Allyce-TP1

                Monday I met with my first Conversation partner and was very nervous. It wasn't like the conversation partner where I knew we could just talk and learn about each other as a person, but with the tutoring partner I was for the first time taking on the role as official teacher. I occasionally tutored people in the past but I was in middle school then and my tutees were in elementary school thereby creating a built in age gap where I was viewed as the "leader." However, several of the students at CIES are around my age which creates a different dynamic. I am not the old and wise teacher but instead a peer. Luckily, my tutee was ready to study!

                Ahmad and I briefly exchanged some questions such as where are you from? What languages do you know? Do you like it here? but the conversation quickly turned to simple past tense. The whole experience was a bit challenging. My student is in Foundations for the second time and only knows basic English. Although he has been here for 6 months he says he typically speaks only Arabic. One question he kept asking was how to spell words and why they were spelled that way. For example he wanted understand how to spell  "know" versus "no," and why the K was silent. I didn't have an answer for him except that one simply had to memorize the irregular words, and as he pointed out, there are quite a few in English. I was trying to figure out patterns as recommended by our class textbook but in some cases I simply could not find one. there wasn't always one uniform way to conjugate a verb in past tense and this was an issue, how does one explain grammar?

                Overall, the hour passed by quickly as we both struggled to understand each other through wild hand gestures and overt facial expressions, I'm sure I looked ridiculous but in some cases it was the only way I could make myself understood. I could also tell that my tutee was getting frustrated, when I tried to explain something to him he would exclaim "I know" in an irritated voice and then repeat the mistake again. However, I am not discouraged, this was a great learning opportunity and it revealed some personal weaknesses  which  were unbeknownst to me. Next time will be much better, that is if I can get my student to meet with me. "Next Monday at 3:00 again?" I asked "Oh maybe if I need the practice," he replied "I'll text you..." Either way, I will try again for next Monday at 3:00!