Stay neutral

As you start teaching numerous students, you will notice that they all come from different backgrounds and this reflects on their language acquisition. They will want to discuss sensitive topics like religion, race, culture, society. Your role as a tutor is to stay neutral at all times and to try not to impose your own opinion about such topics. Your student may provoke a sensitive discussion with you assuming that this is a good opportunity to practice their English conversation skills. While you can listen to them and correct their language mistakes, try not to engage too much in the conversation expressing points of view or arguing about issues you do not agree with in general. Remember that you are working and your student is your client. When you feel that you might be pressured to express an opinion you can politely explain to the student that your culture teaches you to not engage in such arguments and that everyone has the right to an opinion. Tell them that you respect their opinion but you would not take sides, or give comments on it. Use this situation as an opportunity to teach your student about the culture and society in your country. It could be a good chance to educate them on how to stay “out of trouble” when speaking to local people. On the other hand, it might be a good opportunity for you to learn more about their culture too.

For example, I have had many students from Korea who would ask me how old I am and if I was married. And they did not wait to know me better before they asked. Well, in the beginning before I knew their reasons for asking everyone about their age, I was a little shocked. But then I learned that in Korea, people actually need to know everyone’s age, simply because they speak to different people in a different way. For example, if you are even 6 months older than a Korean person, he/she will speak to you with respect and will treat you as an older person. In addition, Korean people have the utmost respect for teachers. So to your students, you will always be the teacher, no matter how close you become as friends. So this student of mine explained to me that she needed to know these things because in I was married, she would look at me in a different way, meaning as a grown-up woman, rather than a single girl. So culturally for her this information was really important. As I smiled and answered her questions (I did not mind anyway) I also explained to her, that some people (especially women) may get offended if you ask them in public what their age and marital status was, because this is considered private information and a sensitive issue to some people.

My advice, use the situation to educate your student. Be very patient and explain as much as possible. If you try to understand them, they will understand you.