Welcome to the Linguistics Department Writing Centre (LDWC). We offer one-on-one consultations for academic writing with a linguistic twist.

You don't have to be a Linguistics or Cognitive Science program student to visit us! As long as you are enrolled in a Linguistics or Cognitive Science course, we are happy to offer feedback and guidance on your writing assignments for those particular courses.

Please book an appointment to discuss any aspect of the writing process. This includes planning, discussing your thesis, argumentation, paper and paragraph structure, punctuation, and grammar.

The tutors at the LDWC are passionate and savvy individuals who would love nothing more than to help you continually revise and improve your writing. We hope to see your face at least a few times a semester!

The Linguistics Department Writing Centre (LDWC) will follow a hybrid model for Spring 2023, with some online and some in-person sessions. We encourage you to sign up for an appointment in advance, but drop-in visits are welcome during timeslots when no appointments are booked. (Please be advised there may be wait times for drop-ins.)

1. Sign up for an appointment slot

Open the LDWC appointments spreadsheet.

Available appointment slots are highlighted in yellow or turquoise AND have no other names in them.

Add your name and course number to an available slot. For example, you might type “Hazel Bliss; LING 282W” in the slot.

Please double-check that your appointment has been saved. If there are any technical issues with saving your appointment time, please email ldwc@sfu.ca.

NOTE: If your paper is over 10 pages, you are required to book at least 12 hours in advance, and we request that you book two back-to-back timeslots to allow sufficient time for the tutor to review your paper.

2. Send us your draft

Your appointment will be more effective if you send us your draft the night before your appointment (by midnight). This is required for online appointments.

Please include a cover memo with your contact info (email address), specific questions that you want the tutors to address and/or the section(s) the tutors should focus on.

Email your draft and cover memo to ldwc@sfu.ca

3. Attend your appointment

For in-person appointments, please wait outside the LDWC office (RCB 9218) until the tutor invites you in. We encourage you to wear a mask during your appointment.

For online appointments, shortly before your scheduled appointment time, click on the Zoom link to access your meeting. You will be directed to a virtual waiting room and your tutor will admit you to the meeting at the time of your appointment.

If you CANNOT attend your appointment, please remove your name from the spreadsheet. If you do not show up within 5 minutes of your appointment start time, your name will be removed and a drop-in student may take your place.