Teaching One to One

I like teaching, as much as I like learning.

I have always got on very well with my one to one students. I guess that is because I am interested in the individual person and able to tune in to their personality and their needs.

Learning a language in one to one lessons is not necessarily going through the next unit in a course book, with the grammar rules and new vocabulary, listening material, worksheets etc.

Although all of this will be provided as necessary, the main focus in the lessons is on something else: What is the maximum benefit that the student can get from these 60 minutes - a benefit which he or she would not gain learning in a class for the same amount of time?

Very often this is just speaking, learning by doing. As for every person the passive command of the language (reading and listening) by far exceeds the active one (speaking and writing), the challenge is to make this passive knowledge accessible for active use.

This can best be achieved when the learner is relaxed and confident. I find that my experience as a mentor of self esteem in personal development classes supports my students.

Of course, some students need something else, because they want to take an exam or write an essay.  Others are beginners, for some of them it is the first time to learn a foreign language.

I’m happy to work with them, whatever they need at this particular time.