Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Thoughts on tutoring for ESL

I signed up for ESL tutoring for several reasons:
  • I speak English
  • I majored in communicating
  • I thought, "Here is a service I can perform with my gifts"
  • I have often feared both commitment and failure, and signing up for five months of ESL tutoring was signing up for ample helpings of both

That last one is really on the list. But I didn't realize it until after I signed up.

Pulling back into observer status, I find myself paranoid that I will (get this) single-handedly screw up this child forever. FOREVER! Me! Ohhhh, the power I wield!

Ha.... I am such a nerd....

As my dad says, this will be a good experience no matter what happens. I hereby choose to define this ESL "experiment" as a success--for me and for Hassan. He is 8 years old, and so he is still in the prime years for language acquisition. He'll pick English skills up quickly, and I will be there to help him when he needs to figure things out. It'll be a learning experience for both of us, in various ways.

*deep breath*

Okay. I'm ready to learn.

1 comment:

Lisa Ann said...

I was scared, but now that I've met them, I'm excited. It's not a vague, amorphous task. ESL means teaching Dahabo numbers, the names of the food she uses, family relationships, and things like that. It means helping her with her homework. It means knowing that she's doing well and telling her often. It means trying to be like a big sister to her instead of a teacher/authority figure she won't look in the eye. I'm glad we're in this together, Suzanne.