Benjamin_TP_#1

Date: 1/12/15
Location: CIES, porch area
Topic/Skill: Getting to know each other, evaluation, expectations
Feedback Provided to Tutee: I told him that he was on a higher level than I expected but that he should try to converse more and use more than yes/no answers.

For my first tutoring session, I met with Marvin, a student who arrived in the US from Burkina Faso only 2 weeks ago. Seeing as this was my first tutoring session, I was nervous myself. I had ever intention of being relaxed and trying to put him at ease with a simple introduction but when I realized how little he was going to respond, I quickly became too clinical, and I just asked him the questions given to us in the Tutoring Guideline.

Marvin's answers were short and to the point, but I suspect he is more capable of speaking more English than he is willing to let on. I believe him to be embarrassed at the possibility of making mistakes with me. After the initial awkwardness, I stressed to him that I am a student of a foreign language myself and I could commiserate with his anxiety. After that, we both seemed to relax. Marvin's receptions skills are higher than I expected, as I was told was at the very beginner level and had been marked as needing much help.

He told me he wanted to learn better English so that he could do better in classes and that he would need help with the TOEFL. He said he has problems with plurals and verb conjugation, especially in the past tense. These are problems I had myself in my own language learning experience (German), and I told him so. Marvin said his favorite subjects at CIES are reading and speaking, but that he enjoys them all. Even though he likes the speaking class, he said it was the hardest for him.

Marvin intends on getting a degree in International Affairs at FSU, but first he must attend TCC. So, I will work on finding the following materials for use to work on together:

• Information on the basic courses at TCC (at the very least help him to understand what content he can expect in these course. I went to TCC for a semester myself, so I can give him some information on that experience)
• TOEFL materials (See Ms. Kim)
• Information on the International Affairs program at FSU and the courses required for it
• Speaking exercises

I ended the session with a conversation on his experiences in Tallahassee so far and his impressions of the US. I told him he could text me an any time with questions about the learning English or about Tallahassee and the US.

I do not believe I was able to make an accurate assessment of Martin's skill level, both because his answers were short and direct and because I am not practiced at making such an assessment. My short term goal is to get him talking and to have materials on hand in which we can do impromptu grammar lessons as need, until I can figure out his skill level and design activities before the session.