Making a positive impact in someone else's life, learning about other cultures and being inspired are just some of the benefits of becoming a volunteer tutor, according to the Volunteer English Program (VEP) of Chester County, which provides one-to-one English language classes to adult learners.

Prospective tutors are invited to attend the next tutor training session, which will be held via Zoom on Tuesday, March 21; Thursday, March 23; and Monday, March 27, from 6 to 8 p.m. each evening. Since the class is virtual, attendees may dress comfortably and feel free to enjoy their own snacks at home.

"The advantage is that people are training in the comfort of their home, and they don't have to drive to the location," said VEP executive director Terri Potrako. "When the session closes at 8 (p.m.), they are already home and weather is not a factor. (Virtual tutor training) has been working nicely."

According to Potrako, the tutor training workshop is designed to fully prepare volunteers to teach English to adult, non-native speakers. Volunteer tutors also help students with understanding American culture. Prior teaching experience or fluency in a language other than English is not required.

The Zoom sessions will be conducted by VEP's professional staff. "It is a live training," Potrako pointed out. "We have three professionals certified in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and ESL (English as a Second Language)."

Potrako emphasized that the sessions are interactive so that attendees can communicate with the instructors. "We do a formal presentation within the six hours, and we also use breakout rooms of small, clustered groups, so people are getting to know one other, which is a lovely and dynamic aspect," she said, noting that an intermission is included in each session. "It's not two hours of lecturing. It's better described as facilitated learning or guided presentations. Each topic takes about 10 minutes (to cover), which keeps it fresh and interesting."

One topic covered in the session is tailoring instruction to the individual student. "Some of the things we teach our tutors is to recognize that there are a variety of ways to learn English. There is no one set curriculum because the goals and students' own experiences drive where we begin," said Potrako. "In a one-to-one situation, it's very adaptable or flexible."

After training and a background check, each new volunteer is matched with a student. Tutors and students, who may meet in-person or virtually, are asked to make a yearlong commitment to the program. Potrako reported that right now, there is a waiting list of students in need of tutors.

A fee will be charged to participate in the upcoming virtual training. Attendees will be asked to pick up a hard-copy tutor training manual at the VEP office in West Chester prior to the session. Information about pickup dates will be provided after registration.

For more information about the program or to register, visit http://www.volunteerenglish.org or call the VEP office at 610-918-8222.