Teach English in Guowang Zhen - Baoji Shi

Teaching one to one can be very different, challenging, and have some unique problems that some teachers might not be ready to face. On the other hand if you take the right approach I believe that one to one teaching can be more rewarding then traditional teaching, as you can really focus on the student. In this paper I am going to cover some of the key differences along with some advantages and disadvantages of teaching one to one and, some of the ways I go about addressing these issues. The first key difference in teaching one to one is that there seems to be a lot less support and resources available to teachers then for group classes. Although, much of this material can be modified to work with single student classes, it can be very time consuming to do this. Even searching online, it seems as if there is a limited supply of material suitable for one to one classes but I think there is more and more coming out today then in the last few years. On the plus side of this, one to one students can find their own material to go over in class and studying it can be more interesting to them. Another difference in one to one teaching is that the student or parents have much more control over the pace and timing of the class. These can be adjusted based on the needs of the student rather then a schools or institute course timing. One to one students can also adjust the number of classes per week more so, then with students of groups, if a student wants to learn quicker they just have to take more classes. Often times there is not a deadline to finish a course with one to one classes due to the fact that there are not usually formal exams or tests to complete at a set time like in most group classes. The role of the teacher can also be a lot different in one to one compared to traditional classes. One to one classes tend to be much more intimate and can lead to a stronger like or dislike between the student and the teacher. This feeling seems to be less strong in a group setting. Also, in one to one, the class is less teacher centered and the student can make more decisions about the course. Even when the teacher and student get along very well this can lead to another issue of becoming a friend and/or therapist to the student instead of being a teacher. This can lead to quickly being off subject and on to random topics. Another difference in one to one teaching is with some of the techniques used, where as most can be used some are more suitable, for example reading out loud to work on pronunciation would be better in one to one classes, but a very long out loud reading activity would be better off in a group setting. One difference that is also a plus is in the level of motivation of the student. Unless the student is required to be in class, maybe by their parents, the student is usually highly motivated to learn as they are spending their own time and money on the class. The last key difference between one to one and group classes is that there can be a different type of stress felt by the teacher and student, there can almost be a feeling like you always have to be ready to perform or if you are the student, you feel like you always must have the answer to every question. This can be off putting to some, but to others it can be fine. Some students prefer not being in front of a large class when experimenting with new language as they fear they will be laughed at. A few of the ways I deal with these issues is first and most importantly is to build a strong rapport. With this as a foundation, the student will feel more comfortable coming to class and will be much more likely to engage in activities, along with being more willing to go out side of their comfort zone while practicing the new language. Next, I try to be as flexible as possible with the student, this can mean slowing down an activity to focus on any mistakes that come up, to changing the material that we study, to something as simple as giving out homework. I know a lot of my adult students work full time and have a family to take care of, if they do not have time to complete the assigned homework we will just pick up where they left off on the next class. This kind of flexibility ensures that the student doesn't dread coming to class. The last thing I always try to make time for is a thorough feedback period at end of an lesson. I find that this a great opportunity to make substantial improvements. In summary, as challenging as one to one classes can be I feel that they are extremely rewarding, it's incredible to be able to be able to watch the student progress from day one and being very unsure of themselves to becoming fluent and confident in their new language abilities. I believe all teachers should make it a point to try a few one to one classes because you can really focus on how the student learns best and how different techniques affect different learners.