Resumen

This report presents my internship experience in the Mentoring Program at the Universidad de Córdoba, designed to facilitate the academic and social integration of transitioning students. This program supports the entry and permanence of students from the first to fifth semester whose academic needs are identified in English grammar and communication skills. Thirteen first-semester learners showed a lack in the areas of grammar, conversation, and listening during their first semester. These gaps stifled their growth, inhibiting their active class participation coupled with the presence of competitiveness, avoidance of routine behaviors, and low-status comparison among the mentored students and their classmates, leading to negative feelings toward peers and themselves, affecting their academic process as well. This frustration manifested in some mentees by imposing self-expectations and academic overload to reach the same communicative level as their benchmarked classmates, exacerbating personal issues that further impeded their academic progress during mentoring sessions. To address these challenges, the methodologies and strategies implemented included Motivational Strategies, Consideration of Learning Styles, and an Effective Feedback Approach. The combination of these techniques created a collaborative and engaging environment, allowing mentees to effectively address learning barriers while working towards a common academic goal with their mentor, which granted largely positive outcomes during the process. This environment fostered open communication channels for constructive feedback, enhancing the overall effectiveness of the mentorship.