Uncertainty Reduction in ESL Tutoring 2
Introduction
Intercultural communication has become a prominent area of study for communication
scholars in the last several decades (Kim, 2002; Ting-Toomey, 1999). This emerging interest has
been primarily influenced by the increased transience of individuals who take advantage of the
opportunities for working and studying outside their home countries. Whether dictated by choice
or by necessity, intercultural transitions have become more common for millions of people,
including those who relocate permanently, as well as travelers whose stays are shorter and have a
specific purpose – exchange students, government workers, business people, missionaries,
volunteers for various aid organizations, and others.
Exchange students represent an important population for educators as well as the society
as a whole. According to the Institute of International Education (IIE), more than 586,000
international students were enrolled in US universities in the 2002-03 academic year, and they
contributed more than $12 billion to the US economy (Institute of International Education [IIE],
2003). Allan E. Goodman, President and CEO of IIE, stated, “International educational exchange
has never been more important for the US. Foreign students bring intellectual, economic, and
cultural benefits to our campuses and communities” (IIE, 2003). One of the main objectives that
educational institutions have is to enable students to succeed in the challenging environment of
higher education, and ESL students require particular attention because of the language barrier
and cultural differences that they must learn to contend with in addition to standard course work.
One of the prominent resources utilized by students on most campuses is a writing center,
and ESL speakers are frequent visitors to that facility; therefore; examination of student-tutor
interaction in that context is important to the field of intercultural communication inquiry as well
as instructional communication. The writing center presents a rather unique setting: the ultimate
Convention