There are some published materials for 'newcomers' (immigrants) - see Burlington Books. The idea is getting them to build up their vocabulary in basic areas - so you can adapt any picture dictionary and make them translate to their mother language to check understanding. Powerpoints are also very useful (check mes-english for basic vocabulary in many fields; they've also got worksheets to go with the flashcards or powerpoints; it's a wonderful site). Repetition and visual input will grant acquisition of language.
As for grammar and structures, they should follow a starter course - there are many materials in teachers' blogs. Of course, personal tuition is crucial at these levels - they aren't autonomous at all and are apt to get lost. Anyway, they can work on learning materials on the web, such as
http://www.agendaweb.org/
or
Curso de Ingles Gratis OM Personal, Aprender Ingles Gratis por internet, Lecciones de Ingles, ingles gratuito multimedia
They should also have clear objectives as to what they are expected to do at the end of the couse.
You can reinforce the visual input if the written one is not too sound - written language can come as a round-up of what they've done in class.
I hope this helps...