How Do I Teach English To A College-Educated Native Spanish Speaker?
I tutored in English to native Spanish speakers a few times and they were at many different levels. For someone with her education level, here are my ideas: Have her read aloud a paragraph from a newspaper. While she reads, write down any word she mispronounces and go over those with her after she finishes. Have her read short stories and quiz her on the details. Have her read American classics (such as “Little Women”) during the week and write an essay about the chapter. Correct the mistakes in her essay at her session. If this seems to difficult, take it down a notch and have her read some juvenile fiction such as Harry Potter – adjust the book to her comfort level and then as she gets better pick more difficult reads. Give her a topic to write about, (Your perfect vacation, favorite childhood memory,) work with her to correct the mistakes. Teach her about idioms and slang – which can be very confusing to ESL students! I had one student who asked me what “suck” means. I told her the
As a general rule, to become a better writer in any language, you have to read. So reading assignment should go with writing assignments. What does your student want to use English for? And where will she use it? I always liked practical lessons for reading and writing exercises. For example, if she intends to live in a certain city where she uses English, begin using the newspaper in that town as a text and make her follow certain current events locally or nationally. Look for novels or interesting history books in English set in the location where she is, so there is a point of reference she can follow. Definitely use magazines and periodicals, whether they are “serious” or not. A writing assignment can appear in the middle of People magazine. Food is often a good motivating factor. There are some great books written in English about food. Tender at the Bone by Ruth Reichl comes to mind. Maybe books that are not just simple books, but complex enough to be challenging, but about a sim
