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The International Language Institute of Massachusetts (ILI) promotes intercultural understanding and diverse communities by providing high-quality language instruction and teacher training.

You are here: Home / News / ILI Interview with Volunteer Tutor Robin Smither

July 20, 2022

ILI Interview with Volunteer Tutor Robin Smither

Interview and article by Tashanna Johnson, UMass Amherst Community Engagement Course: Multilingualism and Literacy, spring 2022

Robin Smither is a volunteer tutor at ILI who volunteers in order to, as she says, “help others through service.” Robin, who graduated from high school this past spring, has been volunteering at the Amherst Survival Center for years, and has recently expanded that volunteerism to ILI. She explains that she has “always been into social service” and “likes conversation” but also was inspired to invest more time in working with languages during a recent high school language arts course. She explains that the essay “Language Choice” by Youngjin Park “basically was about how language leads to empowerment” and how learning English enabled the author to “share his culture.” This essay sparked her desire to work with language learners at ILI.

Robin’s own language background is informed by her Chinese American identity—she wasRobin at the Newport Jazz Festival. adopted by her family at a young age from China—and her early experience at a Chinese immersion school, which allowed her to learn Chinese from the age of five. Even though she hasn’t practiced her Chinese for some time, she wishes that she had the opportunity to keep up with it.

At ILI, Robin tutors Tugba, a mom of three from Turkey who is learning English to support her interview skills for local job positions. Robin frames her ILI tutoring relationship with Tugba as socially close and supportive: Tugba oftentimes calls Robin to ask for help when she is studying English to practice for her interviews. Robin says that she picks up the calls even when she is not actively in tutoring mode. Robin says, “I see her trying so hard and I want to help her…She’ll call me and tell me what she needs help with, and even when I’m out with my friends I’ll still answer the phone and help her.”

Most tutoring sessions with Tugba involve Robin presenting an English language topic to Tugba or watching a video with her and then discussing what they read or view, using topics or ideas that Tugba might be interested in. For example, in one session Robin asked Tugba to share a video about Turkey, and that helped with getting Tugba to use her language skills that were relevant to a topic she was already deeply familiar with. Robin believes that exercises like these keep sessions more engaging and help Tugba retain what she has learned. Robin admits that while tutoring interactions can be unstructured and unconventional, she says they are “a lot more personal” and help Tugba practice with “a lot less pressure.” Robin built this approach from what she understands to be ILI’s values around student-centered learning. Reflecting on how she learned Chinese, Robin believes this approach might have helped her retain so much more of her own learned language.

Robin has been working with Tugba for 6 months now. While volunteer tutoring at ILI, Robin has deepened her belief that language learning and communication are important lifelong social skills. In high school, she participates in Debate and Speech, and explains that “being challenged in writing and speaking has given me empathy for those that are learning to speak [English].” Robin plans to attend college this fall and study religion.

Article by ILI Staff / News

ILI News

  • What Is the Difference Between Social and Academic English? (Part 1 of 2) August 3, 2022
  • ILI Interview with Volunteer Tutor Robin Smither July 20, 2022
  • How French Classes Changed Rebecca’s Life July 6, 2022
  • ILI Student Stories: Chinatsu Nagamune June 29, 2022
  • ILI is a finalist for the PIEoneer “Language Educator of the Year” 2022 award! June 15, 2022
  • ILI’s Caroline Gear featured in Rotary magazine! June 13, 2022

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Our home-stay program allows students to experienc Our home-stay program allows students to experience life in the USA in local homes. We match area hosts with international students from all over the world. 🌏 Students eligible to live with a host family are enrolled full time in our Intensive English program anywhere from 4 weeks to 12 months.

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Are you looking to be qualified to teach ESOL anyw Are you looking to be qualified to teach ESOL anywhere in the world? ✈️ Whether you are new to teaching English, or an experienced teacher looking to expand your abilities, participating in a TESOL certificate training course awards you practical and experiential skills. 

✨ILI’s trainers are certified by #SIT (School for International Training), world leader in the TESOL field. Our trainers have worked together for many years and bring a wealth of practical teaching and cross-cultural experience to the TESOL course.

Curious about what to expect from a #TESOL course at ILI? Check out our #BlogPost that breaks it all down! READ here: https://ili.edu/2021/06/30/what-to-expect-from-an-online-tesol-course-at-ili/

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Looking back on beautiful memories from #GivingVoice2022 at @nohocenterforthearts . ☁️ We are so grateful to be a part of such a wonderful community! #tbt 

📸Photos by Jesse Shotland [ @jesseshotland ]

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Fall classes in ILI's World Language Program are r Fall classes in ILI's World Language Program are right around the corner! Sign up today for our session of online or in-person classes beginning on September 19th! To learn more visit ili.edu OR email heather@ili.edu.

The International Language Institute is known the world over for its creative approach to teaching and learning languages. Teachers are supportive and mindful of students’ goals. Their expertise shines through the lessons that they teach, and in their ability to get you up and using the language right away. 

Thanks to @rachaelpricepants for this wonderful video she put together for us last year! 

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How long it takes to learn a foreign language is d How long it takes to learn a foreign language is determined by many factors: your learning methods, background, natural ability, mindset, and ultimate aims, not to mention the target language itself. 

📖ICYMI: Our #blogpost titled "How much time does it take to learn a new language?" takes a look at 5 factors that determine how many hours, months, or years you’ll need to reach your language learning goals. ➡️Check it out here: https://ili.edu/2022/03/09/how-much-time-does-it-take-to-learn-a-new-language/.

Interested in learning a new language? ⭐️Classes in ILI's #WorldLanguageProgram start up next month! ➡️To learn more email heather@ili.edu OR visit https://ili.edu/programs/world-language-classes/ .

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Caroline represented @study_massachusetts at the r Caroline represented @study_massachusetts at the recent @educationusa Forum in DC. She is pictured here with Jimena Collingwood, International Programs Admissions Coordinator at @westfieldstate . Westfield State is also a member of #StudyMassachusetts and an ILI University Pathway Partner. So great to meet with #EducationUSA advisors from around the world! 📖

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