I’ve been teaching the English language to adults for 20 years. In the past two years, I’ve been teaching online. In the minds of my clients, I fill one of two roles: coach or tutor.
Most of the time I am a coach. People hire a coach to help them overcome specific barriers to speaking English. Maybe they need to practice a job interview or speak directly with clients and colleagues. They feel that learning from a human being is the best way to gain confidence in real-life situations. Applications run by artificial intelligence don’t meet their needs because even the most engaging applications are not as interesting as talking to a person. To them, facial expressions and body language give them the total communication package. Also, the accountability required by a coach is the motivation some people want.
Less often, I am a tutor. A tutor provides a curriculum and a sequence of lessons similar to what a client might experience in a classroom. This approach is effective for someone who needs structured language learning. Preparation for a proficiency test like IELTS requires structure. Ideally, my client is able to commit to the time needed to master foundational skills in grammar and reading techniques. I start with basic concepts and progress methodically to more difficult concepts. Each step must be based on concepts previously learned. Also, there must be continuous assessment with standardized measures. Effective tutoring results in the client being able to produce excellent language skills under test conditions.
So, depending on your needs, I can be either a coach or a tutor, but it is important that you tell me what you want at the outset to get the results that you need.
