Ask Micki: Learning French, Tutoring French

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Question: Hello, Micki, I have a question about foreign language tutoring and I am hoping you can help me. 

I began taking French over a year ago now, and enjoy every minute of it.  While I am far (really, really far) from being fluent, I am very comfortable being at the intermediate level.  I understand the grammar, the language rules, and have an intermediate level vocabulary. 

My question is this: I was contacted by someone who has a 12 year old daughter.  She has just started taking french in junior high, and is starting from the very basics.  I was asked about tutoring this student in French, but I am not sure if I should say yes.

Like I said, I'm not fluent.  Is it unethical, or wrong, or anything to tutor someone in a language that you yourself are not 100% fluent in yet?

Thanks for the help,
Olivia from IL


Answer: Hi, Olivia.  Good question - my short and sweet answer - go for it!

You will be tutoring this young girl in the basics of French and, from the sounds of it, you have already mastered that level.  So, for this young girl, you are an expert at basic French.  Even if in your own mind you have a way to go before being fluent, at this basic French level, you sound as though you are more than qualified to tutor. 

You don't have to know everything there is to know about a language (or any subject for that matter) to tutor it.  It just helps to know more than your tutee, and (of course) to know how to properly tutor your tutee.

Think of it this way - if you had been contacted about tutoring junior high level algebra, and you know advanced algebra, then you would be qualified to tutor algebra at various levels.  You wouldn't need to know calculus and linear algebra to tutor basic algebra, you would just need to know how to tutor your junior high student at the level of algebra that he or she actually needs. 

So, yes, I would definitely go for it. Have fun! Chances are your enthusiasm for your new language will be good for your tutee, and will make the tutoring sessions even better!

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