Volunteers

ESOL Tutor Training

Instruction Method

The Literacy Council strives to make learning English both enjoyable and easily accessible for its students.  Our tutor training is thorough and offers theoretical background in language acquisition and the learning process along with hands-on practice of teaching strategies and techniques recommended by experts in the field of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) instruction. An important component of our ESOL tutor training is the opportunity to observe one or more of our tutoring sessions, and even to practice-teach one or more activities during a subsequent session. (This is optional for those with substantial teaching experience.)

We teach volunteer tutors to employ learner-centered, communication-based strategies.  Each student’s educational background, employment history, home life situation, and personal goals for learning English are important factors in designing their instruction program.  We always teach language in the context of life skills and we use various types of multi-sensory activities through each lesson.

Some examples of methods and activities that tutors are taught and encouraged to use in their lessons are:  Total Physical Response, dialogues, role-plays, the Language Experience Approach, and various conversation games.

A language lesson might involve role-playing a visit to a doctor, an upcoming job interview, or a parent-teacher conference. Students might read and explain a teacher’s homework assignment, or view photos of favorite foods and create a shopping list.

Students learn best when tutors incorporate real-life situations and materials into their lessons. Students are welcome to suggest topics that are relevant to their daily lives and allow them to practice their English.

The Literacy Council has a substantial resource library that includes a variety of textbooks, sample lesson plans, and instruction aids for use by our tutors.  We provide each student with a textbook carefully chosen to suit his/her English level, educational background, and learning goals. Tutors are encouraged to take advantage of the resource library for additional materials to supplement the student text.

Course Outline:   ESOL Tutor Training

Session 1

  • Discuss the cultures, needs, and goals of LCBC's ESOL students
  • Examine the six ESOL levels and the evaluations used to determine them, including the Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System (CASAS )
  • Explore a typical adult ESOL textbook
  •  Observe (on video) a demonstration of utilizing visuals in teaching adult ESOL

Session 2

  • Experience as a learner and then practice as a teacher two techniques for teaching vocabulary
  • Explore several examples of vocabulary practice activities
  • Observe (on video) an adult ESOL vocabulary lesson

Session 3

  • Experience as a language learner a lesson from a popular ESOL reader
  • Observe (on video) two adult ESOL reading lessons

Session 4

  • Review basic grammar tenses
  • Observe (on video) an adult ESOLgrammer lesson
  • Identify the stages of a lesson and suggested activities for each stage
  • Provide ESOL Director with availability and tutoring preference information

 

Thank you…

…to the over 200 volunteers who donate more than 14,000 hours each year. Without you and the work you do, the Literacy Council could not exist.