Directiveness in tutor talk

Abstract

The reigning orthodoxy in writing centres has been to avoid directive approaches and embrace non-directive approaches to tutoring. Although since the late 1990s various writing centre scholars have debunked this myth, many guidebooks on tutoring still adhere to it. We believe that theory-led empirical research on tutor approaches and actions is necessary to demonstrate the situation-dependent efficacy of directive approaches and thereby dispel the myth that a peer role is preferred to a teacherly role. This paper starts addressing the need for theory-led empirical research on directiveness by applying theories of linguistic pragmatics to analyse writing centre consultations and assist writing centre tutors to develop a critical awareness of both their actions and students’ responses. First, a synopsis is given of how directiveness is portrayed in the writing centre literature. This is followed by an overview of micro- and macro-pragmatic theories on speech acts in linguistics and suggestions on how they may be applied to better understand the role of directiveness in writing centre consultations. Finally, the present research project is described and an analysis of two excerpts (speech events) from a particular consultation is offered as an illustration of the insight offered by pragmatic theories.