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University of Waterloo

English Tutors

Training Manual

UWE T

Free English Tutoring Services:

An Introduction and Description of UW English Tutors

UW English Tutors Contact Information

Visit UW English Tutor’s website
http://www.weslts.hostiz.com

Email
uwenglishtutors@gmail.com
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ESL Program Information for New Tutors

UWET is part of UW Tutors, an official University club. UWET is
designed to provide one-on-one tutoring for students to practice
their English conversational skills.

Tutor Tips
• Meet on campus. Tim Horton’s, the great hall, and other
lounges on campus provide an excellent setting to meet with
your student. Also, only meet with the student you have
chosen to work with.
• Email Us. After your first session, email the coordinators
at uwenglishtutors@gmail.com to let us know how the session
went, and if you will continue to work with your student.

• Attend Regularly. Provide your student with at least 24

hours notice if you need to reschedule your session.
• Seek out answers. Remember that you are a volunteer and
not a paid professional. If you do not know the answer to a
question, consult one of the coordinators.
• Log your hours. Fill in the number of hours you have
volunteered for using the log sheet provided. Remember to
submit your log sheet when you have finished working with
your student, along with your feedback form.
• Fill out the Tutor Feedback Form. Make sure you to hand-in
this form at the end of them term for UWET’s development.

Lesson Plans (See Page 6 for resources)

It is not necessary to design lesson plans for your student.
However, you may wish to consult secondary resources for quick
and easy lesson plans that cover the specific areas your student
wants to focus on.
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Session Tips
• Prepare yourself. Bring paper and a pen to every session.
Make notes on their strengths and weaknesses so you know
what to focus on for the next session. Feel free to browse
the ESL sites we have listed on the last page to add
structure to some of your sessions.
• Listen. Focus on your own listening skills while they focus
on their speaking skills.
• Encourage your student. Giving your student confidence to
succeed is just as important as guiding them to the
knowledge they need to overcome their challenges.
• Ask for direction. Have the flexibility to focus your
sessions on exactly what your student wants to work on. By
tailoring the sessions to your students’ needs and goals,
you will create an efficient and engaging experience for
your student.
• Expand your sessions. If you are comfortable, feel free to
branch out into other areas of tutoring, such as helping to
improve the student’s grammar and writing skills.
• Maintain interest. Keep your student interested by using a
variety of materials in your lessons. Newspapers, magazines,
flyers, music, books, as well as other teaching aids can
add some more excitement to your sessions.
• Avoid slang. ESL students often find slang one of the more
difficult areas of learning English. Try to speak at a
regular pace and with clarity.
• Avoid coursework. Do not assist your student with their
coursework; this can lead to plagiarism.
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ESL Tutor Program Log Sheet

Please Print:

Tutor Name Student Name

Date (DD/MM/YY) Time Session Session Tutor Student

Began Length Initials Initials

Total Number of Total Number of

Hours: Sessions:
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Tutor Feedback Form

Would you recommend this program to other UW students that might
be interested in ESL tutoring? Why or why not?

How useful was this teaching experience for you?

a. Very useful 
b. Fairly useful 
c. Not at all useful 

Are there any events that you wish you could have seen organized?

What could the coordinators of the program have provided that

would have made your experience more effective?

What main areas of interest did your student have?

What was your favorite part of the program?

Did your sessions cover technical aspects of English grammar or

English writing?

Were there any concepts about tutoring ESL that you would have
liked to been familiar with before you started tutoring?

Did you experience any problems during your sessions?

Is there anything else you would like to tell us

(recommendations or comments)?
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English as a Second Language (ESL) Sites

The Internet is the fastest and most easily accessible resource

for ESL tutors. Below you will find a sample list of useful ESL
websites that you can use throughout the term.

The Internet TESL Journal: http://iteslj.org/

Search this site for articles, research papers, lesson plans,

classroom handouts, teaching ideas and links.

Dave’s ESL Café: http://www.eslcafe.com/

Stuff for teachers>Ideas Cookbook>Private Teaching

By navigating through “Stuff for Teachers” to the “Ideas

Cookbook”, you can scroll down to “Private Teaching” and find a
list of easy and creative lessons you can utilize as a tutor.
Some great activities include “DID I SAY THAT?” which allows the
student to practice their English vocabulary and correct their
own errors.

English Club.Com: http://www.englishclub.com/

Teachers Lounge>ESL Lesson Plans

Check out the “Teachers Lounge” on this site for ready-made

lesson plans that you can easily download and print. There are
activities and games, ESL worksheets, and authentic reading
material you can use with your student.

English Page.Com: http://www.englishpage.com/

Vocabulary>Humor

This site uses some advanced terminology, but proves useful if

you take the time to venture through some of the lessons. The
menu to the left of the home page offers lessons that help
students practice their vocabulary and grammar. Have a look at
Vocabulary>Humor for some easy lessons that both of you should
enjoy. Recommended Resources

Other Sources

www.breakingnewsenglish.com
owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts
http://www.esl-lounge.com/