Molly-- you are fortunate to have tutors who have some experience/training.  When tutors do not have such experience here are a couple of ideas:  

I think one approach to think about is that for nearly all who
volunteer, the situation should not be characterized as tutoring--but
rather as conversation partners-- with that label, there are no
expectations about teaching anything --and the learners might well
profit from just that interaction.   We used to have conversation
partners for our students at my university in DC-- like most
tutors, they were stay-at-home moms or retired teachers or business
people who were interested either in learning another language or about
another culture--and they talked about anything under the sun with
learners for one or more hours a week-- the two arranged their own
schedule.   If learners were lucky, the partner could explain some
vocabulary or cultural things or discuss a reading assigned for
class---but there were no expectations in terms of actually teaching or
learning.  Quite of lot of our learners profited enormously from the
opportunity to practice English and ask questions about vocabulary or
cultural stuff.  
Students coming for help would be disabused of the notion that they were going to be "Taught" English--but could profit from time with someone willing to talk to/with them.  
 


The second level could be tutors who DO know something about teaching a
language/English--either from experience or from formal training--and
they would be provided ways to expand their skills on their own and be
given a probationary tutoring situation --with supervision -- and the
supervisor checking with the student (not in the presence of the tutor)
about how needs are being met.  Supervision would include direct
training in eliciting the student's English needs and structuring
tutoring to address those needs.   Tutors could increase their learning
through videos, the internet, reading, and observing willing ESL
teachers.   



Beyond that, tutors would only work with either low level ESL learners,
learners with low or no literacy, or with English-speaking remedial
reading students if they have evidence of expertise to do that kind of
tutoring.  



I worked for many years in a program for struggling adult learners (not
ESL) in DC and we guarded our students zealously from incompetent or
insufficiently trained tutors.  We did this because we knew that the
damage done is never undone and often is the coup de grace for those
who have already struggled many years.  ESOL students should be similarly protected.   

As for those with very limited oral proficiency, the need is rather clearer--they have to be able to understand and respond to basic social questions and requests for information.  Beyond that, whatever their work is or wherever they will use English will dictate what the tutoring should address.   This can be learned with the help of an interpreter.  It is important, I feel, to remember that most learners at that level are putting themselves in the hands of teachers/tutors with the complete expectation that the teacher/tutor will know what they need to learn to be able to understand and speak English.   At this level, they are not going to respond to the idea of being asked for what they need to learn with any real understanding.   Rather, the tutor/teacher needs to get to know the learner WELL very soon and begin to ferret out where English is needed functionally and proceed with the basics.   When I pressed one tutor about what her learner needed, she finally admitted that the learner worked in a daycare center and said she could not understand what the parents asked her when they came to drop off or pick up their children.  Nor could she tell them what they needed to know.   When I suggested that that need would fill the tutoring curriculum for months to come, the tutor resolved to go visit the center so she would have a clearer idea of just what the learner needed to understand and say.    She also finally understood that the fact that the learner wrote everything down during tutoring did not mean the learner knew how to say or recognize those things in the actual situation at work--and THAT was the other focus of lessons-- actual USE of and mastery of what was critically needed at the workplace.   To me this doesn't seem like rocket science-- so when tutors cannot make those decisions, I have to wonder what their "training" actually addressed.   

What I just hate to see is what that tutor had been doing: shuffling through materials and books searching for something to fill the time of tutoring and no idea at all if the learner actually needed or wanted to practice what was found.  This indicates a complete misunderstanding of why the learner is there and what can be accomplished in most tutoring.   

Robin  


 

-----Original Message-----
From: Molly Elkins <melkins at dclibraries.org>
To: 'The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List' <professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov>
Sent: Mon, 3 Mar 2008 1:17 pm
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2005] Re: Tutors becoming aware of specific ESOL needs























I
completely agree that tutoring should be driven by learner needs. I do hammer
that home with my tutors in training, because I believe that the learners will
get little out of a program that isn’t meeting their needs, and adult
learners will be likely to simply leave. 



 



And I have
to say that I am blessed in my program with MANY tutors who are experienced at
working with adults, and teaching reading and/or ESL. Frequently I am astounded
at the experience my tutors bring to our program. But I also have many tutors
that are inexperienced. Some are hoping to gain experience, and others are admittedly
looking for the pleasure of feeling like they helped someone else. 



 



Here’s
my actual dilemma. I have a waiting list of many people who would like service
through our program. Some have been waiting since November, and I have new
people applying to our program weekly. 



 



What I’m
trying to do is offer professional development to my tutors anywhere I can. I
provide them with a training manual that has a wealth of information and
ready-to-use ideas. I am setting up round table discussions where tutors can
share with one another. I inform them of opportunities in the community for
professional development. Many of them attend because they are thirsty for
knowledge of how to help their learners. 



 



What my
tutors ultimately need is the ability to gage learner needs even when a learner
can’t articulate what that need is. This ability is something that will
mainly come with experience, probably not training or testing. 



 






Thank
you,



 



Molly
Elkins

Literacy Specialist

  Douglas County Libraries

Phillip S. Miller Library

  100 S. Wilcox Street

  Castle Rock CO 80104

  Map

Phone: (303)791-READ 



Fax:
(303) 688-7655

Email: melkins at dclibraries.org

Web: www.DouglasCountyLibraries.org



















From:
professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of robinschwarz1 at aol.com

Sent: Saturday, March 01, 2008
2:21 PM

To: professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov

Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment
2002] Re: Tutors becoming aware of specific ESOL needs






 






Molly-- you have stated the problem neatly in your second
paragraph--How WILL an inexperienced tutor begin to help a learner with almost
no English skills?  



But my question to you is why you feel you CAN'T require all volunteers who
work with low level ESL learners to have experience??  As I noted in a
much earlier post,  it is backwards to have the tutoring program be for
the pleasure and benefit ofr tutors.  Tutoring response should be driven
by learner needs-- short and simple.   



Robin Lovrien Schwarz  









 









 






-----Original
Message-----

From: Molly Elkins <melkins at dclibraries.org>

To: 'The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List'
<professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov>

Sent: Wed, 27 Feb 2008 12:52 pm

Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 1995] Tutors becoming aware of specific ESOL
needs












I am very
interested in this discussion. I coordinate the Adult Literacy program at our
library, which is powered entirely by volunteers. Many have experience working
with adult learners or ESL, but many also do not. 









 









In our
training, we do discuss the importance of meeting the specific learning needs
and goals of the learner, however, if the learner is unable to articulate, how
will an inexperienced tutor be helpful? 









 









I
don’t want to just throw my hands up and do away with the program, or
require that all volunteers have experience. How can I train or prepare my
tutors to meet the needs of their learners? 









 












Thank
you,









 









Molly
Elkins

Literacy Specialist

  Douglas County Libraries

Phillip S. Miller Library

  100 S. Wilcox Street

  Castle Rock CO 80104

  Map

Phone: (303)791-READ 









Fax:
(303) 688-7655

Email: melkins at dclibraries.org

Web: www.DouglasCountyLibraries.org

























From: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov]
On Behalf Of robinschwarz1 at aol.com

Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2008
11:15 AM

To: professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov

Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment
1911] Re: Requesting Resource Information












 












I hate to be a wet blanket here, but this just caught my
eye.  Why don't you recommend that this person advertise at a local
college for someone to tutor him.  He needs someone who will work with him
on his assignments who is able to meet him at the level of English he already
has.   I say this having just worked with one on one with the FOURTH
tutor from the local library Literacy Services assigned to an ESOL learner with
fairly strong English skills.  I have also worked with numerous literacy
service providers in several states and regularly provide PD sessions for
literacy tutors in the state where I live.   



These tutors mean so well but know so very little about working with ESOL
learners that frankly, it is not a productive match.   Since the
tutors do not know ESOL issues well, they tend to grab at some generic book in
hopes that will appease the learner-- when usually the learner has very specific
needs and goals, as does this learner, which do not get met or addressed at
all.   



I am so disheartened by the gap between what ESOL learners need and what their
literacy tutors are providing that I have decided to speak more frankly about
it.  I have adjusted my sessions with tutors to help them start with the
very basics: let's find out just what English your learner actually knows and
then what he or she really came to you to learn.  















 















Robin Lovrien Schwarz 












-----Original Message-----

From: Sandy Phillips <SPhillips at ci.oceanside.ca.us>

To: lbedford at rushmore.com; The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List <professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov>

Sent: Thu, 7 Feb 2008 10:37 am

Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 1910] Re: Requesting Resource Information












Laurie,









 









Have him call the Literacy Coordinator at
the Stockton Public Library Peaches Ehrich at (209) 937-8261.  I am sure
she can help him locate the help he needs.









 












Sandy Phillips 

Literacy
Coordinator 

Volunteer
Coordinator 

(760)
435-5683 

(760)
435-5681 FAX# 

sphillips at ci.oceanside.ca.us













 



















From: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov]
On Behalf Of Laurie Bedford

Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2008
7:38 AM

To: The Adult Literacy
 Professional Development Discussion List

Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment
1909] Requesting Resource Information












All,















I am an adjunct faculty member at an online unversity teaching graduate
courses.   I have a student who is struggling with his
writing.   He is an english languague learner and Spanish is his
first language.   He lives in Stockton, CA.   Does anyone know
of any resources in that area that he might draw upon?  Thanks.















Laurie



















Laurie Bedford, Ph.D. 

Adjunct Faculty/Instructional Development Consultant

lbedford at rushmore.com 

605-720-7881 












 










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