| CEO English4Today | | | | ASK ABOUT YOUR TEACHER'S QUALIFICATIONS |
| From the English4Today series on online learning | | | | |
| | | | | Don't hesitate to ask questions about how the teacher |
| More and more websites and Internet services are | | | | works, what their experience and qualifications are and |
| offering to find you the ideal English language teacher. | | | | what materials they will use. Some questions you may |
| Many of them are very good and offer excellent | | | | want to ask are: |
| technical and teaching services. But how can you tell | | | | |
| the good ones from the bad? | | | | - What qualifications does my tutor have? |
| | | | | - Do they have experience teaching the skills I want to |
| IDENTIFY YOUR NEEDS | | | | learn? |
| | | | | - What materials are used for the online lessons? |
| Well, it is important to first of all decide what you need | | | | - How is my progress assessed? |
| and want: | | | | |
| | | | | ASK ABOUT THE 'TOOLS' YOU NEED AND THE |
| 1. Do you need English training for your job or to | | | | LESSON FORMAT |
| prepare for a job interview or entry into a foreign | | | | |
| institution? | | | | It is equally important, with online learning, that you are |
| 2. Do you need to pass an English language | | | | sure that you and the teacher can communicate |
| assessment examination such as CAELT, TOEFL or | | | | properly using the tools that you both have. Again, ask |
| IELTS? | | | | questions and avoid problems and disappointment later |
| 3. Do you need English to satisfy immigration | | | | on: |
| requirements? | | | | |
| 4. Do you need training for a highly specific purpose? | | | | - How long is each lesson? |
| For example, you may be giving an important | | | | - How do I talk / communicate with my teacher? |
| presentation in English or preparing a technical report in | | | | - What Internet and document tools do I need? (e.g. |
| English or being sent by your organization to negotiate | | | | Skype or MSN, Flash or video plugins, Powerpoint, |
| in English. | | | | Acrobat Reader etc.) |
| 5. Do you just want to practice your conversation skills | | | | - What time zone is my teacher in? |
| with someone who is a native speaker? | | | | - Do they (and you) have a high-speed, reliable Internet |
| 6. Do you want to study English for your own | | | | connection? |
| pleasure? | | | | - Can I try a 10 minute technical test with my teacher |
| | | | | before deciding to pay for my lessons? |
| If you answered 'yes' to 1,2,3 or 4 above then I'd | | | | |
| advise you to select online lessons with a professional | | | | ASK ABOUT THE COST AND PAYMENT |
| and qualified English language teacher rather than just | | | | METHODS |
| someone you meet on the Internet who can speak | | | | |
| English. | | | | The cost may be very important to you as well but |
| | | | | when judging the hourly rate of a lesson make sure |
| | | | you factor in how quickly you will get to your goals |
| | | | | with the teacher you select and how their experience |
| Professional teachers may cost a little more but you | | | | may, in fact, end up saving you money by getting you |
| will be learning a lot faster, with better direction and | | | | where you want to be a lot faster than a less qualified |
| understanding of your needs and from someone who | | | | teacher. |
| really knows how the English language works. Just | | | | |
| because you know how to drive a car it doesn't mean | | | | Hourly rates for online teaching vary between around |
| that you know how the engine works or can explain | | | | $15 an hour up to around $70 for highly specialized |
| how to drive to someone else! And so it is with a lot | | | | training. Remember, it's not always the cheaper rate |
| of people who are native English speakers - ask them | | | | that offers the best value! Some questions to ask |
| why we use the Simple Past instead of the Present | | | | about cost and payment include: |
| Perfect and they'll be hard pressed to answer ... let | | | | |
| alone give an explanation that you will understand. | | | | - What is the rate per lesson and how long is a |
| | | | | lesson? (online lessons usually go from 30 - 60 |
| If you answered 'yes' to 5 or 6 then a native English | | | | minutes) |
| speaker who isn't a teacher will probably do and you | | | | - What are the payment methods accepted (e.g. online |
| can find people willing to do this on many of the sites | | | | with an organization such as PayPal, bank transfer, |
| that provide a meeting space for people interested in | | | | Western Union etc.) |
| language learning. The advantage here is that you can | | | | - What are you refund policies? |
| usually get this sort of practice free of charge or in | | | | - What are the lesson cancellation policies? |
| exchange for helping someone practice your language. | | | | - Can I get an invoice to claim back money from my |
| | | | | employer for training? |
| You also want to be sure that the teacher and the | | | | |
| organization that you choose can teach you what you | | | | If you've got a good idea of who and what you are |
| want - not all teachers can teach you presentation or | | | | looking for before you start you, and your teacher, are |
| negotiating skills in English or teach academic writing | | | | likely to avoid disappointment and to build a useful |
| skills if you need to prepare for university. | | | | teacher-student relationship that will help you quickly |
| | | | | improve your English language level. |