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This is how our TEFL graduates feel they have gained from their course, and how they plan to put into action what they learned:
The internet has become a major source of information, especially for the one-to-one teacher. By simply typing in a particular keyword an abundant supply of data appears. So much is available that it is virtually possible to tailor the needs of the students to a “T”.
One-to-one teaching allows great flexibility. Lessons can be taught anywhere, in a cafe, on a trip, shopping or anywhere else. This allows the student to experience a real-life situation. In a restaurant, for example, the student could order the meal with the confidence that if a minor problem occurs, the teacher is there to assist. This makes the lesson a little more relevant. It also removes the tedium of always sitting in the same place looking at the same four walls. The student always has 100% of the teacher's attention which is a significant difference from group teaching.
In my situation, some of the problems with one-to-one can be overcome. As I will normally be teaching in my own home, hours can be flexible. If the student is unable to make the assigned time, it could be moved. Also, if the lesson is going well or poorly, time could be extended or shortened as needed. Breaks can be scheduled when required to allow “switch off” time.
One-to-one permits the student and teacher to become closer. This allows the student to become more comfortable and relaxed making teaching and learning easier. A relationship might develope which could lead to the student's discussing personal matters. In this case the teacher must remain professional at all times, knowing when to offer an opinion and when to just listen.
Being successful at teaching one-to-one requires good people skills. All of them must be put into play to develope a good rapport with the student. You must be able to smile even when things are going badly. A good knowledge of the needs of the students is necessary. This can be done beforehand either by Skype or email. If not, then have them fill out a questionnaire and always have an informal chat before preparing lessons. Knowing the student's interests, be they personal or business, allows for more authentic material to be used. The most important thing to remember is to make any lesson a fun one. Even the most introverted student has likes and dislikes. To discover these and adapt the session to them will make even him/her enjoy the experience.
Dressing properly is important in many cases. A young student might be intimidated by your wearing of business attire. On the other hand, a business man might expect it.
To paraphrase what Priscilla Osborne has to say in her book, “Teaching english One to One”, if a student has to choose, most of the time he prefers inexperienced, lively teachers over an experienced, unenthusiastic one. If a good rapport has been made between both you and the student, he is more apt to forgive and overlook your mistakes in techniques and even inefficiencies.
This instills a little more confidence in my ability to make this a successful venture. With the help of the now-completed course and a wealth of material available on the internet, I am looking forward to embarking on this new endeavor.
