ESL Tutor (refugee children)
LOCATION
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
Fingerprint/background clearance is required.A valid fingerprint clearance card is required. You can get the clearance card for a tutor or a teacher. The cost is $65, but once you are approved to intern with us, we will be able to reimburse you for the expense. Keep your receipts. The process can take up to two months, so if you decide you would like to work with us, please start the process as soon as you can. You would be able to perform other administrative duties or tutoring while you are waiting for the clearance card.
SCHEDULE OPTIONS
Semester availability
FallSpring
Summer
Service hours
MorningAfternoon
Evening
Weekend
Available days/hours
The student intern will create a schedule with the child's family for tutoring and will meet at the family's home. The student intern will be responsible for her or his own time management and required to report to the Volunteer Coordinator and the Child Services Specialist regularly through email, phone and weekly in-person meetings.
REQUIRED/DESIRED SKILLS
- Strong desire to work with children and interest and understanding for the refugee experience
- Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing
- Relatability to children and families from other cultures
- Ability to teach language in fun and interactive ways to improve retention
- Cultural sensitivity and compassion for refugee families
- Ability to be flexible to accommodate the needs of the child learner
- Fluency in Enlglish
CATEGORIES
EducationEnglish as a Second Language
Mentoring
Refugees
Social Services
Special Education
Youth (direct interaction)
Youth I: less than 5 years
Youth II: 5-11 years (K-6th grades)
Youth III: 11-14 years (6th-9th grades)
COMMUNITY PARTNER
Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest Refugee & Immigration Services
ABOUT THE INTERNSHIP
Duties
The ESL Tutor for Children will work with individual families to assist children in learning English. The tutor will:
- Meet with the children in their home or community room with supervision by the parent(s).
- Assist children with homework and English conversation practice
- Practice English through games, flash cards, watching movies and television in English as well as reading books and writing
- Design a simple assessment to be given at the begenning, middle and end of service
- Monitor and keep record of progress made
Population served
Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest Refugee and Immigration Services provides resettlement services to clients from countries that include: Iraq, Iran, Bhutan, Burma, Congo, Eritrea, Somalia, Cuba and more. LSS-SW Refguee and Immigration Services serves approximately 600 newly arrived refugees each year. The student intern will likely work with some or all of these ethnic groups.
Community need/impact
School-age children who are new to the United States struggle tremendously to learn English and adjust to the differences of going to a foreign school. Because the majority of refugee parents come to the United States without English language skills or similar education backgrounds, they are unable to assist their children with developing language skills and completing homework.
Refugee children need additional assistance with learning in order to succeed. Especially during school breaks, children need to be reminded of what they have learned so they don't lose their knowledge. Many children prove to be fast language learners, especially compared to adults, and need English speakers to practice conversation skills.
Children will have direct contact with an English speaker who can provide practice with conversational English and assistance with homework. The child will have language instruction to help to sustain her or his knowledge. Children who have the assistance of a tutor will have better rention and improved language capability that will benefit them as students and as people in their families and communities.
