I worked with a non-native English speaker as a “tutor” of sorts. We met through a language learning app and have been in contact since. I help with their English, and they help me with my Portuguese. So, while it is not a traditional tutor role, it is still a role that requires a lot of knowledge of the English language. My partner has taught me a lot in terms of what to expect from someone who is learning English. Learning a different language is not an easy feat. There is a lot of patience and understanding needed in order to truly be able to teach someone English, let alone a whole classroom full of students. I met Maeve, my partner, on a language app called HelloTalk. I wanted to learn Portuguese, and they wanted to learn English. Throughout this experience, I have gotten to know more about Brazilian culture than I knew before meeting them, and they have shared the same sentiments about American culture. It is fascinating how two different cultures can also overlap and share similarities with one another.

I mainly taught them the basics of grammar, as that was something they wanted to master. It was difficult to keep to the prescriptive rules of grammar, as I am used to breaking grammar rules. However, it is very important for an ESL student to learn the basic grammar rules before they can break them, and that is exactly what I ended up teaching. I also taught them different variations of the vocabulary they already knew, as well as some “slang” that is commonly used on social media today. What I learned from them was a bit different. I did learn more Portuguese than I already knew, but I mainly learned about how I respond to ESL learners and the fact that I adapt to how they speak in order to make it easier for them to learn. I also learned a lot about their home, their political beliefs, what holidays they celebrate in Brazil, etc. It was an eye-opening experience and I am really glad that I was able to experience it with someone who was as eager to learn as I was.