Ask Micki: Group Tutoring Motivation

Question: Hi, Micki. I need some help with my group tutoring sessions.

I tutor English, and one of my ESL tutoring sessions is in the form of group tutoring.  I tutor 3 ESL students at my college.

They are great students to tutor, really enthusiastic about learning, but I would like to find a way to make class a little more exciting.

I guess what I am looking for are some ways that I can increase motivation, and provide some fun, rather than just using the ESL textbook that they all use. 

Thanks!
Becca from NV

Answer: Hi, there, Becca, thanks for the question!

I think it is great that you are so involved in making sure your tutees not only learn the material, but also that they have a good time doing it.  I'm sure they're happy to have such a proactive, thoughtful tutor!

Here are a few ideas that work really well with ESL tutees, particularly in group tutoring settings.

1. Use realia. 
Realia can provide a breath of fresh air from the usual book based learning.  These tutoring props also help ESL students work with new vocabulary in a real-world setting.  Clocks, money, brochures, and grocery items are some good examples of items that can be used to illustrate and reinforce vocabulary and grammar.  For a really great example of realia in ESL tutoring, check out this blog posting from an ESL tutor. 

2. Get your group talking.  
Conversational skills are an important part of ESL learning.  During a conversation, both vocabulary and grammar are utilized, and ESL students can begin to get comfortable conversing with other speakers of English.  Take this into your group setting by asking and answering questions back and forth with your tutees.  Then, have them talk to one another about various things.  Each tutee can talk briefly about classes, the weather, their family, or what time of the day it is.  Anything to get your tutees talking with you, and with one another.

3. Stories as learning tools.  
Have each of your tutees, in turn, tell a brief story about something that has happened in his or her past.  This can be anything - a favorite trip, beloved pet, family memory, or anything else that your tutee wants to tell a story about during tutoring.  If you have students who are new to learning English, you will want to ask them to write out their short story ahead of time, so that they have something prepared before your next tutoring session (this way your tutee are not put on the spot with the exercise).

4. Show and tell.
Not just for kids, show and tell can be a powerful learning tool for ESL students of all ages.  Much like telling a story, having your tutees talk about favorite or cherished items will get them to open up and practice conversation skills.  Every ESL tutor I know loves the show and tell technique when working with their tutees.   

5. Play a game.
Games are great motivators when it comes to learning.  There's nothing quite like learning while having fun - it hardly seems like work at all!  Try to find a couple of tried and true games that will help your tutees learn English.  Or, if you are feeling creative, come up with some games of your own.  Try a version of Hangman, or hand out simple crossword puzzles.  Anything to make learning English a little more fun.

Implementing a couple of these techniques will make your ESL group tutoring a little more fun, and will keep your tutees motivated both during and after the session!

Field Notes: ESL Technique, Realia

I was reading the blog the other day, and noticed someone asking about ESL terminology.  Well, that got me to thinking about my own ESL tutoring, and I wanted to share a great technique that always works well for me and my students.

It's "Realia."  In other words, it is "stuff" that I bring to my ESL tutoring session.  Kind of like tutoring props. 

By using real objects during my ESL tutoring, I can help my tutee increase his or her vocabulary, act out English speaking scenarios, and improve his or her conversational skills.  Plus, it gives my students real, actual, tangible things to use when working through sentences and grammar.

A great example of realia I use all the time: travel brochures and play money.  My student and I go through the travel brochures together, and then my tutee chooses where he or she would like to go on vacation.

Then, my tutee tells me how they want to travel (train, ship, airplane, car, etc.), where they want to stay (good for learning basic travel/hotel vocabulary), what time and date they would like to leave and return (great for learning numbers, time, and calender dates), and how they want to pay for the vacation.  If my tutee wants to pay with cash, it gives my tutee a chance to practice counting money in English. All while looking at some great pictures of travel destinations!

Also good is the fact that this kind of realia is easy to travel with, because it folds flat, and is lightweight.  A definite must if, like me, you ride a bike to your tutoring appointments.

So far, I have had a lot of success with this technique, and my students really seem to love it!
Tammy from Eau Claire, WI

Ask Micki New to ESL and confused!

© lusi

 Question: Hi Micki, I’m hoping to be an ESL tutor, and I need some guidance.  

I got the idea to be an ESL tutor recently, and am really excited about it!  I’m just starting out, trying to get all of the information I can, but I have to admit that I am kind of puzzled.  It seems like there are A LOT of different terms out there when it comes to ESL related subjects, and I am completely confused by them.

TESL, TEFL, TESOL, ESP, ELT - help!

What do they mean, what do they do, and are there any that I need to be less worried about than others?  

I want to tutor ESL, but I also want to know everything I can about the terminology so that my students can feel confident that I know what I am talking about when I meet with them.

Thanks for your help!

Confused Katie in RI

Answer: Hi there, Katie!  Great question - you hit on an important aspect of the tutoring profession.  

Pretty much any profession under the sun with have its own lingo.  A lot of it is terminology and jargon that you will pick up as you move forward in your profession - in this case ESL tutoring - however, it is a great idea to have a foundation of knowledge to use when you are getting getting started in your new career.

In other words - way to think ahead! It will save you time and trouble later.  With that said, let’s get into Micki’s quick guide to ESL acronyms - you may want to grab some coffee or tea, this is going to be a long post!

ESL - English as a Second Language

This is the term you will likely encounter most often.  It refers to a person whose mother tongue is a language other than English, who is learning English in a foreign country.  An example of an ESL student might be a Russian man learning English in the US or Canada.  

EFL - English as a Foreign Language

This term is similar to ESL in that it refers to a student who is learning English, whose mother tongue is a language other than English.  The difference is, while ESL students learn English in an English speaking country (UK, US, Canada, etc.), EFL students learn English in a non-English speaking country.  For example, a Japanese woman learning English in Japan.  

TESL - Teaching English as a Second Language

TEFL - Teaching English as a Foreign Language

TESOL - Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

              (or Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages)

All of the above terms and acronyms refer to the practice of teaching English to non-English speakers.  TESOL refers to both a professional association in the US, and the field of ESL teaching and tutoring. Usually, you will see TESOL used more often in the US, while Canada typically uses TESL.  For the most part, the terms are used pretty interchangeably.

You will likely be seeing the above terms and acronyms most often as you begin your ESL tutoring career.  However, here are some other terms used in the ESL profession.  

ESP - English for Specific or Special Purposes

ESP puts into practice exactly what we were talking about - specialized lingo and terminology for specific professions.  The main focus of ESP is on teaching specialized terminology that is most often used in very specific fields.  An example would be a professional in medicine or technology who needs to learn specialized English terminology (vocabulary and context) within his or her field.  

EAP - English for Academic Purposes

EAP refers to preparing students to speak English in an academic setting within an English speaking country. A high school student in India, for example, who wants to study at a university in Canada.  Typically, EAP utilizes a more formal approach with a lot of focus on reading, writing and presenting.

ELT - English Language Training

ELT is training relating to the teaching or tutoring of English as a second or foreign language.  It is a term widely used in the UK.

TOEFL - Test of English as a Foreign Language

This is the test that measures a non-English speaker’s ability to understand English.  Typically, foreign, non-native speakers of English take the TOEFL as part of the application process to colleges and universities in Canada and the US.  A student from Malawi who wants to prove her English language abilities, for example, would take the TOEFL test for admission to college or university.  

TOEIC - Test of English for International Communication

The TOEIC, much like the TOEFL, is a test used to determine a non-native speaker’s English communication abilities.  The TOEIC is more recognized in Europe and Asia, whereas the TOEFL is more widely recognized in Canada and the US.

Phew - Thanks for sticking with me through all those acronyms!  And good luck on your journey towards becoming an ESL tutor - with your enthusiasm (and quest for knowledge), I have a feeling you will be really successful! 

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