Group classes or private lessons? Many students ask themselves that question when they decide to look for an English school and embark on a English learning journey. Of course every student is different – some come to London to study in a English school for the language experience but also the vibe. Those will likely want the experience of having lessons in a group. Some students will come to the English school looking to improve fast, and to their own pace. And there are many advantages to private lessons and below you will find many reasons to help you make an informed decision.
Well, I guess it is impossible to say with 100% certainty that 1-2-1 lessons are better than a class with other students, however, there are general conclusions that can be taken from the experience of many students who have studied here at our English school, over the years.
Lessons are tailor-made for you
Before your lessons even start a thorough assessment of your skills is carried out and as well as a diagnostic test to identify your needs, you complete a needs analysis where you can express what you need the language for, what you want to cover, what type of exercises you like (or dislike) and how (and where) you prefer the lesson to occur. Armed with that arsenal of information, the teacher has a pretty good idea of your wants, needs and lacks before even meeting you.
The undivided attention of the teacher
That means more opportunity to engage in real communication, more feedback and more understanding of your needs and gaps in knowledge.
More control over the class
Students can decide the aim of each class, the pace, the materials and ask for as much information, error correction and feedback as they want, without having to worry about other students.
Your teacher as a resource
The teacher and the student can develop a real and productive working relationship with each other and this is more engaging for both parts. Also the student can use the teacher as a resource, and ask questions, model language and practise skills.
More of every skill
In an hour of 1-2-1 you will speak more, read more, write more and listen more than you would in a 3 or 4 hour group class. Thus your improvement is a lot faster in less time.
Online 121
Now one of THE best technological innovations of our time, one that has given us easier access and ability to connect with people around the globe, has also impacted the way private lessons are taught… The Virtual Learning Environment!
Skype, Zoom, Google Meet, MS Teams and many others, were game changers. They revolutionised the way the world interacts and as long as there is a good internet connection, communication via VLE is almost like having the person in the same room! And how has that got anything to do with learning languages you ask? Well, learning a language requires the ability to see, listen, speak, interact, write and read and all those can be done through VLE. It is as effective as a face to face lesson and I dare say it is often better!
It is more convenient
With pressures we find ourselves under nowadays travelling somewhere – be it commuting or flying – may well be the deterrent for us learning a language. With a VLE you cut the travel time and can learn from the convenience of your place of work or better, from the comfort of your home!
It is more interactive
Because you and your teacher are not face to face, the activities have to be more practical and interactive as your teacher cannot give you a bunch of worksheets. So a lot of the class will be verbal.
It can be more focused
Simply because you will probably be using a headphone so even the more distracted student, the one prone to daydream will remain more concentrated and focused on the task at hand. Your teacher’s voice will be more clear, as loud as your wish and that will potentially increase your listening skills and pronunciation level.
Tempted? Why don’t you browse through our page and plan to have your private lessons face to face or via Zoom! Or write to us and we will be happy to help you with your learning needs.