The key to tutoring English for speakers of other languages (ESL) is keeping the students engaged. This is particularly true in tutoring settings, where the tutor is all the student can focus on. You can keep your student engaged with tutoring activities that include games, songs and conversation.

Games
Every student loves games, regardless of his or her age. Even adults prefer games to sitting in a boring lecture or doing bookwork. The key to games is physicality. People enjoy games far more when they are moving around. What's more, they gain knowledge more quickly if they can associate a physical movement with that knowledge. Games for tutoring don't need to be complex. Indeed, the simpler the better, as ESL students can sometimes struggle to understand instructions in English. One basic game is to lay out a series of pictorial flashcards, then write the words that correspond with them on a series of 3 by 5 cards. Shuffle the cards, then flip one over. Whoever can grab or slap the picture that matches the word wins. In a tutorial setting, you are the only other person in the room. This means that you need to play enthusiastically, even if the game is easy for you as a native speaker. Your student will feed off whatever energy you bring to the table, so make sure it's positive energy.

Songs
Songs are not just for children. The beauty of songs is that they stick in the brain incredibly well, and they can be tailored for all ages. So you can teach small children something like "Do Your Ears Hang Low" while teaching adults the meaning of the words in the hit Pogues song "Fairytale of New York." Either way, the rhyme and rhythm of songs make them very easy to teach to people. For a young learner, teach a basic children's song and sing it with him or her. Songs are great ways to open and close lessons. As with games, be enthusiastic and have fun. For adults and advanced learners, there are a variety of options for songs. One great way to use music as a teaching aid is to play a popular song a couple of times and ask your student to write the lyrics down as you do so. Once you're finished doing this, you can go through the lyrics and discuss the meaning of each word and the meaning of the song as a whole. This is an excellent way to teach both listening skills and improve vocabulary. Finally, you can use music as a pronunciation lesson. Hip hop is particularly effective--play a popular song and have your student rap along with the artist. Afterward, correct his or her pronunciation and try it again. The rhyming nature will remind students of how words are pronounced, and, as with other songs, stick in their brains.

Conversation
For advanced learners, the best way to improve is to practice. This is perfect for confident students, because it's just talking. Before every session, write a bunch of topics on pieces of paper, then discuss them during the tutoring session. This is a great way to teach because not only is it teaching your student English through practice, it's also a simple lesson to prepare. After all, students aren't learning much if you're doing all the talking during tutoring, so ask some leading questions, sit back, and let them answer.