Regardless of whether you are looking for part-time or full-time English tutor jobs, learning about the myths and misconceptions about English language learners can greatly improve your teaching style once you begin classes. From the popular belief that the only way to learn a language is to adapt to the country’s culture to common teaching mistakes, here are some misconceptions and myths about English language learners.
One Must Adapt to American Culture
There are plenty of reasons why students study English online. Children are commonly enrolled in online English classes to prepare them for the future. On the other hand, adults use it for business and career progression purposes. With this, it becomes unnecessary for online English tutors to force the students to assimilate into the American culture.
Since handouts and lesson plans are uniquely assigned to students at the beginning of the term (depending on their prior knowledge), you must build your teaching style around it. As an online tutor, you encounter different kinds of students, with varied educational backgrounds, and purposes for learning English. You enhance their learning experience by acknowledging their individuality as well as their goals.
Social English is Equivalent to Academic English
Similar to a child’s language development wherein using and enjoying the language is the first step in literacy and the basis for learning to read and write, English learners also develop social English language skills. Academic English, as the term suggests, is more complex than social English. An ESL student proficient in social English may not necessarily possess academic English proficiency.
With this, social English is not equivalent to academic English. Social English is the kind of language that a person uses in day to day communication to survive in an English speaking country or environment. Unless the student is an Education major who wishes to teach in an English speaking country, there is no need for complex English curriculums.
Take note, the handouts and lesson plan provided to you are part of the script that you must follow in class. You have the freedom to incorporate your own teaching style and use examples but advancing the lesson far from the topic might mislead the students.
Students Must Be Corrected All the Time
As a teacher, it can be quite tempting to correct a student the moment they make the mistake. Making too many corrections often decreases the student’s confidence, especially if they notice that they are making the same mistakes over and over again. Regardless of whether it is grammar or pronunciation, it is best to wait for the student to finish speaking first.
The best way to go about this is to type down the sentences as they say it and take note of the words they mispronounced. Once they have finished speaking, recap their mistakes and allow them to repeat after you to ensure they understood the correction.
Language Learners Share the Same Background
While most students share the same nationality, it is important to view each student differently. It is quite common for English tutors to look at students in a collective manner due to their racial background and the foreign language they use. However, besides the fact that they are English language learners, they usually do not share the same background or level of education.
Getting to know your online English language learners, you also learn to appreciate their individuality which allows you to tailor your teaching style according to their learning capabilities.
It is Impossible to Build Relationships with Students
Either you encounter a handful of new students or meet repeats. Nevertheless, it is not impossible to build relationships with students.
Typically, professional online English tutors would advise newbies to start with a quick conversational English. It does not have to be 10 minutes long. Three questions should be enough to foster a student-teacher relationship. You can go as random as asking what their favorite color is, or learning why they are interested in learning the English language. Through this short conversation, you are also able to gauge the suitable teaching style.
In addition to that, keep notes of the students’ interests. You can use these pieces of personal information to personalize your approach to every student. Students feel the importance if you remember a thing or two about them. Once students begin to be comfortable with your teaching style and how you treat them, expect to have them as regulars.
Key Takeaway
If you recently accepted an English tutor job, be prepared by familiarizing yourself with these English language learners misconceptions. These myths often mislead plenty of new online English tutors which greatly affects the learning experience provided to students, creating a fun and positive learning environment for each of your students. Always remember, enhance students’ learnings to increase your earnings.
