Language and Learning Center at Parami promotes the essence of liberal arts education institution-wide

Parami students writing their reflections during an in-person gathering

As an institution committed to student success, Parami University strives to provide a range of student support services that meet students' needs. In addition to providing several personalized academic support services, such as academic advising and faculty open hours, Parami launched the Language and Learning Center (LLC) in the fall of 2023 to expand its range of academic services. Through LLC, the University aims to facilitate three types of academic support found at well-established liberal arts universities: a Writing Center, an Academic Skills Center, and a Center for Teaching and Learning. While the first two focus on supporting students in their academic journey, the third focuses on supporting faculty to become more effective educators trained in liberal arts and sciences pedagogy.

Each semester, the LLC offers workshops to help students develop their writing, speaking, and academic skills. All the workshops are designed to give students more practice communicating academic ideas in low-stakes situations. Students who attend the workshops can learn more about what it means to speak and write well at university; those who participate can develop their own positions on the topics while gaining confidence in speaking in groups.

The Critical Reading and Thinking workshops are offered to students as follows:

• Communication (Writing & Speaking) workshops

  • Writing an argument

  • The architecture of an essay

  • APA style

  • Writing concisely/precisely

  • Resume-building

  • Interview Prep

• Academic Skills

  • Student Success 101

  • Essential Skills for Managing Academic Readings

  • How to Avoid Plagiarism

  • Tacking Final Exam Season

• Conversation workshops

  • How important are friendships to you

  • Mental health while studying

  • Overcoming public speaking anxiety

  • How will AI affect humanity?

  • Transition language, old to new

Critical reading and thinking in practice

Skills such as critical thinking, creativity, and articulate communicationare essential for students and everyone. According to Dr. Romina de Jong, the Chair of General Education, critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration are crucial 21st-century skills, whether in school, the workplace, or society. "To succeed and make meaningful contributions to the world around you, one doesn't just need expertise, but also general skills such as these ‘4 Cs of 21st-century skills’. What better place to work on these skills than at our University?" 

In discussing improving 21st-century skills, Professor Lori Enns, a General Education faculty member, remarked that there are many ways to do so. She shared one practice that allows students to improve their critical thinking. “Imagine as if you are conversing with the author whenever you have to read for a class.” She believes this practice helps students develop the ability to evaluate their thoughts and behaviors across different contexts. 

For example, when reading for a class, students should be trying to answer the following questions:

• Do any of the ideas strike you as odd, unbelievable, or irrelevant to your own context? 

• Can you imagine reasons why the author would argue for those ideas? i.e., How does her context differ from mine?

• And if it differs wildly, is there still something that the author can contribute to your own context?

Even if the answer to the above questions is no, Professor Lori Enns continued, “it will help students to come to this conclusion thoughtfully and become more aware of different perspectives.”

The Language and Learning Center helps students improve soft skills crucial for academia and the modern workplace through focused training and workshops. In addition to providing academic service to undergraduate students, the Center also offers customized workshops for staff who wish to develop their written communication skills.