The range of tutoring services on offer is very wide and often confusing. Various aspects should be taken into account when choosing the right English tutoring service, as they can have a major impact on learning success. In order to find a tutoring service that meets the needs of you or your child, there are a few points to consider before making your choice. Below we have outlined the most important criteria to consider when choosing the right English tutoring service:
1. private or commercial tutoring
English tutoring is offered by numerous private tutors as well as by many commercial learning institutes. Before you continue looking for offers, it is helpful to narrow down the choice by considering whether you or your child would prefer one-to-one tuition - e.g. in your own home - or tuition in a learning institute. Where is less in the way of concentrated learning?
2. lessons in groups or 1:1
Motivation is contagious, which is why some learners generally find group lessons very enriching. The organization by the tutor determines whether a learning group makes successful progress. Group tutoring enables more versatile learning methods which are particularly beneficial in English tutoring: Oral practice units, vocabulary quizzes, learning games etc. can be implemented much better in group lessons.
During one-to-one lessons, however, tutors can respond much better to specific needs and individual gaps in knowledge and there is no pressure to perform and no boredom - both of which make it difficult to learn English successfully. Even those who are easily distracted by classmates should therefore opt for individual tutoring.
3. the organization of lessons
If you have opted for English tutoring in a group at a learning institute, you should definitely find out about the teaching style in advance. The way tutoring is structured varies greatly from teacher to teacher and depending on the learning institute. Everyone grasps knowledge differently and needs different prerequisites for successful and fast learning. Do you prefer frontal teaching or would you rather do lots of oral exercises? Do you learn better through e-learning or memorization? Ask the tutoring providers in advance how their lessons are structured.
4. learning via the Internet or in personal tutoring sessions
If you have opted for tutoring in the form of one-to-one tuition, some tutoring providers allow you to choose whether the lessons should be held in person or via Skype or Teamviewer, for example. Online tutoring is offered in almost all subjects, including online English tutoring. Here again, there is no good or bad, no right or wrong - learning success occurs when you have found the teaching method that is tailored to you. English tutoring via an online channel saves time and money. Especially those who are very busy at work, at home or at university may benefit much more from a relaxed online tutoring lesson in their own living room or office.
5. recessions and feedback from former learners
If you need to decide on a tutoring provider, feedback from former English learners can also provide a helpful basis for making a decision. On Facebook, Google and websites, you can often find interesting and meaningful statements left by former tutoring students.
6. the proximity
Nobody wants to spend a lot of time in the car or on public transport to attend a tutoring session. Distance is a powerful and important argument when looking for tutoring for a child. So if you are looking for tutoring opportunities close to your home, school or place of work, you can use the education portal Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch, for example, to search specifically for offers in your region. If there is no English tutoring available in your desired area, online tutoring might be a solution worth considering.
7. the finances
Finances often play a very important role when choosing an English tutor. However, it must be borne in mind that cheap offers will not necessarily bring the desired learning success. The financial aspect should therefore only influence the choice of offer after the above criteria. First and foremost, it is important that the financial and time investment in English tutoring quickly brings the desired progress. Professional tutoring that is tailored to individual needs and learning styles sometimes comes at a price - but it is always worth it.
The easiest and quickest way to find the most important tutoring offers is on the largest Swiss education portal Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch. Fill in the online inquiry form and order free and non-binding information documents directly from the providers of English tutoring.
Linda, deine Weiterbildungsfinderin