To Learn English, ESL Students Need Repetition

To Learn English, ESL Students Need Repetition
ESL Instructors, Tutors Must Beware of Onset of Tedium
© E.E. Mazier

Jul 6, 2009
Repetition is crucial for learning English, but ESL tutors and teachers must present topics in fresh ways to prevent boredom with the lessons.

A Suite101.com article titled ESL Classes as Healthy Outlets for Stress discussed the frustrations endured by immigrants from mistreatment by English speakers. There are other sources of frustration for non-English-speaking immigrants.

There is the frustration of finding suitable employment. In the course of her work with Literacy Volunteers in Mercer County (N.J.), Elizabeth Wilk interviews applicants for services. “Many cannot get jobs equivalent to anything that they had in their countries, especially the more professional applicants,” Wilk stated in a June 2009 telephone interview with this reporter for this article. “That is where the frustration really is. I’ve talked with so many people who were in the medical field in their countries and they’re landscapers or maintenance workers here in the U.S.,” Wilk said. She has been an ESOL tutor for nearly six years and a tutor trainer for three years.

For many immigrants, learning English is another source of great frustration.

Repetition Is Key for English Language Learners
The syntax, structure, and internal logic of English are very different from those of languages spoken by many immigrants. This makes it challenging for many ESL students to acquire basic English skills, let alone master the language.

“Repetition is crucial,” said Wilk, who emphasizes this point in her tutor-training sessions. She observed that, even if a student seems to understand a topic after several exposures to it, a few weeks or months later the tutor may find that the student’s grasp has slipped, particularly if he or she has not applied what was studied. In such a case, the tutor needs to re-introduce the topic.


Nonetheless, tutors must be careful to steer clear of the tedium that can result from repetition. “You don’t want to beat something to death, where you’re going to be more bored than your students,” Wilk stated. “The main thing is to watch the students, and if it seems that they’re getting too bored with a particular topic but you know that they need more practice, look for other ways to work with the same topic,” she advised.

Wilk suggested that tutors look for other resources, such as online or in books, to find alternative ways of approaching a topic. “That will keep the topic stimulating and fresh,” she stated.

Rewards of ESL Tutoring and Teaching
Sometimes, just changing one aspect helps a student understand the point of a lesson. This leads to a gratifying moment for the tutor or teacher, when, as described by Wilk, a student\'s “light bulb goes on, and the eyes are big and bright.”

What is even more rewarding for ESL tutors and teachers is when their students are able to take what has been learned and use it in a constructive manner. Wilk described how one of her learners has taken it upon himself to advocate for others in his Haitian community who have problems with their pay or hours. “My learner has actually gone into the workplaces with these friends and spoken on their behalf – I was so proud of him,” said Wilk.

But these rewards come only when ESL students and their tutors and teachers have invested the necessary time and effort in the lessons. The students must commit to staying on the long and bumpy road to mastering English. The tutors and teachers must be creative in devising ways to help their students achieve the small successes that keep their commitment alive.



Read more: http://esllanguageschools.suite101.com/article.cfm/to_learn_english_esl_students_need_repetition#ixzz0Mjt8MyM8