Because Hyun-Chu's needs are predominantly academic, the checklists were used only to a limited degree.

As a tutor, you may find that the checklists do not suit the individual needs of your learner. You and your learner may have to build a more individualized checklist or use another way to document the short-term and long- term goals of your learner.

Regardless of the format used, it is important that the goals that are defined are learner-centred. When learners take an active role in goal setting, they are likely to take responsibility for their learning and remain motivated throughout the lessons.

Introduction to Carine

After meeting Carine and doing a needs and skills assessment, the tutor learned the following information about her:

Carine is a 33-year old originally from France but has lived primarily in Egypt since she was a teenager. She met her husband 8 years ago; they married soon after the initial meeting, and they now have 2 young children. Two months ago they left Egypt and moved to Canada, her husband's native country. As he is bilingual, they generally speak French at home. She wants to take English classes and ultimately resume her career as a nurse, but will wait until her children, who are now 2 ½ and 3½, start school.

For now, she is enrolled in the tutor program and wants to meet once a week. She is interested in learning a variety of different things. Her husband is able to help her quite a bit, but she knows that once her children start school she will be the one who attends parent-teacher interviews because his work schedule is chaotic and he is often on call. She would also like to be able to read stories in both English and French to her children. She plans on sending them to an English-speaking school since they live in a small city.

Since her long-term goal will take some time to accomplish, she wants to concentrate on smaller goals right now. She knows her vocabulary is limited and wants to work on learning the names for the things that she uses everyday, such as appliances or things around the house that she may need to purchase or have repaired. She wants to spend one lesson reviewing money. She knows numbers but is unfamiliar with some of the words storekeepers have said to her when she pays for her groceries. She cannot remember what these words were, but will try to write them down next time she hears them and bring them to a future session.