Teach English in Fort Saskatchewan - TEFL Courses

I believe that one to one teaching is a wonderful opportunity for a unique learning experience. There are a number of pros and cons to one to one teaching. Let’s take a closer look at these. One to one teaching leaves a lot of room for a totally custom built learning situation. teachers of these scenarios can tailor their lessons to the individual that they are teaching. Often times, the learner may just want to talk and practice what they already know. Sometimes, they will have specific difficulties that they would like to work on, or things that need practicing. One to one teaching allows for this type of flexibility without interfering with other students progression or needs. One to one teaching can allow for a stronger connection to be made between the student and teacher. Often times, this may allow for a greater level of comfort as the student will not feel criticized or judged by other students, and will feel more confident in showing signs of weakness or uncovering problems. A solid friendship can develop, which would probably not happen as easily in a classroom dynamic. One to one teaching also offers more “after class” flexibility. Once outside of the confines of a classroom, the teacher can choose a location for the lesson while showing a student around or doing some sightseeing themselves. This creates a new dynamic for a teacher/student relationship as each one is helping the other to learn and grow and see new things. Again, this is the result of a stronger ‘friendship’ being made as opposed to a strictly teacher-student relationship that you more commonly find in a classroom situation. I think there may also be a better cultural exchange with one to one teaching. Again, the teacher and learner have a more comfortable environment to really get to know each other and learn about each other’s cultures and customs. The time it takes to learn these types of facts about each student in a classroom just simply would not be available. As with anything, there are also a number of disadvantages to one to one teaching. Some students may not feel comfortable in a one to one situation. They may enjoy a larger group dynamic and feel more comfortable making mistakes in a group as opposed to right in front of the teacher. Many students may feel shy or too reserved to communicate in this type of scenario. Without the enthusiasm of the group dynamic, a teacher may find it difficult to come up with new and exciting materials for an individual to work on. A group can sometimes create its own energy and a teacher can use this as inspiration to create fun and exciting lesson plans based on the needs and wants of the group. In a one to one situation, the teacher may need to put more energy into being creative and creating a fun and engaging lesson. Without the other students, with which to measure progress, a teacher may have difficulty knowing how the student is progressing in their lessons. If there is a time limit on the learning, this may prove difficult with maintaining a structure that will fit into the timeline. Certain things must be learned, and it is important to make sure that these topics are covered and learned properly without getting too sidetracked or stuck on a certain topic. One more problem with one to one teaching is that the student and teacher may not get along. In a group dynamic this is less of a problem. However, when there are only 2 of you, this can certainly pose problems for both the learner and the teacher. In this scenario it is important to put individual differences aside and try to focus on why you are both there in the first place. In conclusion, I still feel that one to one teaching can be a very effective way for students to learn english. I feel that a one to one scenario allows for greater depth to be covered and a more unique human experience for both the learner and the teacher. Reference: British Council – Teaching english http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/teaching-one-one