to access the PDF version - Harvard Computer Society

TRAINING
MANUAL
1
TABLE
OF
1. Welcome!
2. RYTE Board Contact Info
3. General Tips
4. First Day Tips
5. Lesson Preparation
-Guidelines for Planning lessons
-Top 10 Common Mistakes
-ESL Level Sample Curriculum
-Explanation of the TOEFL
-Sample worksheets
6. Information on Countries
-Republic of Columbia
-Sudan
-Haiti
-Vietnam
-Kosovo
-Somalia
Appendix A: Maps
Appendix B: Role-playing Demo
2
CONTENTS
3
4
5
6
7
9
10
19
21
25
27
29
31
33
35
37
38
WELCOME
TO
RYTE!
The plight of the world's 22 million refugees has finally gained heightened
attention in recent months, and as members of the Boston community (which hosts
one of the largest refugee populations in the United States), we are in a unique
position to play an active role in the resettlement and healing processes of asylumseekers here in Boston.
R.Y.T.E. (Refugee Youth Term Enrichment) is an ESL tutoring program for Somali,
Haitian, Afghan, Kosovar, Vietnamese, Colombian and Ethiopian refugees enrolled
in high schools located throughout the greater Boston area. Since its founding in
1986, R.Y.T.E. has grown to become a crucial resource for the region’s refugee
community an indispensable supplement to the efforts of ESL counselors and
other community organizations, which also seek to support refugee adolescents as
they make their way through the complicated U.S. public school system.
As one of the largest community service programs at PBH, we welcome our
dedicated and compassionate new tutors to the R.Y.T.E. family to help us realize
our singular mission!
3
RYTE EXECUTIVE BOARD
CONTACT INFORMATION
CO-D IRECTORS
Jennifer Gloeckner
Jennifer Hsiao
[email protected]
[email protected]
ASSISTANT DIRECTORS
Anthony Arnold
Helen Curry
Jyoti Kandlikar
Shashank Sinha
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
DAY COORDINATORS
Friday: Allie Thomson
Saturday: Radhika Datar
Sunday: Allison Khaskelis
4
(3-7883)
(3-2100)
(3-3686)
(3-3444)
(3-6207)
(3-3040)
[email protected] (3-5959)
[email protected]
(3-2394)
[email protected]
(3-3534)
GENERAL TIPS
Ø Prepare for the tutoring session. Set 2-3 objectives to be met and get the
appropriate materials.
Ø Develop some routines. For instance, you may wish to begin each session
discussing how the student’s week went.
Ø Observe from informal conversation—does the student use complete sentences,
correct grammatical structures? What is the choice of vocabulary? What are the
problems with pronunciation? Make a written note of these things that can be the
basis of what you’ll work on together.
Ø Don’t discount the importance of
informal conversation for getting to
know one another (be sure to share
information, not just ‘grill’ the student).
Ø Nurture the shy student’s innate
abilities with progressively more
involved questions—first ‘yes’ or ‘no’
type questions, then what, when, where,
why, how questions.
Ø Reduce your input to correction only during the tutoring portion of your time
together.
Ø Take interest in the student’s culture. Find out what festivals, customs, and other
traditions the student participates in. Learn some of the student’s language.
5
FIRST DAY TIPS
The main goal of your first session is to get to know your
student. This is the time to learn about his or her educational
background and personal interests. You should be able to accomplish
these tasks in a one- to two-hour session.
Start off with introductions. Tell each other about yourselves.
Explain why you are there and find out why he or she is there. Try to
put your student at ease. Remember, your student is likely to be more
nervous than you.
It is important that your student have confidence in you. No one wants
to know that a tutor is insecure, nervous, or self-conscious. So even
though you don’t have a lot of practical experience, present yourself as someone who is well prepared
and who knows what he or she is doing. Be careful, though, not to promise results that will later prove
impossible to accomplish. Some basic rules for the first session are
these: Be honest. Be direct. Be yourself.
Ask questions to find out about your student’s reading history
and expectations. Keep your questions open-ended, and ask only one
question at a time. Be sure to give your student plenty of time to
answer each question before jumping in with another one.
Next, get a writing sample from your student. Since you both
need to know how to contact each other in case of cancellations, begin
by asking your student to write his or her name and telephone
number for you. In exchange, provide yours.
Then, if you think your student can write a sentence or a short paragraph, ask for a writing
sample on the topic you have just discussed. You will learn a great deal from reading this sample. You
will learn if your student can write at all, if he or she has a sense of sentence structure, and if his or her
spelling is functional.
1. Don’t try to do too much.
2. Do some preliminary, informal assessment.
3. Don’t you use his native language too much.
4. Keep corrections to a minimum.
5. Speak naturally.
6
GUIDELINES
TO
LESSON PREP
Try to find the specific needs of your students during the first few lessons. Talk to them and try to get a
writing and reading sample to get an idea of their general level. Ask students about their interests or
things they would like to work on. Do they need help with homework? A certain topic? Test
preparation? College applications? Try to work on what the student needs to learn while making sure
they are challenged and productive. Vary your teaching material and methods and be creative!
I. Getting to know your tutee and fun stuff
A. Don’t jump straight into books and work- try to get to know your tutees
B. Introduce yourself and find out more about your students through conversations
C. Bring in things that interest you (hobbies, photos) or resources to explore (laptops, mp3
players, etc.)
D. Crossword puzzles, word searches, scrabble, and other word games
E. Anything that seems intersting (what would you like to do if you were a tutee?)
II. Writing
A. What to think about
1. Basic sentence structure
2. Parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs—not so much what they are, but
how to use them)
3. Subject/verb agreement
4. Tenses and when to use them
5. Conjunctions, preposition
6. Commas, periods
B. Try to have the student write as much as possible.
1. Journal writing (unless disliked by student)
2. Find odd pictures and ask your students a series of questions about them. Later
talk about the pictures
3. Writing out answers to questions
4. Practice with 5 paragraph essay questions (into, body, conclusion)
5. Students often find writing tedious and frustrating, trying to avoid it as much as
possible. Encourage your student to write and stay focused on the task.
III. Pronunciation
A. Common problems
1. Adding syllables to words on paper. For example, “bank” is pronounced “ban
2. Don’t allow your students to rush through pronounciation; encourage them to
SLOW down- realize this can be frusterating for them
B. Practicing pronunciation
1. Repeating drill s with words and sounds
2. Reading out loud
7
3. Conversations and dialogues
4. Fun tongue twisters
IV. Reading
A.
B.
C.
Have vocabulary for readings prepared beforehand. Ask questions as you go along.
Suggestions for reading:
1. Short poems—Shel Silverstein, Langston Hughes, Robesrt Frost
2. Short stories and folktales
3. Cartoon version of Shakespeare stories
4. Magazines- those aimed at kids are easier to read
5. Try matching up the reading with your students’ intersts
Listening comprehension
1. Read short passages, ask questions. Have questions written out to answer
2. Listening tapes
3. Close exercises: students fill in words to music as singer sings
V. Where to find materials
A. Loads of worksheets created in the RYTE file in 1st floor PBH
B. Workbooks, textbooks, atlas, and dictionaries in crates and the PBH library
C. Magazines and newspapers
D. Websites:
http://www.toefl.org
http://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/about1.html- MCAS webpage
http://www.collegeboard.com/
http://www.manythings.org/ --A website of games for ESL students
http://esl.about.com/bllessonplans.htm --Lesson plans and resources
http://www.sla.purdue.edu/fll/JapanProj/FLClipart/ --Cute clipart for teaching foreign
languages
http://eslsv001.esl.sakuragaoka.ac.jp/teachers/BR/games/Games.html- list of games for
ESL students
http://www.ling.lancs.ac.uk/staff/visitors/kenji/kitao/material.htm- reading and questions
on American holidays
There are a lot of helpful sites out there-- just do a search and see what turns up
8
TOP 12 WRITING ERRORS
1. Subject/Verb Agreement
The girl have a good job.
My brother live with me.
The girl has a good job
My brother lives with me.
2. Correct Verb Form
I am write this letter to
explain what happened.
I am writing this letter to
explain what happened.
3. Correct Pronoun Form
I gave she the money to
buy some new books.
I gave her the money to
buy some new books.
4. Correct Part of Speech
We celebration his birthday
last week.
We celebrated his birthday
last week.
5. Capitalization and
Punctuation
My friend worked every
monday in june.
we had juice cereal and
toast for breakfast
My friend worked every
Monday in June.
We had juice, cereal, and
toast for breakfast.
6. Possessives
Jason borrowed Mary car
last Friday.
Jason borrowed Mary’s car
last Friday.
7. Word Order
I gave to Mary the letter.
We have a cat black.
I gave Mary the letter.
We have a black cat.
8. Run-on Sentences
My sister had the flu she
My sister had the flu, so
went to the doctor he gave
she went to the doctor. He
her some medicine now gave her some medicine;
she’s feeling better.
now she’s feeling better.
9. Sentence Fragments
I had a good time. When I
went to the beach with Tom.
I had a good time when I
went to the beach with Tom.
10. Parallel Structure
Nancy likes swimming,
skiing, and to play baseball.
Nancy likes swimming,
skiing, and playing baseball.
11. Wrong Word
The soldiers rose the flag
early yesterday.
The passengers were
reading there books.
The soldiers raised the flag
early yesterday.
The passengers were
reading their books.
12. Missing subject.
Tom left because didn’t like
the music.
Tom left because he didn’t like
the music.
9
ESL LEVEL I
SAMPLE CURRICULUM
WEEK 1
Grammar: Present tense of verb “to be”
Activities:
· Use grammar book to review “to be” and gerunds by having the student repeat pattern for all
subjects. (“I am singing, you are singing...”)
· Have student listen as you dictate sentences. The student should write down as many words as he
or she can understand.
· Practice the p/b sound. Place a piece of paper in front of the mouth; P moves paper, B does not.
WEEK 2
Grammar: Nouns and pronouns
Activities:
· I spy: Point to something and describe it. Determine the appropriate pronoun that would be used.
· Bring pictures of family, friends, home, etc. Practice possessives (“My brother, my roommate, my
desk...”
· Practice tongue twisters in a book.
WEEK 3
Grammar: Present continuous, simple present
Activities:
· Write down beginnings to sentences. Have student finish them (“While I ate dinner...”)
· Make up a conversation about a particular theme. Write it down. Repeat it, exchanging roles (“I
am going to the movies. Do you want to go with me?”)
· “A busy day.” You say a time of day and they will tell you what they do at that time. (“Brush my
teeth and eat lunch.”)
WEEK 4
Grammar: Regular and irregular plurals
Activities:
· Make a list of words. Recite sentences that may contain some of these words. The student circles
the words he hears.
· Practice the s/sh pronunciation
· Go through Life and identify pictures. Try to speak in complete sentences.
WEEK 5
Grammar: Prepositions
Activities:
10
·
·
·
Learn and review prepositional phrases. Give student photocopied list from back of Azar’s
grammar book.
Read a short story to student. Have him summarize after you finish.
Review directions. Have student stand and move as you call out directions.
WEEK 6
Grammar: “Go” / “going to”; future tense
Activities:
· Make up a scenario and ask the student to describe what he would say in that situation (ordering a
menu, going to see a counselor, going shopping, etc.)
· Discuss the transportation system in Boston
· Ask the student about his or her plans for the future (e.g. career, family, education)
WEEK 7
Grammar: Interrogative questions—what, where, why, who, when
Activities:
· Read am article from Time, People, or Life and answer the “w” questions
· Try to listen to part of a TOEFL tape and answer the accompanying questions
· Practice telephone conversation
WEEK 8
Grammar: Demonstratives, expletive it/ there
Activities:
· Look at a page in the picture dictionary and identify objects. What are they used for?
· Identify and describe different parts of the body and different articles of clothing.
· Make up a story from a picture from Time, Life, or People
WEEK 9
Grammar: Modals—may/can; conjunctions—and/but
Activities:
· Create different scenarios and ask the student to respond (e.g. getting a driver’s license, seeing a
doctor, telephone skills, etc.)
· Make sentences with vocabulary words. Try to get more than one word in a sentence.
· Impromptu speech or storytelling.
WEEK 10
Grammar: Past tense (regular and irregular)
Activities:
· Give your student a list of words and ask him to make a story out of them
· Read transcriptions from TOEFL listening comprehension section in the back of the TOEFL book.
Slow down or repeat as necessary, adjusting to his level. Have him answer accompanying
questions.
· Play a game of Mad Libs.
11
WEEK 1
ESL LEVEL II
SAMPLE CURRICULUM
Grammar: Review of all ESL Level I structures
Activities:
· Go through all the Grammars covered in ESL Level I and work on the ones with which your student
is having difficulty.
WEEK 2
Grammar: Present and past tense of “to be”
Activities:
· Use Azar grammar book to review “to be” and gerunds by having the student repeat the pattern for
all subjects (“I am singing, you are singing...”)
· Go over various social roles and relationships (e.g. teacher/student, parent/child, etc.)
· Make up a conversation about a particular theme. Write it down. Repeat it, exchanging roles. (“I
am going to the movies. Do you want to go with me?”)
WEEK 3
Grammar: Review of all ESL Level I structures
Activities:
· Describe the various seasons and holidays and what occurs at each one.
· Make up a story from a picture from Time or People.
· Ask the student about his or her plans for the future (e.g. career, family, education).
WEEK 4
Grammar: Comparison of adjectives including irregulars (e.g. good/better, bad/worst); superlative
Activities:
· Create scenarios and ask the student how whe would feel in those situations.
· Go through Time and identify pictures. Try to speak in complete sentences.
· Superlatives from Azar grammar book. Look around the room and using superlatives, compare
things in the room.
WEEK 5
Grammar: Simple present passive voice; modals should/might
Activities:
· Go through a newspaper and describe different functions of the media.
· Practice telephone conversation.
· Create different scenarios and ask the student what he would do (e/g/ getting a driver’s license,
seeing a doctor, going shopping).
12
WEEK 6
Grammar: Pronouns (relative, object, reflexive)
Activities:
· Discuss views on the ideas behind an article in Time or Life
· I Spy: Point to something and describe it, practicing description words (e.g. shades of color).
· Bring pictures of family, friends, home, etc. Have the student create sentences about the pictures.
WEEK 7
Grammar: Past and active participles (regular and irregular)
Activities:
· Create a timeline of the student’s life that includes important events and their dates.
· Look through one of the magazines and summarize the important events of an article
· Play a game of Mad Libs.
WEEK 8
Grammar: Compound nouns; the words, “too,” “very,” and “enough”
Activities:
· Take a magazine and go over the advertisements in the magazine
· Make flashcards with nouns and see how many can be combined to form a compound noun.
· Play a game of Scrabble with the goal of creating compound nouns
WEEK 9
Grammar: Infinitives vs. participles after verbs; invitational would like; if clauses
Activities:
· Discuss different ways of asking for something (i.e. different levels of politeness)
· Write down beginnings to sentences. Have student finish them
· Create different hypothetical questions. Have the student answer them (e.g. “What would you do if
you won the lottery?”)
WEEK 10
Grammar: Past continuous; present perfect
Activities:
· Give your student a list of words and ask him to make a story out of them.
· Read transcriptions from the TOEFL listening comprehension section in the back of the TOEFL
book. Slow down or repeat as necessary, adjusting to his level. Have him answer accompanying
questions
· Impromptu speech or storytelling.
13
ESL LEVEL III
SAMPLE CURRICULUM
WEEK 1: REVIEW OF TENSES
Activity: An idea would be to start with the verb “to be,” which is outlined in many of our grammar
books such as Azar. Move on to other verbs, emphasizing basic patterns (e.g. I dance, you dance, he
dances, etc.) and irregular ones as well. Make sure to cover the general forms for past, present, and
future, and try your hand at perfect/imperfect tenses if your tutee seems up for it.
Discussion Topic: Giving directions
Have your tutee give your directions on how to get to a certain location. This location could be the
bathroom, the corner store, or even downtown Boston. This is a particularly challenging exercise as it
will make your tutee use both his English and memory skills.
WEEK 2: REVIEW OF ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS
Activity: Emphasize the fact that adjectives describe nouns and that adverbs describe verbs. You
should introduce the technique of converting adjectives into adverbs and vice-versa (quick <—>
quickly, dangerous<—>dangerously, etc.). Give your tutee a set of nouns and verbs, and have him
make sentences out of words from the list. The catch is that he has to modify every noun and verb he
uses with an adjective and adverb, respectively.
Discussion Topic: Emergencies
Simulate a telephone conversation in which your tutee is seeking help for a friend who has swallowed
poison. Vary the nature of the emergency (e.g. fire, robber, etc.). Give your tutee a detailed model of
what he should saw when talking to a 911 operator.
WEEK 3: REVIEW OF PRONOUNS/POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES
ActivitY: To emphasize the importance of pronouns, speak to your tutee without using this
grammatical advice (e.g. My mother loves my father. When my father wants a beer, my mother opens a
beer for my father.) Then speak to your tutee using pronouns to show him how less cumbersome it is
(e.g. My mother loves my father. When he wants a beer, she opens it for him.) Make sure your tutee
speaks to you without, then with, pronouns. Make sure your tutee understands the significance of
possessive adjectives such as “my” or “your.”
14
Discussion Topic: Ordering from a menu
WEEK 4: REVIEW OF QUANTIFIERS AND COMPARISONS, SUPERLATIVES
ActivitY: Make sure your tutee can make comparisons between quantifiable things (e.g. He is
taller than her. I have less money than you.) Prepare a list of pairs of objects (school bus/go-cart,
apple/banana). Have your tutee make as many comparisons between the pairs of objects as he can
(Apples are harder than bananas. Bananas taste better than bananas.). Look at the Azar book for
treatment of superlatives (e.g. the best, the tallest). Look around the room and using superlatives,
compare things in the room.
Discussion Topic: Reading instructions on a bottle of medicine.
WEEK 5: MODALS
ActivitY: Make sure your tutee understands the modals “may,” “can,” and should. Have a list of
situations prepared for your tutee. One such situation might be that your tutee is very thirsty and there is
someone holding a pitcher of ice-cold lemonade. To each situation, have your tutee ask a question
which uses one of the modals taught.
Discussion Topic: Leaving a message on the answering machine
WEEK 6: INFINITIVES AND GERUNDS
ActivitY: Use the Azar grammar book. Explain to your tutee that the infinitive form of virtually all
verbs can follow the properly conjugated form of certain other verbs (e.g. I have to sing, I have to go,
I have to study). Explain the use of gerunds (e.g. I am walking). It is difficult to explain these
grammatical concepts to someone who has never been exposed to them. Just remember to teach your
students these concepts in a patterned way (e.g. I am walking, I am talking, I am shouting).
Discussion Topic: American Politics
WEEK 7: CAUSATIVES MAKE, HAVE, GET
ActivitY: A good way to teach this concept is to have the students write down behaviors that they
don’t normally like to do (e.g. dressing up). Ask them under what conditions they would do those
behaviors (e.g. we’re having friends visit us and my mother asks me to). Put the two phrases together
to make one sentence (e.g. My mother makes me dress up when we have friends visiting).
Discussion Topic: Reading instructions on a bottle of medicine.
15
WEEK 8: RELATIVE PRONOUNS AND SUBORDINATE CLAUSES
ActivitY: Construct several paragraphs using sentences that contain only single, principal sentences
(e.g. My mother went to the store. The store was on the corner of Cannon and Emerald streets. She
bought a box of Cornflakes. The cornflakes were sitting on the top shelf). Have your tutee rewrite the
paragraph using relative pronouns (e.g. My mother went to the store that was on the corner and Cannon
and Emerald streets. She bought a box of Cornflakes that was sitting on the top shelf).
Discussion Topic: Poetry.
WEEK 9: THE PASSIVE VOICE
ActivitY: Prepare a set of sentence pairs that differ in the nature of their voices (active vs. passive) but
whose contents are similar (e.g. I kicked the ball vs. The ball was kicked by me.) Have your tutee
explain the difference between the two forms. Then have your student write a paragraph on a topic of
his choice entirely in the active, and then entirely in the passive.
Discussion Topic: Sports.
WEEK 10: THE CONDITIONAL
ActivitY: Teach your student basic conditional forms. Have sure they know how to use “if” (If I win a
million dollars...) and “would” (I would send my son to Harvard). Students should also know how to
use conditionals in bot the present and past tenses.
Discussion Topic: Plans for the future.
16
ESL LEVEL IV
SAMPLE CURRICULUM
WEEK 1
Grammar: Review of all ESL Level 1,2,3 structures
Activities:
· Go through all of the grammar covered in previous levels and work on the ones with which your
student is having difficulty.
WEEK 2
Grammar: Past perfect
Activities:
· Give your student a list of words and ask him to make a story out of them.
· Read transcriptions from TOEFL listening comprehension section in the back of the TOEFL book.
· Impromptu speech or storytelling
WEEK 3
Grammar: Who vs. whom
Activities:
· Bring pictures of family and friends. Have the student create sentences about the pictures.
· Look though a People magazine and summarize the main points of one of the articles that deals with
a popular figure.
· Explain some of the differences between written English and the English many people use (e.g. who/
whom is used in writing, but many Americans don’t use whom when speaking).
WEEK 4
Grammar: Negative adverbs: hardly, barely, scarcely, rarely
Activities:
· Have the student write down rare events and afterwards describe what happens when those events
occur (e.g. “It rarely snows in May, but when it does...”). Discuss why certain events are rare.
· Do the find-the-error-in-the-sentences exercises in TOEFL books.
· Create different hypothetical questions. Have the student answer them. (“What would you do if
you won the lottery?”)
WEEK 5
Grammar: Noun clauses as subject of a sentence
Activities:
· Read through one of the articles in the magazines and circle all of the noun clauses. Summarize the
article.
· Write a letter to anyone you want. Pay close attention to the differences between business letters
17
·
and friendly letters.
Boggle game. Shake letter cubes in a container; let them settle into the grid; try to form words of
three or more letters in a connected chain.
WEEK 6
Grammar: Gerunds with possessive modifier
Activities:
· “Busy Day.” Describe various activities that the student does throughout the day and the reasons
for doing them (e.g. “My studying math during school helps me balance my checkbook.”)
· Write a resume.
· Give the student a list of words and have him write a story out of them.
WEEK 7
Grammar: Past participle vs. present participle
Activities:
· Pretend to be a spy that is describing the actions of an important person, using the present
participle.
· Look at People magazine.
· Pretend to be a historian that is writing about a famous historical figure; use the past participle.
· Read through the editorial section of a newspaper. Discuss your and the student’s reactions to the
articles.
WEEK 8
Grammar: Conjunctions (and, but, or, it...then, etc.)
Activities:
· Write out sentences with the conjunctions missing. Have the student fill in the right conjunction.
· Listen to part of a TOEFL tape and answer the accompanying sections.
WEEK 9
Grammar: Correct pronoun form after “than”
Activities:
· Look through People magazine and make comparisons between different people (e.g. “I would
rather talk to him than her.”)
· Discuss views on the ideas behind an article in Time.
· Compare different advertisements and ask the student what he would prefer to buy and why.
WEEK 10
Grammar: Suffixes and prefixes
Activities:Activities:
· Look through a list of different verbs and decide which prefixes can go with which words
· Play a game of Scrabble. words which use prefixes or suffixes are doubled in score.
· Write out a story out of the different words that were generated in the Scrabble game.
18
TOEFL PREPARATION
What is the TOEFL?
The TOEFL program provides English proficiency testing services for international students
planning to study in the United States, Canada, or other countries where English is the
language of instruction.
The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) measures the ability of nonnative
speakers of English to use and understand North American English as it is used in college
and university settings. Scores on the test are required by more than 4,300 two- and fouryear colleges and universities, professional schools, and sponsoring institutions.
The test is offered on computer throughout most regions of the world.
TOEFL consists of 4 sections plus a computer tutorial and a 5 minute break, all of which
take 3.5-4 hours. The tutorial has no time limit and teaches the test taker the computer
skills need to take the examination. The four sections are:
-Listening (40-60 mins, 30-50 questions). Have visuals. Scratch paper or notes not allowed.
-Structure (15-20 mins, 20-25 questions). Scratchpaper and notes not allowed
*5 minute break*
-Reading (70-90 mins, 44-55 questions). Need to scroll on computer screen to read passages
and answer questions.
-Writing (30 mins, 1 topic). Option to type or handwrite
The Listening and Structure
sections are computer adaptive,
which means the computer scores
each question before selecting
the next one. For example, if you
miss questions it will give an
easier question next (so it is
crucial to get the first few easier questions right). This also means that you can’t skip
questions and come back to them later.
You can download a Computer Testing Demo at http://www.ets.org/cbt/cbtdemo.html
Random guessing generally hurts the score- best to pace yourself
19
How to Prepare for the TOEFL
Listening Comprehension
¨
¨
¨
Transcripts for the listening comprehension model tests are in the back of the TOEFL books. Read
them to the student and have him answer the accompanying questions.
The people in the actual tapes of the transcript speak at a normal pace! Don’t overenunciate or go
too slowly. Use the tapes once in a while so that your tutee gets used to the speed and different
voices.
Writing is not permitted while the tape is being played.
Grammar/Structure
¨
¨
¨
¨
This is tested using complete-the-sentence and findthe-error-in-the-sentence.
The grammar section in the TOEFL book is broken
down by categories of error in sentence structure,
such as “problems with main verbs,” etc.
Brief review of grammar is provided also. For more
specific exercises, cross reference with a grammar
book like Azar.
Some things need to be memorized. Assign them for
homework instead of swimming through every
example, but be sure to reinforce it.
Always have the student reapply a concept you have
just taught him by asking him to make up a sentence
using the concept.
Reading Comprehension/Vocabulary
¨
¨
¨
-
Do a couple of reading passages a week from the TOEFL book or the TOEFL Exercises book.
For vocabulary there is a book that groups key TOEFL words into mini-lessons with exercises that
follow.
Review key techniques like underlining, reading the questions before you read the passage, and
skimming the first line of each paragraph.
See Sample ESL curriculum ideas and other resources for more ideas.
Choose about 5-10 questions testing essential words from the vocabulary section in the model
TOEFL tests. Have the student add them to his personal vocabulary list.
Always add to your list every week.
Unless your student is really gung ho about vocabulary lists, avoid assigning long lists, but focus on
words from reading passages instead.
Try to use the words and repeat them in succeeding weeks.
20
S AMPLE W ORKSHEET
READING COMPREHENSION
Mary and Diane are best friends. They look very much alike. They are both 13 years old, have
long, brown hair, like to eat carrots and strawberries, and like to play with their dogs. One day, when
Mary and Diane were chasing the dogs at the park, they saw two boys, Steven and Paul. Steven and
Paul were also best friends, and they were playing basketball. Steven thought that Mary was very
pretty, and Paul thought that Diane was very pretty also. The boys decided to catch the girls attention
by showing off their basketball skills. They began to run around the basketball court while looking out
of the corners of their eyes to see if Mary and Diane were watching them.
Mary and Diane both knew that the boys liked them, and they whispered and giggled over how
silly the boys looked. Finally, the boys were exhausted and sat down to rest. The two dogs ran up to
the boys and licked their hands. Mary and Diane shouted, “Come here! Come one, let’s go!” They
even whistled and waved their arms, but the dogs didn’t listen. Finally, Mary and Diane came over to
where Steven and Paul were sitting to get their dogs. Soon, all four of them became friends and went to
go eat ice cream.
1) How old are Mary and Diane?
2) What do they like to eat?
3) What were Steven and Paul doing at the park?
4) How did the boys try to catch the girls’ attention?
5) Why did the girls giggle and whisper?
6) What did the girls do to try to get the boys to come to them?
7) Why did the girls finally come over to the boys?
8) What happened after the girls came over to the boys?
21
S AMPLE W ORKSHEET
PAST/FUTURE TENSE
Word list:
make
help
die
is
cry
understand
find
read
do
have
1) Next week, I ___________ my mom cook dinner by washing the lettuce and chopping onions.
2) I ___________ all of my science homework two hours ago.
3) The teacher says that the class ___________ this book next month.
4) My friend is so unhappy because his dog ___________ in a car accident.
5) My sister ___________ all night because she got into an argument with her best friends yesterday
at school.
6) To my surprise, I ___________ everything the teacher taught me today. I didn’t even have to ask
any questions like I usually do.
7) Robert __________ to perform in the play next weekend as an evil villain.
8) When my family went to the beach last Saturday, I ___________ many seashells in the sand.
9) Although I was extremely exhausted, I ___________ myself brush my teeth and wash my face
before going to bed.
10) I just realized that I ___________ not turn off the light inside my room before going to school
today.
22
AND & BUT
S AMPLE W ORKSHEET
1) The teachers __________ the students went to the assembly together.
2) The boys liked to play basketball, __________ the girls would rather play soccer.
3) Jennifer is in the 11th grade __________ she has many friends in the 12th grade.
4) When my family went to the movies yesterday night, my mom cried __________ so did my brother.
5) I would love to go to dinner and the beach with you, __________ I have too much chemistry and
history homework to finish this weekend.
6) The mysteries of calculus __________ astronomy will on day be solved when I study them in
college.
7) My ankle was sprained from last week’s soccer practice, __________ I still managed to score five
goals in today’s game.
8) Richard is a surgeon __________ Christina is a nurse at the hospital.
9) Will my cousin fly to Boston from Texas __________ stay here for three weeks with me?
10) I forgot there was a math test today __________ I did well on it anyway.
23
S AMPLE W ORKSHEET
WHAT’S WRONG?
1) The child have many toys because the parents spoils him too much?
2) Will you come with me to by some shampoo and milk?
3) He says to me last nihgt, “Dont drank and drive because it is dangorous.”
4) In the horror movie, the monster opened its mouth and swallowed the entire cities.
5) No matter how much you studdy, it will never be enough if you do concentrate.
6) The governer of Massachusetts is an extremely busy and important man.
7) For my brothers birthday I gave him a leather jacket a pair of brown Nike shoes and a thirty dollars
gift certificate to Macys.
8) Dont’ try to fool me! I no you’re tricking me and making me pay four more than my share of the
food bill.
9) By reading page buy page, I eventually learnd how to put my bicyle togethur all by me.
10) When will the plain fligth arrive in new york city?
24
THE REPUBLIC
OF
COLOMBIA
Background: Colombia is a republic located in the northwestern corner of South America. Its population
numbers nearly 40 million – 60% are mestizo, 20% are white, and 15% are mulatto. The territory won its
independence from Spain in 1810, and received its borders 20 years later when Gran Colombia collapsed
to create three new countries: Ecuador, Venezuela, and Colombia.
Political Turmoil: Colombia continues to suffer the world’s highest number of politically motivated
killings and kidnappings. An insurgent campaign to overthrow the Colombian Government has plagued the
nation for over 40 years, although violence has escalated drastically within the past decade. Left-wing
guerrilla groups, right-wing paramilitary organizations, and the Colombian armed forces, narco-traffickers
and other criminal elements all participate in Colombia’s bloodshed. Paramilitary groups forge alliances
with wealthy landowners and drug barons in return for protection against guerrilla activities, while landowners and entrepreneurs profit from the flight of peasant farmers, whose land they are able to purchase
at a minimal cost. The two largest insurgent groups active in Colombia –are the National Liberation Army
(ELN) and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Although the movement has kept
large swaths of the countryside are under guerrilla influence, the movement lacks the military strength and
popular support necessary to actually succeed in overthrowing the government.
Economic Woes: Colombia faced its most
recent depression in 1999, when GDP fell
by about 5% and unemployment climbed to
a devastating 20%. Although economic
forecasts predict moderate growth under
President Pastrana’s administration – which
will lower interest rates, reduce inflation,
rectify the country’s financial system, and
improve the public sector’s fiscal solvency
as part of its loan agreement with the IMF
– many obstacles to sustainable growth
loom ahead. Unemployment remains
extremely high, and extreme income
distribution inequality continues to afflict the
population. 1992 figures showed 17.7% of
the population well below the poverty line.
Growth remains stymied by foreign investors’ reluctance to invest in a country
shaken by violent negotiations, an imminent
decline in oil production, and the natural
disasters and depreciation that have
tormented coffee growers.
Refugee Situation: Violence in Colombia
has left upwards of 2.1 million civilians internally displaced since 1985, and more than 1 million Colombians
have fled to other countries as refugees or migrants since 1996. 25% of these immigrants left just last
year – an indication of the escalating conflict and desperation found in Colombia. Most of the displaced
population is composed of Afro-Colombian or indigenous farmers and residents of small, rural towns. An
25
estimated 45% of the displaced population are
children ages 14 or younger. More than threequarters of displaced children do not attend school,
and two-thirds of uprooted households lack access
to health services. While most of these displaced
peoples are uprooted from their homes due to violent
conflict between guerrillas and paramilitaries, many
leave as a result of an U.S.-funded aerial fumigation
of coca crops that rendered their land unusable.
Colombian desplazados tend to flee in small and
unobtrusive family groups. According to a recent
article in Le Monde, “people flee silently, individually
and almost shamefully.” Most migrants initially flee
to growing shantytowns on the outskirts of
Colombia’s largest cities, where they face poverty
as well as persistent danger. While living in fear of
reprisals and harassment from the security services,
paramilitary and guerrilla groups, many of the
internally displaced also lack legal documentation,
rendering them without full access to civic and
political rights. Many are unable or unwilling to
leave the country, due to the militarization of the
border, and natural obstacles to flight: rivers, mounAn internal refugee carries water back to his home.
tains and jungles. Those who do succeed in fleeing
often seek refuge in Panama, Ecuador, Venezuela,
Europe or the United States. Displaced Colombians remain in danger even after seeking refuge, as
evidenced by numerous massacres, assassinations, and campaigns of terror against local leaders, humanitarian aid workers, and displaced persons. Hundreds of Colombian refugees who sought safety in Venezuela last year were pushed
back into their country by
Venezuelan authorities.
Columbian refugees in
Boston mostly live in the
vicinity of the Maverick Tstation. Most of RYTE’s
Columbian students attend
East Boston High School.
U.S.-trained Colombian military forces engage in an assault against drug
traffickers as part of Plan Colombia. The $1.4 billion plan includes funds
for the army, for aerial fumigation of drug crops, and for social programs.
26
Sources: World Refugee Survey
2001, CIA World Fact Book.
For more information:
http://www.refugees.org/news/
crisis/colombia.htm,
http://www.unhcr.ch/refworld/
pub/state/97/box3_2.htm
SUDAN
Background: The Republic of Sudan is the largest country of the African continent, comprising a total area
of 2,505,800 square kilometers (967,490 square miles). Sudan’s population consists of Arabs – often of mixed
ancestry – residing in the north and black ethnic African groups (including the Azande, Dilla, Nuer, and
Shilluk) living in the South. Northern Sudan is also inhabited by other ethnic groups, including the Beja,
Jamala, and Nubian. Approximately 70 percent of Sudanese adhere to Sunni Islam, with most Muslims living
in northern Sudan. Most of the residents in southern Sudan either follow indigenous beliefs and traditional
religions (25 percent of the national population) or practice Christianity (nearly five percent). Although English
is widely spoken across the country, Arabic is the official language of Sudan. Moreover, other African
languages and dialects, such as Nubian, Ta Bedawie, Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, are often utilized in the south.
However, a program of Arabization has been implemented to encourage greater use of Arabic in the
southern regions of the country.
Decades of Civil Strife: Racial, religious, cultural and political disparities
amongst Sudan’s northern and southern
populations have plunged the nation into a
protracted civil war since 1983. An estimated two million Sudanese have perished
in the conflict, and an additional four million
have been internally displaced, constituting
the largest internally displaced population in
the world. In fact, nearly two million
Sudanese – who had hitherto lived in the
south – have either fled the country or
migrated northward to Khartoum, the
capital and nation’s largest city.
The conflict has been precipitated by
insurgent demands for political autonomy
within Sudan. Some extremists have even
advocated for secession from Sudan and the
formation of an autonomous country in the
south. In a concerted effort to attain these
objectives, the principal rebel organization, the
Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), supported by its political counterpart, the Sudan People’s Liberation
Movement (SPLM), launched military campaigns in eastern Sudan. The current Sudanese government leaders
staged a coup d’état in 1989 to usurp power. Political authority vested in the National Islamic Front (NIF) has
been severely abused, resulting in the armament of militia groups to attack both military and civilian targets in
southern Sudan. The NIF uses income from Sudan’s oil fields to buy advanced bombers and other weaponry
for the war in the South. In addition to launching air strikes against the civilian population, Sudanese government
forces have thwarted humanitarian efforts to deliver relief aid to several locations. In 1998, the deadly
combination of drought, aid blockage, and incessant warfare delivered a crushing blow to the civilian population:
a devastating famine befell the Bahr el-Ghazal Province in the south, claiming the lives of tens of thousands
of people. Unfortunately, the conflict has only exacerbated, as evinced by intensified aerial bombardments
conducted by the Sudanese government. According to a United Nations report, pro-government northern
militias have abducted approximately 5,000 to 15,000 residents, primarily women and children, of Bahr el-
27
Ghazal during the past fifteen years. Many were sold into
slavery.
Sudanese Refugees: During the civil war in southern
Sudan, thousands of young children were separated from
their parents and fled to Ethiopia, traversing more than 1,000
kilometers on foot during their odyssey. But during 1991
and 1992, these children were forcibly returned to Sudan.
The children subsequently fled on foot to the Kakuma
Refugee Camp in northern Kenya, with most dying along
the way. According to the U.S. Department of State’s
Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, “seven People wait for food in Tietkou, southern
thousand [Sudanese children] have grown up in a system Sudan. Many walked for days to get here.
of group care supervised by tribal elders or in informal foster
care established in the refugee camp. With war in Sudan
continuing, return to a homeland for these children and young adults could mean forced military conscription
and/or other danger to their lives.” In 1999, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, in collaboration
with the U.S. Department of State, referred approximately 3,800 Sudanese children and young adults from
Kakuma Refugee Camp to the United States for refugee resettlement. Nearly all were male since female
refugees were married off into the local population. Between November 2000 and September 2001, nearly
3,800 Sudanese refugees will be resettled in 28 states by ten resettlement agencies in coordination with the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). Along with
providing them basic necessities, the agencies offer assistance to the refugees “in connecting to social services,
high school, and other education/training programs and job services for up to 90 days after arrival in the U.S.”
About a dozen Sudanese refugees live in the Boston area, specifically Jamaica Plain. They attend
English High School.
Tips for tutors:
·
Our Sudanese students speak Dinka. Since Dinka is an oral language, they had no experience with
reading or writing prior to
coming to learning English.
·
Sudanese students are
relatively recent arrivals, and
are still at a basic English level.
Some of Sudan’s “Lost Boys” on the long trek from Ethiopia to Kenya, a
trek that all of our Sudanese students made. Most of the boys who
started from Ethiopia did not survive the trip.
28
·
Sudanese have had
particularly
traumatic
experiences. All of the
students in our program are
orphans, and saw many friends
die during the journey to
Kenya. They then spent
nearly a decade in refugee
camps before coming to the
U.S. Be sensitive!
HAITI
Background: The Republic of Haiti, found on the island of Hispanola, is one of the poorest nations in
North and South America. With a population of approximately seven million people, Haiti is primarily black,
with only 5% being white or mulatto. The average life expectancy is 49.83 years, taking into account the
high prevalence of AIDS among the adult population (over 5% of the population is infected). The official
languages are both French and Creole. Religions include Roman Catholic (80%), Protestant (16%: Baptist
10%, Pentecostal 4%, Adventist 1%, other 1%), none 1%, and other 3%. In addition, one half of the
population practices Voodoo. The is a literacy rate of 45%.
Political History: Haitians underwent nearly thirty years of a dictatorship followed by military rule.
The dynasty led by Francois “Papa Doc” Duvalier resulted in much depletion of natural resources
including the rich soil that had previously identified Haiti as the “Gem of the Caribbean.” The “Tontons
Macoutes,” Duvalier’s secret police, kept the lid on dissent. In 1990, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, representing
the poor and working class, became
elected as President, temporarily
ending the military state. However,
a military takeover in 1991 forced
Aristide into exile. The military,
facing an imminent U.S. invasion,
yielded power back to Aristide in
1994. From 1994 to 1996 Aristide
served as President and was
succeeded by his close associate
Rene Preval. However, the two
eventually had a falling out. In
2000, Aristide was again elected
president by 92% of the votes in an
election held by necessity to assure
continued funding from the US.
However, opposition parties had
boycotted the poll due to violence
by pro-Aristide supporters in the
runup to the election, violence
which has continued since. The
continued political violence has led
other countries to suspend aid to
Haiti, leaving the country even
more impoverished and with an
unemployment rate of over 65%.
Economic troubles: Haiti’s economic situation underlies much of the political unrest, for 80% of
Haitians live in abject poverty. Nearly half the GDP comes from services, and yet 70% of the population
uses agriculture as a means to survive. In other words, the majority of the goods and services being
produced are done by a smaller percentage of the population. Most Haitians do simple subsistence
farming, despite the very poor soil found on most of Haiti. There are very few trees, and the land was
raped years ago of its nutrients. The agricultural attempts are not always successful, but Haitians rely on
29
neighbors and bartering to get living essentials. Thus,
no elegant market is flourishing. But, Aristide is
working to encourage growth. The GDP is growing
at 1.2% a year, a modest but tangible figure. And,
while there was a recently a fuel price hike of 40%,
prices seem to have leveled off as the currency has
gained stability.
Refugees: Haitian refugees have been sailing for
America since the 1970s, but have had difficulty in
winning refugee status. The fact that many Haitians
came for economic rather than political reasons may
have been influential, as was the fact that Haiti’s
military government was a reliable American Cold
Supporters of Jean-Baptiste Aristide take to
War ally. Since Aristide’s return to power in 1994,
the streets in March 2001 against opposition
the U.S. has tried to support the government by
politicians and their supporters.
discouraging refugees from leaving Haiti. The U.S.
Coast Guard often intercepts vessels headed for the
mainland. However, as of 2000, there are at least 1 million Haitian
refugees in the U.S. Many more Haitians apply for asylum than
are accepted by the US government, but there is still a strong
outflow from the country to not only the U.S. but to the Dominican
Republic, the Bahamas, Jamaica, French Guiana, Martinique and
Guadeloupe, and Venezuela.
About 60,000 Haitians currently live in Boston. They are
spread throughout the Boston area, but most of our Haitian
students live in Dorchester and attend Chelsea or South Boston
High school.
The U.S. Coast Guard rescues
Haitian boat people in 1993.
Tips for tutors:
·
Native language: Creole. Many students also speak French.
·
Most of our Haitian students speak
English at least moderately well. Some are
nearly fluent.
·
Reading skills, on the other hand, vary
greatly, although nearly all our Haitian students
have at least basic English reading skills. Some
students can even read at a moderate to
advanced level, but some students have only
basic reading skills.
Sources: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/
factbook/geos/ha.html#Intro
http://www.refugees.org/world/countryrpt/
amer_carib/haiti.htm
http://www.unhcr.ch/refworld/pub/state/97/
box5_4.htm
30
VIETNAM
Background: Vietnam is a country in Southeast Asia with a population of 80 million. France nominally granted
Vietnam independence in 1945. But the French were determined to maintain control and installed a puppet figure,
leading to warfare with Vietminh forces led by Ho Chi Minh which ended in a French defeat in 1954. The country was
split into two zones, South and North Vietnam, with the South assisted by the United States and led by Ngo Diem,
and the North ruled by Minh. Reunification elections scheduled for 1956 were never held, and warfare soon broke
out between the two sides, with the U.S. militarily intervening in 1965. Mounting casualties forced the U.S. to
withdraw by 1973, and South Vietnam fell two years later. Three million Vietnamese were killed in the war. The
aftereffects of the war linger today, in that Vietnam is one of the poorest countries of the world and remains a
Communist dictatorship. Even today, nearly 40% of Vietnamese are below the poverty line. However, literacy rates
are over 90%, a reflection of the importance given to education in Vietnam.
Refugee History: The growing number of Vietnamese refugees in the U.S. is due primarily to US
military involvement in Southeast Asia in the 1960s and 1970s. The first wave of Vietnamese refugees
arrived immediately after South Vietnam (which had been supported by the US) fell to North Vietnam in
1975. This wave was composed primarily of South Vietnamese government officials and members of the
Vietnamese elite who were
either included in the
American airlift out of could
arrange their own flight. For
years after the airlift,
Vietnamese continued to flee
their country, traveling in
overcrowded, leaky boats to
neighboring countries. This
exodus continued through the
1980s for several reasons,
including political repression,
economic difficulties, and
constant warfare. Since
1990, the majority of
Vietnamese refugees have
been political prisoners and
their families; others come
through family reunification programs and join other family members already abroad. Currently, 1.2 million
people of Vietnamese origin live in the United States.
The experience of these refugees has been varied. Some experienced long stays at refugee
camps in Southeast Asia before arriving in the US. Still others were directly admitted through
governmental programs. While many came with families or to be reunited with family members already
here, others arrived without any connections. Private agencies contracted by the government were mainly
responsible for placing refugees in the later years of immigration. Most found themselves members of a
refugee community, where Vietnamese cultural tradition remained strong. These communities for the
most part have flourished, despite being located in lower income areas with less desirable schools.
Today’s Vietnamese refugees are less likely to drop out of school than their teenage counterparts
of other ethnic backgrounds. Often because of the struggles their parents and family remember and
because of low socio-economic status, they feel an extraordinary pressure to succeed. There are negative
31
trends as well, however. Vietnamese youth
are more likely to be institutionalized than
other Asian counterparts and indeed most
ethnic groups in the US. The poverty rate
among Vietnamese nationwide is 24%.
Many of the refugees currently in
the Boston area live in Dorchester,
particularly concentrated around Fields
Corner and Savin Hill. The approximate
number of Vietnamese residents there
exceeds 10,000, mostly refugees or children
of refugees. Dorchester is an area of
Boston that has seen many problems over
the years. There is much economic distress.
26% of residents live below the poverty line, U.S. troops burn an enemy-controlled South Vietnamese
village in March 1968.
as opposed to the 19% who live below the
poverty line in Boston as a whole. The
majority of Vietnamese refugees attend either Chelsea High School or South Boston High School. Boston
High School has a Vietnamese bilingual program for its refugee population.
Teaching issues:
·
Native language: Vietnamese. Vietnamese is a tonal language with a simple grammatical structure.
The written form of Vietnamese is a modified version of the Roman alphabet.
·
Vietnamese students tend to be more quiet and reserved. Part of this stems from the respect
given to elders (including teachers) in their culture.
·
This respect, however, sometimes translates into shyness about telling their teacher that they do
not understand what he or she is
saying. Just asking, “Do you
understand?” is not enough;
teachers should ask questions to
test that understanding.
·
While learning English
they tend to be better at writing
and reading, and they learn
grammar and vocabulary very
quickly. On the other hand, they
tend to have difficulty speaking
and are hesitant to attempt
verbalization.
Vietnamese refugees pose in the boat that took them to Thailand.
32
·
Something to pay
attention to is that in pronouncing
words, Vietnamese students
often leave off the final sounds
of words.
KOSOVO
Political History: The collapse of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s precipitated the worst crisis in Europe
since the end of World War II. A decade of upheaval produced political chaos throughout the Balkan
region, wars which at one pointed involved not only local antagonists but also the world’s major military
powers, the flight of millions of civilians and a ruthless campaign of ethnic cleansing not witnessed since
the dark days of the Nazi era. Organizations such as UNHCR were at times almost overwhelmed by a
series of virtual back-to-back crises throughout the 1990s, but the humanitarian operation undoubtedly
helped to save entire populations from ethnic cleansing.
At the height of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the early 1990s, nearly three million people
fled their homes.
The 1995 Dayton Peace
Agreement was supposed
to bring peace to the
Balkans. But in 1999, the
Serbian government
began waging war on the
civilians of Kosovo, in
response to demands for
autonomy. This created
an immense refugee
crisis.
Refugee Issues: In
1999, nearly one million
people fled or were
forcibly evicted from the
Yugoslav province of
Kosovo as NATO
warplanes launched an air
campaign against Serbian
forces there.
The majority of Kosovar
refugees had returned to
their towns by the end of
the year in a stunning
reversal of the fortunes of
war. In Bosnia, 660,000
people had gone home and a multi-billion dollar reconstruction program had been undertaken.
But as the old century ended, despite progress in these areas, major problems remained and the
entire region faced an uncertain future.
As many as two million people remain uprooted. These include an estimated 1.2 million people
internally displaced in their own countries, 600,000 refugees who found sanctuary in nearby states and
another 200,000 refugees currently living outside the immediate area.
33
The return of people to their
original homes where they would
now be part of an ethnic minority has
been particularly slow and troublesome in the last few years. However,
as the security situation and the
political environment improved, more
‘minorities’ returned in early 2000
than in previous years. Legislative
and administrative reforms were
approved, making it easier for
returnees to reclaim their properties
and some progress was made in
reversing the wartime ethnic cleansing. But if those were all encouraging
signs, obstacles remained, including
Kosovar Albanians refugees flee to Albania in the spring of
the opposition of some local leaders
1999. Many were able to later return.
to the reintegration of civilians of
other ethnic groups and ongoing difficulties in some areas to reclaiming old properties.
In Kosovo, the rapid return of hundreds of thousands of refugees was a major success. An
international aid program helped them and other internally displaced persons to survive the bitter winter
months. But those successes were tempered by yet another crisis when 210,000 Serbs, Roma and other
non-Albanians fled in advance of the returning Albanians or were later forced to leave Kosovo, principally
for other parts of the rump Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Their eventual return will be a key challenge
for UNHCR in the near future.
Their arrival only added to the crisis facing the Belgrade government, already politically isolated,
under crippling sanctions and recovering from the NATO air campaign. It was already hosting a half
million refugees from the earlier Balkan wars, and together the refugees and internally displaced formed
the largest group of uprooted peoples in Europe.
Tips for Tutors:
·
Native language: Kosovar Albanian (nearly identical to Albanian spoken in Albania)
·
Kosovar Albanian is closer to English than most native languages of students in the RYTE program,
(i.e, they use Roman alphabet). Therefore, Kosovars tend to learn English relatively quickly.
·
Most of the Kosovar Albanian students would have arrived during the summer of 1999; as a result,
they tend to be in the upper levels of ESL or in regular English programs.
·
The oral English skills of Kosovar Albanians tend to develop more quickly than their written skills.
·
Many of our Kosovar Albanian students have witnessed some terrible tragedies (some have even
been members of the Kosovo Liberation Army). So, remember to be sensitive about what you say,
especially if you talk about conflict, war, or ask them about their homeland.
·
Most Kosovar Albanians are Muslim. However, they are generally not as observant as our other
Muslim students.
34
SOMALIA
Background: Somalia occupies the Horn of Africa on the eastern coast of Africa near the entrance to
the Red Sea. An estimated 7.4 million people remain in Somalia today, over 85% of whom are ethnic
Somali. Nearly all Somalis are Muslim. Somalia remains one of the poorest countries in the world, with
an estimate GDP per capita of $600 and a literacy rate of 24%.. The country lacked a government from
1991 until 2000, when a coalition of tribal leaders established a new government. This new government is
rejected by many warlords, however, who continue to occasionally attack government-controlled areas.
Refugee Issues: The overthrow of Somali President Siyad Barre’s regime in January, 1991 set off fights
among the 16 rival factions in Somalia. The wars between clans and the prolonged drought have forced
more than 900,000 Somalis to flee
to neighboring countries. Around
400,000 of them, many of whom in
a serious state of exhaustion and
starvation, took refuge in Kenya.
After Kenya began limiting the
number of refugees, Somalis
began fleeing to Ethiopia, Kenya,
and Djibouti. The United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees
has begun setting up camps within
Somali territory to alleviate the
strain on neighboring countries.
However, some 285,000 Somali
refugees remain in Ethiopia,
131,000 in Kenya, 20,000 in
Djibouti and 10,000 in Yemen. The
UN is presently conducting a
voluntary repatriation program by
land, air and sea, to the regions in
the north and south of Somalia
where a relative peace prevails. In
1995, sporadic fighting in the
northwestern region has led to a
repatriation operation from
Ethiopia being suspended.
With the improvement of the
situation in the region, the UN has begun the repatriation of refugees as a pilot program. Between February and March 1997, 2,600 Somali refugees were repatriated from Ethiopia. Negotiations are in progress
to repatriate another group of 8,450 Somalis from Libya.
Many Somalis have been coming to Scandanavia, Western Europe, and North America to settle
permanently. In North America, most settle in Toronto, Ottawa, Boston, and Minneapolis. Boston has an
estimated Somali population of 3,000. Our Somali students live in Roxbury/Jamaica Plain, and attend
English High School.
35
Tips for Tutors:
·
Somali is the main language spoken in Somalia.
·
Many Somalis have a knack for language. Some of them have oral and written knowledge of
Somali, Arabic, and English upon arrival to the U.S. Others, however, may have never learned to
write in ANY language.
·
Somali is a language very different from English. You might not have ever heard some of the sounds
that Somali uses.
·
The War in Somalia began in 1991. Yet some of our students came to the U.S. only this year. This
means that some of students may have been in refugee camps in Ethiopia or Kenya for ten years.
Some of the camps had less than adequate or no schooling. Ten years of interrupted schooling is
clearly an impediment to learning. Bear this in mind. If your student takes a long time to learn a
concept, DO NOT assume that they are “slow.” They may be simply re-adjusting to a learning
atmosphere.
·
The oral English skills of Somalis tend to develop more quickly than their written skills.
·
Many of our students are very devout Muslims--for example, one of our former tutees kept the
Ramadan fast even during track season. As Muslims pray 5 times a day at ordained times, you may
have to take a break from tutoring to allow your student the time to pray.
·
Many of our students will not want to have physical contact with members of the opposite sex.
(This includes handshakes!!!)
An aerial view of a refugee camp near the Somali border in Kenya.
36
37
RYTE ROLE-PLAY LESSONS
These lessons are based on mistakes that we have
noticed that tutors frequently make.
1.
DO
NOT BE LATE.
When you agree to tutor a student, you take on a special role in the student’s life that demands
responsibility of even the most irresponsible people. If you are late, it indicates that you do not care
about the relationship you are trying to build. It also sends the wrong message, and you might find your
student turning up late. Needless to say, showing up is the fundamental requirement of RYTE. If you
know you will not be able to attend a tutoring session, contact your student at least two days in advance
and a RYTE officer / day coordinator one day in advance. Reschedule with your student when
possible.
2. BE
CONSCIOUS OF PERSONAL CONTACT ISSUES.
Some cultures are very conscious of contact between opposite sexes, to the extent that offering your
hand to your student might be an inappropriate gesture (obviously, hugs and even more dramatic
greetings would also be inappropriate). It is always good policy to follow the lead of your student,
because as your relationship progresses, your student will become more comfortable with you, but in
general, do not assume anything about personal contact.
3.
DO
NOT RUSH INTO WORK WITHOUT SOME TIME FOR
INTRODUCTIONS , ETC .
Not only is it a good idea to get a little more comfortable with each other before beginning a lesson, to
ease whatever awkwardness there is at first, but an important part of the RYTE experience is sharing
yourselves-experiences, thoughts, and hopes-with each other and finding common ground. Helping our
students to assimilate into American culture, another goal of RYTE, can in part be met by informal
conversations about weekend activities and general chitchat.
4. PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT
BUT KEEP THE STUDENT ON
YOUR STUDENT WANTS TO ACCOMPLISH
TRACK.
RYTE exists to help refugee youth get the preparation they need and want to succeed. Part of your
challenge as a tutor will be deciding what your student needs and what he/she wants. Your student
might bring in some math homework and want to work on that; even if you have labored to create a
worksheet on grammar, you should respect the student’s choice. You are there for the student. On the
other hand, you might notice over the course of a few weeks studying for the SAT’s that your student
sorely needs help in verbal skills, but only wants to work on math, which she is already skilled in. You
38
have a responsibility to try and steer the course of study towards the verbal, if you can, and to explain
the importance of both areas to doing well. It is a fine line, but you will find it.
5.
DO
NOT BE TOO LAX WITH YOUR TIME.
Although RYTE students are highly motivated, they are teenagers nonetheless and sometimes require
you to be the motivator. Accordingly, if your student wants to get a drink of water or take a break, be
firm with returning promptly and diving back in. While you may want to incorporate games into your
lesson plan, you want your student to learn some concrete things each session.
6.
DO NOT
LOUDLY .
TALK TOO QUICKLY, TOO SLOWLY, TOO SOFTLY, OR TOO
You must strike the right balance. Speak too quickly or softly, and your student will miss what you are
saying (and may be too kind or shy to point it out); speak too slowly, and you may insult your student.
And speaking loudly does not help someone understand English better.
7.
REALIZE
THAT SMILING AND NODDING DOES NOT ALWAYS MEAN
UNDERSTANDING .
When tutoring a student, do not assume he/she understands because of nods and smiles: make your
student demonstrate understanding, either to you or someone else. Vietnamese students, especially, will
seem to understand when they are completely in the dark.
8.
LISTEN
ATTENTIVELY.
Tutoring is not all fun and not a breeze every session; there are times when you will be bored or tired,
but don’t let your student know that! Checking your watch constantly, rolling your eyes, and yawning
do not go unnoticed by your student.
9.
WHEN
TUTORING MORE THAN ONE STUDENT, BE CONSCIOUS OF
BOTH STUDENTS .
If you are lucky enough to have more than one student, let them know how lucky you are by paying
attention to both. If one is asleep, then you have done something wrong. Also, allowing them to work
together, or having one explain something to another, can sometimes be very valuable.
10.
DO
NOT NITPICK.
Inevitably there will be pronunciation and grammatical problems, especially with recent immigrants.
When a student is speaking or reading, do not stop and nitpick everything: it can be incredibly frustrating
and counterproductive. Instead, concentrate on solving specific problems. If you do want to work on
39
pronunciation, let your student read for five minutes uninterrupted and then correct problems.
11.
DO
NOT ASK INSENSITIVE QUESTIONS .
Many refugee youth have had traumatic life experiences that we must take seriously at all times. Do not
make light of their experience, ask insensitive questions about sensitive issues, or pry into family
situations. They will come out if and when your student wants them to, and in that case, you can be a
valuable friend and counselor. On the other hand, you want to show interest in your student’s
background, so by all means find out about their culture and life.
12.
JUST
BECAUSE YOUR STUDENT’S
ASSUME HE / SHE IS UNINTELLIGENT .
ENGLISH
IS BASIC, DO NOT
This is basically self-explanatory. These students are almost as old as you, they may have had
wonderful educations in their native countries, and in many cases it is only their English skills that are
deficient. Do not insult them!
13.
SMILE
A LOT AND BE ENCOURAGING.
Show enthusiasm for and satisfaction with your student’s progress, however little. It is important for
students of all ages to know that their teacher is happy with them, and they in turn will be spurred on.
14.
DO
NOT END ABRUPTLY.
Again, you have a responsibility to your student that does not end at the stroke of any hour. Staying
after a lesson, being available by phone, or meeting at other times when necessary all send the message
that you care about your student’s success.
40