What is ESL Peer Consulting?

Peer consulting is students helping other students with the communication and cultural challenges of speaking English as a Second Language and adjusting to a culture that may be very different from one’s own.  Most ESL consulting is one-on-one, but the ESL Peer Consultant Group also collaborates to provide the consultees with group  activities.

 Why do students sign up for an ESL Peer Consultant?

The students who request an ESL Peer Consultant typically want to work on the following areas: fine-tuning their general speaking and listening skills in English; understanding local idioms; practicing rapid, idiomatic language; learning more about U.S. and Harvard cultures; developing “small-talk” skills in one-on-one and group settings; and practicing for oral presentations for a classroom or professional context.

 Who are the ESL Peer Consultants?

ESL Peer Consultants are talented students with varied backgrounds, who have a solid background in at least one foreign language, and who share an interest in working with people from different cultures.  Some ESL Peer Consultants are interested in language or cross-cultural teaching as a career and appreciate the opportunity to gain some experience.  Others have world travel in their past or future and enjoy getting to know other people, cultures, and languages.

 How do I get assigned consultees?

Students come in to the Bureau and fill out a request form letting us know what sort of assistance they are looking for.  You’ll get an email or call from us asking if you would like to take on the job.  Once you have agreed to take an ESL consulting job,  we give you and the consultee one another’s names and phone numbers and you take it from there.

Who schedules my sessions with my consultee?

It is up to you and your consultee to determine where, when, and for how long you meet.  You can set a weekly time or meet on a per-session basis.  If your consultee needs to cancel an appointment, he/she is required to notify you 24 hours in advance, or else you have the right to charge for one missed hour.  By advance mutual agreement between you and your consultee, you may also charge for one hour of preparation time for each consulting session.

 How much are ESL Peer Consultants paid? 

ESL Peer Consultants earn $14/hr for consultations, and Peer Consultants in the ESL Peer Consultant Group are also paid for group meetings.

 What if my consultee needs more help than I can provide?

One of the challenges of being an ESL Peer Consultant is knowing your own limits, and also knowing about the other wonderful resources available to your consultees.  As you and your consultee get to know one another, it may become clear that your consultee needs help beyond what you can provide — your consultee may need writing help or instruction, English language training, financial assistance, or personal counseling. Your consultee might also make requests that are beyond the scope of ESL Peer Consulting. Your role then becomes to help your consultee connect with the appropriate university resources.  Your fellow ESL Peer Consultants and the staff at the Bureau of Study Counsel will support you in this important role. 

 What if it’s not working out so well?

Whatever the reason, if the consulting is not working out, please let us know so we can advise you and/or make a new consultant/consultee match.  We welcome your feedback on any aspect of your peer consulting experience.

 Confidentiality.

ESL Peer Consulting is confidential, in keeping with the Bureau’s confidentiality practices.  For more information about confidentiality, visit the “About” page on the BSC website or call the Bureau and speak with a counselor.

 The Two ESL Peer Consulting Programs

 On-Call ESL Peer Consultants (ESL-OPC)

 On-Call ESL Peer Consultants must have a solid background in at least one foreign language, show good command of English, and have an interest in working with peers from other cultures.  On-Call Peer Consultants work independently, as their schedules allow.  They may work with undergraduates or with graduate students from the schools of Education and Government, or the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.  They participate in a one-time orientation workshop, and they may then take on as many or as few consultees/hours as they like.  They also are encouraged to attend any of several meetings each year for prospective and current ESL Peer Consultants, to talk about the joys and challenges of peer consulting.  Call any time to find out when the next meeting is going to be.

ESL Peer Consultants Group (ESL-PCG)

 The ESL Peer Consultant Group consists of approximately 20 undergraduates who work with international students in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.  Members of the ESL Peer Consultants Group must have the same qualifications as the On-Call ESL Peer Consultants.  Members of the group commit three to five hours per week to the program: they meet with a minimum of two consultees each week throughout the year; they participate in a weekly meeting of the ESL Peer Consultants to discuss the various language, cultural, and interpersonal issues that arise in their work; and they participate in one or two additional activities each semester — such as going on a field-trip to a grocery store or watching and discussing a television show or movie — designed to enhance their consultees’ ESL competencies in daily life. 

 Which Program Should I Join?

 Please call the Bureau any time to discuss the details of the ESL Peer Consultation program and whether it would be a good match for your qualifications and interests.

 How Do I Apply?

 On-Call ESL Peer Consultants

 If you are interested in becoming an ESL On-Call Peer Consultant, contact the BSC.  Students may fill out applications at any time during the year.  ESL On-Call Peer Consultants attend a 50-minute orientation meeting (offered twice each semester) which covers the essentials of  ESL peer consulting and allows for the completion of required employment paperwork.  In addition,  several meetings are held each semester for ESL Peer Consultants to come together with a Bureau supervisor and several experienced Peer Consultants to discuss the joys and challenges of peer consulting, creative ideas about how to work with consultees, and any difficulties or issues that have arisen in working with consultees.

 ESL Peer Consultants Group

 Applications are typically accepted through the middle of September, but we welcome inquiries at any time.  Application review may include review of grades and/or interviews.  The selected ESL Peer Consultants are matched with graduate students in late September and consulting sessions begin the first week of October.  Orientation and training occurs as part of the ESL Consultants Group weekly meetings.

HOW TO BE A WONDERFUL ESL PEER CONSULTANT

Be responsive and responsible about communications and meetings

Your consultee has reached out for help.  Answer emails or calls promptly, so your consultee will get the assistance they need in a timely way.  Most tutoring takes place at times of the year when both you and your consultee are very busy.  Be clear and honest about your limits, and let your consultee know about any deadlines or constraints you might have so you can plan ahead to have sufficient meeting time. 

Help your consultee be specific about what they need

The more comfortable your consultee is in expressing their needs, the better you can help them.  Invite their suggestions and feedback about how you can use your time together most productively. 

 Respect your consultee’s time

Be clear about meeting times and places, and always be on time for appointments.  Make sure you and your consultee know how to reach one another between meetings.  If you need to cancel a meeting, give your consultee ample notice.  Remember, while both of you are busy students with your own deadlines and demands, your consulting meetings are an important commitment for both of you.

Guide your consultee to additional resources as necessary

Though you are eager to be of help your consultee, you are not expected to have all the answers.  Remember, there are many other wonderful resources available on campus for help with writing, coping with personal issues, understanding the course materials, etc.   Part of being an ESL Peer Consultant is being aware of your own limits, knowing what other resources are available on campus, and helping your consultee connect with other sources of support as needed.

Keep track of your sessions

Keep track of the dates and length of your sessions as they occur, so that you can accurately report your hours to the Bureau.  You may bill your consultee for a missed appointment or for an appointment cancelled without 24-hours notice.  By mutual agreement, in advance, you may also bill your consultee for up to one hour of preparation time per meeting.

Don’t go it alone!

You have lots of support available to you in your efforts to be helpful to your consultee.  Don’t hesitate to speak with a member of the Bureau front office or counseling staff about any issues that come up for you in your relationship with your consultee  — whether practical matters or teaching/learning issues or interpersonal concerns.  And join us for the Peer Tutor/Consultant meetings at the Bureau, where you can talk things over with other Peer Tutors or ESL Peer Consultants.