Help with Problem student!

jyap79 · Post by **jyap79** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 7:51 am

Hi, Im hoping someone can give me some tips on motivating a student that is really reluctant to be taught. I am currently working in a conversation club , tutoring mostly korean and Japanese students. I have been tutoring a certain individual for about two days. He is an absolute beginner, and is very reluctant to do any activities. On my first day of teaching him I was caught off guard because I was just thrown in with some textbooks and told to tutor him for two hours. I was fine with it until I found out that this person was very stubburn and did not want to do anything. He acts like he obviously does not want to be there, and does not want to learn the language. This person has been kicked out of group classes because he has been very disruptive in class. Can anyone give me tips on what kind of activities or lessons I can give him to motivate him to at least try. The first day was very akward because I did not know how to react, but on the second day (today) I've been very firm, telling him that if he does not do as I say I will keep him in class for a few more hours until he does it. I also borrowed a Korean-English dictionary so he can't use the same excuse that he used on me the first day, that he just does not know.
I have another 3 more two hour sessions with him, and need some ideas for activities or games so that these days don't seem like torture! This is an individual one on one session, so games involving numerous people is not really an option. Any help would be appreciated through here, or through my email: [email protected]

Thanks!
John.

Sally Olsen · Post by **Sally Olsen** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 11:49 pm

How about getting someone to translate and ask him questions so you know where the difficulties lie? I can't imagine that it will do him much good to be forced to learn if he has good reasons not to and will just make you frustrated. It shouldn't take long to find out what the problems are and if they can be solved. I wouldn't presume he is an absolute beginner though - other people have different ideas of what that is. He probably has had English in other situations and just doesn't want to learn or perhaps doesn't want to talk or show you what he knows. How old is he? You could tell him interesting stories about yourself illustrated with photos if you have them once you have established what the problem is.

Sally Olsen · Post by **Sally Olsen** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 11:52 pm

How about getting someone to translate and ask him questions so you know where the difficulties lie? I can't imagine that it will do him much good to be forced to learn if he has good reasons not to and will just make you frustrated. It shouldn't take long to find out what the problems are and if they can be solved. I wouldn't presume he is an absolute beginner though - other people have different ideas of what that is. He probably has had English in other situations and just doesn't want to learn or perhaps doesn't want to talk or show you what he knows. How old is he? You could tell him interesting stories about yourself illustrated with photos if you have them once you have established what the problem is and then get him to do the same - illustrating then writing the English for the stories.

serendipity · Post by **serendipity** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 10:11 am

How about turning the lesson into something of a competition?

Make a set of 20 photos showing animals, for example, and set the goal of memorizing the names of all of them by the end of the lesson. Put them on the table face down, and have him say the name whenever you turn them over, keeping track of expressions he gets wrong.

Let him guess beforehand how many he'll get right, and if he's better than expected, promise him an award. Expand the wordgame into definitions by using the nouns in sentence and/or short statements-

Let him pick 20 unknown or unfamiliar Korean expressions for you, and turn it into a competition.

Use the site http://www.edhelper.com/crossword.htm to turn the expressions learned on day one into a crossword.

Or use math-problems involving mental arithmetic for the same purpose -that's usually something that has a lot of prestige even with those who regard foreign languages as something not really worthwhile.

There's hardly a male student in the world, I believe, who can resist the challenge to compete and to show off his intelligence, especially when it comes from a woman...

dajiang · Post by **dajiang** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 1:02 pm

seems to me the poor kid really doesnt wanna learn english.
But, well he obviously doesnt have a choice.

How about taking him outside?
You said it was tutoring? So is that private then? Just the kid?
Take him out and do stuff outside, in English then.

More movies, music? oh, wait he's a total beginner...
What's his interest? computers?
Can you play a musical instrument? can you do some songs?

You've got some foreign buddies there eh, why not take him when you meet one of them. So he can see you're not just a teacher but a person as well that you can communicate with.

I do think a drastic approach is needed though. Don't set your aims too high, and screw the parents. Take his side if any.
Think about it, if you were forced to learn something that you just didn't want to, what would it take to convince you?

Regards and good luck,

Dajiang