Student ResourcesSupport for Multilingual Learners

Students posing for camera at International FestivalGetting involved at Gustavus

Multilingual, multicultural, and international students can find many opportunities to connect with others and get involved on campus. Find out how to get involved here. 

Success Class for Multilingual Learners

Gustavus offers a half-semester class that reviews and strengthens the basic communication skills needed to be a successful college student. This is not an ESL course, rather is designed for the strengths and challenges that multilingual students have in transitioning to college. It helps students with class discussion, emailing professors, presentation skills, reading academic texts, and argumentative writing. This course is designed especially for first or second-year multilingual students (students who grew up speaking a language other than English), and is usually made up of a mix of international and domestic students. The course is listed in My Gustavus as NDL-147.

Writing Resources

Writing is one of the most important skills you will develop in your coursework.There are many things you can do to be proactive in your writing development. You can improve your writing through

  • One-on-one consultations with a peer tutor at the Writing Center or through individual instruction or Writing Center workshops around writing success.
  • Ask professors in your department for help with writing in your discipline.
  • Take the Success Class for multilingual learners
  • Reach out to the library faculty for help with research papers; they have lots of experience helping students. 

UTILIZING THE GUSTAVUS WRITING CENTER

The Gustavus Writing Center offers three forms of writing support. Click here to make an appointment. 

  • In-Person Sessions at one of our three locations: The Writing Center (Anderson #104), Library #211, or the Center for Inclusive Excellence. We accept drop-ins, too!
  • Live Online Sessions: These are conducted via a video-chat feature of our website.
  • Written Feedback Only: Upload the link to a Google doc when you reserve your appointment. Please press the "share" button in the upper right-hand corner of the doc screen, press "get shareable link," and then change the permission setting to "can comment" (instead of the default "can view") before copying the link. Provide the assignment prompt and instructions about what you would like the Writing Assistant to focus on. During the scheduled hour, they will open your document and provide feedback by leaving comments on your paper. You will receive an email when the feedback is available for you to view. This option doesn’t require that you be present during the appointment.

OTHER RESOURCES FOR WRITING HELP

ACADEMIC RESOURCES

Research Skills to Write a College Paper

Improve Your English