Abstract
Six cases of tutoring Chinese-speaking students and one case with English-speaking American student are presented to demonstrate students’ perceived hierarchy in tutoring sessions, as well as their different preferences and comfort levels with a hierarchical or peer-tutorial dynamic. Some students often addressed the tutor with the formal “you” in Mandarin Chinese, preferred to call tutors “teachers,” and expressed admiration for tutors' educational background, while English-speaking students occasionally signal hierarchical expectations, suggesting this phenomenon may transcend a single cultural group. To build writing centers as supportive, interconnected ecosystems of learning, it is important to conduct further research on students’ perceptions and preferences for peer or hierarchical support, and to offer relevant training for tutors.
Keywords
writing center, cross-cultural tutoring, multilingual writers
Date of this Version
3-13-2026
Recommended Citation
Ding, Yinan, "“You are my tutor, not my peer”: Hierarchy in cross-cultural consulting in writing centers" (2026). Purdue Writing Lab/Purdue OWL Graduate Student Presentations. Paper 24.
https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/writinglabgradpres/24
Comments
ECWCA, Crawfordsville, IN; March 13, 2026