Methods of English Tutoring or Practice?
Nov 21st 2009 12:51
tutor
English
help
I have been thinking about trying to become an English tutor. I don't know yet if it would be something I would do professionally, but I would at least like to give it a try. I don't know where or how to start. I do enjoy my time here on Lang-8. I do my best to correct at least a couple of posts a day, especially posts that have no corrections. I enjoy researching and answering people's grammar and cultural questions. This research teaches me things that I have not known about my native language.
I would like to continue that kind of question-and-answer tutoring on a one-on-one or small group basis. Ideally, I would like to work with another English instructor or tutor to develop study materials. My background is in graphic design and multimedia, so I would be able to design some graphics, interactive lessons, short films, or other such materials. This would be a dream situation for me. I would have the opportunity to use my skills (which I have not been able to use lately) and I would be helping others.
So, the questions I have to you, my friends and everyone on Lang-8:
* What qualities do you look for in an English tutor?
* If you have found an English tutor online, where did you find him/her?
* What methods do you use when learning English? (Books, practice, tutoring, etc)
* If you are a native English speaker, would you have any interest in a tutoring collaboration?
Thank you very much for reading. I hope to get some good feedback.
Cheers!
P.S. The picture is an example of learning materials I made in the past, a how-to-draw-manga tutorial for an American manga magazine.
- 116
- 14
- 0
Journals Statistics
| Total | 10 entries |
|---|---|
| This Month | 0 entries |
| This week | 0 enrties |
Latest entry
| Help with Plum Liqueur (梅酒) Label (8) |
| お休み (11) |
| Methods of English Tutoring or Practice? (14) |
| かぎ針編みの本 (24) |
| 病気 (19) |
Latest comments
| Jan 13th |
| Jan 08th kobi |
| Dec 21st Roll |
| Dec 20th Julia.Jin |
| Dec 20th H-M |
Entries by Month
| 2009 |
|---|
| - December (2) |
| - November (2) |
| - October (1) |
| - September (3) |
| - August (2) |
I wish my sentenses would be corrected by someone like you!
I'm sorry. I cannot answer any of the questions.
* What qualities do you look for in an English tutor?
--> I don't know...
* If you have found an English tutor online, where did you find him/her?
--> I have not found any tutor online.
* What methods do you use when learning English? (Books, practice, tutoring, etc)
--> This is the very thing that I woudl like to know. What methods should I use in order to masuter English? ^^;;
* What qualities do you look for in an English tutor?
They must love teaching others, have a serious attitude, and have abilities to correct people’s mistakes, or to guess what students express about.
I once practiced with a native speaker at my department, and he told me that he wants to be a teacher. However, when I told to him, he didn’t have a serious attitude to help me correct my mistakes.
* If you have found an English tutor online, where did you find him/her?
1.http://www.mylanguageexchange.com
2.italki.com
3.http://www.livemocha.com/users/register/l:en-us
These are some websites that I once tried to find teacher to teach me.
* What methods do you use when learning English? (Books, practice, tutoring, etc)
1.Books for vocabulary, grammar, and writing.
2.Some websites. For example, lang-8.
3.My skype group for practice speaking.
4.I join school’s English Corner to practice.
5.I practice with native speaker on campus.
6.Some CDs or songs.
* If you are a native English speaker, would you have any interest in a tutoring collaboration?
I have!
Although I am not a native speaker, I hope I can teach English in the future.
Therefore, I hope I can be good at English.
However, I am always afraid that if I can’t be good at English, how to teach others English?
Because of that, I often ask lots of question to help me understand English.
Thanks for always helping me and answer my questions, Medusamolly.
You have talent in manga~~It’s very cool!
I hope I can talk with you via Skype, soon.
* What qualities do you look for in an English tutor?
If I were a student, I hope my tutor would be a following person♪
1. funny
2. positive
3. enthusiastic
And, I want tutor not to give up even if my English isn't progressing..;p
...Am I selfish:D?
I bet you would be a good tutor!!
* What qualities do you look for in an English tutor?
If I look for tutors for my daughters. Safety is the most important.
I'd like to know their personality.
* If you have found an English tutor online, where did you find him/her?
I don't know what to do.
* What methods do you use when learning English? (Books, practice, tutoring, etc)
My daughters and I have started this. http://smart.fm/home
* If you are a native English speaker, would you have any interest in a tutoring collaboration?
cooking? drawing? art?
I'm interesting in your pictures, how-to-draw-manga. It's nice!
As you have a lot of talents, I admire you!
I'd like to write about my opinions.
* What qualities do you look for in an English tutor?
I think the pronunciation is the most difficult thing for me. So let me speak in English and I want a tutor to correct my English pronunciation. The reason why I think like that, I can learn English grammar or expression with books, CD, and DVDs, but I can't improve my English pronunciation without a tutor.
* If you have found an English tutor online, where did you find him/her?
We have a lot of sites where we can find a tutor. In Japan, we can have skype lessons with natives. They are not expensive especially when tutors are from west Asian country.
http://www.rarejob.com/
We also can find tutors who are living in Japan. We can take a private lessons wherever we like. Starbucks coffee shop, McDonald's, and so on.
http://www.my-sensei.com/
http://www.findateacher.net/tsearchJS.html
* What methods do you use when learning English? (Books, practice, tutoring, etc)
I said to you like above, but I love this Lang-8 website than any other else. It's alternative.
* If you are a native English speaker, would you have any interest in a tutoring collaboration?
→Unfortunately I'm not a native speaker, sorry.
Good luck to you!
Cheers!
have a large stock of knowledge about languages.
reliable
nice personality
* If you have found an English tutor online, where did you find him/her?
on skype (but through learning language website)
* What methods do you use when learning English? (Books, practice, tutoring, etc)
website,dictionary
* What qualities do you look for in an English tutor?
In Japan, generally speaking, native English speakers meets the qualities people look for. There are a lot of English learning classes in Japan. But tutors in them don't always have a teaching background. High school English teachers have a teaching background. But most of them are not native speakers. (I'm not sure the situations in other countries.)
* If you have found an English tutor online, where did you find him/her?
The following is not a direct answer. But I think maybe it help you.
In Japan, generally speaking, people don't look online for an English tutor. They go to offline(what should I say??) classes. I've heard of some of online English classes. But most of Japanese people don't know online classes.
I searched for online English classes with a Japanese keyword some time ago, I found some ones. I didn't know them.
* What methods do you use when learning English? (Books, practice, tutoring, etc)
reading: reading news in English almost every day.
writing: lang-8. I think getting correction is the best way.
listening: listening in a news site. Scripts are written in the BBC Learning English site.
I've wrote only about Japan. I hope this would help you.
Thanks.
However I was not satisfied with them.
Most teachers didn't have the teaching skill and some of them were not eager to teach.
If I had enough money, I would learnt a dedicated and enthusiastic teacher.
I don't like to join a group English lesson, I prefer a private lesson.
As banira-san said, Skype lessons such as “rare job” are getting popular in Japan.
I did a trial lesson once but the teacher's pronunciation is not good.
Maybe it depends on the teacher.
I think I have to read the English newspaper, but I don't read it.
As osampo lark-san said, I study English on “smart.fm” everyday.
I think you are already a good teacher.
If I want to take an English lesson here, I have to pay a lot of money.
I wish I could take an English lesson at a more reasonable price.
Sincerely
yuko
* What qualities do you look for in an English tutor?
-> I hope that the English tutor can understand Japanese speaking.
I wish they have a skill to explain about English in Japanese.
And I think that the tutor should have sincerity and good faith.
* If you have found an English tutor online, where did you find him/her?
-> Various SNS including Lang-8. Or I found http://www.italki.com/ lately.
* What methods do you use when learning English? (Books, practice, tutoring, etc)
-> I read books for English study in trains.
I listen ESL podcasts on return roads.
I write diary at Lang-8.
And I developed two application on web for listening and dictation. Though we can play them only at Mixi which is Japanese famous SNS.
Good luck !
Thanks for reading and correcting lots of times. So this time, for taking back to your help, I’d like to give you a little help.
This is my poor perspective for your question.
* What qualities do you look for in an English tutor?
A: I suppose this is depended on how high the person has the English skill. You’re planning to do that in the US, right? So, in that case, I think that the customer you’ll service for will already have a decent English skill. Personally, I think that kind of people want not whether conversation is formed or not, but whether how close they become native or not. Because of it, I suppose this answer is “to be able to teach them delicate nuance of English by simple, straightforward English”
* If you have found an English tutor online, where did you find him/her?
A: I never have that online tutor, but I have a friend who did that, I heard that he got the tutor from a bulletin board in the university he studied. So I suppose it’s a good idea to notice your service on a college (or ESL) bulletin board.
* What methods do you use when learning English? (Books, practice, tutoring, etc)
A: Personally, I’m sure the best way to learn language is “intensive reading”. And I pronounce it loudly countless times. And I often translate some Japanese into English. I think if I get a chance to speak to natives, I want to have a theme discussion or theme acting.
* If you are a native English speaker, would you have any interest in a tutoring collaboration?
A: I’m sorry I’m not natives….
It ’ll be the my best pleasure if it will be a little your help.
I think that your wish is very good!
* What qualities do you look for in an English tutor?
Hm...He/she must be kind but exacting.It should be like I have found a new friend
who speaks another language and wants to help me.
* What methods do you use when learning English? (Books, practice, tutoring, etc)
Internet,books,courses,films and news ( Sky news or similar).
Speaking is the problem number one for me because I don't know how to find english speaking friends in real world.
* What qualities do you look for in an English tutor?
1. Super-solid grammar knowledge
2. Unique teaching methods and materials, such as pronunciation practice drills or lots of original sentences which include useful expressions
3. Seriousness about trying to improve his/her teaching skills
4. Knowledge of some other languages, excluding English
5. Passion for teaching
* If you have found an English tutor online, where did you find him/her?
I haven't found one yet.
* What methods do you use when learning English? (Books, practice, tutoring, etc)
1. Books for self-study, mostly the ones with CDs
2. Books written for children or young adults
3. Podcast for ESL students
4. TV shows on DVD, such as "90210" and "Friends"
5. Lang-8
I hope my answers help. Good luck on your great plan!