First session: Getting to know your tutee
1. The first session you want to have a general conversation with your tutee about
their language learning history. To get a little history, ask them these questions:
 How many years did you attend school when you were a child? _________
 Tell me about those experiences… __________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
 What were your classes like? ______________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
 Your teachers? _________________________________________________
 Do you write often in your daily life nowadays? What kind of writing?
____________________________________________________________
 Do you use the computer to write? _______
 Do you use email? ________ Skype? _______
 How confident do you feel writing a letter to family members?
____________________________________________________________
 How confident do you feel writing a note to a teacher?
______________________________________
 How confident do you feel filling out applications/forms?
____________________________________
2. To check the strengths and weaknesses of your tutee, you’ll want to observe their
reading and writing skills in their native language
3. Ask them to read passage A on the student sheet (in their first language) silently.
Then answer these questions about their reading:
1. Did they move their lips or make sounds as they read (sub-vocalization)?
2. did they backtrack or repeat?
3. did they follow the text with a pencil?
4. did they read it smoothly? did they read syllable by syllable?
5. did they stop at the periods?
6. how fast do they read? is their speed uneven
4. Ask them to read the same passage out loud, and answer these questions about
their reading:
1. Did they move their lips or make sounds as they read (sub-vocalization)?
2. Did they backtrack or repeat?
3. Did they follow the text with a pencil?
4. Did they read it smoothly? did they read syllable by syllable?
5. Did they stop at the periods?
6. Do they read extra slowly? is their speed uneven?
5. Ask them if they can read a few words in English, B on the student sheet, and
circle the words they’re able to read?
1. "Stan" "tan.
2. "clot"
"pot."
3. "ball"
"hall"
Answer these questions:
1. did they read the read the consonants correctly?
2. did they read the vowel sounds correctly
6. Ask them to read these non-sense words C (on the student sheet)
4. balp
5. blomderpang
6. sricking
7. strumper
1. did they read the read the consonants correctly?
2. did they read the syllables correctly?
3. did they read the vowel sounds correctly
7. Ask them to read sentences D. (on the student sheet) out loud in English.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Did they backtrack or repeat?
Did they follow the text with a pencil?
Did they read it smoothly? did they read syllable by syllable?
Did they stop at the periods?
Do they read extra slowly? is their speed uneven?