O__o;; I Don't Understand!!!

The subjects I have found to be the most difficult to tutor in are the science classes. I can understand the writing process, what the object of the paper is supposed t be about, and how one should generally be formatted. However, I have a hard time with scientific papers because I usually don't know what they're talking about. Usually, they're all about explaining some scientific experiment, and they use huge scientific words that I can't pronounce, let alone know the meaning of. It makes it hard to understand what the paper is about when I don't know what the formulas mean or are for or what some chemical does to another and why it's important. I usually end up feeling foolish coming out of those sessions because I feel like the student was spending more time explaining what pneumonottramieroscopiesillicouoleano is rather than focusing on how to correctly format the paper in an APA style.
Another subject that I have a hard time with is ESL. I have a hard time being sure I know the real meaning of something or trying to translate what the student was trying to say. I have come to love the question "Now, what did you mean by this sentence?" in a session with an ESL student because the meaning can then be explained to me, and more often than not, the student is able to explain the sentence more precisely than he or she did in the paper.
I feel like I still have a lot more to learn by means of tutoring in both subjects, but I also feel like I have come a long way. I know more of what to look for in these papers and I don't get quite so hung up on all the little details.