ESL Tutoring Experience
Spring 2006
This is a photo of my very first tutee, a Korean International student and friend. Seems like ages ago, but it is because of this experience that I decided to become an ESL teacher! I helped her in her English literature class and her English proficiency was very advanced.
Fall 2006- Spring 2008
Sanghee was my first tutee when I came to the University of Northern Iowa. I spent 2 hours at her home every week with her children and husband. She was a native Korean speaker with very high writing/reading proficiency but very low speaking/listening proficiency.
Fall 2006- Spring 2008
Emily was my first Chinese tutee. I was anxious to work with a native Chinese because I was studying Mandarin. Her English proficiency was very low, beginner level and she is the only ELL that I've tutored at this level.
Fall 2007- Spring 2008
I met Bin in my second year at UNI. A native Chinese speaker, she was a very advanced ELL and very eager to learn. She improved so quickly!
Fall 2007- Spring 2008
Binli was a first year student at UNI when I tutored her. She is a native Chinese speaker and had an intermediate level English ability. She was one of the youngest people I had ever worked with at that time.
Spring 2009- Spring 2010
Jake was my regular tutee while I studied at Penn State. He is a native Korean speaker and a fellow graduate student at PSU. Although his writing/reading skills are very advanced, his speaking/listening skills were intermediate at best when we began. His passion for speaking English and making friends with Americans allowed him to improve rapidly; he is now able to communicate easily with native speakers (one of his biggest goals)!
ESL Teaching Experience
Fall 2009, ESL 015: 002
Academic Writing II. This is my section 2 morning class. This class was mostly full of Freshmen, most 18-19 years old, but I had a few juniors and seniors too. This class was more quiet and toned down than my afternoon class (maybe because it was early?); most students were serious about school, but still young and able to have fun. The atmosphere was relaxed, focused, and student-centered.
Fall 2009, ESL 015: 005
This is my section 5 afternoon class. This class was full of many loud personalities and it was a joy to teach them. They were always willing to participate and volunteer answers. The atmosphere in the classroom was dynamic: fun and full of energy. This was a class full of Freshmen, most 18-19 years old, and most in their first semester of school in the U.S.! I was not used to teaching this age group, but their excitement for life made up for their lack of focus and seriousness.
Spring 2010, ESL 117G: 001
ESL 117G: American Oral English for ITAs II
All of the students in this class were Ph.D candidates, all from Asia, all with math/science majors, and all advanced ELLs. They were also all very serious about learning and getting good grades! Some students did not take this class to become ITAs, rather only to fulfill a requirement or to improve their English, but by the end, everyone was visualizing themselves as a teacher--even those who thought they could never be a teacher. It was amazing to see their progress and growth in not only presentation skills, but also in confidence.
All of the students in this class were Ph.D candidates, all from Asia, all with math/science majors, and all advanced ELLs. They were also all very serious about learning and getting good grades! Some students did not take this class to become ITAs, rather only to fulfill a requirement or to improve their English, but by the end, everyone was visualizing themselves as a teacher--even those who thought they could never be a teacher. It was amazing to see their progress and growth in not only presentation skills, but also in confidence.
Spring 2010, ESL 114G: 001
ESL 114G: American Oral English for Academic Purposes
This class was a mix of MA and Ph.D graduate students, with a few post-docs auditing. The age range, majors, English proficiency, and cultural backgrounds were more varied than my 117 class, but the students were just as serious about getting good grades. This class was a joy to teach because everyone was taking this class by choice, for themselves, not for requirements which creates a different atmosphere. Although these students were very focused, they were also very easy-going and willing to step outside their comfort zone. It was great to see their vastly improved presentation skills, but even better to watch them become more outgoing and comfortable speaking in English.
This class was a mix of MA and Ph.D graduate students, with a few post-docs auditing. The age range, majors, English proficiency, and cultural backgrounds were more varied than my 117 class, but the students were just as serious about getting good grades. This class was a joy to teach because everyone was taking this class by choice, for themselves, not for requirements which creates a different atmosphere. Although these students were very focused, they were also very easy-going and willing to step outside their comfort zone. It was great to see their vastly improved presentation skills, but even better to watch them become more outgoing and comfortable speaking in English.
