language and then translating the entire assignment into English; this often results in writing that is incomprehensible
practice reading English outside of your college studies: online newspapers, magazines, books and closed captioned videos and movies

Listening and Speaking

Jandersen · Listening And Speaking

practice listening to podcasts and newscasts about your area of study; choose ones that have English closed Captioning or scripts so that you can listen and read at the same time
Many of the article databases in the Confederation College Library website include journals that have audio files so that you listen while reading a research article
Practice speaking English as much as you can in class and outside of class
If you can’t understand what the professor has said in class, make sure you are preparing for class by reading any assigned articles or textbook chapters; ask questions at the end of the lecture
Identify any words the professor uses that you didn’t understand and then check them later
if you have a presentation to do in class, prepare your notes and Powerpoint (if assigned) then practice speaking in an empty classroom or at home. Have a friend watch you and give you suggestions. Make sure you are not reading from the page; make eye contact with your listeners. Confirm whether you have to hand in any research notes to the professor as part of the assignment.

Taking Notes

Jandersen · Taking Notes

prepare for class by reading any assigned readings in the text and/or assigned reading before class
review notes from the previous class before each new class
Arrive at class on time and be ready to take notes either on an electronic device (laptop, tablet) or in notebook
you don’t have to write down everything the teacher says: make short-form or point form notes of the most important ideas
ask a fellow classmate if you can check your notes with his/hers after class to see if you've missed anything
leave space in your notes to add any new information from in-class activities, labs or lectures or textbook readings
include diagrams, arrows, and highlighted areas in your notes to stress important ideas
the professor may or may not post Powerpoint notes in Blackboard; if they are posted, save them and add your own notes based on what you’ve heard in class.
prepare to learn by reading the assigned materials in your textbook and other materials
there are various methods of taking notes: see links below.

Writing Assignments

Jandersen · Writing Assignments

Written assignments may be completed differently at our College than what you have experienced in your home country. Here are some things to check:

read your assignment: be sure you understand all of the parts/sections of the assignment and what the professor expects
if you are unsure of the details about the assignment, ask your classmates and the professor
check Blackboard and other resources for details about the assignment
note due dates
ask questions before you hand in an assignment as it is unlikely that the professor will change a grade after it has been received
confirm whether the assignment must be completed individually or in groups
although you may be asked to write about your opinion or ideas, you will usually be required to support those ideas with information from other sources (online articles, videos, audios and quotes)
ensure you are using APA (or specified) citation method to cite sources
in formal writing, avoid using “I” and “we”
format the assignment the way the professor has assigned
be aware of plagiarism relating to written assignments and make sure you haven’t borrowed information from another source without citing it properly
get help with writing from the Tutoring Centre or fellow students (note this does not mean copying)
in college, you may have several small assignments or quizzes and tests throughout a course rather than just one at the end so make sure you hand them all in on time
there may be marks deducted for late assignments or the professor may not accept the assignment
familiarize yourself with cursive handwriting; many professors and students will use this
familiarize yourself with how to read and write numbers in English: large numbers, percentages, fractions
always spell check and grammar check your work using the checkers in Word or online
professors usually follow a checklist, description, or rubric when marking assignments. Check these to see if your assignment contains all of the required parts.
When the professor hands the marked assignments back, you may ask for additional feedback but students cannot expect professors to change their grade

Improving your Writing

Jandersen · Improving Your Writing

follow the assignment guidelines your professor provides; these are the criteria they are using to mark the assignments
use terms and definitions that your professor has discussed in class
you may be required to use Canadian sources or English sources rather than ones in your home language in your assignments; check with your professor
use sources that are up-to-date (within five years) and valid; if you’re not sure about a resource, check with your professor to see if a source is appropriate for college writing
identify any quotes, paraphrases and sources using APA style or the method your professor has identified
ask a fellow student to check your grammar and spelling
familiarize yourself with cursive writing
always read the feedback from your professor; if you cannot understand their handwriting, ask them politely to explain it to you

if you are making a lot of writing or speaking errors, go to a tutor in the Confederation College Student Success and Tutoring Centres
if you are having problems writing complete and correct sentences, get some help online or go to a tutor
ensure you are using punctuation marks correctly

College Workshops and Tutoring

Jandersen · College Workshops And Tutoring

If you find that you need help with your written or oral assignments, or with communicating in class and with others, workshops and tutors are available through the College Student Success department:

Student Success Centre

*If you book an appointment with a tutor, they will work with you to improve your assignment. You will need to tell them what you want help with: grammar, the format, APA citations or how to start the assignment, etc.

Tutors are available to support your learning; they are not going to edit your entire assignment for you. They will show how to write or prepare an assignment so you will know how to do it next time.