English is has become such an important language for communication and it’s the bridge between people who speak different mother tongue across different ethnicity and nationalities. Today’s globalised world requires students to be able to speak eloquently in the English language; to communicate ideas and thoughts effectively and convincingly to others.
There are many nuances to a language and in order to get better at it, persistence and determination is essential. We can be very tempted to give it all up and get frustrated because getting the hang of the language and seeing yourself improve can make the learning process difficult.
Learning a language is also much easier when you are a child due to the declarative and procedural memory system. Hence the reason why it is best to give proper attention and specialised guidance for children in English language since young. Mastering English language is not easy and it requires lots of practice; thus, many opt for English home tuition.
SO, HOW CAN ONE MAKE THE BEST OUT OF HOME TUITION WITH PRIVATE ENGLISH TUITION?
#1: FOLLOW THEIR ADVICE
Teachers are well-experienced and they know how to guide students according to their learning capacity, strengths and weaknesses. If private home tutors (私人 上門 補習) assigns a homework, an assignment or tells you to cultivate the habit of reading or as such, then following that with due respect is important.
#2: CULTIVATE THE HABIT OF READING
Private English Tutor
Reading is one of the best ways to learn a language after listening and practicing conversing. As you read, it is important to look out for the way sentences are structured, the kind of words that are being used, and the way stories are being told or the way history is being told in a gripping manner.
As you progress further, you can read more complex articles like that of, The Economist, as the language is handled at a very professional level and constructive criticisms are given. All this comes with practice and by reading more and more you will automatically start getting lots of doubts and that’s your chance to clear them and achieve clarifications through your tutor!
#3: PRACTICE
Speaking is one thing and writing is a whole new area all together. For a start, you can write a daily journal in your diary and show it to your home tutor (you may not include personal details). Write about simple things, like what you had done in that day, what you were feeling throughout the day or you can write about things that make you feel happy or about things that make you feel sad. By forming this habit, you would get much more comfortable with writing and the idea of writing an essay does not become fearful anymore!
FINAL THOUGHTS…
There are many English tuition (補習 英文) teachers who are well-versed in the language are willing to teach students no matter how weak they are. There is no one way to get to achieve your goals because it’s always a culmination of many different tactics and strategies. Most importantly, keep in mind that patience is necessary because mastering a language takes lots of time and certainly lots of patience!
The education system today demands much more from students than it did about 20 years ago. The education system prepares students to specialise in specific areas of study (more importance lies in the math and science field) and compete with one another. It has been constantly evolving to adapt to the ever changing corporate landscape and it is indeed quite a challenge to stay ahead of the curve. Students are deprived of a breathing space to internalise what they are being taught, be it through lessons or through experiences.
Unfortunately, the teaching and resources provided in schools is insufficient for students to ace in their examinations and on top of all that, school teachers’ teaching skills are becoming somewhat obsolete, losing its effectiveness. There are many reasons for this phenomenon such as, a large teacher to students’ ratio (there’s a lack of opportunity for proper attention). It’s impossible to fulfil every students’ learning needs and hence students are deprived of customised teaching which could possibly help them excel at a much faster rate.
One of the stark differences between a classroom environment and a one-one-one tutoring is that, the class strength will be much lesser for the latter. Smaller student to teacher ratio is one of the biggest advantages that private learning offers. Students will be so much more focused during lessons as there is no sources of distractions around them. However, in a tuition centre or at school with many students in one classroom, there is a high chance of unnecessary distractions that could be created and tutors may even waste their precious time disciplining them to maintain a conducive learning environment.
2: CUSTOMISED TEACHING
Every student is unique and has different learning capacity, speed and learning needs. A private tutor will patiently wait and figure out the details of the student with regards to how he or she takes in information and processes it. Thereafter, the tutor will guide his or her student in a systematic way to ensure effective learning. Whereas in tuition centres and in schools, tutors cannot customise their teaching to meet each student’s learning needs though this is much needed. Instead the teacher can only at most use certain strategies to help students with slower learning pace to catch up. An example could be grouping the slightly weaker students together and allocating the stronger students to each of these groups for peer guidance. Nonetheless, the kind of customised learning that students get from private tuition is extremely useful and, in this aspect, private tutoring is indeed advantageous.
3: RESOURCES
The study materials given in schools are usually not enough and more often than not, the resources are restricted to what the syllabuses demand and do not provide information or insights beyond the syllabus. Sometimes extra explanation is required to understand certain sub concepts in an abstract and complex topic. This is the reason why home tuition in Hong Kong also has free test papers to train students. Practice make perfect and hence students require a constant supply of resources to continue getting better with each round of practice.
BOTTOM LINE Home tuition has various benefits and it aims in bringing the best out of students. Home tuition (上門 補習) is an excellent option and many senior parents who have had chosen this path can vouch for its effectiveness. The guidance is essential for students to ride the fast track and stay ahead of the curve. The ride may not be easy but learning is fun and it is indeed so when a private tutor is there to guide and advise.