The Graduate Writing & Tutoring Center

Our Mission

The Graduate Writing & Tutoring Center seeks to empower graduate students at MIIS by providing with useful, immediate takeaways from our tutoring sessions while supporting students with tools and suggestions to independently improve their academic and professional communication skills. We assist students of all disciplines and language backgrounds in strengthening their communication skills. 

Tutoring Sessions

• We have both on-site (in Monterey) and online (by Zoom) tutoring sessions available.  When you make your appointment, let your tutor know which you prefer
• Be sure to tell your tutor what you’d like to focus on during your appointment.
• During a tutoring session, our tutors will ask you questions about your session goals and concerns and guide you through ideas for improving your communication skills. 
• You can ask for help from our tutors on a variety of scholarly and professional genres. These might range from your academic course work (e.g., research papers, analytical essays, policy memos, presentations) to more professional products such as conference abstracts and presentations, op-eds, grant proposals and applications, journal articles, blog posts, etc.
• The tutors can help you with any stage of the process: brainstorming ideas, composing outlines, structuring your presentation or paper, and adhering to stylistic conventions of your field (e.g., MLA, APA, or Chicago).
• Your session focuses on you and your needs. The tutors are committed to helping you express yourself more clearly. This means that they are not going to “fix” your work, but will help give you the tools to do so.
• If you’d like to “Meet our tutors,” click on the Meet our Tutors links to the right. 

Make an Appointment

• The GWC runs on appointments and does not have drop-in hours available. Book an appointment below using your MIIS/Middlebury e-mail address for your one-on-one session.
• We have both on-site (MIIS campus) and online (by Zoom) appointments available.  When you book your appointment, let us know which you prefer.
• Please let your tutor know what you would like to work on with them when you make your appointment so they can prepare in advance.
• If you would like your tutor to review a draft/assignment with you, please e-mail your productto your tutor at least 24 hours before your appointment so that they have time to read your work. Don’t worry if a draft is not “perfect” or “finished.” Send it along anyway!
• Once an appointment is made through the system, you will receive a confirmation email about your appointment. Our tutors will also get in touch with you to request your paper and make the necessary arrangements for the meeting.
• Please make only ONE appointment at a time, in order to leave appointment availability for other students.  After you meet with your tutor, you can make a follow-up appointment if needed.
• If you think you won’t be able to make it to your appointment, please make sure you cancel it within no less than 24-hours’ notice to avoid a late cancellation/no-show penalty. You can cancel your appointment by following the instructions on the appointment confirmation e-mail.
• If you have a choice between tutors at a time you’d like and would like to see who might best suit your needs, click on Meet our Tutors in the menu to the right and read their bios.
• If available times don’t match your schedule or timezone, please Contact us (link to the right) and we can make special arrangements. 

Workshops

The GWC offers occasional workshops.  We try to offer them during the MIIS Community Hour timeslot on Tuesdays (12-2 PST).  Please check MiCommunity for announcements of details and times of any upcoming workshops.

Past Workshops

Using ChatGPT  [Video of workshop] [Slides]  

Data Visualization [Slides] 

Watch the FA23 Academic Integrity Workshop here. (Passcode: w+7Y6RRr)

Watch the Zotero Workshop here. 

Watch the Academic Presentations Workshop here.

Writing Resources

Here are some links to good writing resources that may be helpful:

Purdue Online Writing Lab: Resources for subject-specific writing, preparing job materials, and style guides (APA, MLA, Chicago)

The Writing Center at UNC, Chapel Hill: Resources for different genres of writing, as well as for various aspects of the writing process (e.g., procrastination, reorganizing, flow) and grammatical struggles

The Writer’s Handbook (University of Wisconsin-Madison): Resources for different genres of writing, including job materials and application essays, as well as for the writing process and grammatical issues. 

Contact Us

If you have any questions, please contact us at writingcenter@middlebury.edu.

Meet Our English Language Tutors

Abby Rogers

Abby is a student in the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages program. After graduating from Ithaca College in 2021 with a degree in English literature, she spent two years teaching English in France, where she became passionate about language learning. She will spend this summer working as a teacher at the Middlebury English Language School in Monterey. Abby is excited to work with you to meet your academic and professional goals. 

Emma Beveridge

Emma spent her undergraduate years studying sociology, creative writing and Middle East studies before moving to France to teach English through the TAPIF program. She has also spent three years assisting writers at writing workshops to develop the content, structure, and style of their work at various stages. Emma loves to study the structure and applications of language, both English and French, and looks forward to sharing her experiences, skills, and knowledge base to support your language needs. 

Danie Moss-Velasco

Danie began her career as an Elementary classroom teacher with Teach for America in bilingual classrooms, using phonics, creative writing and theatre to guide students as they transitioned from Spanish to English instruction. Later, she taught English to secondary students and adults in Spain, focusing on communicative methods to strengthen both speaking and writing. Her time in Spain also led her to advanced coursework in Intercultural Translation and Interpretation, which deepened her expertise in cross-linguistic instruction. Since returning to the U.S., Danie has taught Spanish at the undergraduate level while also working as a professional interpreter in medical, legal, and educational settings. Most recently, she has supported public schools as a consultant, collaborating with teachers to enhance literacy outcomes in Dual Immersion classrooms. Danie always attempts to put students at ease regarding their own language journey and give them simple, straightforward ways to understand the structure of the language and make connections to their native language/s that help cement the learning. At MIIS, Danie is excited to support writers in English and Spanish.

Meet our Language Tutors

Chinese

Aaron Tsai

Aaron is a student in the MA degree in Teaching Foreign Language. He has used his background as a heritage Chinese speaker and his decade-plus study of French to help tutor fellow students at his alma mater of Southern Methodist University in Texas, where he double-majored in both. Aaron empathizes with the journey of learning these two languages, so if you’re needing someone to help demystify, reinforce, or just listen to your trials and tribulations in learning, he is more than happy to do so!  Aaron is the TA for the 200-level classes in the Chinese program. 

Michael Zhao

As your Mandarin guide, Michael is as comfortable discussing cultural trends as he is explaining tonal changes! Born in Beijing and raised in California, Michael brings true bilingual fluency and firsthand experience navigating between cultures. He is currently a TFL Chinese student at MIIS (Rare!). Though he didn’t major in languages during his undergrad years at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, he spent most of his summers tutoring Mandarin and English, coaching students through language hurdles. Michael knows how to keep things clear, engaging, and encouraging. Whether you want to sound more natural, understand cultural nuance, or just getting a better grasp at your classroom material, Michael’s got you covered.  Michael is the TA for the 300-level Chinese classes. 

Emily (Zhi Ying) Wen

Emily is a second-year student in the joint program of Translation and Interpretation (TI) and Translation and Localization Management (TLM). She graduated with a bachelor’s degree from National Tsing Hua University, where she focused on linguistics and sociology. Her fascination with the intricate nuances of languages has been a defining aspect of her life: As someone who is half Korean and half Taiwanese, she was born in Korea and raised in Taiwan, immersed in Korean, Hakka, Japanese, and Mandarin Chinese. Additionally, her international academic journey, including a junior year at Seoul National University, a sophomore year in U.S. high school and multiple visits as a student to Japan, has deepened her understanding of language acquisition across different cultural contexts.

French

Aaron Tsai

Aaron is a student in the MA degree in Teaching Foreign Language. He has used his background as a heritage Chinese speaker and his decade-plus study of French to help tutor fellow students at his alma mater of Southern Methodist University in Texas, where he double-majored in both. Aaron empathizes with the journey of learning these two languages, so if you’re needing someone to help demystify, reinforce, or just listen to your trials and tribulations in learning, he is more than happy to do so!  He is a TA for the 200-level in the French program this semester.

Thomas Richard

Thomas is a student in the Environmental Policy and Management program. He and his siblings all attended a French immersion elementary school, providing him with an early connection to French language and culture (and a house full of conversation partners). He has continued to study French throughout his academic, professional and personal life. During his undergraduate studies, Thomas lived in language immersion housing, studying Chinese and serving as a language facilitator for peers learning French. After graduating with a BS in Wildlife and Wildlands Conservation with a minor in Chinese (and a certificate in French!), he and his wife moved to Biscarrosse, France to serve as English teaching assistants. He has taught 200-level French, tutored French, Mandarin Chinese, and science, and recently led a summer French club for MIIS students and community members. Thomas has also participated in linguistics research studying language learner identity and the inclusion of non-France Francophone culture and language in textbooks. He is excited to get to know you and help you achieve your French language aspirations! Thomas is a TA in the French program.

Emma Beveridge

Emma spent her undergraduate years studying sociology, creative writing and Middle East studies before moving to France to teach English through the TAPIF program. She has also spent three years assisting writers at writing workshops to develop the content, structure, and style of their work at various stages. Emma loves to study the structure and applications of language, both English and French, and looks forward to sharing her experiences, skills, and knowledge base to support your language needs. 

Japanese

Joanna Ji

Joanna is a student in the Joint Translation / Translation and Localization Management program for Japanese and the TA for Japanese Language Studies. Born in Henan, China and moved to the US in her early teens, Joanna found her love for the Japanese language through anime and Japanese pop culture. Following her graduation from SUNY Stony Brook with a degree in Linguistics and minors in Japanese Studies and Music & Technology, she became a CIR in Mie Prefecture through the JET Program for three years before coming to Monterey. Being an experienced language learner herself, Joanna is eager to lend a hand to students on their Japanese studying journey.

Russian

Ekaterina Grishakova

Ekaterina (Katya) is a student in the Non-Proliferation and Terrorism Studies program and the TA for Russian. She is from Moscow, Russia where she spent most of her time growing up. She also had the opportunity to live and study abroad, spending her elementary school years in Mexico (Monterrey), where her family lived for some time, contributing to her fascination with and openness to cultures, languages and traditions in different parts of the world. Ekaterina received her bachelor’s degree in international relations from the Moscow Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) in the summer of 2024. The chance to study in English and Russian during high school, her BA program and internships, has given Ekaterina the opportunity to advance her skills in academic writing in both languages. Apart from a focus on international relations, politics and international security, Ekaterina has a long-standing interest in languages. Being fluent in Russian and English, she also has a strong command of Spanish and is currently studying Arabic. She also has experience of tutoring English and Spanish (beginning and intermediate levels) to students in Russia since 2016.

Spanish

Loraine Ruiz Vera

Loraine is a student in both the Teaching Foreign Language Program and the International Education Management program. She also holds an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Sagrado Corazón in Puerto Rico, her hometown. During her graduate studies, Loraine led a Spanish Creative Writing Club, creating a space where students could practice the language through stories, poems, and personal expression. Her experience abroad also shaped her approach to communication. While volunteering in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, she often helped team members who did not speak English or Spanish connect and collaborate effectively through translation. This also helped Loraine to improve her skills in English.
 

Danie Moss-Velasco

Danie began her career as an Elementary classroom teacher with Teach for America in bilingual classrooms, using phonics, creative writing and theatre to guide students as they transitioned from Spanish to English instruction. Later, she taught English to secondary students and adults in Spain, focusing on communicative methods to strengthen both speaking and writing. Her time in Spain also led her to advanced coursework in Intercultural Translation and Interpretation, which deepened her expertise in cross-linguistic instruction. Since returning to the U.S., Danie has taught Spanish at the undergraduate level while also working as a professional interpreter in medical, legal, and educational settings. Most recently, she has supported public schools as a consultant, collaborating with teachers to enhance literacy outcomes in Dual Immersion classrooms. Danie always attempts to put students at ease regarding their own language journey and give them simple, straightforward ways to understand the structure of the language and make connections to their native language/s that help cement the learning. At MIIS, Danie is excited to support writers in English and Spanish.