Author: Devin B Sparwasser

Hello, everyone! I am just writing to wish everyone the best of luck with your final exams, essays, and projects. I know that the end of the semester can be an extremely stressful time for many students, and I want to remind you all that we’re here to help at the Writing Center if you need us!

Finals Week Hours:

• Monday, December 8th: 12-8 pm
• Tuesday, December 9th: 12-8 pm
• Wednesday, December 10th: 12-4 pm

Also, I wanted to let you all know that since I am graduating in December, these are my final two weeks as a Writing Center tutor. I have loved working with you all throughout the last two semesters, and I have made so many amazing memories during my time as a tutor! Congratulations to all other graduates, and I wish you all success as we wrap up the semester! Happy holidays to everyone as well! Stay safe and enjoy your upcoming winter break! 🙂

~Devin

The Importance of Outlines! Hey, everyone. Since outlines are such a useful tool in writing, I will provide you all with a general example to build off of. 🙂 I hope you find it helpful, and remember, this is just a starting point and can be adjusted as needed!!

Title:

 

Specific Purpose:

 

Introduction

1. Attention-getter: 
2. Thesis statement:
3. Preview the main points:  

[Transition…]

 

Body 1

Main Point— 

[Transition…]

 

Body 2

Main Point— 

[Transition…]

 

Body 3

Main Point— 

[Transition…]

 

[In the final analysis…]

Conclusion

I. Summarize the main points

II. Restate the Thesis Statement

III. Add a closing line that relates back to the Introduction

 

References

Edwards, Renee, et al. “Relationships among Misunderstanding, Relationship Type, Channel, and Relational Satisfaction.” Communication Research Reports, vol. 37, no. 5, Sept. 2020, pp. 298–308. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.bucks.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/08824096.2020.1864313. 

Joy, Shaylyn, “Lost in Translation: Emotion and Expression through Technology” (2009). Honors Scholar Theses. 87. https://opencommons.uconn.edu/srhonors_theses/87 

Morgan, L., Paucar-Caceres, A. & Wright, G. Leading Effective Global Virtual Teams: The Consequences of Methods of Communication. Syst Pract Action Res 27, 607–624 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11213-014-9315-2 

Vignovic, J. A., & Thompson, L. F. (2010). Computer-mediated cross-cultural collaboration: Attributing communication errors to the person versus the situation. Journal of Applied Psychology, 95(2), 265–276. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018628

Thank you!!

~ Devin

Language is symbolic – The connection between words and ideas/things they represent is arbitrary 

• FIVE
• CINQ – “5” in French
• 00110101 – computer code for “5”

Semantic rules 

• Reflect the ways in which we assign meaning to words
  • “Bikes” are for riding and “books” are for reading
• Without semantic rules, each person would use words in unique ways with no shared meaning 

Equivocal Language

• Statements that have more than one commonly accepted definition

Relative Language

 

• • • Words gain their meaning by comparison

Ex. Fast and slow, long and short, large and small

Static Evaluation 

• • Statements that contain or imply the word “is” lead to mistaken assumptions that people are consistent and unchanging 
    • Instead of “Mark is a nervous guy,” say “Mark appears to be nervous when meeting new people.”

Understandings & Misunderstandings:

Abstract Language

• • • Vague in nature 

Ex. “You need to have a better attitude”

Behavioral Language

Specific to things people do or say

Ex. “You need to complain less every time we have to work late.”

Syntactic Rules

• • • Govern grammar
    • While we may not be able to describe them, we recognize when they are violated

Pragmatic Rules

• • Govern the way speech works in everyday interaction
    • Communication is a kind of “cooperative” game and success depends on all players following the same set of rules 
      • Coordination
    • Shared by most people in a culture 

Naming and Identity 

• • • Names are more important than a simple means of identification
    • Shape the way others think of us, the way we view ourselves and the way we act
    • Studies show that people with unusual names or spellings often suffer psychologically and emotionally 

Affiliation

• • • Speech can build and demonstrate solidarity with others 
    • We are attracted to those whose style of speaking is similar to ours

Convergence

• • • The process of adapting one’s speech style to match that of others 
      • Vocabulary, pauses, politeness, etc.

Divergence 

• • Speaking in a way that emphasizes one’s differences from others 

Powerless Language:

• Language patterns can add to or detract from a speaker’s power to influence others

Ex. Women tend to ask questions; men make statements 

• Powerless speech: less authoritative and socially attractive 
• Even in cultures that value assertiveness, language that is too powerful may intimidate 
• A mixture of powerful and polite speech is usually most effective 

Examples:

• Hedges = “I guess I’d like to…”
• Hesitations = “Uh, can I have a minute to…”
• Tag questions = “It’s time to go, isn’t it?”
• Disclaimers = “I’m not really sure, but…”

Disruptive Language:

• Three linguistic habits to avoid

1) Fact-Opinion Confusion

• “Paying that much for a pair of shoes is a waste of money.”
• “In my opinion, paying that much for a pair of shoes is a waste of money.”

2) Fact-Inference Confusion

• Problems can arise when we confuse factual statements with inferential statements or conclusions that we arrive at from our own interpretations

3) Emotive Language

• Seems to describe something but actually announces attitude toward it
• “Tactful” vs “Beating around the bush” 

“It” Statements:

• Avoid responsibility 
  • Ex. “It’s nice to see you” vs “I’m glad to see you”

“But” Statements:

• Cancels the thoughts preceding it
  • Ex. “You’re doing great work, but we have to let you go.”

“I” and “You” Language:

• “You” language is judgmental and can cause defensiveness 
• “I” language shows that the speaker takes responsibility by describing his/her reaction to someone’s behavior without making a judgment

“We” Language:

• Implies that “we are in this together”
• Can help to build a constructive climate  

Content 

• • Female friends spend more time discussing: 
    • Relationship problems, family, health
  • Male friends spend more time discussing:
    • Current events, music, sports, business, etc.
  • Differences can lead to relational frustration when men and women try to converse with one another 

Reasons for Communicating 

• • Men and women use language to build and maintain social relationships 
    • Men are more likely to engage in joking or teasing
    • Women’s discussions tend to involve feelings, relationships, and personal problems

Conversational Style

• • Myth – women are more talkative than men; no scientific evidence 
  • In mixed-sex conversations, men are more likely to use sentence fragments and women are more likely to use emotional references 
  • Men’s speech is more characteristically direct, succinct, task-oriented 
  • Women’s speech is typically indirect, supportive, and focused on relationships
  • Women are also inclined to ask more questions 

Non-Gender Variables

• • Ways in which women and men communicate are actually more similar than different
    • Male and female supervisors behave the same way and are equally effective
  • Gender roles influence language use 
    • Conversational styles of partners reflect power differences in the relationship more than the biological sex of communicators 

Verbal Communication Styles 

Language styles can vary across cultures:

• • • Low-context cultures 
      • Value using language to express thoughts/feelings; looking for meaning in the words 
    • High-context cultures
      • Value social harmony and discover meaning in non-verbal behaviors of speaker and in the context of which the message is delivered 
    • Elaborate or succinct 
      • Arabic vs English
    • Formality or informality
      • Korea vs North America

That’s all for now! I hope that you find this information helpful in using language in your life through both written and verbal contexts! 🙂

~Devin

Hello, everyone! It’s officially spooky season, and the Writing Center will be one of the participating locations in the Millersville University Trick or Treat Trail! Stop by McNairy 106 on Friday, October 31st from 11:30 am-1:30 pm, among the many other participating locations around campus!

Other locations in the library include the Integrated Studies Office (LL104), the main library (201, 202, 204, 205, 206, 207, 804, LL103, LL114), the Circulation Desk, and the University College on the 5th floor!

Feel free to stop by, and have a great Halloween!!

~Devin

Factors of Mediated Messages:

• Instant messaging, emails, telephone etc.
• Internet friends w/o face-to-face
• Lost facial expressions, body language, tones
  • Lack of social/situational cues  
• Assumptions regarding emotions 
  • Emoticons, “emotion” words/phrases

Reasons For Misinterpretation:

• • Written words – not always get message across
    • Voice inflection/tone
    • Ex. Sarcasm 
  • Electronics cannot reproduce human faces 
    • Faces act as nonverbal cues 
  • Culture – individualistic vs. collectivist 
    • US vs. Asian countries 
  • Slang – older generations struggle 
    • Causes confusion
  • Etiquette – spelling/grammar errors
    • Depends on situation

Ways to Prevent Misinterpretation:

•  Familiar with habits 
  • Written text, response speed, implied tone
•  Acknowledge that you may not know everything
  • Language violations → culture?
•  Accurately explain behavior 
  • 1. Categorization – identify what is wrong
    • Errors
  • 2. Characterization – automatic assumptions about sender 
    • Not always entirely accurate
  • 3. Correction – correct yourself
    • Attribute info to situation
•  Maintain conscientiousness 
  • Global aspect of personality—use it!

That’s all for now! It’s important to take all of these factors into consideration when attempting to communicate a message via digital means! 🙂

~ Devin

Hello, all! It’s hard to believe that the end of this week already begins our 2025 Fall Break! I wanted to give you some things to think about over these few days so that you can come back strong 🙂

For some courses here at Millersville, essays replace typical midterm and final exams. The purpose of this format usually remains to encourage students to integrate class content in a manner more open to individual interpretation to demonstrate their understanding.

Here are some basic pointers to keep in mind when writing essays for your midterms:

• • Ensure that you understand the prompt so that you can incorporate everything being asked for into the paper
  • Outline key points and concepts that you want to highlight!
  • Develop a clear thesis statement that contains the main argument/topic to be addressed
  • Proofread your essay throughout the drafting process — we can often hear things that we don’t catch just by looking over your paper
    • • Awkward phrasing, repetition, etc.
  • Make edits throughout the writing process!
    • • `Adjust for clarity, accuracy, and efficiency
  • Don’t be afraid to visit the Writing Center to get another perspective on your paper! We read every paper out loud and are willing to help you with whatever you specifically want to look at 🙂

Hello, all! As today is now the first day of October, I wanted to remind everyone that midterms are quickly approaching! It’s crazy that we’re already almost halfway through the semester! Make sure to study up for your exams, and don’t put those essays off until the last minute! We are here for you at the Writing Center, so don’t be afraid to stop in! My last post includes our Fall 2025 hours, so be sure to check that out 🙂

Meet the Writing Center tutors here: https://www.millersville.edu/enwl/writing-center/tutors.php

Also, follow us on Instagram for updates: @mu.writingcenter

We hope to see you soon!!!

Hello everyone, and welcome back to the Fall 2025 semester! The Writing Center has been open for a couple weeks now, and we are ready to offer support to you!

Hours for Fall 2025 are the same as last semester:

Monday-Thursday: 12 pm-8 pm

Friday: 12 pm-4 pm

Just as a reminder, you can make appointments face-to-face or on zoom ahead of time with our tutors, which we try to encourage over online sessions! I will attach the link to the site with information on scheduling appointments here: https://www.millersville.edu/enwl/writing-center/online-tutoring.php

All appointments with tutors can be scheduled through Starfish!!

That’s all for now! I hope you’ve had a good start (almost first third, which is crazy) of the semester! I hope to see you around at The Writing Center soon! 🙂

Hello, everyone! Since today is the last day that the Writing Center will be open for the Spring 2025 semester, I wanted to make one last post to wish you all a relaxing summer break!! Hopefully final exams have been going well, we’re almost there! 🙂

The Writing Center will reopen for Fall 2025 a few weeks into the semester. We can’t wait to see and work with you all again!!! Feel free to stop in anytime you need us 🙂 Our hours will remain the same: Monday-Thursday 12-8 pm and Friday from 12-4 pm.

That’s all for now!!! We’ll see you soon.

~Devin 🙂

Hey, everyone! So, breaking news…the Writing Center will be having some hours during May 5th-7th of finals week!!!

Just in case you need a last-minute review of your paper, we’ll be here for you!

Here are our adjusted Finals Week hours:

• Monday, May 5th: 12 pm-8 pm
• Tuesday, May 6th: 12 pm-8 pm
• Wednesday, May 7th: 12 pm-4 pm

Remember to get plenty of rest, eat nutritious meals as much as possible, and make sure to study! However, breaks are important, so make sure not to overwork yourself. We’re here for you if you need us!

I personally will be working a few hours on Monday and Tuesday, so stop in and see me if you want to/are able to! 🙂

Thank you,

Devin 🙂