Julia TS #3- (Berkay)

Julia TS #3 (Berkay) 

Date/Time: Tuesday, February 3rd, 2026, 5-6 pm 


Location: Student Union 


Topic/Skill: TOEFL Speaking and Listening/Comprehension of lectures and campus conversation, and the ability to organize thoughts quickly, with structured reasoning.


Feedback Provided to the Tutee:  I first conducted a needs assessment diagnostic with Berkay, as this was our first session together. Berkay wanted to focus on TOEFL speaking and listening. I first used an official TOEFL practice exam to practice listening. Our first activity was a listen-and-choose response activity. In this activity, I read a sentence aloud, and Berkay had to choose the correct answer from 4 multiple-choice options. We then practiced conversations. I read a conversation between a woman and a man aloud, and then Berkay answered two questions based on it. We then did a similar exercise but with an academic announcement. I used scaffolding, starting with a more controlled, easier exercise and gradually increasing the intensity as the session went on. When he made an error in the listening exercises, I would call it to his attention, give him a chance to realize his mistake on his own, and then tell him what he had done wrong. We ended the session with corrections and a review of what we had completed and what I planned for our next session. 


Lesson(s) About Tutoring and/or the Tutee: I learned how tedious error correction is, and how to tread the line between correcting errors and not discouraging your student. Starting out, it can feel very awkward interrupting your student as they are speaking to correct their errors, and I learned the importance of establishing this boundary at the beginning of your session and asking your tutee how they want you to correct them when they are speaking.


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