SLC Blog: In Common. A stylized image of a diverse group of students in a lecture hall

The Student Learning Commons blog is your online writing and learning community


Join the Student Learning Commons Team!

Published by Julia Lane

The Student Learning Commons is scouting out new talent for our Writing and Learning Peer and English as Additional Language Peer programs. 

Both positions will allow you to develop transferable skills in the areas of client service, interpersonal skills, giving effective feedback, and cross-cultural communication, and will give you access to a professional reference as well as a private study/social space in the library.

We hope you will join our team! Apply now through http://myinvolvement.sfu.ca

The Excellent Mistakes Toolkit

Published by Julia Lane

Looking for an icebreaker for your next event? Interested in promoting self-reflection opportunities? Curious about the relationship between mistakes or failure and resiliency?

This is the toolkit for you! 

[Note: Excellent mistakes not included!]

Welcome Guest Blogger Eric Cai!

Published by Julia Lane

In Common welcomes former SLC Peer Eric Cai as a guest blogger. In his posts, he will focus on study and communication skills for students in math and science. Learn more about Eric in the following email interview.

I'm from...

Published by Julia Lane

“Hi, how are you?”

“I'm doing well. How about you?”

“I'm good too. Are you from here? Where are you from?”

In this submission to the SLC Multilingual Story Hub, Sneha Ralli digs into this familiar exchange and wonders about the ways that asking where someone is from can serve to accentuate our differences and interrupt one's sense of cultural belonging.  

Sneha Ralli is a PhD student at SFU who was born in Delhi and raised in Mumbai, India. Sneha participated in Dr. Timothy Mossman's non-credit course Academic Grammar and Writing for Multilingual Learners during the Fall 2018 semester. 

Filling the gap

Published by Julia Lane

In this submission to the SLC Multilingual Story Hub, Dr. Jean-François Bruxelle explores the elements that shape his own French identity, and realizes that he "is French not only because [he] was born in France and grew up in France, but also because [he] expresses [his] French culture and that his attitude corresponds to an external definition of 'being French.'"  

Dr. Jean-François Bruxelle holds a postdoc at SFU and participated in Dr. Timothy Mossman's non-credit course Academic Grammar and Writing for Multilingual Learners during the Fall 2018 semester. 

 

"Sorry, but I’m not (really) sorry”: The Canadian circus of apology

Published by Julia Lane

In this submission to the SLC Multilingual Story Hub, Myrthe de Haas explores critical incidents that resulted in increased understanding of both Canada and Myrthe's own Dutch culture. 

Mythe is an exchange student from the Netherlands and participated in Dr. Timothy Mossman's non-credit course Academic Grammar and Writing for Multilingual Learners during the Fall 2018 semester.