Choosing an online foreign language tutor can be one of the more difficult aspects of learning. As you may know, there are many different options available to you regarding what type of tutor you choose and where they come from. If you want to avoid some common mistakes that people make when choosing a tutor, read on.
1. Not understanding what level of fluency you need
Before you even start looking for a tutor, you need to understand what level of fluency you are currently at. If your goal is to get by in everyday life and speak with friends or family members, then it’s likely that the highest levels of proficiency won’t matter much for this particular reason. On the other hand, if you
are going abroad soon and will need more advanced skills course-wise, coursework may not be enough on its own. In these cases, finding a tutor who can help push past your plateau would be beneficial.
2. Choosing based on price alone Of course,
you have to consider the total costs of hiring an online foreign language tutor. However, choosing a foreign language tutor based solely on price is one of the worst mistakes to make. Think about what’s most important: getting advanced training to succeed school or career-wise, or spending very little? Therefore, consider other factors alongside the total costs. Remember that quality is always better than quantity. A good tutor will not only be able to help you get past your plateau, but they can also offer invaluable advice about how to keep improving in the future.
3. Hiring someone who doesn’t have experience with your specific language
Experience really matters when it comes to choosing the best foreign language tutor for you. You need to choose a tutor with experience working with people learning the same language as yourself. Even if you are learning a highly common language, such as Spanish or French, if your tutor has no experience teaching people at your level of proficiency in the language, they may not be able to help you very much.
4. Not considering their availability
How does your schedule look like? Is your tutor available when you are? It is important to find out if your tutor will be available to work with you on your schedule or if their availability is based on when they are free. If you can’t find a time that works for both of you, it may be difficult to continue lessons consistently and make the most out of them.
5. Not considering their personality
A foreign language tutor’s personality matters. You need someone who will help keep things fun while also challenging enough to push yourself towards learning more about the target language. It is important that your teacher shares some interests with you so that conversations between lessons don’t feel forced but instead natural flowing easily from one topic into another.
In summary
Avoiding these 5 mistakes will help you find the right foreign language tutor for you and make learning a new language a lot more fun and engaging.