Message Forum: Re: English as a second language

Re: English as a second language

Posted By: Howard, on host 216.80.147.17
Date: Sunday, August 8, 2004, at 18:04:15
In Reply To: English as a second language posted by Vida on Friday, August 6, 2004, at 21:21:09:

> I've got a friend at work who's trying to learn English. She'd like me to help her out, and I said I would. There are ESL schools in town, but you have to pay for them, and she can't really afford it. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas for teaching ESL. When we're working, I teach her phrases here and there, and she's already picked up a lot (from me and other people), but how does one go about doing an actual tutoring session? Any ideas? I used to tutor math, but this will be totally different.
>
> I don't feel like I would be able to teach her English from the ground up, like we learn Spanish in American classrooms. For one thing, English is just way too inconsistent. I was thinking of having her make lists of all the words and phrases she needs to use the most, and then teaching her those and branching out from there. I was also thinking of taking her around my apartment, outside, around stores, etc and naming things in English. Does anyone out there have experience in this sort of thing? I want to do this well.
>
> Thanks
>
> Vida

I think you are on the right track. The easiest way to learn a language is to use it. The more you talk to her in English, the faster she will learn it. Books and stuff will help, but conversation is the key.

Think about how you learned to communicate with your computer. You didn't use books very much, you just started a dialog with the computer. If you made a mistake, it corrected you, and the next time you said it right.

We have a lot of Mexican people in this area. Most come here unable to speak English. The kids learn it faster because they go to school and hear it all day. Papa learns it at work. He may not hear it as much as the kids, so he is slower learning it. Mama probably stays home and all she has is the television set, so she is the last to learn English. When they go to the store, the kids translate for her. But they all learn it by using it.

By the way, English is my second language. You have no idea how tough life can be for someone like me who has no first language.
How"I can't stay serious beyond 3 paragraphs."ard

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Message:	> > I've got a friend at work who's trying to learn English. She'd like me to help her out, and I said I would. There are ESL schools in town, but you have to pay for them, and she can't really afford it. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas for teaching ESL. When we're working, I teach her phrases here and there, and she's already picked up a lot (from me and other people), but how does one go about doing an actual tutoring session? Any ideas? I used to tutor math, but this will be totally different. > > > > I don't feel like I would be able to teach her English from the ground up, like we learn Spanish in American classrooms. For one thing, English is just way too inconsistent. I was thinking of having her make lists of all the words and phrases she needs to use the most, and then teaching her those and branching out from there. I was also thinking of taking her around my apartment, outside, around stores, etc and naming things in English. Does anyone out there have experience in this sort of thing? I want to do this well. > > > > Thanks > > > > Vida > > I think you are on the right track. The easiest way to learn a language is to use it. The more you talk to her in English, the faster she will learn it. Books and stuff will help, but conversation is the key. > > Think about how you learned to communicate with your computer. You didn't use books very much, you just started a dialog with the computer. If you made a mistake, it corrected you, and the next time you said it right. > > We have a lot of Mexican people in this area. Most come here unable to speak English. The kids learn it faster because they go to school and hear it all day. Papa learns it at work. He may not hear it as much as the kids, so he is slower learning it. Mama probably stays home and all she has is the television set, so she is the last to learn English. When they go to the store, the kids translate for her. But they all learn it by using it. > > By the way, English is my second language. You have no idea how tough life can be for someone like me who has no first language. > How"I can't stay serious beyond 3 paragraphs."ard
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