Tutors In Touch

The e-Newsletter for Keeping Tutors in Touch

April 2018

Join Us This Thursday!

Roundtable Tutors

Discussion Group

Any interested tutor is welcome to join us for an enjoyable morning discussion to compare notes and learn from each other.

Light refreshments will be served.

* * *

Thursday, April 19th

11am - 12:30pm

New City Library

RSVP Judy @ 845-708-9072 or by reply email to this newsletter.

Coming in JUNE

2nd Annual

"Tutor Topics & Tapas"

Revised Date:

Tuesday, June 5th

11am - 12:30pm

@ New City Library

We had such a great response to last year's "Tutor Topics & Tapas" session that we have decided to make it an annual event. Come "Meet & Greet" other tutors while enjoying a presentation by our educational specialist, Judith Levine.

Refreshments will be served.

* * *

RSVP Judy @ 845-708-9072

or reply to judyl.litsol@gmail.com

LSNY TUTORS START CONVERSATION GROUPS

Recently, we have received requests from tutors wishing to start conversation groups as a means of providing more conversational opportunities for students to practice their English speaking skills.

Below please find the library locations where Literacy Solutions tutors are conducting conversation groups:

New City Library - daytime

Monday @ 10am

Tutor: Paul F

Nyack Library - evening

Tuesday @ 6:30pm - 8:30pm

Tutors: Jane L and Miguel G

Suffern Library - daytime

Thursday @ 11am (pending)

Tutor: Yak S and a group of LSNY tutors

Nyack Library - daytime

Tutor: Billie B

Coming soon.

Haverstraw Kings Daughters Library - evening

Tutors: Juli M & Tim M

Coming soon.

If any tutor or library is interested in forming a group, please contact Christina at the tutor program office.

christina.mandara.litsol@gmail.com

Teaching English to Chinese Speakers - My First Experience

by Yak Saturen

Pictured above is tutor,Yak Saturen (center),with students, Gao (left) and Yun Yu (right) at the Suffern Library.

When I was first assigned a student as a new volunteer in the Literacy Solutions program, I was interested to learn that my student was a retired Chinese Medical Doctor. I thought it would be a rewarding experience, having been trained in the biological sciences myself. Nevertheless, I found myself barely able to navigate the process of teaching Beginning English to a person equipped with a truly non-western language tool-kit. He used no alphabet. He used pictograms. He made no gender distinction. He used no article or pronouns.

On the other hand, he appeared a very conscientious, hard worker and was a very meticulous note-taker. I decided if he was willing to be this diligent in his approach to learning English, I would be willing to be as committed. We began using an assortment of Beginner Picture-Reading exercises and the Oxford Picture Dictionary that was available at the New City tutor office.

I soon took on a 2nd Chinese speaker, a 34 year old businessman with an Information Technology (IT) background. I used to meet one after the other, but It soon became clear that we worked best together as a group of three. I decided to expand on this idea to include other tutors and their students.

So, in the coming weeks, Literacy Solutions will be reaching out to all Suffern area tutors interested in meeting with me and their students for a monthly conversation group on a Thursday morning.

Needless to say, this is a work in progress and I am truly enjoying the challenge and ultimate satisfaction. I know both of my students are ultimately looking forward to becoming American Citizens as a useful goal, as well.

Literacy Solutions NY, Inc.

Tutor Office @ The New City Library

(Pass front desk to the right & downstairs)

220 North Main Street, New City, NY 10956

845-708-9072

www.literacysolutionsny.org