Tutor profile: Dorina M.

What are some of the challenges in academic writing for ESL students?

The ability to put thoughts into writing for the ESL student is more than just a matter of poor English skills. As students begin to develop language, writing is most often the last skill During the initial stages of the writing development, There are several factors in addition to While it is an important factor, but a lack of language competency. Often times language is taught

What reading strategy is essential for making study time more productive for ESL students?

Receiving and processing information from a textbook for application can be extremely challenging especially for the language learner if they lack a clear procedure for how to approach and analyze the text. Teaching students the importance of first looking over a chapter to assess the overall idea and then taking note of the titles and subtitles to see what they reveal about the chapter helps students determine a purpose for reading. Additionally, students should learn how to read a chapter section by section and paragraph by paragraph making notes in the margins such as brief summaries, illustrations or charts. Students will also benefit from learning how to highlight and recite aloud key information. Finally, once the student understands how to go through a chapter, they should then review the entire chapter.

What are some prominent factors that influence second language acquisition?

While diligence and persistence enable some language learners to progress much quicker than others, successful language acquisition is generally influenced by the interplay between external and internal factors. The rate and pace at which a student is able to assimilate a new language often depends on factors that are both part of the individual and those that categorize the learning circumstance. Personal experiences, age, cognition are among the internal factors that students bring with them. External factors may include the type of instruction provided, opportunities to share in meaningful interaction with native speakers in different settings and curriculum.