Below is a list of tips that can help you be an effective mentor! Remember that learning English is a process, and it's very important to make sure that you are patient and understanding with your mentee. Mentoring is about being their friend and guiding them down the path to learning!
Those learning English will better associate words with pictures. Watch a movie, video, or even just show pictures to help build that association!
Some easy things to watch include:
-Youtube Videos (with subtitles on if possible!)
-Children shows (lots of children shows are available on Youtube in different languages!)
Music transcends language. Find a song both you and your mentee enjoy, it will be easy for them to memorize lyrics, and eventually associate meaning with those words.
Apps such as Duolingo, Rosetta Stone, and Drops require students to work for just a few minutes per day. The extra practice can help them learn additional vocabulary, as well as key phrases in English. These apps are available for download in almost all app stores.
Games can be a fun way to practice English. Gather a group of English Learners and motivate them to speak English via a game such as Scrabble or Life! Online or video games are also a fun and easy way to get your mentee interacting with you in English. Listed under the "languages" tab are a few games you can play on Quizlet and other sources!
Social media can be a great place for English learners to start. Encourage your mentee to interact with other English speakers on social media such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. They will be able to see how sentence structures should be formed in English as well as have fun posting in English themselves.
Arguably one of the hardest parts of a language to learn is slang. Teaching your mentee popular phrases can help them feel more comfortable with other people speaking slang!
In every language, there are phrases used more often than others. Put your mentee’s speaking skills to the test, and allow them to practice and learn phrases they will commonly use.