I observed one on one sessions in the TRU L&C program. Each one on one session was 15 minutes in length and focused on pronunciation. In a one on one session block, the instructor is able to work with 4 students. This was a unique opportunity to afford student personalized time with the instructor, as it is hard in a large class setting to devote a block of time to work with just one student.
In my four student observations, I was able to experience one on one sessions with beginner and intermediate English language learners. I particularly appreciate watching the beginner language one on one sessions. I have more experience working with students who range in the intermediate to advanced level, this is why I found the beginner language student’s session to be so valuable for my learning. I valued watching the instructor guide for the students to practice the phonetics of a word.
Pronunciation is an important skill for students to develop as they move towards language proficiency. It was interesting to watch the instructor troubleshoot sounds with the student. This highlighted the importance of learning how the mouth produces the sound. For example, to make the T sound, your tongue must stop the flow of air at the front of your mouth. The tip of your tongue pressed against the back of your top teeth. The air released makes the T sound. As I work more with instructing pronunciation it will be important for me to have clear and easily understood directions for producing sounds.