This is a sample lesson plan for tutors teaching students who are learning English at a beginner's level.

For first-time ESL tutors, it is often difficult to know how to begin your lessons with a new student. During the first lesson, it is important that your student begin to feel comfortable and open with you. It is equally as important that you begin to assess the level of your student during this first lesson, so you will know how best to tailor lesson plans in the future.

One effective method for achieving both of these goals is to conduct an interview during this first lesson. You need to print out two pages of interview questions. One page with questions you will ask the student and the other with questions that the student will ask you.

First, you interview your student. Slowly read out each question from the list below, one at a time, and let your student answer in their own time. This will help you to get to know your student, but it will also test their listening and comprehension skills (how well they can understand your questions) and their speaking skills (how well they can answer the questions).

Ask your student the following questions and ask them to answer in full sentences. This means when you ask 'What is your name?' instead of your student answering 'Yifan Chang', he should answer 'My name is Yifan Chang'.

1. What is your name?
2. What is your nationality?
3. What is your address?
4. When is your birthday?
5. What is your profession?
6. Where did you go to school?
7. What did you study?
8. How many people are there in your family?
9. What are their names?
10. Why did you decide to come to Australia?
11. Why do you want to learn English?
12. How long have you studied English for?
13. What is the most difficult for you about studying English?
14. What is the easiest for you about studying English?
15. Do you like to read? What do you like to read? What are your favourite books?
16. Do you watch much television in English?
17. What are your favourite television shows? What are your favourite movies?
18. Do you practice speaking English with your family or friends?
19. What are your hobbies?
20. Do you like sport? What sports do you like?

Once you have finished interviewing your student, give them the chance to interview you. Give them the list of questions so they can read them to you one by one and listen to your answer. This will test their reading skills. When you answer the questions, ask them to write your answers down. This will test their listening comprehension and also their writing skills.

The questions below, for your student to ask you, are different to the ones asked above. You can change any of the questions to suit you or your student.

1. What is your name?
2. What is your nationality?
3. What is your address?
4. When is your birthday?
5. What is your profession?
6. Where did you go to school?
7. How many people are there in your family?
8. What are their names?
9. Why do you like living in Australia?
10. Why do you like teaching English?
11. Do you like to read? What do you like to read? What are your favourite books?
12. What are your favourite television shows? What are your favourite movies?
13. What are your hobbies?
14. Do you like sport? What sports do you like?
15. Where do you like to go for your holidays?
16. What countries have you travelled to?
17. Do you have any pets? What are their names?
18. Do you have any children?
19. Are you married? What is your wife's name?
20. What type of car would you like to buy?

Dr. Lisa Lines
Director and Head Editor
Elite Editing & Tutoring

Web: http://www.eliteediting.com.au
Blog: http://eliteediting.blogspot.com