FSU TEFL 120 2026_1

Julia TS #19 (Wei)  Date/Time: Thursday, July 30th, 7:00 PM Location: Virtual (Zoom) Topic/Skill: Hometown/Daily Routine, linking words Feedback Provided to the Tutee: In this session, we began with drills that mimic the IELTS speaking Part I questions, such as • "Where is your hometown?" • "What do you like about it?" • "Do you work or study?" • "What's your daily routine like?" I then re-asked Wei 2 of the same questions and had her answer again, focusing on speaking without stopping to self-correct. We timed each answer and got her answers down to the allotted 20-30 seconds per response. We recorded the answers, played them back, and listened together. I had Wei identify one filler-word habit or repetition pattern to work on. In the second part of IELTS speaking, you are given a cue card and have 1 minute to prep before you talk for 1-2 minutes. We came up with this action plan for that one minute. 0–15 seconds: Pick a real, specific memo...

Julia TS #17 and #18(Wei)  Date/Time: Sunday, July 26, 3-5 pm Location: Virtual (Zoom) Topic/Skill: Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical range and accuracy, pronunciation, ability to comprehend main ideas, extract factual details, understand speaker opinions and attitudes, follow the development of arguments, Speaking/Listening Feedback Provided to the Tutee: Feedback provided (Speaking), focused on reducing filler words and unnatural pauses, use of coordinating conjunctions (in listen and repeat exercise), and reducing excessive self-correction in the middle of the sentence. Wei mentioned she struggles with the "TH" and "S" sounds, not necessarily in making that sound but differentiating when listening to conversational speech. We practiced words that have the "S" sound and the correct pronunciation, "using" instead of "uthing". I also noticed she was struggling with dollar amounts and times, and we practiced different...

Julia TS #16 (Wei)  Date/Time: Saturday, July 25, 4-5 pm   Location: Virtual (Zoom) Topic/Skill: Everyday campus life or community scenarios/ Phonetic accuracy, intelligibility, and natural rhythm. Feedback Provided to the Tutee: In this session, Wei and I familiarized ourselves with the structure of the TOEFL Speaking format sections: Listen & Repeat and Simulated Interview. For the Listen & Repeat section, we worked on shadowing short clips online and chunking each sentence into logical parts. We also practiced note-taking and using short symbols to remember the sentences. Lesson(s) About Tutoring and/or the Tutee You Learned: I learned that the TOEFL exam has completely restructured and that the Listen and Repeat section (while intuitive to native speakers) is incredibly difficult for second language learners, because the sounds of each word blend together and it takes perfect accuracy to achieve a 5. However, I also learned more about the structure, and that each...

Julia TS #15 (Wei)  Date/Time: Friday, July 17, 4–5 pm  Location: Student Union  Topic/Skill: American-style job interview/ the ability to engage and communicate in a 1-on-1 interview and tell stories that showcase your abilities and skills.  Feedback Provided to the Tutee: We continued practicing for Wei’s upcoming job interview, and continued practicing using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to mentally organize responses, and practiced and recorded Wei’s responses to questions like  Tell me a little about yourself.  What are your strengths?  What are your weaknesses?  We wrote out her responses to these questions and rehearsed her answers. We used recordings and listened for pacing, filler words, and clarity.  Lesson(s) About Tutoring and/or the Tutee You Learned: In this session, I learned the importance of recording responses to target awkward phrasing or pacing and specific sentences that don’t sound good. I also became...

  Julia TS #14 (Wei)  Date/Time: Wednesday, July 15, 2026, 4-5 pm  Location: Student Union  Topic/Skill: American-style job interview/ Communication in Professional Settings Feedback Provided to the Tutee: During the session, Wei and I reviewed common interview questions, and I provided sample answers, which we read and discussed together. After discussing the questions and analyzing my sample response, we worked through her responses to common interview questions together. After the session, I instructed Wei to review the questions and her answers that we had brainstormed in preparation for the sample interviews we would conduct in our next session. I instructed Wei to use the STAR method that we had reviewed during our sessions. Wei and I both decided to watch the movie “Clueless” after our session so we could begin our next session with a discussion about it.  Lesson(s) About Tutoring and/or the Tutee You Learned: In this session, I learned the importance of ...

Julia TS #13 (Wei)  Date/Time: Thursday, July 9, 2026, 1- 2 pm  Location: Virtual (Zoom) Topic/Skill: Diagnostic/Evaluation of Skills and Prioritization of Goals Feedback Provided to the Tutee: Since this was Wei and my first meeting, we discussed her motivations and goals for learning English, as well as the areas of English she wanted to focus on. Aside from discussing her strengths, weaknesses, and areas she wanted to focus on, I didn’t provide any further feedback at this time.  Lesson(s) About Tutoring and/or the Tutee You Learned: I learned to ask my tutee the right questions during our first meeting to determine Wei’s motivations for learning English and to tailor my lessons and our focus each session accordingly. For example, Wei told me she is mostly interested in improving her speaking and writing skills and wants to focus on formal business English and speaking in specific work environments, as her ultimate goal is to get a university job teaching Chinese....