Hi everyone!
This is my first post, although I've been browsing for a few months now (I've just completed a CELTA and the forums helped me loads - thanks).
I'm looking for jobs in language schools but a lot of them are asking for experience (I just graduated from university last year so haven't exactly got any ...)
So, while I wait for fate to give me a (no doubt crappy, tour-guide type) job (on an equally crappy wage), I've started doing one-one tuition.
Only problem is, the CELTA doesn't exactly equip you for such a challenge, and now I'm wondering what I've got myself into...
I've already promised one student I will tutor him, but I really have no idea where to start. I don't have any books or material suitable for 1:1 and I haven't seen any either. I can make up some activities, that's not a problem, but how do I go about making a lesson/syllabus?
Do I have to buy some course books to work from, or should the student buy them? Do I need a course book? What about costs for materials, photocopies (since I can barely afford to buy one book), travel costs, time spent preparing lessons etc. ??? Do I include those in the lesson price? He's upper int. level but I don't think I should buy a book specially for him..or should I?? He's my only student at the moment.
If anyone can offer any ideas/ help/ guidance/ links/ advice/ books/ materials etc, I would be soooooooo grateful.
Thanks,
*Neverything*
ONE-ONE TUTORING
Moderators: Dimitris, maneki neko2, Lorikeet, Enrico Palazzo, superpeach, cecil2, Mr. Kalgukshi2
one on one
Hi,
I have a very successful tutoring and teaching practice and would be happy to share some thoughts. It would be helpful to hear where you are located.
I have a very successful tutoring and teaching practice and would be happy to share some thoughts. It would be helpful to hear where you are located.
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neverything
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Thu Apr 06, 2006 8:15 pm
Hi royal, and everyone,
I am in Berkshire, UK, and my tutee lives only a short bus ride away.
So far i've just started working through some random grammar activities that i know he has trouble with...but i dont really see this going far - he doesn't seem sure of what he wants so i thought at least that gives me some freedom, but at the same time the lessons so far havent exactly linked to each other...they are too random!
I've already decided im not a fan of 1:1 but at the moment it's my only income while i look for a fulltime teaching job...
Any advice on books that can be adapted to 1:1 teaching (not just for hi level, but any student) or any pointers you can give me would me much appreciated.
Thanks
I am in Berkshire, UK, and my tutee lives only a short bus ride away.
So far i've just started working through some random grammar activities that i know he has trouble with...but i dont really see this going far - he doesn't seem sure of what he wants so i thought at least that gives me some freedom, but at the same time the lessons so far havent exactly linked to each other...they are too random!
I've already decided im not a fan of 1:1 but at the moment it's my only income while i look for a fulltime teaching job...
Any advice on books that can be adapted to 1:1 teaching (not just for hi level, but any student) or any pointers you can give me would me much appreciated.
Thanks
Hi,
Well, I'm in the US, but I think I have some ideas that could be adapted. First, if I were you and could afford it, I would go volunteer in a class somewhere, even a few hours a week. That gives you experience and an opportunity to clarify your teaching style. I concluded that I did NOT want to teach the way the teacher in my first volunteer position did. I got my first class based on that volunteer experience with NO certificate. Also, I have a volunteer in my class and based on my recommendation, she is now subbing in our program. Is there anything in the UK comparable to the community college system in the US? That's another good start. Here they are basically looking for warm bodies and would be thrilled if someone had a certificate. Visit as many classes as you can. I think most teachers are happy to have visitors. In my advanced ESL class, I have visitors every week and ask them to be interviewed by my students. This gives my students an opportunity to practice talking in a safe environment. They love it, and so do my guests!
As far as tutoring goes, I agree that it's not an ideal way to start, and this is another reason I highly recommend your getting some classroom experience. However, I hear your financial reality. When I get a call from a prospective student, I meet with them free of charge the first time. I talk about my style and ask what they're looking for. This gives me a chance to informally assess their strengths and weaknesses. In my experience, the more the you put the responsibility on the student, the more motivated and successful s/he will be. After all, adult learning is student-centered, and they should be expected to generate a great deal. I generally will ask what they want to accomplish. Are they working on writing, getting ready for a job interview, looking to speak with more ease? Push for specificity. You can put your evaluation together with their goals to create a direction.
I use several books depending on the student, and I have no problem adapting them to one-on-one. I give my recommendations, and they decide whether to buy them. If they're not ready to decide, I'll copy handouts. My favorite books are: Grammar by Raymond Murphy (I'm pretty sure there's a British version.), Clear Speech by Judy Gilbert, Vocabulary by McCarthy and O'Dell, and Academic Writing For Graduate Students You can often get these books cheaply on Amazon.com. For instance, Clear Speech 2nd Edition is now selling for under a dollar plus postage because the 3rd edition has come out. There's no CD, but since the book is best used with a teacher, I don't think this is a drawback, especially given the price.
If you like, I can give you lots more specifics about some of my students. However, the best advice I can give you is that most students are looking for a safe space and an opportunity to practice without worrying about being judged. I believe the absolutely most important thing you can do is establish trust. Don't worry about techniques. I saw a woman yesterday who spent almost 2/3 of her session asking questions that had come up in daily life. When I commended her on asking so many questions, she replied, "It's so great to get answers." I give a LOT of corrections, being sensitive to the level of fluency and confidence, because I find, at least here in the US, ESL learners know there's something "wrong," but they can't identify it, and native speakers are reluctant to "criticize." I have a very loyal following of private students at this point, built from creating trust and the consequent word-of-mouth referrals.
The last thing I would suggest is that you ponder why you don't think one on one is for you. Is it fear-based? It used to be for me. Again, get as much exposure in different situations as possible so you can decide what your niche is. It took me a couple years, and being in the right place at the right time, to conclude that I want to work with university (grad) students. I wouldn't have guessed that at the beginning.
Please let me know if you find any of this helpful. I am more than happy to keep in dialog because it helps me clarify my thinking, but I do need feedback.
BTW, how was the CELTA program?
Royal
Well, I'm in the US, but I think I have some ideas that could be adapted. First, if I were you and could afford it, I would go volunteer in a class somewhere, even a few hours a week. That gives you experience and an opportunity to clarify your teaching style. I concluded that I did NOT want to teach the way the teacher in my first volunteer position did. I got my first class based on that volunteer experience with NO certificate. Also, I have a volunteer in my class and based on my recommendation, she is now subbing in our program. Is there anything in the UK comparable to the community college system in the US? That's another good start. Here they are basically looking for warm bodies and would be thrilled if someone had a certificate. Visit as many classes as you can. I think most teachers are happy to have visitors. In my advanced ESL class, I have visitors every week and ask them to be interviewed by my students. This gives my students an opportunity to practice talking in a safe environment. They love it, and so do my guests!
As far as tutoring goes, I agree that it's not an ideal way to start, and this is another reason I highly recommend your getting some classroom experience. However, I hear your financial reality. When I get a call from a prospective student, I meet with them free of charge the first time. I talk about my style and ask what they're looking for. This gives me a chance to informally assess their strengths and weaknesses. In my experience, the more the you put the responsibility on the student, the more motivated and successful s/he will be. After all, adult learning is student-centered, and they should be expected to generate a great deal. I generally will ask what they want to accomplish. Are they working on writing, getting ready for a job interview, looking to speak with more ease? Push for specificity. You can put your evaluation together with their goals to create a direction.
I use several books depending on the student, and I have no problem adapting them to one-on-one. I give my recommendations, and they decide whether to buy them. If they're not ready to decide, I'll copy handouts. My favorite books are: Grammar by Raymond Murphy (I'm pretty sure there's a British version.), Clear Speech by Judy Gilbert, Vocabulary by McCarthy and O'Dell, and Academic Writing For Graduate Students You can often get these books cheaply on Amazon.com. For instance, Clear Speech 2nd Edition is now selling for under a dollar plus postage because the 3rd edition has come out. There's no CD, but since the book is best used with a teacher, I don't think this is a drawback, especially given the price.
If you like, I can give you lots more specifics about some of my students. However, the best advice I can give you is that most students are looking for a safe space and an opportunity to practice without worrying about being judged. I believe the absolutely most important thing you can do is establish trust. Don't worry about techniques. I saw a woman yesterday who spent almost 2/3 of her session asking questions that had come up in daily life. When I commended her on asking so many questions, she replied, "It's so great to get answers." I give a LOT of corrections, being sensitive to the level of fluency and confidence, because I find, at least here in the US, ESL learners know there's something "wrong," but they can't identify it, and native speakers are reluctant to "criticize." I have a very loyal following of private students at this point, built from creating trust and the consequent word-of-mouth referrals.
The last thing I would suggest is that you ponder why you don't think one on one is for you. Is it fear-based? It used to be for me. Again, get as much exposure in different situations as possible so you can decide what your niche is. It took me a couple years, and being in the right place at the right time, to conclude that I want to work with university (grad) students. I wouldn't have guessed that at the beginning.
Please let me know if you find any of this helpful. I am more than happy to keep in dialog because it helps me clarify my thinking, but I do need feedback.
BTW, how was the CELTA program?
Royal
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Wereldreizigster
- Posts: 7
- Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2005 1:27 pm
- Location: The Netherlands
- Contact:
Wow, those are some great ideas royal, you're even helping me out 
But, back to neverything. When I needed some extra money, living in Egypt a while ago, I did some one on one teaching. I realised it was quite rough in the beginning. What I have learned is to assess your student the first time you talk to them is really important. Ask them what they want to learn, what they want to do with their aquired English?! I use a 'Power-Ed' method (learned it at a Cita conference last year in Egypt) to figure out what they really need! Because, some people really like to do more of a playful way of education where others want to learn rules and facts. You have to figure out what type of learner suits you most! Because with one on one, you can never cater to every learner!
But, back to neverything. When I needed some extra money, living in Egypt a while ago, I did some one on one teaching. I realised it was quite rough in the beginning. What I have learned is to assess your student the first time you talk to them is really important. Ask them what they want to learn, what they want to do with their aquired English?! I use a 'Power-Ed' method (learned it at a Cita conference last year in Egypt) to figure out what they really need! Because, some people really like to do more of a playful way of education where others want to learn rules and facts. You have to figure out what type of learner suits you most! Because with one on one, you can never cater to every learner!
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Sally Olsen
- Posts: 1322
- Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2004 2:24 pm
- Location: Canada,France, Brazil, Japan, Mongolia, Greenland, Canada, Mongolia, Ethiopia next
If you go to conferences you can usually get free books at the end from publishers. It is a great way to build up your library. You can also borrow books from the library - that is a great place to meet students so they can learn how to register and borrow books themselves. Find out when the publishers in your area give workshops or display their merchandise - they often don't want to carry all those books home after a display and will sell the cheaply and give the old ones away. Borrow books from your local teaching college - you can pay a small amount to get a library card usually and or copy the pages you want.
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neverything
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Thu Apr 06, 2006 8:15 pm
Hi Royal, Wereldreizigster, Sally, or anyone who can be bothered to read this loooong post!
Firstly, thank you all so much for taking the time to reply...
In fact, a few days after writing my last reply, I somehow managed to land a full-time job in a proper language school! (Yay!)
I had already told my tutee that I was looking for language school jobs, and if I should be so lucky as to get one then I would have to reconsider tutoring him (because of the time it takes planning for lessons). But we have a very good relationship and so when I told him about the job he said it was fine and was very supportive and happy for me. Also, he is taking the celta classes again (for the new term) at the local college now, so I don't feel so bad for leaving him....
However, I start the job this Monday, so I was still tutoring him (today was my last lesson with him) but have taken on board some of your advice for future
He already has the Murphy book and we have used that a lot for grammar practice, and I finally got him to think about exactly what he wants English for (understanding news and political / environmental issues, as well as writing his CV etc.) So I got lots of articles from newsapers, magazines and the internet to have a look over. These were a really good source, as I could always find some sort of grammar point in them (although it does take a lot of time to explain some of the trickier vocab). But he was very eager to learn and was excited about newspapers because he said he real trouble understanding headlines (like most learners), so I spent 2 hours on the language of headlines and it went really well.
I knew his weak areas already (since he was one of my students on the CELTA), so I did try to focus on these. And like Royal's US students, he also knows if what he is saying is wrong, so often asks me to teach him or explain things I haven't prepared. I am more than happy to do this (and that part of the lesson goes without any problems), but it does feel like I've wasted time preparing what would have a been a good lesson...
In response to Wereldreizigster, you're certainly right about some people liking more "playful" learning...my tutee is definitely not one of those! I mean, he's not cold and serious, we DO have fun in the lesson, but he is very much a "I want to learn the rules, why are we playing this game?" kind of person. As you may or may not know, the CELTA tells us to do things the other way around, so it has been a challenge!
Royal: I think the main reason I've already decided I'm not a fan of 1:1 is that I am a naturally shy person who avoids confrontational situations. While I do have a very good relationship with my tutee, I much prefer being the teacher in a classroom... This may sound strange to some people, since I have said I'm shy, but actually the biggest confidence booster is having that level of authority being the teacher. I actually surprised myself during the course by being one of the most confident trainee teachers in the group. I think with 1:1 you feel more equal with the student (for various reasons) and that doesn't help someone like me.... So yeah, I guess it is fear-based... maybe a few years down the line I would happier to do 1:1, as I would be more experienced and confident with my own techniques and abilities.
But anyway, that's all over for the forseeable future, while I get stuck into 24 hours of teaching a week *gulp* ...it's my first teaching job and I have no idea how I will cope, but to be honest, I can't wait to start!!
Had I not got this job, I would've definitely done some volunteer work with refugees and asylum seekers, although again, I would've tried to avoid 1:1 and gone for a small group. Maybe in the future, once I can afford to not get paid fulltime, or have enough experience to not spend 24 hours a day preparing lessons, I'll definitely do some volunteering.
And Sally, thanks for the suggestion, I had no idea that publishers do that (free books? who would have thought!?), so that would be great, even in classroom teaching, just for ideas and activities.
Anyway, I think I've written more than enough for the moment, so thanks again for all of your advice, I'm sure I won't be the only person who finds it useful.
Thanks,
Neverything
Firstly, thank you all so much for taking the time to reply...
In fact, a few days after writing my last reply, I somehow managed to land a full-time job in a proper language school! (Yay!)
I had already told my tutee that I was looking for language school jobs, and if I should be so lucky as to get one then I would have to reconsider tutoring him (because of the time it takes planning for lessons). But we have a very good relationship and so when I told him about the job he said it was fine and was very supportive and happy for me. Also, he is taking the celta classes again (for the new term) at the local college now, so I don't feel so bad for leaving him....
However, I start the job this Monday, so I was still tutoring him (today was my last lesson with him) but have taken on board some of your advice for future
He already has the Murphy book and we have used that a lot for grammar practice, and I finally got him to think about exactly what he wants English for (understanding news and political / environmental issues, as well as writing his CV etc.) So I got lots of articles from newsapers, magazines and the internet to have a look over. These were a really good source, as I could always find some sort of grammar point in them (although it does take a lot of time to explain some of the trickier vocab). But he was very eager to learn and was excited about newspapers because he said he real trouble understanding headlines (like most learners), so I spent 2 hours on the language of headlines and it went really well.
I knew his weak areas already (since he was one of my students on the CELTA), so I did try to focus on these. And like Royal's US students, he also knows if what he is saying is wrong, so often asks me to teach him or explain things I haven't prepared. I am more than happy to do this (and that part of the lesson goes without any problems), but it does feel like I've wasted time preparing what would have a been a good lesson...
In response to Wereldreizigster, you're certainly right about some people liking more "playful" learning...my tutee is definitely not one of those! I mean, he's not cold and serious, we DO have fun in the lesson, but he is very much a "I want to learn the rules, why are we playing this game?" kind of person. As you may or may not know, the CELTA tells us to do things the other way around, so it has been a challenge!
Royal: I think the main reason I've already decided I'm not a fan of 1:1 is that I am a naturally shy person who avoids confrontational situations. While I do have a very good relationship with my tutee, I much prefer being the teacher in a classroom... This may sound strange to some people, since I have said I'm shy, but actually the biggest confidence booster is having that level of authority being the teacher. I actually surprised myself during the course by being one of the most confident trainee teachers in the group. I think with 1:1 you feel more equal with the student (for various reasons) and that doesn't help someone like me.... So yeah, I guess it is fear-based... maybe a few years down the line I would happier to do 1:1, as I would be more experienced and confident with my own techniques and abilities.
But anyway, that's all over for the forseeable future, while I get stuck into 24 hours of teaching a week *gulp* ...it's my first teaching job and I have no idea how I will cope, but to be honest, I can't wait to start!!
Had I not got this job, I would've definitely done some volunteer work with refugees and asylum seekers, although again, I would've tried to avoid 1:1 and gone for a small group. Maybe in the future, once I can afford to not get paid fulltime, or have enough experience to not spend 24 hours a day preparing lessons, I'll definitely do some volunteering.
And Sally, thanks for the suggestion, I had no idea that publishers do that (free books? who would have thought!?), so that would be great, even in classroom teaching, just for ideas and activities.
Anyway, I think I've written more than enough for the moment, so thanks again for all of your advice, I'm sure I won't be the only person who finds it useful.
Thanks,
Neverything
one on one coursebook for pre-intermediate student
Hello Guys!
This discussion is of big help for me, so thanks for all of your advices to Neverything I also took them for myself. I am Hungarian and I am looking for a coursebook that I could use in one on one tuition with a 13 years old boy who is on pre intermediate level.
Are there course books especially written for one on one tuition or can you recommend one that can be altered for it although it was written for group use?
thanks for your help.
This discussion is of big help for me, so thanks for all of your advices to Neverything I also took them for myself. I am Hungarian and I am looking for a coursebook that I could use in one on one tuition with a 13 years old boy who is on pre intermediate level.
Are there course books especially written for one on one tuition or can you recommend one that can be altered for it although it was written for group use?
thanks for your help.