Online tutoring may be the best solution for you if you want to learn English as a second language or improve your language skills. But, finding the best online language tutor can be challenging as there are thousands of online platforms and millions of online tutors.
Knowing the benefits of online language learning, where to find a professional tutor, and the traits of quality tutors will help you make the right decision.
5 Steps to Find the Best English Tutor Online
Here’s how to find the perfect online language tutor for your language needs:
Step 1 – Know the Benefits of Learning English Online
Not only does online English tutoring is the modern way to learn a foreign language, but it’s also incredibly beneficial. The most important benefits include:
- You don’t have to reside in an English-speaking country.
- You get to pay less than in-person private lessons.
- You don’t have to commute and neither the teacher, which will save you time and money.
- You have the option to choose video-based or audio-only calls, depending on how you feel like a beginner or advanced learner.
- You can use different online tools such as translators or dictionaries while chatting.
Now that you know why having an online language teacher is a good idea let’s find the best one for your needs.
Step 2 – Look in the Right Places
Just because there are plenty of online language learning platforms nowadays doesn’t mean that all of them have excellent language tutors. That’s why it’s essential to know where to look for your perfect English tutor online.
Some of the best language tutoring websites are LiveXP, Preply, and Italki. These platforms are known as the best of their kind because they have great teachers that can help you learn English and any other language effectively and quickly.
Step 3 – Traits of Great Online Language Teachers
A good teacher is aware of the brain’s learning process. It means that they will use the proper techniques, give you valuable tips, and expect realistic results from your language-learning process.
- They know that learning all the new vocabulary is impossible and won’t make you feel bad about it.
- They connect with you to find out what learning method is best for you.
- They know that learning through associations, jokes, mnemonics, and patterns is effective.
- They reduce the amount of homework if they notice you are exhausted, and they even encourage you to rest as that’s important for effective language learning.
- They truly love the language they are teaching. They show this by talking about comedians, musicians, poets, or authors and know a wide range of idioms and sayings.
- They are enthusiastic about teaching the language and can’t wait to share their knowledge with you.
Step 4 – Factors to Consider
When choosing a tutor to help you learn English online, make sure you keep the following factors in mind:
- If you want to learn American English, choose an American tutor, not an Australian or British one
- If you feel more comfortable speaking to a man or woman, choose a tutor of the preferred gender
- Figure out how much you want to spend on a tutor, and find out how much they charge
- Make sure they have enough experience and/or relevant education and certifications
- Read their reviews to find out if they are effective
- See if they offer sample classes, as that can help you figure out if they are a good match
Step 5 – Questions to Ask
Once you find a potential teacher, ask them the following questions to see if you like their teaching style:
What does your typical tutoring lesson look like?
Ideally, you want a tutor that will focus on pronunciation and speaking with things like reading aloud, pronunciation drills, and asking you to do prepared or unexpected monologues.
Are you going to give me homework and when will you correct it?
Grammar and writing should also be included in your learning process, but preferably outside of your tutoring time. Your online English teacher should correct your homework before the lesson begins and go over it in the first five minutes.
Will you explain grammar concepts?
The best online language tutor can explain any grammar concept so you can understand it easily. It means you shouldn’t book a lesson with the first English native speaker you find on a language learning platform. It, however, may not be so crucial if you just want to practice conversation.