Carlton TP #12

Tutee session with TZ only, Friday April 4, 2:00-3:30 pm

We meet at the Duroc Science library. We begin to focus on specific pronunciation targets using the tools  I showed him before. The voiced and unvoiced "th" is  one. I have discovered a very good pronunciation series on a YouTube channel called EnglishMeeting. The teacher does meticulous breakdowns of specific problems and his demonstrations are very clear. I want to watch more of these myself because I think the modeling he does is great. These can also be watched with a mirror for practice.

After a short time, TZ begins talking about his level one classes and how frustrating it is for him because some students are never prepared and do not seem to care. He says the teacher is having to repeat too much and cannot finish the lesson. I try to divert his attitude to focus on his own work, regardless, and to concentrate on his every chance in class to demonstrate his own efforts. I tell him the teacher is showing him how to form good habits and modeling a process he should try to understand. I know from observations that teachers are also frustrated by some students attitudes, but that they can usually manage around them. There are cultural differences in expectations of behavior that cannot be resolved in one session, either. I try to empathize with him, and I don't think other students are being disruptive, but TG is very serious about his lessons and goals.

At the library there was a scientific computing student exposition and I picked up the booklet of project abstracts. We looked at this together (TG is very interested in Ph.D. statistics study) and I used one to practice a little academic reading and vocabulary meaning clues in the roots of large words like: visualization, stand-alone, application, execution, functionalities, hydro-dynamics, and scenarios. We also used a dictionary to find a few meanings. I encourage him to look for more low-key student events in any department he was interested in because many occur that are open to an audience.

I tell him our communication has improved a great deal (and it has) in the last few weeks. I think he should be practicing his speech and listening more around native speakers, and not only at CIES and just practicing alone at home. He is not feeling very confident about this, so I invite him to a science lecture on campus. Like the visit to TCC, he seems to negotiate listening and speaking better when he is interested and involved. We agree to meet later.

We did attend the lecture and have some conversation about it, but it was very difficult listening. He could follow the presentation slides, but admitted to finding the speaking very hard to understand. I said he should still try to take advantage of the many opportunities that FSU offers for him to listen and speak to more people. I ask him what sport he likes and he says badminton (?) and ping pong. I am not sure about the former, but I assure him there must be some ping pong tables on campus somewhere and I ask him to explore, ask questions, and find them. I think he could have a good opportunity for a pickup game and a chance to practice speaking in a safe and friendly environment. I explain this openness to play games or sports with strangers is very common in America, and I would be happy to play sometime also. 

Resource: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag4qoNzEH4w&list=PL0BCFCF3C52A241C7