• Make the environment as stress-free as possible.
  • Consider how the noise and lighting in the area could affect the learner.
• Show genuine interest in the learner. This will make her more comfortable.
• Encourage the learner to take risks practicing her English.
• Allow your learners to make errors without correction - communication is the goal not perfection.
• Let your learner know that making mistakes is a natural part of learning a language; she should not feel embarrassed about errors!
• Reinforce learner progress.
• Let learners feel their culture is valued; have them bring cultural artifacts to the session.
• Be flexible and change your lesson plan whenever necessary.
• Respond to questions that the learner asks and, whenever necessary, adapt lesson plans to reinforce the answers to their questions.
• SMILE! It may seem silly, but smiling can put a learner at ease and help him perform better.

F: Tips for Aboriginal Learners *

In Session 1, we talked about some of the difficulties Aboriginal learners might face while in school. As a tutor, you want to ensure that your learner's experience is a positive one. Consider using some of the suggestions below.

• Honour the feelings your learner might have and be empathetic.
• Get to know your learner as a person; establish a trusting relationship. This is turn, will help promote a relaxed and safe environment for the learner.
• Understand that learners may initially be reluctant to ask for help.
• Use materials that are culturally and personally relevant to the learner.
• Assist learners in connecting new material to their own experiences.

⁴ Virginia Sauvé, Voices and Visions: An Introduction to Teaching ESL (Don Mills, Ontario: Oxford University Press Canada, 2000), p.12. By permission of Oxford University Press Canada.
* Many of these suggestions will work well for other learners.