Peer Tutoring in a Graduate Writing Centre: Identity, Expertise, and Advice Resisting

ISSN： 0142-6001

Source： Applied Linguistics, Vol.26, Iss.2, 2005-06, pp. : 141-168

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Abstract

Compared to research on the giving of advice (e.g. Hutchby 1995), relatively less work has been conducted on the receiving or resisting of advice, where the interactionally problematic nature of advising is crystallized (e.g. Heritage and Sefi 1992). Moreover, the notion of advising in education settings has predominantly concerned procedural matters such as planning course schedules (e.g. He 1993). The purpose of this paper is to describe how advice resisting is accomplished in ‘peer tutoring’ in a graduate writing centre. Peer tutoring constitutes a privileged site for observing the complexities of advising episodes. Tutoring sessions between a tutor and a graduate student have been audio-taped and transcribed in detail. Using the methodology of conversation analysis, I show how the tutee resists the tutor's advice on general academic writing issues, content-related matters, or the mechanics of writing. I argue that the pattern of resistance can be accounted for by the tutee's identity claim as well as the competing expertise carried by the tutor and the tutee.