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I’ve been working as an English instructor at my church, typically working with students one to one to help them prepare for a job interview, naturalization, or getting a driver’s license. The classes are free and student attendance can be irregular. Moreover, I’m never quite sure which student I’ll be working with in a given session. The students command of English varies greatly but most are at a basic elementary level. Unless I’m working with the same student, I start with a proficiency assessment, and use some prepared lesson plans appropriate for their level and aligned with their particular English goal. If I’m working with a returning student I use a prepared lesson plan appropriate for their level of progression. The students I’ve work with to date have been from Bhutan, Burma, Eritrea, Guatemala, and Yemen. The instruction time is 90 minutes and I start with some friendly conversation to build rapport with the student and get them comfortable with the learning environment. Each student, of course, is different and I learn about their personality and their English learning goals. Since it is typically a one teacher to one student relationship language games are not utilized like in a group engagement but I still try to keep this part of the lesson light and fun by inquiring about their family or job. This also helps me learn their accent and I get an understanding of their ability to understand me. If it is a returning student, they’ll have homework which we review. I’ll ask them about the assignment verbally and have them practice some of the vocabulary and sentence grammar as a warm-up exercise. Occasionally, I’ll work with two students from the same country which is actually more challenging because they frequently revert to speaking their native language. When possible and if we have an adequate number of teachers I’ll separate the students into a one to one relationship. If not possible, I’ll pair students from different countries to encourage the use of English as they speak with each other. Most of my study material is taken from the English and Civics preparation guide used to help them pass the citizenship test. The study stage typically centers on understanding grammatically correct sentences about American history and learning vocabulary terms associated with the civics test. Fill in the blank and matching worksheets help with understanding both the content and correct verb tense. Pronunciation is frequently a challenge. I typically have the student read out loud to work on pronunciation technique and I’ll choose some words that can be part of the naturalization oral exam to perform several 3 x 3 drills. The activation stage is typically taking a sample test for citizenship or driver’s license with the student reading the question out loud and answering verbally. This gives them more English talk time and helps confirm the material learned during the study phase. I may also read sentences verbally and have the student practice writing the sentence. Homework focuses on areas of weakness in that day’s lesson. I notice in a one to one relationship, at least with refugee students, they may be more reserved and less responsive compared to when they are in a group, especially if they are at a very beginning level of English. To maximize student talk time I try to have them explain their thinking when providing an incorrect answer or provide a response in a full sentence. Teaching one to one has challenges compared to a group, but it also enables me to know my student better and tailor the lesson for their specific need.
