Multilingual Writer Support
WRITING MODULE
In the Writing Module, you will find explanations for the major differences between the communication and thought styles of speakers from your native language(s) and the English language. Different languages have different expectations in communication due to the cultural shaping of language as a communication tool. This section is designed to help you understand how these differences can appear in writing so that you may learn native English writing conventions.
LOOKING FOR PLAGIARISM SUPPORT?
Access the OCWC MWS Plagiarism Module here. In this module, you will have access to resources specifically designed for multilingual students to help combat plagiarism concerns. If you are seeking these resources due to an active plagiarism issue in a course, please immediately contact your OCWC Writing & ESL specialist, Gabrielle Valentic, at [email protected] for further guidance and communication.
If you are presently having trouble with plagiarism and do not understand why, don't feel badly! Like any other cultural practice, writing styles are informed by the cultures in which they exist. One such culturally informed writing practice is the usage of sources in writing to provide information, prove an argument, and contextualize a topic. Different cultures use sources in distinct and unique manners, varying in the quantity of sources used, the types of preferred sources, and how the sources are referred to in writing.
It is important to note that different does not mean incorrect.
While one culture may require many sources that all must be cited specifically, another culture may require few sources and no mention of their original author. However, neither style is inherently better or more correct. So, when learning to write in academia and the United States, focus on the acquisition of academic writing practices as an addition to your own cultural writing practices rather than a replacement.
In the following module, we will review four steps to learning how to use sources correctly in Western academic writing cultures, the context in which you are presently writing as a student at a U.S. university. This will help you to avoid plagiarism concerns.