The Music of Language
Tutoring English with Play for Progress is such a rewarding experience. The young people I work with all have a unique story, but one thing that they share is a strong desire to learn. There are so many challenges facing them, and communication is definitely one of them. Helping them to improve their English has practical implications aiding them in their day to day lives, but it’s also a joy to explore etymology together - and I am constantly learning new things as well! The consistency of our weekly sessions is beneficial to both tutor and student helping to build both trust and understanding.
As well as being a tutor I am an actor and musician, so I am always interested by stories and storytelling. I feel very lucky to hear the stories of the young people I tutor. We create stories together, share our experiences and explore various cultural differences and similarities. The musical thrust of Play for Progress is also a great way in to my English tutoring, as it gives the young people and I some common ground to break the ice at the start of our sessions. The musicality of language, and different speech sounds that exist in English as opposed to other languages - otherwise known as phonetics - helps the students with their speaking and listening skills and is also something I find very interesting. One challenge of this is that each language has a different set of phonetic sounds. For example, in Arabic there is no “p” or “v” sound, so a native Arabic speaker will often substitute “p” with “b”, and “v” with “f” when learning English. Knowing each student’s native language helps to personalise their lessons, and is also fascinating.
Play for Progress have so much love and care for all the young people that they help and they share this with the tutors as well. The focus is always on what the young person needs, and what the tutor needs in order to facilitate this. There are ongoing and regular conversations and check-ins to make sure everyone feels supported; the learning environment created by this is friendly, relaxed, and encouraging. Creativity is one of life’s gifts, and it can be used to heal and to grow. Being a part of an organisation that nurtures and encourages creativity in the young people we work with is a pleasure and a privilege.
