ELI Tutoring Center

ELI tutors provide free support for all multilingual Binghamton University students, undergraduate and graduate. Our ESOL-trained tutors can help with English-language skills, academic communication, and navigating the expectations of a U.S. university.

Tutoring is available by appointment through University Tutorial Services. 

The ELI Tutors are Make an ELI Tutoring Appointment   Please read the rules and policies below:

• Rules & Policies          (Read carefully before making an appointment)

  Cancellation:

  • Per UTS rules, you must cancel your appointment 12 hours in advance to be in good standing.
  • Appointments cancelled with less than 12 hours notice will be counted as No Show appointments.
  • We suggest 24 hours notice for all cancellations.

  No Show:

  • 4 missed appointments (no show or cancellation with less than 12 hours notice) will result in loss of ELI tutoring privileges for the remaining semester.
  • UTS may also suspend tutoring for other subjects.

  Use:

  • Students are allowed 2 hours a week per class of tutoring. For example, 2 hours for EML 205 and 2 hours for EML 210 for a total of 4 hours.
  • Students seeking self-study skills are allowed 2 hours of tutoring a week. This means if you do not have coursework you want assistance with, but you want to work on your language yourself, you have 2 hours of tutoring time to work on language skills.
  • Students are allowed a total of 4 hours of tutoring per week.
  • Students enrolled in 2 ELI courses who wish to add an additional hour for self-study skills  (for a total of 5 hours) may do so with permission from the ELI Tutor Coordinator, Trena Haffenden. Email Thaffend@binghamton.edu for permission. 
  • Students may not make back-to-back or same-day appointments. Each hour must be on a separate day.
• Apply to Become an ELI Tutor
  ELI Tutors must complete EML 492 Tutoring ELLs, or have previous experience. To learn more about becoming an ELI tutor, email Trena Haffenden, the ELI Tutor Coordinator. To apply for an ELI tutoring position, complete this form.

Appointments take place in the CIW Library, Old Champlain 314, or via Zoom. Check your appointment confirmation email for the location and other details.

 

Is ELI Tutoring for Me? 

Yes, if you are a multilingual Binghamton University student who would like support with English, communication, or ademic skills related to language or cultural differences.

• ELI tutoring is open to undergraduate and graduate students
• International students, immigrants, permanent residents, refugees, DACA students, and U.S. citizens from multilingual backgrounds. 
• You do not need to be an international student or new to the United States. ELI tutoring is designed for students who may experience academic or communication challenges related to their language or cultural background.

 

What Can ELI Tutors Help With?

Understanding assignments and academic expectations

Not sure what a professor is asking you to do? We can help you understand assignment instructions, expectations, and common practices in U.S. universities. 

Reading and course materials 

We can help when unfamiliar language, cultural references, or background knowledge makes readings, lectures, videos, or other course materials difficult to understand.

Writing

We can help you organize ideas, develop paragraphs, improve sentence structure, identify recurring grammar problems, and understand academic writing conventions.  

Speaking, listening and pronunciation 

Developing and revise presentations, class participation, interviews, conversation, pronunciation, listening, and note taking.

Study and academic communication skills

We can help you develop strategies for reading, studying, managing assignments, communicating with professors, and participating successfully in your courses. 

Finding Resources: 

We can connect you with useful language-learning resources and other Binghamton services when you need additional support. 

ELI tutors complement other campus resources such as the Writing Center, Speaking Center, Critical Thinking Lab, and Success Coaching. We can help you decide which resource best fits your needs. 

ELI tutors are not experts in every academic subject. They are trained to help multilingual students with the language, communication, and cultural expectations that can make university work challenging. Our goal is to help you become a  more confident and independent student. 

Rules and Policies - Read carefully before making an appointment 

Cancellations

• Appointments must be cancelled at least 12 hours in advance.
• Cancellations made less than 12 hours before the appointment are counted as a no-show.
• When possible, please cancel at least 24 hours in  advance so another student can use the appointment.

Missed Appointments

• Three missed appointments during a semester will result in loss of ELI tutoring privileges for the rest of the semester. 
• A missed appointment includes both a no-show and a cancellation made less than 12 hours in advance.
• University Tutorial Services may also restrict tutoring in other subjects after repeated missed appointments.

Questions?

Contact us!

Trena Haffenden
ELI Tutor Coordinator
thaffend@binghamton.edu
Old Champlain 319