As most of you may know (or maybe not) I tutor anatomy and physiology mt the college I attend. I really love what I do. I get to help students grasp concepts and information in a subject that I love yet, is quite a challenge.
This semester I have met a new challenge when it comes to tutoring. I have been seeing a lady almost 4 hours a week for tutoring. Her main set back- she is Russian. The language barrier is HUGE!. She speaks English quite well but with a heavy accent. The issue is not her intelligence, because believe me, she is really quite smart. The issue is that she cannot just pick up the book and read the words and understand that is being said. Hell, for many of the students that don't have a language issues, that is hard to do!It has made me realize how difficult our language is. It has really taught me to think about what I am saying and how I am saying it. I may need to define a word 3 or 4 different ways before she understands its meaning. She is a riot and has a great sense of humor. we kinds of joke about everything as we are going along w/ the session. She has also taught me to have a lot of patience and how to work with someone that English is a second language. Just because they can speak it does not mean they truly have an understanding.
1 comment:
I also worked as a tutor (in chemistry) six years ago. And boy, that job is definitely challenging! There are students who take forever to understand the concept. And there isn't even a language barrier to contend with. Good luck with yours! At least you're having fun doing it.
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