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Test Preparation (CELPIP, IELTS, TOEFL): ESL Classes 

Homework Assignment: Before Each Class

Mature students occasionally request help with test preparation. Homework here will typically be in the form of readings relating to the specific test as well as exercises that can further help support development in speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. 

 

Before a typical class starts, I will generally email or provide through Google Docs, homework that I'd like a student to attempt. Ideally, everything is assigned and agreed upon at the end of the previous class, but sometimes I don't have the homework I want to assign until after the class has finished. I try to assign about 3 hours of homework for a student to complete between classes. This can be readings, writing work, or simply something they can listen to through YouTube throughout the course of the week. 

Class Preparation (Student's Work)

Before a class, I will review any homework that the student has completed or posted in our shared Google Doc. I plan classes around the problems and challenges I see in the student's homework.

The Class

During a tutoring session, I try to do several things:

  • Review the homework that I assigned and analyze what was done, what wasn't, and how useful it was in general to the student. 

  • Continue with the learning plan we agreed on for the day

  • Spend time providing new links/readings (if I have them immediately available, otherwise I'll email them later) and explain to the student how to complete them. Discuss whether the additional homework provides value to them and whether they want to take it on. The goal is to provide extra work for them to practice, but it should be work that they are interested in, makes sense to them, and are willing to do. Custom classes follow a student's specific needs and build on skills they want to work on. 

After the Class

A payment should be made after the class, ideally within 24 hours (at latest, before the subsequent class begins). I email students resources/readings/new homework for the next class, as soon as I have something ready for them to review (ideally within a day, but this could take longer depending on my own schedule). Once I've sent them their homework and completed my preparation time, I let the student know that I'm ready to book the next class, and once the student has finished their homework, we arrange the next date and time for a meeting. 

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