Intro:

What if you could share the Gospel and foster international friendships from the comfort of your home in less than 30 minutes a week? English Conversation Helpers is a group dedicated to teaching the English language, as well as the Gospel, through the book of Mark.

We are excited that you are interested in becoming an English Conversation Helper and investing in the lives of international students. Now, more than ever, people around the world are seeing the need to learn English, not only for their own advancement but also for the advancement of the Gospel.

Zoom and WhatsApp are the main forms of communication that we will use. Both are free and will need to be downloaded to the device (cell phone, iPad or computer) that you will use prior to our future meetings.

Meetings with your student will be between 15-30 minutes of your time per week for the duration of the semester.

Conversation starters will be provided for you to use each week which will consist of paragraphs taken from their textbook, and new vocab words will be underlined.

You do NOT have to have experience as an English teacher to do this! Training will be provided.

Other Requirements:

– Meet with your student at least once a week.

– Read the text aloud to your student.

– Listen to the student read the material to you, correcting when necessary. You’re helping them practice speaking correctly.

-Ask your student a few of the comprehension questions provided.

– If you and your student want to talk about other things in remaining time, feel free!

– Some weeks, you will help your student develop a Gospel presentation using the 3 Circles. A short written text will be provided for you.

– No need to send a report on how your student is doing each week. You’re just there to help them practice.

The explicit purpose of this program is to practice English within the context of the material being studied. Please do not forward texts, personal photos or other information to your student’s phone or email during the course of the semester that is not related to studying English in this context. The conversation starters that are provided will always be related to the unit of study.

We will send you the name and contact information of the student with whom you will be working. Together, you and your student will determine the best day/time to meet. Following the orientation meeting, your student will make the initial contact. There is a time zone difference that you need to be aware of. For example, Brazil is 2-3 hours ahead of CST.

FAQ’S

What is English Conversation Helpers?
English conversation helpers is a group committed to helping international students learn to communicate in English, not just have an academic understanding of grammar and vocabulary. These students will develop the ability to communicate English, both written and in oral forms. This material can be used as a tool for sharing the gospel with others, whether in a transcultural ministry context or as a social ministry project through a local church.

What materials do you use to teach the students?English lessons for this program are from the book of Mark. The lessons were originally developed by the North American mission board to help immigrants from around the world adapt to using English as a means to communicate.

What if I’m not an English teacher?
The best part of this program is that anyone who is a native English speaker can participate as a teacher! No prior teaching experience is required.

What is the time commitment?
Each week, you will meet with your student for 30 minutes. Outside of that, there will be an orientation meeting prior to the beginning of the semester.

What does the learning process look like?
This model uses biblical narratives, primarily from the gospel of Mark, and dialogues to teach grammar and oral skills. The focus is on comprehension of the text through context, not through translation. Confidence is gained as the student has ample opportunity for repetition of sounds, words and sentences, practice with grammar, sequencing (telling the biblical narrative in their own words) and adaptation to real-life scenarios.

What level are the students at?
Groups can be composed of students at varying levels. Each unit in the text consists of three lessons, beginning with vocabulary and grammatical concepts at the beginner level in lesson one, moving towards an intermediate level of understanding and application (including conversation and writing) by lesson 3.