USU students tutor middle schoolers learning English as second language
Some students at Utah State University are going back to middle school.
But they only go one half-hour each week.
Dana Felsted, one such student, goes every week to Mt. Logan Middle School
She even attends as a college student.
Felsted is one of 20 USU students taking section two of a class on ethnic literacy as part of their training to be an English teacher.
This section of ethnic literacy is taught by Kathryn Fitzgerald, professor of English at USU.
The students they teach are a lot like they were when they were that age. They face a lot of the same problems and learn many of the same subjects.
But these students have one added struggle: They don’t speak English natively.
“The reason they go is to work with students who speak English as a second language (ESL),” Fitzgerald said.
According to Fitzgerald, this includes students from a variety of countries, like Spain, France, Iran, Ethiopia, Korea, Ecuador and the Navajo nation.
“They are working toward becoming equipped to deal with ethnic diversity in teaching by tutoring these students,” Fitzgerald said.
Each university student works with the same ESL student for a half hour every week, Felsted said.
Felsted is currently working with a student from Ecuador, and will soon make her third visit for the semester.
Activities with her student include object lessons to build English vocabulary and poetry reading to build pronunciation.
For example, to help her student learn the word “adaptation,” Felsted said she cut out pictures of animals to go with their habitats.
In addition, in order to develop polished pronunciation, Felsted said her student will read from Shel Silverstein books.
Felsted’s student also reads from National Geographic for variety.
“It’s been an interesting experience for me,” Felsted said. “Most people don’t understand what ESL students go through. Most ESL students go through a silent period where they have to deal with their emotional and cultural obstacles before overcoming academic challenges.”
Fitzgerald said her students are responsible for coming up with some tools and materials necessary to effectively tutor their assigned ESL students.
“There’s no limit,” Felsted said. “Each half-hour visit, we can tutor however we want with them.”
Felsted said her student is fun and easy to work with, because the student isn’t shy, actively participates and openly talks with Felsted.
Fitzgerald said, “I’m really excited about this opportunity. My students can learn a lot about how to support students learning English and how to make them successful students.”
“That’s the idea,” she said. “Success.”