The Conversational English (CE) program is an opportunity for members of the UW community to come together and practice their English skills in a relaxed and fun environment. Tutors are volunteers and tutor a group of 1-3 students. Groups will meet for 1-2 hours a week to work on English conversational skills. This program is ideal for those who have a passion for learning about language, culture, and international issues from their peers. Take this opportunity to get to know peers from all over the world and gain new insights and perspectives.
THE WORLD IS YOUR CLASSROOM AND YOU ARE YOUR OWN TEACHERS!
CONTACT US:
Tutee Information
Hello! | 你好 | Bonjour! | नमस्ते | Hola! |여보세요 | Сәлеметсіз бе
If you want to work on English communication skills, learn more about other cultures, and make new friends on campus, the Conversational English program is right for you!
The CE program matches students and affiliates eager to improve their English skills with volunteer students for conversation-based tutoring. You and your partner(s) will meet for a total of one to two hours a week, and the time and location are up to you!
CE tutoring services are open to students, visiting scholars, employees, and family members affiliated with UW-Madison.
How to Get a Tutor
Step 1: Register using the “Tutee Resgistration link on this page. Be sure to read all instructions and questions carefully. It is best that you only sign up for times that you know you will be available for the whole semester
Step 2: Wait to be matched. Due to there normally being many people who are interested in our services, it may take a couple weeks for you to be matched, but we will try our best to make sure that everyone is able to participate in the program!
Step 3: Once you have been matched into a group, email your tutor right away and introduce yourself. We will provide you with your tutor’s email address. You should discuss what platform you will be using to conduct your tutoring sessions.
Step 4: You may only miss two (2) tutoring sessions unexcused. After this, we will have to drop you from the group. Since there are many people who are looking to find a tutor, we think that it is only fair that we ask those who have signed up to be diligent about showing up to their tutoring sessions. Excused absences (i.e. emergencies, pre-planned commitments, exams, etc.) do not count against you, but you must email your tutor beforehand.
CE Events
Open Chats
These events provide a space for CE participants to come together and discuss a topic prepared by the CE coordinators. This is a great opportunity not only to use your language skills but also learn something new and learn from your peers.
Some past topics:
- Language learning and what it means in your life
- Good methods for studying English
- Idioms / metaphors / proverbs of English
- Relationships in the US
If you have any suggestions for Open Chat topics, please suggest them here.
Social Hours
These are informal and fun gatherings where you can meet members of the CE program and participate in fun activities.
Some of our past events include:
- Late night pizza and skating
- Sushi making night
- Board game night
- Pumpkin painting (for Halloween)
- Coffee and a trip to the Dane County Farmers Market
If you have any suggestions for future Social Hour events, please suggest them here.
Frequently Asked Questions
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My tutor is not responding to my attempts to contact them. What should I do?
If this happens, please notify your CE coordinators. We will do our best to contact them. If we do not hear back from them within a week, we will sadly have to pull them as a tutor and you will need to sign up for another tutoring group.
I cannot make it to one of my tutoring sessions due to (reason). Will this count for one of my two absences?
It depends on the reason. If it is an excused absence then it will not count against you. Here is what we define as excused:
- Emergency situations (hospitalization, death in the family, etc.)
- Illness
- Pre-planned events (work meetings, club activities/outings, etc.)
- Religious holidays / observations
- Exams
For situations excluding emergencies and illness, we would like you to notify your tutor 2 weeks in advance of your tutoring session.
Simply skipping your tutoring session with no notification sent to your tutor is what we consider to be an unexcused absence. You are only allowed to do this two (2) times throughout the semester. After you have surpassed this limit, we will drop you from the group. Your tutor will be taking attendance at each session and will note to us whether or not they received any prior notification about absences.
If you have any questions about what constitutes an excused versus an unexcused absence, feel free to email us!
Conversational English Coordinators
Nikki Blunier
Credentials: Conversational English
Position title: Program Coordinator
Email:
nikkib.guts
Peter Okoro
Credentials: Conversational English Program Coordinator
Position title: Program Coordinator
Email:
pokoro