How do I help improve someones English as a non teacher?
How do I help improve someones English as a non teacher?
An expat out here has asked me to help her improve her conversational English for one hour a day.
As I'm the only native speaker in town at the moment she's obviously in a pretty desperate situation.
I'm feeling a bit apprehensive, but would like to do the best I can to help in some way. People seem to think that conversational English is something that is easily taught by anyone, but I don't think so.
What are some techniques or ideas I can use to make the best use of the time we have without having to do a lot of preparation?
Also what are some exercises I can give her to do in the evenings by herself to help improve?
As I'm the only native speaker in town at the moment she's obviously in a pretty desperate situation.
I'm feeling a bit apprehensive, but would like to do the best I can to help in some way. People seem to think that conversational English is something that is easily taught by anyone, but I don't think so.
What are some techniques or ideas I can use to make the best use of the time we have without having to do a lot of preparation?
Also what are some exercises I can give her to do in the evenings by herself to help improve?
Some men you just can't reach. So you get what we had here last week, which is the way he wants it... well, he gets it. I don't like it any more than you men.
How would you assess her level of English now? And by "conversational" what do you mean? Does it mean slang, idioms, figure of speech?
What about reading some stuffs on the Internet together (like articles or a novel) or watching scenes from movies, with subtitles?
What about reading some stuffs on the Internet together (like articles or a novel) or watching scenes from movies, with subtitles?
I can have a conversation with her ok. She's pretty rough, and misuses quite a few words, and also uses German words that are similar to the English equivilent.
The problem is that she works with Khmers in English and is struggling with communication in the work place. I know one of her colleagues and as a native speaker I am able to communicate well with him.
She's working in the medical field.
I suggested we read and discuss a history book about Cambodia so that she can learn about this country and improve her English at the same time, but she opened it, read the word 'Suryavarman' and said, "Oh no, I think this is not possible ah? It is too difficult this word."
The problem is that she works with Khmers in English and is struggling with communication in the work place. I know one of her colleagues and as a native speaker I am able to communicate well with him.
She's working in the medical field.
I suggested we read and discuss a history book about Cambodia so that she can learn about this country and improve her English at the same time, but she opened it, read the word 'Suryavarman' and said, "Oh no, I think this is not possible ah? It is too difficult this word."
Some men you just can't reach. So you get what we had here last week, which is the way he wants it... well, he gets it. I don't like it any more than you men.
- horace
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Pick a topic that is currently in the news, local, national, international and just talk about it say 5 or 10 minutes, as you do so make a note of her mistakes and then go through them with her , then talk about the same topic again, bingo a 30 minute lesson.
If you could copy the conversations even better.
If you could copy the conversations even better.
k440, something to do when you're pissed.
- Lucky Lucan
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That's a bit difficult for most native English speakers too.MoodyMac wrote:.... she opened it, read the word 'Suryavarman' and said, "Oh no, I think this is not possible ah? It is too difficult this word."
Romantic Cambodia is dead and gone. It's with McKinley in the grave.
That's a great exercise!horace wrote:Pick a topic that is currently in the news, local, national, international and just talk about it say 5 or 10 minutes, as you do so make a note of her mistakes and then go through them with her , then talk about the same topic again, bingo a 30 minute lesson.
If you could copy the conversations even better.
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Exactly that. I would just add that you did write 'conversational English'. That would imply paying less attention to grammar and more emphasis on being understood. Therefore you want to focus on clear pronunciation, especially where Khmers cut off syllables and final sounds; e.g. if she say "I eat Riii already", keep making her repeat rice rice rice until it becomes a habit, and leave the inappropriate verb tense until later - unless she's at a higher level than that.Joon wrote:That's a great exercise!horace wrote:Pick a topic that is currently in the news, local, national, international and just talk about it say 5 or 10 minutes, as you do so make a note of her mistakes and then go through them with her , then talk about the same topic again, bingo a 30 minute lesson.
If you could copy the conversations even better.
I came, I argued, I'm out
That's true. I tried to tell her not to worry about peoples names, but she seems a bit prone to panic and frustration.Lucky Lucan wrote:That's a bit difficult for most native English speakers too.MoodyMac wrote:.... she opened it, read the word 'Suryavarman' and said, "Oh no, I think this is not possible ah? It is too difficult this word."
Thanks Horace that sounds like a good idea. I'll follow that plan and see how it goes.
Andy, she's German, but she does make equivalent errors like that. I don't really know how to explain what level of English she has as I've not really done this before.
Some men you just can't reach. So you get what we had here last week, which is the way he wants it... well, he gets it. I don't like it any more than you men.
I have a little music player that can record. I might try recording our conversation, and then she can review it for home work?
Some men you just can't reach. So you get what we had here last week, which is the way he wants it... well, he gets it. I don't like it any more than you men.
Most common mistake I notice and easy to correct is when to put 's' on the end of a word; if there is one simple lesson you can do to improve 99% of Cambodians speaking English, it would be to improve this tiny little thing.
Meum est propositum in taberna mori,
ut sint Guinness proxima morientis ori.
tunc cantabunt letius angelorum chori:
"Sit Deus propitius huic potatori."
ut sint Guinness proxima morientis ori.
tunc cantabunt letius angelorum chori:
"Sit Deus propitius huic potatori."
I'm struggling to express the fact that this is an ex pat.
Anyway, just did an hour of news article, discussion, and revision of word pronunciation and meaning. Gave some home work to write each of the words she mispronounced in a simple sentence to read to me tomorrow. Will do the same article again tomorrow, then another discussion about it.
Anyway, just did an hour of news article, discussion, and revision of word pronunciation and meaning. Gave some home work to write each of the words she mispronounced in a simple sentence to read to me tomorrow. Will do the same article again tomorrow, then another discussion about it.
Some men you just can't reach. So you get what we had here last week, which is the way he wants it... well, he gets it. I don't like it any more than you men.
Curse my skim reading, missed the crucial first couple of words!MoodyMac wrote:I'm struggling to express the fact that this is an expat.
Meum est propositum in taberna mori,
ut sint Guinness proxima morientis ori.
tunc cantabunt letius angelorum chori:
"Sit Deus propitius huic potatori."
ut sint Guinness proxima morientis ori.
tunc cantabunt letius angelorum chori:
"Sit Deus propitius huic potatori."
Sounds like a good tutoring routine!MoodyMac wrote:I'm struggling to express the fact that this is an ex pat.
Anyway, just did an hour of news article, discussion, and revision of word pronunciation and meaning. Gave some home work to write each of the words she mispronounced in a simple sentence to read to me tomorrow. Will do the same article again tomorrow, then another discussion about it.
Let us know how effective it is, please. Some of us could use that to tutor Cambodian learners of English.
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