Welcome to the ESL Lab at Skyline College's Learning Center!We're happy you want to tutor ESL for us. Complete the following tutor training module, and see your coordinator when you are finished.
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This module includes:
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| I. The Tutee's Perspective and Expectations
There are typically two main reasons for a tutee to ask for writing help:
It is important to understand an ESL student’s writing issues in terms of hierarchy: which errors deserve more attention, and how should we address it? Please examine the following hierarchy of ESL writing issues:
We can separate this hierarchy into a focus on Content and a focus on Grammar. Items 1, 2, 3, & 4 of the hierarchy would fall into the category of Content, and Item 5 is a focus on Grammar. This will be discussed more in the next two sections of this module. Content should always precede Grammar; without the content, the grammar is pointless. However, the content is difficult to address when the grammar is problematic. Therefore, it is helpful to separate the two foci into different parts of the tutoring session, or into different sessions entirely. Some tutees will come to you expecting you to be a teacher. You are a tutor, not a teacher! Your job is not to correct homework, to give grades, or to give the answer to a test or homework question. Your job is to assist, to clarify, to support, and to provide alternative explanations to what the student is already learning in class. As soon as the tutee recognizes this, he/she will look to you as a partner in learning, not the possessor of knowledge! Assignment #1: Answer the following question and discuss it with your coordinator at the end of this module: In which area do you feel most comfortable tutoring – Grammar or Content – and why? What can you do to become stronger in your weaker area?
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II. Content – what many ESL students fear If you speak a second language, you know how hard it is to understand a teacher and communicate an idea in that language! Writing content can be frustrating for ESL students. Many students have problems understanding what an assignment is asking them to do; therefore, they have trouble communicating an understandable message. Because you have experience with ESL, you are in a position to help these tutees approach their assignments correctly. Follow the hierarchy, attending to the following:
This portion of your tutoring should resemble guidance or advice. You are not teaching, but you are assisting the student in the creative process of writing by providing direction and wisdom. Assignment #2: Look at the attached piece of student writing and imagine the student asking you if it is a good summary and commentary of a chapter from “The Joy Luck Club.” Practice seeing beyond the obvious grammatical mistakes and focus only on content. Even if you haven’t read the book, what can you do to assist her in organization, development, and thesis? Review your thoughts with your coordinator.
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III. Working with Grammar – Without Correction A lot of students will come to you asking you to correct their homework. This is the teacher’s job, not yours! As a tutor, you are not expected to be able to teach or correct grammar! You are responsible for identifying habits of error and helping the student improve. This means that you will need to be familiar with our materials and software and know how to send a student off on his or her own to do some remedial work. It is vital that you do not get pressured into correcting student errors, and it is your duty to be sure that tutees know that correction is not an option. As a tutor, you can discuss the error and guide the student to his/her own correction. Please note the following things that you may hear from a student while you are tutoring:
So...you can't correct. How do you begin to talk about grammar? Grammar errors can be divided into two categories: Global (major) and Local (minor).
As a tutor, you should first identify Global Errors. You can tell the student that some Local Errors exist, but do not give them focus in your session until the Global Errors are addressed. Suggest that the tutee come back again to get some more help another day. Make it clear that it takes a lot of time to learn another language. This portion of your tutoring is more prescriptive and directive than tutoring content. You are often in a position to explain and give examples, so make sure you have a good handbook or grammar book handy that can help you with this. Keep lots of scratch paper handy to write down examples, or use a white board to give examples. Ask that the student bring a grammar book from a past course so you can reiterate things that were taught in the past. The ESL lab has many good resources, so you can always take a moment with the tutee to sit down at a computer program and help the tutee learn the target structure. This is the closest to "teaching" you will get in tutoring ESL - your goal is not to correct or fix, but to explain, disambiguate, and clarify. Assignment #3: Look again at the attached piece of writing and imagine that the student has asked you to help her with grammar. Locate global errors and local errors. Which errors would you focus on and why? Review your work with your coordinator at the end of this module.
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Learning a language can be a frustrating, often frightening experience. It often makes people feel stupid and incapable, and this leads to poor attitude from a tutee. You can help alleviate this by trying to focus on the tutee’s successes and making each achievement a worthy event. Your tutee will appreciate your sensitivity and willingness to help. Too much hand-holding, however, can be counterproductive and can make the tutee dependent upon you. Therefore, each tutoring session needs to follow a certain path of steps utilizing techniques that empower the student. The steps help both you and your tutee to focus your energies on a small area of the assignment, thereby allowing for maximum assistance where the tutee most needs it, and letting the tutee take some responsibility in assessing his/her own work. If your session is productive, the tutee will most likely want to make a future appointment with you for future assignments. Encourage this! It means the tutee accepts you as a part of his/her learning and wants to be part of a process in becoming a better communicator. The following are recommended steps for conducting an ESL tutoring session. Note each step carefully, thinking of how you can communicate these things to your tutee.
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Congratulations! You have completed this training!
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Sample Student Writing
This story is about mixed marriage between two people which are Ted and Rose. Ted is american boy. Rose is chinese girl. Ted family have reunion in park, which Rose invited here. Ted mother which is Mrs. Jordan and Rose started to talk. Mrs. Jordan said that I’m glad to meet you, I hope you won’t misunderstand what I want to say. Mrs. Jordan said that, I want my son continued to school, and I not want my son get married minorities, because it’s not fair for him. She said how vietnamese war not popular. Rose said that very slowly I’m not vietnamese. She also said don’t worry Mrs. Jordan I not interested to get married your son. I think Mrs. Jordan is predjudice woman because the way she talk to Rose, she said, that Rose not fit her son. The reason is she is chinese. If she is caucasian, I don’t think she has problem with that. Mrs. Jordan say Ted will have a problem his work. I don’t think that true. Some family not want child get married someone who different. I think that wrong, but sometime I understand. How parent want best future for they child.
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