I like to give my students a lot of freedom when I'm tutoring. Rather than imposing set lesson plans on them, I generally let them decide how they would like to spend their session.
Normally this does not have much of an effect on what we do because the student will usually have a homework assignment to work on that takes up most of our time. But if the student has more than one assignment, I will ask him or her which we should work on first. This gives them the option to start out with an easy one to warm up or to tackle the difficult one first. You might think they always choose the former option, but really it's about 50/50. If the student has no school assignment to work on, I'll usually have two or more activities planned. These are usually reading a passage and answering questions, or doing the next section in the student's English grammar book or textbook, or working ahead in class. Again, the student is allowed to choose.
I'd like to believe that, in theory, my students will get more use out of our sessions together if they're given more freedom when choosing our activities. My goal is to get them to see our time together as not just another school-thing they have to do (even though it is) but a chance for them to improve their English.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Sunday, December 30, 2007
TV?
One time when I was chatting with Yosuke and Yuki's mother, I mentioned that watching TV was an easy way to pick up English. Yuki is a fan of Spongebob, so I encouraged her to continue watching.
It seemed like a good idea at the time, but recently I read an article that watching TV is actually detrimental to learning a language. Who would have thought? I regret encouraging it as a learning tool, but I'm also a bit dubious of the article (which I can't find again, or else I'd post it here). According to the author, we learn either through visual stimuli or audible stimuli, but not by both. So you can learn a foreign language by reading or by listening to music or tapes, but watching TV doesn't work.
I'm not sure I completely believe the article, and I plan to keep looking for other opinions. In any case, when studying a foreign language, watching TV shows or movies in that language beats watching them in your native language, right? I hope so.
It seemed like a good idea at the time, but recently I read an article that watching TV is actually detrimental to learning a language. Who would have thought? I regret encouraging it as a learning tool, but I'm also a bit dubious of the article (which I can't find again, or else I'd post it here). According to the author, we learn either through visual stimuli or audible stimuli, but not by both. So you can learn a foreign language by reading or by listening to music or tapes, but watching TV doesn't work.
I'm not sure I completely believe the article, and I plan to keep looking for other opinions. In any case, when studying a foreign language, watching TV shows or movies in that language beats watching them in your native language, right? I hope so.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Culture Exchange
One of my favorite aspects of tutoring ESL is the little bits of culture exchange that occurs during conversation. It's amazing how fun it is to both learn about the other person's culture and to teach your own.
For example, Yosuke and Yuki's mother had put up a Christmas tree earlier this month. I was complimenting her on it and the ornaments, when she mentioned that it was a bit of a nuisance. She had placed it at the entrance by the front door, a bit to the side so that you could walk straight by it to get to the living room, but you had to walk around it to get to the study room. I replied that most families put their Christmas tree in the living room, and even though I said it casually to make conversation, she started laughing and said that she had no idea. I had assumed that placing the tree by the entrance was an aesthetic decision, but in reality, she had no idea that the living room is the "proper" place. She, Yosuke, and Yuki marveled over this little bit of information. I, of course, assured her that the Christmas tree can be placed anywhere in the house.
It's little exchanges like this that really make tutoring feel nothing like work.
For example, Yosuke and Yuki's mother had put up a Christmas tree earlier this month. I was complimenting her on it and the ornaments, when she mentioned that it was a bit of a nuisance. She had placed it at the entrance by the front door, a bit to the side so that you could walk straight by it to get to the living room, but you had to walk around it to get to the study room. I replied that most families put their Christmas tree in the living room, and even though I said it casually to make conversation, she started laughing and said that she had no idea. I had assumed that placing the tree by the entrance was an aesthetic decision, but in reality, she had no idea that the living room is the "proper" place. She, Yosuke, and Yuki marveled over this little bit of information. I, of course, assured her that the Christmas tree can be placed anywhere in the house.
It's little exchanges like this that really make tutoring feel nothing like work.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Yuki's Handwriting
Today I worked with Yuki for an hour, during which I noticed an incredible change in her handwriting from the last time I'd seen it (which, admittedly, has been quite a while, due to Yosuke's midterms). It used to be pretty standard ESL-learner handwriting, which is neat, blocky letters. Now she has girly 7th grader handwriting! Seriously! The characters are soft and a bit loopy, and the i's have special dots and everything. It's so natural that you can't even tell that she's an ESL learner.
I also noticed vast improvement in her English (that's nothing new, though - her rate of improvement is the highest among all my students), so all around she's doing very well. She's going to be bilingual in no time!
I also noticed vast improvement in her English (that's nothing new, though - her rate of improvement is the highest among all my students), so all around she's doing very well. She's going to be bilingual in no time!
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
New Beginnings!
I hope everyone had a pleasant Christmas. I certainly enjoyed my holiday break, and I'm looking forward to beginning tutoring again tomorrow.
Over Christmas break, I had the opportunity to have lunch with the Japanese professor who arranged my tutoring jobs. I was able to thank her for all she's done for me, and we discussed the work I've been doing. I was happy to hear that she is also concerned with the dismal ESL programs at the schools in our area and is actively fighting to get them improved. I told her that I had also been upset about it, but I didn't know what to do, so I asked her to let me know if I can help in any way. I hope she includes me in her efforts, because improving the system would mean a lot to me.
She also mentioned the possibility of another tutoring job. A Japanese family who lives in the same neighborhood as Yosuke and Yuki are looking for an English tutor for their daughter. The daughter is only in second grade, however. I told the teacher that I was interested, but that I don't have any experience teaching young children. If she doesn't find anyone else, I'll get the job. I'm both excited and nervous by the prospect - I'd love to get some experience teaching a child that young, but I just don't think I'm ready yet.
Over Christmas break, I had the opportunity to have lunch with the Japanese professor who arranged my tutoring jobs. I was able to thank her for all she's done for me, and we discussed the work I've been doing. I was happy to hear that she is also concerned with the dismal ESL programs at the schools in our area and is actively fighting to get them improved. I told her that I had also been upset about it, but I didn't know what to do, so I asked her to let me know if I can help in any way. I hope she includes me in her efforts, because improving the system would mean a lot to me.
She also mentioned the possibility of another tutoring job. A Japanese family who lives in the same neighborhood as Yosuke and Yuki are looking for an English tutor for their daughter. The daughter is only in second grade, however. I told the teacher that I was interested, but that I don't have any experience teaching young children. If she doesn't find anyone else, I'll get the job. I'm both excited and nervous by the prospect - I'd love to get some experience teaching a child that young, but I just don't think I'm ready yet.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Self-Consciousness
Miki's problem isn't that she's shy. From her interactions with her mother, she is clearly energetic and outgoing. So why does she clam up when she's around me?
One problem that I know of is that her mother often listens to our tutoring session. Her mother is in the kitchen, which is adjacent to the room Miki and I are in, preparing dinner while I am there. Once, Miki was answering a question in English, and her mother became intrigued by hearing a string of English words coming from Miki, so she peeked around the corner to watch. Miki immediately stopped and was unable to finish.
The poor girl needs privacy! And I need to think of a way to politely say to her mother "Please don't do that!"
One problem that I know of is that her mother often listens to our tutoring session. Her mother is in the kitchen, which is adjacent to the room Miki and I are in, preparing dinner while I am there. Once, Miki was answering a question in English, and her mother became intrigued by hearing a string of English words coming from Miki, so she peeked around the corner to watch. Miki immediately stopped and was unable to finish.
The poor girl needs privacy! And I need to think of a way to politely say to her mother "Please don't do that!"
Friday, December 21, 2007
We Love Mistakes
Teachers love it when students make mistakes. It demonstrates that the student is trying and learning. A student who never makes a mistake when studying a foreign language is learning nothing.
Yosuke and Yuki often make mistakes, meaning they are developing and moving out of their comfort zones.
Miki, for the most part, refuses to speak altogether, so she doesn't make mistakes. But she did make some progress yesterday. We were working on a dialogue in her English textbook. After each dialogue, there are two questions for the student to answer. These are usually simple yes or no questions. For example, a line of the dialogue might be:
Sarah: "The movie was good."
Question 1: Was the movie good?
When I asked Miki one of the questions yesterday, finally, for the first time, she got that look that indicated she was actually thinking about it. And then she attempted the answer sincerely without being asked more than once. Her answer had a mistake in it, but I was very pleased that she showed some effort.
I consider this Miki's first sign of progress, and I hope she continues to make mistakes.
Yosuke and Yuki often make mistakes, meaning they are developing and moving out of their comfort zones.
Miki, for the most part, refuses to speak altogether, so she doesn't make mistakes. But she did make some progress yesterday. We were working on a dialogue in her English textbook. After each dialogue, there are two questions for the student to answer. These are usually simple yes or no questions. For example, a line of the dialogue might be:
Sarah: "The movie was good."
Question 1: Was the movie good?
When I asked Miki one of the questions yesterday, finally, for the first time, she got that look that indicated she was actually thinking about it. And then she attempted the answer sincerely without being asked more than once. Her answer had a mistake in it, but I was very pleased that she showed some effort.
I consider this Miki's first sign of progress, and I hope she continues to make mistakes.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Christmas Gifts Part 2!
Miki's mother gave me a Christmas present today - a huge box of yummy-looking truffles! I wasn't expecting anything, so it was a pleasant surprise.
It took me about two hours of wandering through Barnes & Noble, but I've successfully found Christmas presents for all my kids. The reason it took me so much time was the frustrating task I was faced with: finding books that would be interesting and enjoyable at their age and yet significantly below their age's typical reading level.
For Yosuke, I had to find something a sixteen-year-old boy would enjoy that was at a fourth-grade reading level. For Miki, I had to find something a thirteen-year-old girl would enjoy that was short, had very simple English in it, and had pictures. I also wanted to stick with books I have read myself so that I could buy something I knew was good. Finally, I wanted to get them something fun to read. I spent some time browsing the test-prep section and the section with learn-to-read materials for little kids before deciding that these are Christmas gifts, so they should be fun!
Here's what I ended up with after two frustrating hours:
Miki: The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
Yuki: The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
Yosuke: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling and Hatchet by Gary Paulson (He got two because Miki and Yuki's books were hardcover, and his were both paperbacks.)
While I didn't purchase them tonight, I plan to buy coffee table books of North Carolina scenery for the parents. My mother got one of these as a present for my host mother when I was an exchange student, and it was a huge success.
It took me about two hours of wandering through Barnes & Noble, but I've successfully found Christmas presents for all my kids. The reason it took me so much time was the frustrating task I was faced with: finding books that would be interesting and enjoyable at their age and yet significantly below their age's typical reading level.
For Yosuke, I had to find something a sixteen-year-old boy would enjoy that was at a fourth-grade reading level. For Miki, I had to find something a thirteen-year-old girl would enjoy that was short, had very simple English in it, and had pictures. I also wanted to stick with books I have read myself so that I could buy something I knew was good. Finally, I wanted to get them something fun to read. I spent some time browsing the test-prep section and the section with learn-to-read materials for little kids before deciding that these are Christmas gifts, so they should be fun!
Here's what I ended up with after two frustrating hours:
Miki: The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
Yuki: The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
Yosuke: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling and Hatchet by Gary Paulson (He got two because Miki and Yuki's books were hardcover, and his were both paperbacks.)
While I didn't purchase them tonight, I plan to buy coffee table books of North Carolina scenery for the parents. My mother got one of these as a present for my host mother when I was an exchange student, and it was a huge success.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Finding Materials vs Making Materials
Usually when I'm tutoring, I have a specific goal and don't need to make a lesson plan. For example, I usually help with homework, or I help Yosuke prepare for the English EOC test or help Yuki with her book report.
On the rare occasions that I do need to plan and create content, I have used the Internet to find materials. There's so much available (type "ESL lesson plans" or something similar into Google and you'll see for yourself) that I pick and choose things I like and put something together myself. I haven't yet found one source that's provided me with everything I need, so there's always a bit of hunting that needs to be done.
The main problem I have with finding materials is that the English is often unnatural. I hate teaching unnatural English. In school, I could tell when I was being taught unnatural Japanese, and I'm sure kids learning English feel the same. I much preferred being taught a natural phrase or sentence that required an explanation in order to understand it. As a result, I treat my students the same way. When I find a dialog or a lesson plan I like, I go through the English parts and make sure it all sounds okay. I'll often change parts or add on extra stuff.
For example, I was teaching Yosuke's mother an English lesson one day using a dialogue about a trip to the grocery store. It was a decent dialogue, but I had also added some extra phrases that I thought were useful but didn't fit into the normal English education. One of them was "Did you find everything okay?" which, as we all know, several cashiers will say before you check out (at least here in North Carolina). Yosuke's mother had been going through the dialogue without much reaction up until then, but at that point she became excited because she had heard the phrase at the grocery store every time but didn't know what it meant or how to answer. We then discussed it for a while, and I walked away from the lesson happy that I had taken the time to teach her something of value instead of just using a generic lesson plan.
On the rare occasions that I do need to plan and create content, I have used the Internet to find materials. There's so much available (type "ESL lesson plans" or something similar into Google and you'll see for yourself) that I pick and choose things I like and put something together myself. I haven't yet found one source that's provided me with everything I need, so there's always a bit of hunting that needs to be done.
The main problem I have with finding materials is that the English is often unnatural. I hate teaching unnatural English. In school, I could tell when I was being taught unnatural Japanese, and I'm sure kids learning English feel the same. I much preferred being taught a natural phrase or sentence that required an explanation in order to understand it. As a result, I treat my students the same way. When I find a dialog or a lesson plan I like, I go through the English parts and make sure it all sounds okay. I'll often change parts or add on extra stuff.
For example, I was teaching Yosuke's mother an English lesson one day using a dialogue about a trip to the grocery store. It was a decent dialogue, but I had also added some extra phrases that I thought were useful but didn't fit into the normal English education. One of them was "Did you find everything okay?" which, as we all know, several cashiers will say before you check out (at least here in North Carolina). Yosuke's mother had been going through the dialogue without much reaction up until then, but at that point she became excited because she had heard the phrase at the grocery store every time but didn't know what it meant or how to answer. We then discussed it for a while, and I walked away from the lesson happy that I had taken the time to teach her something of value instead of just using a generic lesson plan.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Christmas Gifts
I'm not sure what I'm getting my kids for Christmas. I thought I'd get Yosuke a short novel and Yuki a kid's novel or something. I've no idea what to get Miki - perhaps a book, but I have to find a really simple one or she'll give up.
Yosuke and Yuki's mother gave me a $50 gift card to Abercrombie & Fitch! I thought about giving it to someone for Christmas because I don't shop at A&F, and then I realized that she gave it to me so I could treat myself, so that's what I'll do. I'll supplement my almost entirely Goodwill-supplied wardrobe with two pieces of high quality A&F gear.
By the way, I figured I'd get something for the parents of the kids as well, but I'm not entirely sure what would be good. Perhaps some homemade eggnog?
Yosuke and Yuki's mother gave me a $50 gift card to Abercrombie & Fitch! I thought about giving it to someone for Christmas because I don't shop at A&F, and then I realized that she gave it to me so I could treat myself, so that's what I'll do. I'll supplement my almost entirely Goodwill-supplied wardrobe with two pieces of high quality A&F gear.
By the way, I figured I'd get something for the parents of the kids as well, but I'm not entirely sure what would be good. Perhaps some homemade eggnog?
Monday, December 17, 2007
Acquiring a Tutoring Job
I was lucky when I got this tutoring job. I wasn't even looking for one. During my last semester of college, one of my Japanese teachers asked me if I would be interested in doing some tutoring part-time. Apparently, this teacher is quite active in the Japanese community (which is almost nonexistent here), and she often hooks up new families with tutors. I told her I was interested, and a few months later, I got an email with some contact information.
After tutoring Yosuke and Yuki for about four months, I heard of Miki's situation. Miki's English level was so low that her mother was looking for a tutor who spoke Japanese well. Yosuke's mother asked me if I knew anyone, and I told her I didn't, as all of my Japanese-speaking friends are doing the JET Program this year. My Japanese teacher also asked a student, who declined the job. Finally, I was asked, even though I insisted my Japanese wouldn't be good enough to help this student. I contacted Miki's mother via email and offered to help Miki temporarily until a better student was found. Three months later, here I am still tutoring Miki. It seems to have become permanent.
I enjoy the work and I adore Miki, but I still feel like she needs a tutor with more experience. At least I'm getting better (I think)!
PS- Yosuke is probably taking his English midterm right about now. Ganbatte, Yosuke!!
After tutoring Yosuke and Yuki for about four months, I heard of Miki's situation. Miki's English level was so low that her mother was looking for a tutor who spoke Japanese well. Yosuke's mother asked me if I knew anyone, and I told her I didn't, as all of my Japanese-speaking friends are doing the JET Program this year. My Japanese teacher also asked a student, who declined the job. Finally, I was asked, even though I insisted my Japanese wouldn't be good enough to help this student. I contacted Miki's mother via email and offered to help Miki temporarily until a better student was found. Three months later, here I am still tutoring Miki. It seems to have become permanent.
I enjoy the work and I adore Miki, but I still feel like she needs a tutor with more experience. At least I'm getting better (I think)!
PS- Yosuke is probably taking his English midterm right about now. Ganbatte, Yosuke!!
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Midterms
Yosuke had one of his "off" days today, it seemed. You know how some days you can't seem to get anything right, and everything seems difficult? Yosuke has this occasionally (thankfully, it happens pretty rarely: about once a month or less).
Today wasn't so bad, though, because we were working on Geometry, not English (although I still spoke English to him). Yosuke is really good at math, so an off day for him is a normal day for anyone else when it comes to math. It's only a bit frustrating for me because I suddenly feel like I'm trying to explain proofs and parallelograms and such to Miki, who can barley stomach inequalities. (In fact, at one point, I had to spend ten minutes talking to Yosuke about inequalities so he could write one of the proofs. Sheesh...)
We didn't have any time to study for his English midterm coming up on Tuesday, so I asked him to review his notes on grammar alone, and I told him I would have some practice questions written for him. I'm not sure he understood that I would be quizzing him, but I know he at least got the request to study the notes.
Another "off" day is over. I'm thankful it came on a day where we were concentrating on math anyway and that it came before his midterms this week!
Today wasn't so bad, though, because we were working on Geometry, not English (although I still spoke English to him). Yosuke is really good at math, so an off day for him is a normal day for anyone else when it comes to math. It's only a bit frustrating for me because I suddenly feel like I'm trying to explain proofs and parallelograms and such to Miki, who can barley stomach inequalities. (In fact, at one point, I had to spend ten minutes talking to Yosuke about inequalities so he could write one of the proofs. Sheesh...)
We didn't have any time to study for his English midterm coming up on Tuesday, so I asked him to review his notes on grammar alone, and I told him I would have some practice questions written for him. I'm not sure he understood that I would be quizzing him, but I know he at least got the request to study the notes.
Another "off" day is over. I'm thankful it came on a day where we were concentrating on math anyway and that it came before his midterms this week!
Saturday, December 15, 2007
More About Food
Yesterday I mentioned the food and drinks that Miki's mother serves me, but Yosuke and Yuki's mother's food is always a treat.
I'm at her house for two hours per session. As soon as I get there and sit down at the desk with Yosuke or Yuki, she brings me a glass of water. Then, after an hour exactly, she brings a beverage and a snack. If I've drunk all the water, she'll take my glass and refill it as well.
The beverage is usually coffee or hot tea, but I've also gotten juice or soda in the past. The snack is usually quite substantial. I'd say the usual is packaged sweets, such as cookies or little cakes. These are always Japanese, by the way. I'm not sure where she got this stash of individually packaged Japanese sweets (did she bring them with her?), but she never seems to run out. Occasionally, I will get fancy little cakes that came from a nearby bakery and are obviously a bit pricey. Sometimes I will get rice crackers and, even more rarely, something she made herself. Unless it's one of the fancy little cakes, she'll never give me just one thing. It's always two, three, sometimes four things on a little plate.
I think the reason she rarely gives me homemade stuff is because she says she is bad at cooking. I much prefer her homemade stuff over storebought, though. I'd tell her that, but I don't know if she'd believe me. In any case, Yosuke and Yuki's mother is such a nice person and I adore working for her. And not just for the food, but of course the food certainly is nice!
I'm at her house for two hours per session. As soon as I get there and sit down at the desk with Yosuke or Yuki, she brings me a glass of water. Then, after an hour exactly, she brings a beverage and a snack. If I've drunk all the water, she'll take my glass and refill it as well.
The beverage is usually coffee or hot tea, but I've also gotten juice or soda in the past. The snack is usually quite substantial. I'd say the usual is packaged sweets, such as cookies or little cakes. These are always Japanese, by the way. I'm not sure where she got this stash of individually packaged Japanese sweets (did she bring them with her?), but she never seems to run out. Occasionally, I will get fancy little cakes that came from a nearby bakery and are obviously a bit pricey. Sometimes I will get rice crackers and, even more rarely, something she made herself. Unless it's one of the fancy little cakes, she'll never give me just one thing. It's always two, three, sometimes four things on a little plate.
I think the reason she rarely gives me homemade stuff is because she says she is bad at cooking. I much prefer her homemade stuff over storebought, though. I'd tell her that, but I don't know if she'd believe me. In any case, Yosuke and Yuki's mother is such a nice person and I adore working for her. And not just for the food, but of course the food certainly is nice!
Friday, December 14, 2007
Food
One of my favorite things about tutoring is the food.
Both of the Japanese mothers I work for will bring me a drink while I'm tutoring her child. Yosuke and Yuki's mother always brings me food as well. They like to mix it up, and I always find myself looking forward to seeing what I'll get each day.
Miki's mother used to only bring me water. I attributed this to the fact that when I first came to her house to discuss the tutoring job, she offered me a drink and I asked for water. After that, I got a bottle of water each day when I was tutoring Miki. One day when it was a bit chilly, Miki's mother offered me a hot drink - black tea, green tea, or coffee. I told her anything was fine, and she brought Miki and me some coffee. Since then, she sometimes brings coffee or black tea, or sometimes just water. Last time, she brought some lemon iced tea.
One day, she brought this Japanese sweet I had never tasted before and some hot green tea. The green tea was so delicious! I hadn't had such yummy green tea since I did a homestay in Japan over two years ago. I meant to compliment her on the tea, but I was too wrapped up in complimenting her on the sweet and asking her about it that I completely forgot. I can't remember the name of it, but it was a specialty of Kumamoto Prefecture in Kyushu. It was sweet potato wrapped in something else - I don't know what it was, but it had the consistency of motchi. It was very delicious, and she made it by hand! (I asked her because it seemed like it was store-bought because it looked very difficult to make!)
It's the little things like this that make the tutoring job enjoyable for me. Of course the main reward is helping the kids, but the cultural exchange is the fun part.
Both of the Japanese mothers I work for will bring me a drink while I'm tutoring her child. Yosuke and Yuki's mother always brings me food as well. They like to mix it up, and I always find myself looking forward to seeing what I'll get each day.
Miki's mother used to only bring me water. I attributed this to the fact that when I first came to her house to discuss the tutoring job, she offered me a drink and I asked for water. After that, I got a bottle of water each day when I was tutoring Miki. One day when it was a bit chilly, Miki's mother offered me a hot drink - black tea, green tea, or coffee. I told her anything was fine, and she brought Miki and me some coffee. Since then, she sometimes brings coffee or black tea, or sometimes just water. Last time, she brought some lemon iced tea.
One day, she brought this Japanese sweet I had never tasted before and some hot green tea. The green tea was so delicious! I hadn't had such yummy green tea since I did a homestay in Japan over two years ago. I meant to compliment her on the tea, but I was too wrapped up in complimenting her on the sweet and asking her about it that I completely forgot. I can't remember the name of it, but it was a specialty of Kumamoto Prefecture in Kyushu. It was sweet potato wrapped in something else - I don't know what it was, but it had the consistency of motchi. It was very delicious, and she made it by hand! (I asked her because it seemed like it was store-bought because it looked very difficult to make!)
It's the little things like this that make the tutoring job enjoyable for me. Of course the main reward is helping the kids, but the cultural exchange is the fun part.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Seemingly Impossibility
What can you do when faced with having to teach something almost impossibly difficult to an ESL student?
I consider myself a decent teacher, and I'd like to think that I could teach any subject material to a student in his or her native language. But when working with ESL, the options suddenly seem limited.
For example, a few months ago I was helping Yuki with her homework. She had to read a short story and answer some questions. It seemed easy enough, until I saw what the story was - Edgar Allan Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that a little advanced for 7th grade? I was at a loss at how I could help Yuki understand it at her low English level. (Later I found a Japanese translation and emailed it to her. She mentioned that some of the kanji were difficult for her - clearly advanced stuff even in one's native language.)
This is probably the most daunting challenge I've faced (and continue to face) as an ESL tutor.
I consider myself a decent teacher, and I'd like to think that I could teach any subject material to a student in his or her native language. But when working with ESL, the options suddenly seem limited.
For example, a few months ago I was helping Yuki with her homework. She had to read a short story and answer some questions. It seemed easy enough, until I saw what the story was - Edgar Allan Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that a little advanced for 7th grade? I was at a loss at how I could help Yuki understand it at her low English level. (Later I found a Japanese translation and emailed it to her. She mentioned that some of the kanji were difficult for her - clearly advanced stuff even in one's native language.)
This is probably the most daunting challenge I've faced (and continue to face) as an ESL tutor.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
On Judging Language Levels
I'm still new to teaching, and one thing I'm struggling with is judging the level of students.
My favorite Japanese teacher seemed so adept at speaking to me at my level - not above it or below it. Conversations with her were informative and rewarding. I find that most native Japanese speakers overestimate my Japanese ability, however; they speak over my level, making conversations a bit more frustrating.
I often feel like I, in turn, overestimate the English level of my students, essentially speaking over their heads. Sometimes, though, they surprise me by how much they understand, and I find myself feeling like I'm insulting them by underestimating their level.
It makes me wonder how my favorite Japanese teacher managed to be so perfect! I took it for granted at the time.
My favorite Japanese teacher seemed so adept at speaking to me at my level - not above it or below it. Conversations with her were informative and rewarding. I find that most native Japanese speakers overestimate my Japanese ability, however; they speak over my level, making conversations a bit more frustrating.
I often feel like I, in turn, overestimate the English level of my students, essentially speaking over their heads. Sometimes, though, they surprise me by how much they understand, and I find myself feeling like I'm insulting them by underestimating their level.
It makes me wonder how my favorite Japanese teacher managed to be so perfect! I took it for granted at the time.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
My Problem Student
Okay, maybe "problem student" is a little too harsh, but Miki is definitely my biggest challenge in tutoring thus far. She knows zero English, or at least that's what she would like me to believe. (I think Miki knows more than she lets on, but she's so shy that she refuses to speak English unless I pressure her.) Her intelligence is also average, or perhaps even below average.
Essentially, Miki is facing two barriers to success at school: her difficulties grappling with the subject matter itself and the language barrier.
I tutor Miki three hours a week. Previously it was only two hours, split up into two one-hour sessions, which would be entirely consumed by her homework. Recently, her mother suggested we extend the sessions by 30 minutes and devote that half-hour to English only, using Miki's older sister's old English textbook.
I was grateful for the extra time to help Miki, but I also regretted the way it changed our session. Previously, I would speak both English and Japanese to Miki, and encourage her to respond in English as much as possible. Now, it feels as if our session has been divided into a Japanese portion and an English portion, where Miki doesn't feel pressured to speak English except during the last 30 minutes.
This is another problem I'm not sure how to resolve. I feel like all I can do is continue to encourage her. I don't want to force her because she's so shy that she might withdraw even further. It's going to be a long process, but I'm going to try my best to help her speak up.
Essentially, Miki is facing two barriers to success at school: her difficulties grappling with the subject matter itself and the language barrier.
I tutor Miki three hours a week. Previously it was only two hours, split up into two one-hour sessions, which would be entirely consumed by her homework. Recently, her mother suggested we extend the sessions by 30 minutes and devote that half-hour to English only, using Miki's older sister's old English textbook.
I was grateful for the extra time to help Miki, but I also regretted the way it changed our session. Previously, I would speak both English and Japanese to Miki, and encourage her to respond in English as much as possible. Now, it feels as if our session has been divided into a Japanese portion and an English portion, where Miki doesn't feel pressured to speak English except during the last 30 minutes.
This is another problem I'm not sure how to resolve. I feel like all I can do is continue to encourage her. I don't want to force her because she's so shy that she might withdraw even further. It's going to be a long process, but I'm going to try my best to help her speak up.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Progress Report - Good and Bad News
Yosuke showed me his most recent progress report today. To my surprise, his grade in English I managed to rise from a C to an A in just two months. It was more than I could have hoped for. He started out the semester with a low D on his first progress report, which grudgingly rose to a C on the next one. I was expecting a C+ or, if we were lucky, a B-. An A is just incredible.
Strangely, his grade in ESL II dropped from an A to a C. ESL II is an easy class - it's definitely below his English level, and there isn't much work - so I expressed concerned and asked him why the grade was so low. Yosuke told me that he never did any work in the class, but it was okay because other students in the class got D's and F's. Not accepting that as a valid excuse, I told him that since the class was easy, he should try for an A - it would give him straight A's! He reiterated that he didn't really care.
I wonder how I can make him care about his GPA. I suppose if I wanted to pursue the matter, I could enlist his parents in helping me motivate him, perhaps by asking them to offer him rewards for getting A's. Or maybe he's right and it doesn't matter, and I should just drop it.
I'm not sure what I should do.
Strangely, his grade in ESL II dropped from an A to a C. ESL II is an easy class - it's definitely below his English level, and there isn't much work - so I expressed concerned and asked him why the grade was so low. Yosuke told me that he never did any work in the class, but it was okay because other students in the class got D's and F's. Not accepting that as a valid excuse, I told him that since the class was easy, he should try for an A - it would give him straight A's! He reiterated that he didn't really care.
I wonder how I can make him care about his GPA. I suppose if I wanted to pursue the matter, I could enlist his parents in helping me motivate him, perhaps by asking them to offer him rewards for getting A's. Or maybe he's right and it doesn't matter, and I should just drop it.
I'm not sure what I should do.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Introductions
It's only been six months since I started tutoring, but the experiences and insights I've gained so far have been monumental. I've decided to start a blog in order to organize and track these thoughts, as well as to share them with others.
Here's a bit about my work: I currently tutor three students from two families. My main student, Yosuke*, is a ninth grader in high school. His English is upper-intermediate level. I work with Yosuke anywhere from 6-8 hours per week. I also tutor his sister, Yuki, who is in the eighth grade, for 1-2 hours per week. Her English level is about upper-beginner or so. Finally, I also tutor Miki, who is in the 7th grade, for 3 hours per week. Her English level is the lowest of the three; she's a beginner.
Overall, I tutor approximately 11 hours per week.
*Names have been changed.
Here's a bit about my work: I currently tutor three students from two families. My main student, Yosuke*, is a ninth grader in high school. His English is upper-intermediate level. I work with Yosuke anywhere from 6-8 hours per week. I also tutor his sister, Yuki, who is in the eighth grade, for 1-2 hours per week. Her English level is about upper-beginner or so. Finally, I also tutor Miki, who is in the 7th grade, for 3 hours per week. Her English level is the lowest of the three; she's a beginner.
Overall, I tutor approximately 11 hours per week.
*Names have been changed.
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