Peer Tutoring and the "Conversation of Mankind"

As I read this article, especially the first half, I begin to see why some would critique Bruffee for his "conservative" views. I agree that internalized thought and conversation (and other social interactions involving language) are intertwined, are not separated from each other. But, should "native aptitude, the gift of our genes," be relegated to an aside in this discussion? I realize my Elbowvian slant is showing, but isn't there something to say for the individual in all of this? Yes, language learning (and any other learning) occurs in social contexts, but is there not such a thing as original thought? And I don't mean thought that has originated in internalized conversation, but a creation of meaning, and not just the same old information that we have been swapping back and forth for millenia. (that quote's on pg 209, btw)

Bruffee's "aside" aside, I think what this article has to say about the mindset of students new to The University is completely valid. Even faculty can give off that "sink or swim" vibe, even as they encourage their students to seek help. Even though learning is a social act, especially language learning, a lot of people don't see it that way. And many of those same people see resources like the UWC as just another appendage of the institution, i.e. more work.

The idea of "peer tutor" that Bruffee is pushing for reminds me, yet again, of those after-hours study groups that students often set up themselves with other classmates in order to survive difficult classes. I participated in lots of self-made peer-tutoring groups, usually at the library or Starbucks, on a regular basis; I never once stepped foot in the Writing Center. Now I know that the UWC offers peer tutoring (more or less), but then I just thought it was more of the same institutionalized instruction and never bothered. I had the same attitude toward other services like the Math Lab and French tutoring. If I participated, I only did because I was told to. So, I am once again led to believe that it all comes down to perception and how we advertise ourselves.

Maybe the first step is getting across that learning, and not just literacy, is a social act and can and should occur in a social context (notes for the Mission Statement here). And that the tutors are actually "peers," despite whatever is implied about expertise or authority.