Signs To Start Working With An English Tutor
Contents
Studying the English language on your own with materials that are available online can feel like a good option for occupied professionals or people who have an active lifestyle. Yes, you can save some money. But will you get the same level of quality learning?
In studying English by yourself, you might face difficulties of independent learning which can make you stuck on the way to getting desirable progress. Still not sure if you need to find an English tutor? Below, we give you the five most common signs that you would benefit from lessons with a private English tutor. Read them and decide if you still want to proceed to fluency alone.
What Is An English Tutor: Definition For The Profession
But, first of all, let`s define an English tutor. An online English tutor is a language professional who knows how to tutor English for different levels and needs. The person helps English learners create an individual plan for their goals in studying English, prepares all the materials for the lessons, and provides safe space and quality guided practice to improve their English skills.
An English teacher can or cannot necessarily be a native speaker. Tutors who are native speakers come from such countries as The United Kingdom, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and many more. A person is a native English speaker if they have been exposed to the language since an early age and speak it fluently.
In professional meaning, an English tutor has to have a CELTA certificate from Cambridge English Language Assessment. That means they are qualified to teach English as a Foreign Language and English as a Second Language.
Signs You Need To Find An English Tutor
If you recognize yourself in any of the following statements, start seriously considering lessons with an English tutor. Invest in your progress at an early stage.
You Lack Consistency And Motivation
No person always feels motivated and ready to work without breaks. At some point, everyone burns out, especially when it comes to studying.
Unfortunately, many English learners lack motivation and consistency in their learning process. There are multiple reasons for that to happen. Some people have a bad experience with learning the language at school. Maybe the class was overcrowded, so students couldn`t receive enough attention and practice; perhaps the teacher was not the most experienced or attentive to kids, or maybe you couldn`t keep up with the pace of classes, so you decided to work on your own. Others are perceived as creative individuals who can`t push themselves to study regularly. Whatever party you belong to, don`t bury your desire to learn English.
We all are just humans with our feelings and emotions. So, it`s normal to feel undermotivated. That`s especially a common thing for students at higher English levels. When you are a beginner, it`s much easier to see progress. All you need is to get familiar with the basic grammar and vocabulary and start speaking and understanding basic stuff. The tipping point is when you reach an intermediate level in English. Moving from there is much more difficult because you need to expand your vocabulary severally, master complicated grammar structures, and gain a neutral accent on your path to fluency.
In the digital era, folks love the flexibility in everything, and studying is no exception. But its overuse can lead to you doing nothing and deprioritizing English learning. Flexibility in language learning can mean you study every day for 30 minutes or plan to do it but constantly reschedule. You can get tired after a long day at work or school, or something more interesting can pop up. Those are typical excuses not to study today, tomorrow, or ever.
You can start working with an English tutor to motivate yourself for consistent learning. They will find ways to encourage you to learn English consistently and inspire you to master your skills.
Once you find your perfect time for studying, book lessons with your English tutor according to your schedule in advance.
Scientists proved that habit forms in 30 days of consistent practice. So, make learning English a habit! Knowing that someone is waiting for you to help you with English also sets some responsibility level. In that way, you can`t let yourself miss the lesson. And by the way, the payment also helps learners show up for classes. Nobody likes to waste money.
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You Can`t Keep Up With Conversation
The primary skill that any English learner wants to master is conversational English. However, knowing English grammar and solid vocabulary can`t guarantee that you will glide into any dialogue or discussion. To master your English speaking skills, you must practice with a real person. You need to learn to perceive the language by ear and react to the speech without translating words or picking the correct grammar structure in your head. It should become neutral for you over time.
Even if you are an advanced learner but haven`t practiced English speaking in a while, you will feel uptight in conversation. This is because you need to practice speaking with an English tutor to make your brain switch to English faster.
In the beginning, conversational English lessons might seem weird. Does it count as a class if you were speaking the whole or most of the time? Yes, it indeed does. During conversational English, a lesson tutor can help you improve your spoken speech fluency, transfer your passive vocabulary to active use, correct grammar mistakes, accents, etc.
You Don`t Know What To Do And How To Move Further
Of course, you can learn English with YouTube and TikTok videos, Instagram posts, articles online, movies, and series. However, those are more auxiliary materials. However, getting English fluency requires a lot of work - not only acquiring the knowledge but also making a roadmap for each level and each skill, preparing all the materials for each topic, and keeping yourself entertained while studying. Doing a job for two people – a student and a tutor – is unbearable.
To learn English qualitatively, you should find an excellent online English tutor. Professionals with experience already have proven plans by levels that they can personalize to your needs. Every English level corresponds to certain things that learners should know. The tutors understand the must knows for your desired level in grammar, vocabulary, speaking, listening, reading, writing, and pronunciation. So, they will help you in every aspect of learning English on your way to fluency.
You Feel Like You Have Reached The Sky
The common problem for English learners is that they assume there is some list of what they need to know at every level. On the one hand, it is partly true, but on the other hand, learning a language is an ongoing process. The language constantly evolves, and new words and phrases replenish the modern vocabulary.
A good example is Gen Z slang. For the past five years, kids have come up with many new words because of digital progress. But, it feels like once you adapt to language innovations, they are already out of use. So, you must be in the flow if you don`t want to sound old.
Whenever you feel you are a master of the English language and have reached the sky, remember a famous saying - Only the sky is the limit. However, there is much more after the sky – like space, which is endless. The same is true for English.
If you feel you are not progressing in language learning at a high level, you need to find an English tutor. They will help you to discover new horizons in English and bring your understanding of the language to a level you never knew about. Language learning is a lifetime process.
You Have A Specific Skill You Need To Master
Everybody has their strengths and weaknesses in English. To make all skills equally developed is a highly time-consuming and challenging process. At the beginning of learning English, most learners focus on grammar, vocabulary, listening, and speaking. Because of that, pronunciation, reading, and writing skills can be out of focus. You work on them as background for the language but don`t prioritize them. Over time it may become an issue that needs to be fixed.
When you notice that you lack knowledge or practice in specific English skills and can`t wrap your head around it, it`s time to take your English learning to the next level – hire an online English tutor! You can find a professional specializing in business English, American English, English writing, and many more. Outline your desired area for improvement and start working on it as soon as possible. Only practice makes perfect.
Where To Find An English Tutor For Adults
Are you looking for the best English tutor online? Then go to Promova! Our learning platform offers lessons with professional certified native-level English tutors. They are prepared to teach English learners of all levels and needs.
On Promova, you can find the following:
- Conversational English tutors
- Business English tutors
- English grammar tutors
- English literature tutors
- American English tutors
- British English tutors
- Australian English tutors
- English native tutors
- English writing tutors
With online private English tutors on Promova, you can learn anytime and anywhere. All you need is a stable Internet connection and a gadget. The platform is available as a mobile application and a website. So you don`t need to rush to your laptop every time you have a lesson.
During your first class, the Promova online English tutor will test your level, set your study goals, identify areas to work on, and learn about your interests better. Once the tutor collects all the necessary information, they will create a personalized learning plan with professional materials tailored to your learning style. Moreover, you can choose lesson duration – 25, 50, or 90-min classes are available on the Promova platform. Plus, you will be pleasantly surprised with the price – it`s very affordable.
Stop struggling with English on your own! Instead, get in 1-to-1 private classes on Promova and improve your English skills today!
Conclusion
If you notice any of the signs described above, it means you need to start working with an English tutor. Stop relying upon all the online resources and struggle with self-education when it`s already not working for you. There is nothing shameful in asking for professional help in studying English. Your main goal is to improve fluency as fast and as qualitatively as possible without making out of the process a nightmare. And for that matter, your best buddy in learning the language is an English tutor. Once you find a person who will fit your criteria, the learning process will become non-stressful and fun again.
FAQ
Can any native English speaker be a tutor?
Technically, any native English speaker can become an English tutor. However, being an English native speaker alone doesn`t make an individual a professional tutor. Yes, English learners tend to hire natives as English tutors, perceiving that working with natives is the key to success. But, in reality, not every native speaker can be a tutor. Why? They simply can lack knowledge on the topic and teaching experience. Being an English tutor requires more than language proficiency that a person gains by being naturally exposed to the language from an early age. An excellent English tutor must provide a good language model. And for that, they must dive deep into studying how English works on different levels. Also, they should possess working teaching techniques that lead to desired results and be able to provide their students with a personalized plan.
How often should you have lessons with an English tutor?
There is no exact number of lessons per week that will be beneficial for every student. The frequency of classes with your English tutor depends on multiple factors. The first one is your current and desirable English level. The higher your level, the more time you need to achieve the next one. The reason is that you learn much more complicated grammar on every level and double your English vocabulary. So, to get from A1 to A2, you will need an average of 100-150 hours of guided learning. However, to get from B1 to B2, you must spend 180-260 hours learning with a mentor.
One lesson of up to 60 minutes a week is essential for every English learner. However, to gain a preferable English level faster, you can sign up for 2-3 classes per week. Be aware that for lessons longer than 60 minutes, you will need a “break activity” to help your brain concentrate on learning again.
Don`t forget that English practice shouldn`t end once the lesson is finished. The more effort you put into learning activities outside the classes, the faster you will reach English fluency.
What are the prices for private English tutoring?
The average price for one English lesson is 10-30 dollars per hour. Nonetheless, you can find an English tutor starting from 5 dollars. The cost of the English class depends on the tutor`s country of origin and living, qualifications, certifications, specialization, and teaching experience. Some online English tutors may even charge you up to 150 dollars per hour.
What should you expect from an English tutor?
Everyone has different expectations from English tutors, as different things work for everyone. Also, the expectations may vary according to your needs and level of English fluency. But, generally speaking, a good English tutor has to have excellent English pronunciation, prepared materials, interactive activities, patience, and a positive attitude. They should adapt their teaching methods to how you are comfortable learning. If looking for an English tutor, focus on feeling good around the person.
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