Are you a beginner English tutor and don't know where to start your first lesson? Then this article is for you. Tips and tricks on how to conduct the first lesson for an English tutor.
The first lesson of an English tutor is a real test not only for nerves, but also for knowledge and ability to build a dialogue with people. A tutor is judged by how well and effectively he will conduct his first lesson. Parents always pay attention to such main factors:
- having a lesson plan
- student involvement,
- the amount of learned material,
- the behavior of the teacher: whether he was confident or tense and absent-minded.
Therefore, before the first meeting, you need to prepare especially carefully. Now we will talk about the main points that you should pay attention to.
Get your TEFL TESOL certification
Travel, work online, get a job abroad, or be
an EFL and ESL teacher in your country.
First English tutoring session
Important success factors are not only knowledge of the language, but also punctuality, teacher training, the ability to solve organizational issues and the correct setting of goals.
Punctuality of the tutor
Parents or the student himself, if you work with adults, will definitely pay attention to your punctuality. The tutor must arrive on time, especially when it comes to young children who may not have their lessons done or have additional classes planned in other subjects.
Be sure to find out all possible modes of transport if you are studying at a student's home and explain how to get to you in several ways if they come to you.
Always warn if you are late and build your schedule in such a way that you have 15 minutes more travel time - this will allow you not to rush and come to class on time in case of unforeseen circumstances.
Preparing for the lesson
A tutor who claims to have long-term cooperation with a student should think over several options for conducting a lesson in advance.
In case the laptop suddenly does not turn on or the child gets tired and does not absorb information in the form of text, you need to have a plan B. We recommend that you have at hand (on a flash drive) or in your phone bookmarks several videos on general topics that you can watch and discuss.
For adults, we recommend checking out the selection of videos at watchengo.blogspot.com or watching and discussing one-minute news clips on the BBC YouTube channel.
For teenagers, a very interesting resource is the TED ED, where you can find videos about various fun facts. HUMAN, where you can watch interviews with celebrities, to be no less fascinating resource The main goal of the channel is to find out what makes us human.
For small children, videos from the British Consulate. In the case of a video, it is worth remembering that a person will read subtitles, so at the initial stage, it is worth giving preference to videos that are easier.
Organization of the lesson
In the process of planning a lesson, it is worth considering the time for discussing important organizational issues:
- What days of the week will you work out?
- How long before the start of the lesson is it permissible to cancel it?
- What messenger will you use to communicate?
- How will payment be made?
- What reasons can be considered acceptable for a pass?
- What to do with missed but paid lessons?
- Who will be responsible for the material base of the lesson if printouts are required for the lesson?
Lesson goals
A very important point is to discuss the goals of learning a language with a tutor. Some students are interested in getting good grades in English at school, in which case it will be your responsibility to complete homework and prepare for tests.
If the student or his parents want to achieve a high level of language proficiency, then it is also worth clarifying what is more important for them - conversational or grammar, the ability to communicate fluently or the need to pass an exam, for example, IELTS.
It is important to understand that the success of classes depends significantly on what the other side wants to see at the end. In addition, if the main task is to pass exam, then the materials for the lessons will also differ significantly. Therefore, always clarify this point in the first lesson.
How to conduct the first lesson to please?
At the first meeting, you should find out the level of the student, and in the future, select materials based on this. In order to find out what knowledge a person has, it is enough to ask him to tell about himself. Suggest telling:
- About work experience (if we are talking about an adult).
- About all courses taken or about education (if it is a student).
- About your favorite computer game or book you read (if it is a student).
- About favorite toys, fruits, objects (if this is a primary school student or a preschool child).
What should a tutor not do in the first lesson?
- Do not immediately start demonstrating your knowledge - do not switch completely to English. The child may be afraid that he does not understand anything. It will be better if you politely offer: “do you mind if we talk a little in English?”
- Do not bombard the person with a lot of questions: ask only those that may be relevant to your studies.
- Do not use all possible teaching methods and technologies in the first lesson - overload can happen, then classes with you will be associated with something very difficult.
- Do not talk about the successes of your past students - it is better to tell your parents about it after the lesson. If a child hears someone speak English from the second lesson or pass 200 USE, he may get upset and stop wanting to study, because he will be sure that he will not succeed.
How to conduct the first meeting with a student?
- Be attentive to the emotional state of the child - watch his reactions to your phrases, sentences, certain methods. This approach will help determine the most effective teaching methods and technologies.
- Tell us about yourself: who you are and how you will study, what you expect from the student. Show your books, explain how the classes will be structured, ask if he agrees - so the person will feel that his opinion is also important and interesting.
- Show the importance of the English language - give examples of famous people whom the language has helped to achieve heights. This will be the most useful and correct motivation.
- Talk about the purposes for which the language may be needed. Find out what the child dreams about and what he plans. This will help you select learning material on topics of interest to him.
- Use playful form for children and “useful” methods for older people. For example, you can find a foreign blogger related to the student's profession or education, and translate the post to the topic you like. So, for a novice IT specialist, it will be interesting to read about IT from an industry leader, and for a teenager, it will be interesting to learn fashion trends from a Fashion influencer.
- It is enough to behave calmly and confidently, this will affect the atmosphere of the lesson - after all, when the teacher knows what to do, then the student will also feel at ease.
As a conclusion
So, to summarize: an introductory English tutor lesson is a small test for the ability to find an approach to a person and organize the learning process.
If you follow the basic tips given in our article, then the lesson will be successful, and all participants in the process will be satisfied.
If you are an aspiring tutor with no experience or education, then we recommend that you take our British Accredited English courses, after which you will receive a certificate TEFL & TESOL.These courses are also useful because they thoroughly study not only the language, but also the methods of teaching it to different age groups. Get acquainted with the curriculum of the courses, the reviews of students, the advantages of our organization and make the right decision - to get a certificate and become a professional in teaching English not only in Russia, but also abroad.
The experience and practice of tutoring shows that just knowing the language is not enough, it is important to be able to present it in such a way that students want to study further.
Get your TEFL TESOL certification
Travel, work online, get a job abroad, or be
an EFL and ESL teacher in your country.
Here is the diagram of the first lesson that you can use in your classes:
- Getting to know parents and students
- Identification of the language level (a story about yourself, a few questions);
- A story about yourself as a tutor (answers to questions for the child);
- Change of activity - listening to a song, video, one exercise from a book;
- Conclusions on the lesson: what you liked, what you didn’t, what you would like;
- Organizational matters.
We wish you good luck with your first lessons!