FSU TEFL 120 2026_1

J ulia TS #20 (Wei)  Date/Time: Friday, July 31st, 7:00 PM Location: Virtual (Zoom) Topic/Skill: IELTS Speaking, Fluency & Coherence, Vocabulary, Grammatical Range & Accuracy, and Pronunciation. Feedback Provided to the Tutee: In this session, Wei and I simulated the IELTS speaking sections in 3 parts under timed conditions. Feedback included using the 1-minute prep time to come up with When, Where, Why it's important; using fewer "umm"; pacing answer responses; and staying under the time constraints of the questions. We drilled patterns in the IELTS exam and practiced talking points for many of the common IELTS exam questions, such as: Are you a student or do you work?  What is your place of work like? Do you have a lot of free time? Is there a free-time activity you would like to try in the future? Describe a special event or festival that you liked Where is your hometown? • "What do you like about it?" Why do you think celebrations are important in so...

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....

Julia TS #12 (Berkay)  Date/Time: Thursday, March 12th, 2026, 5-6 pm  Location: Virtual (Zoom)  Topic/Skill: Social Media Influencers and Consumer Behavior/Writing Feedback Provided to the Tutee: In this session, Berkay received his TOEFL scores and was surprised by his low writing score, as he thought this would be his highest section. Therefore, we broke down the writing section into sections, identified the section Berkay had the most trouble with, and I chose several example questions in a similar format for us to work through. We focused on breaking down what the question is asking and using answer stems like “While I agree with ___’s opinion that _____, I think ______” when comparing opposing points of view or stating your opinion.  Lesson(s) About Tutoring and/or the Tutee: I learned the importance of conducting your own diagnostics, as students don’t always know their true strengths and weaknesses. I was also reminded of the importance of conducting comprehen...

  Julia TS #11 (Berkay)  Date/Time: Wednesday, February 25th, 2026, 5-6 pm  Location: Virtual (Zoom)  Topic/Skill: American Shopping Habits/Speaking Feedback Provided to the Tutee: In this session, we worked on another TOEFL speaking interview question. This one was about shopping habits. As a warm-up, we talked about our shopping habits and the shops we frequent, where we get most of our things, etc. I then asked him the interview questions like a mock interview, recording and transcribing his answers. For feedback, we compared his answers to sample answers and identified areas where we can strengthen his answers and how he can use phrases the interviewer uses, like “in your opinion,” to anchor and begin his response.  Lesson(s) About Tutoring and/or the Tutee: I learned how difficult interview questions are when the tutee isn’t given some form of support, like an accompanying passage or listening material. This requires students to find the words themselves an...

  Julia TS #10 (Berkay)  Date/Time: Monday, February 23rd, 2026, 5-6 pm  Location: Virtual (Zoom)  Topic/Skill: Geology Class Group Working/Speaking Feedback Provided to the Tutee: In this session, Berkay worked through an integrated speaking question from the TOEFL exam, where you read a passage, listen to a conversation, and then answer a verbal prompt. I gave Berkay feedback on how we can take notes while listening to the conversation and make connections to the written passage. We also discussed how the sample answer organized its response and simpler methods for structuring his response.  Lesson(s) About Tutoring and/or the Tutee: I learned how important active listening strategies are not only for success on the TOEFL exam but for understanding in general. I also learned how hard it is to critique, score, and give feedback on spoken diagnostics, which underscored the importance of using a rubric when judging student samples and that it is especially useful...

  Julia TS #9 (Berkay) Date/Time: Monday February 16th, 2026 5-6 pm  Location: Virtual (Zoom)  Topic/Skill: Academic Interview-Style on Productivity / Speaking Feedback Provided to the Tutee: During the session, Berkay and I worked on a TOEFL speaking prompt and first dissected it for what it was asking. Once we discussed the topic and I ensured that Berkay understood the prompt's subject, I recorded him speaking for the allotted time. We then listened back to the recording to analyze it for pacing, filler words, and any awkward phrasing.  Lesson(s) About Tutoring and/or the Tutee: I realized how important but difficult adequate error correction is. While it is necessary to motivate students to prioritize substance over form, I felt uncomfortable pointing out grammatical errors as Berkay was speaking, especially for a test that scrutinizes all errors. I am learning more about the balance between creating an encouraging environment and correcting errors and doing my j...

  Julia TS #8 (Sofia)  Date/Time: Wednesday, February 11th, 2026 4-5 pm  Location: Virtual (Zoom)  Topic/Skill: Emailing a Professor / Writing Feedback Provided to the Tutee: In this session, I provided Sofia with a TOEFL-style writing question, in which she has to read specific instructions and send her professor an email based on the scenario given. We then went over a sample answer and analyzed what they did that made the response so high-scoring. I then told her to use the notes we created about the sample high-scoring response and apply them to another TOEFL-style email question. I encouraged her to use specific phrases for clarity and politeness, and we worked on the passive voice with phrases like “I am writing because…” or “I was wondering if it was possible,” and on knowing when to use each one.  Lesson(s) About Tutoring and/or the Tutee: I was once again reminded of the subtle differences that the phrasing of a couple of words can make in the meaning o...

  Julia TS #7 (Berkay) Date/Time: Wednesday February 11th, 2026 5-6 pm  Location: Virtual (Zoom)  Topic/Skill: American Poet Sylvia Plath/Intensive Listening Feedback Provided to the Tutee: I provided Berkay with a mental schema for the audio we were about to listen to. He then engaged in a level-appropriate intensive listening activity about American poet Sylvia Plath and her life and work. For more linguistic work, we reviewed the questions that would be asked when the audio was finished, and Berkay was allowed to take notes as the audio played. We listened to the audio in full, and then I showed Berkay the questions, and we talked through them. I provided a transcript of the audio we would go through, based on the questions he didn’t know or got wrong. At the end of the session, we debriefed the passage and went over anything he didn’t understand.  Lesson(s) About Tutoring and/or the Tutee: I learned the importance of scaffolding and linguistic support. Berkay had...

  Julia TS #6 (Sofia)  Date/Time: Wednesday, February 11th, 2026, 4-5 pm  Location: Virtual (Zoom)  Topic/Skill: The evolution of language/ Intensive Reading  Feedback Provided to the Tutee: In this session, I provided Sofia with a TOEFL passage about the evolution of modern language and grammar. I chose this passage and its difficulty level to be an intensive read for Sofia, and I conducted comprehension checks after each paragraph that she had read. Then, together, we answered the questions, specifically referencing the passage for any she didn’t understand or answered incorrectly.  Lesson(s) About Tutoring and/or the Tutee: I continue to learn more about the TOEFL exam format and realize it might have been more beneficial to start by providing Sofia with a mental schema about the topic to make it less intimidating to dive in and read. I also think it would be a helpful habit to practice reading the questions before the passage to understand what she is l...