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<DIV>Hi all,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>So I have an opportunity to tutor ESL speaking skills at a nonprofit called
Homestretch.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I really want to help people improve their english skills, but am not sure
I can do it with the language barrier. I know I rely on oral communication a lot
in the absence of seeing all body gestures. I’m concerned the lack of
understanding them will hinder our progress unless we can find ways to
communicate such as more hand over hand and them pointing to labeled pictures I
might make up.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Here is the little I know. The clients know English. Their needs are in
improving vocabulary in sentences, improving pronounciation skills, and other
communication tasks.</DIV>
<DIV>I’d tutor for at least an hour per week if I go forward. I’m going to learn
more when I do an orientation with the volunteer coordinator.</DIV>
<DIV>I told the coordinator about my low vision and she has not really said
anything about it but treated me like a regular volunteer. She just told me
their needs and requested a time to do my orientation.</DIV>
<DIV>I’m sure I can ask about any curriculum matterials they have in that
meeting and hopefully figure out my accomodations. I’m fairly sure one
accomodation will be bringing my laptop equipped with jaws</DIV>
<DIV>to do some activities. I might be able to use their cds for listening
exercises if they have the teaching cds I need. I know that when learning
spanish in high school, we had many listening exercises on cd so I’m sure their
some for teaching english.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>So, have any of you taught ESL with emphasis on oral communication?</DIV>
<DIV>If so, what adaptations did you make?</DIV>
<DIV>Did you have any accessible teaching resources?</DIV>
<DIV>I know if I use cds for listening exercises or computer streaming audio,
this should be accessible as its purely auditorily.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Thanks.</DIV>
<DIV>Ashley</DIV></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>