Spanish Writing Center: Department of Spanish & Portuguese

Spanish Writing Center

The Department of Spanish and Portuguese welcomes you to make use of our support beyond the classroom! At the Spanish Writing Center (SWC), you can get help revising your essays for upper-level Spanish courses or work on any part of the writing process you would like to improve. We’re here to make your learning experience smoother and more enjoyable!

Who should come to the Spanish Writing Center:

Students enrolled in Spanish 210 or higher.

How to make an appointment with a tutor:

Students can schedule an appointment for up to 50 minutes.
All the appointments are via Zoom. If you prefer to have an appointment in person, just email one of the SWC tutors for their availability.
Students are encouraged to schedule 2 appointments per paper.

Prior to you scheduled appointment:

Email your paper as a Google Doc to the tutor’s email address provided below. Please make sure you have given permission to make edits on it. In the drop-down menu, select: “Anyone with a link can edit.”
In your email, include the prompt and the instructions given by your professor.
Please email your papers (regardless of length) 24 hours prior to your Zoom appointment.

Use the links below to access the tutor's calendar to make an appointment:

You will need your NU NetID and password to access this scheduling system. Please note the use of Microsoft Outlook 365 is required. If you have not yet created your account, please follow the instructions on the link "Microsoft Outlook 365" to download it. Appointment slots with tutors are available for booking up to two weeks in advance.

Spanish Writing Center Tutors:

María Teresa Villanueva , Co-Coordinator
Email: m-villanueva@u.northwestern.edu

Schedule an appointment with Prof. Villanueva here

César Hoyos Álvarez, Co-Coordinator
Email: cesar.hoyosalvarez@u.northwestern.edu

Schedule an appointment with Prof Hoyos Álvarez here

At the time of the appointment, the tutor will:

Provide one-on-one writing consultations for students at various stages of the writing process.
Explain and answer specific grammar rules.
Make suggestions on how to revise/improve the structure of your essay.
Discuss how word choice, grammar, or sentence structure could affect clarity.
Plan appointments with you, if needed, to continue revision on the essay.
Encourage students to see writing as a journey of improvement and discovery.

The tutor will not:

Proofread papers.
Provide assistance with content.

What you should expect:

Improvement in knowledge of vocabulary, grammar and writing skills in Spanish.
Development of your self-revision and self-editing skills as a part of the writing process.

How to cancel an appointment with the tutor:

Use the Scheduling System: Log into our scheduling system and locate your upcoming appointment. Click on the cancellation option provided to ensure it is properly removed from the system.
Notify the Tutor: As a courtesy, please send an email to your tutor at your earliest convenience. This allows them to adjust their schedule accordingly.

Questions:

For general questions or special accommodations, please send an email to m-villanueva@northwestern.edu

DEPARTMENT OF SPANISH & PORTUGUESE