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hilary · Joined: 19 Feb 2005 Posts: 246 Location: Kunming

A student of mine asked me the other day for ideas. She tutors a boy one-to-one .... sounds like a lonely kid with busy parents ... he hates English and just about the only thing he does like is drawing,

Has anybody got any suggestions? Games?

JDYoung · Joined: 21 Apr 2003 Posts: 157 Location: Dongbei

Maybe ask the kid for some help. Perhaps the tutor could tell the kid that some drawings are needed to help illustrate a point of English to another class. Can the kid help with drawing as the tutor is hopeless at it. (I know I am.) The kid learns the English point as he trys to come up with a drawing to illustrate it and the tutor gets valuable material for other classes. Win-Win.

Voldermort · Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Posts: 597

I really could use a set of flash cards illustrating famous places Laughing

voodikon · Joined: 23 Sep 2004 Posts: 1363 Location: chengdu

yeah, i think the key would be to de-emphasize english and emphasize what he likes--in this case, drawing. obviously he's going to be turned off if the core of the tutorial session is something he hates. so instead of english being the end, make it merely the means to an end (drawing).

cj750 · Joined: 27 Apr 2004 Posts: 3081 Location: Beijing

use a rewards programs..such as providing art supplies for behavior that is considered good English study habits...

englishgibson · Joined: 09 Mar 2005 Posts: 4345

I'd deffinitelly let the kid express himself by drawing (and let him use color pens).

Topics such as animals could help you. Get a cassette of "animal sounds" (if you don't have that try it yourself ...ha, ha, ha) and then let the kid be creative by drawing them. Finally, get him to write the words above each animal. In a case of the kid at higher level, you may think of the words of animals or better verbs (action) such as "jump", "climb", "fly", "run" etc and based on those verbs let the kid draw the animals associated with the verbs above. You can also write one big word on the board for example KITCHEN and let the kid draw anything that has to do with kitchen or is in the kitchen, and then let him name it in English.
You may want to use some drawings and ask the kid to describe them.

It would really be good, if you had the kid outdoors and not in the classroom or any closed room. The nature does help the kids to relax as well. Anyway, that is from my experience and I can't vouch it will work for you too.

Cheers and beers

hilary · Joined: 19 Feb 2005 Posts: 246 Location: Kunming

Many thanks for the helpful replies. I'll pass the ideas on.

jg · Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 1:45 pm Post subject:

hilary, please let us know how it works. I tutor two brothers, one of whom boycotted our last session because he is sick of English. His mom has given him a break for a few weeks but wants him to resume eventually, and I want to not have this kid sit and be miserable for two hours every week.

He is 13, about the age a bad experience with a certain subject could turn him off it for good, which would be a shame since I think he has a talent for expression in English. I wish I knew what to do to make the class better for him upon his return, but not lose his brother becaue the work has become too easy or something. So maybe I can draw some inspiration from you if you succeed.

Good luck to you!

stillnosheep · Joined: 01 Mar 2004 Posts: 2068 Location: eslcafe

Create a dynamic wherein the brother that enjoys English helps you teach the brother that doesn't Then 'reward' your 'co-teacher' with some intensive English teaching at the end of the class while th less enthusiastic brother gets on with something that he loves.