Important Things to Know Before Tutoring Beginners

Who are our beginners and what's the best way to engage them? Today, we'll cover three important characteristics to look out for as well as some relevant tips.

1. Most of Our Beginners Know Some English

At Engoo, most of our beginners already know some English. For example, they'll usually know a handful of:

• Vocabulary words (colors, family members, simple action verbs, etc.)
• Grammar patterns (personal pronouns and helping verbs like "can" and "will")
• Fixed expressions (simple greetings and survival phrases)

You may occasionally meet a learner with no knowledge of English, but this is rare.

Most of our students have studied English for a number of years but are still struggling to communicate. There are even some who score well on standardized tests but have trouble with tasks like calling a taxi or asking for directions.

This means that even if we meet a beginner, we usually don't need to start from square one with them. Instead, we can help them use their existing knowledge to perform real-world tasks, like having conversations about familiar topics or ordering food at a restaurant.

Just keep in mind that they often appear to understand more than they actually do. This is why it’s a good idea to periodically check their understanding!

2. Beginners Often Have Personal Baggage

Students ... are not merely 'empty vessels' that will need to be filled by the wise words of the teacher; instead, they carry a considerable 'personal baggage' to the language course that will have a significant bearing on how learning proceeds.

"Focus on the Language Learner: Styles, Strategies and Motivation" by Andrew D. Cohen

Many beginners bring their own personal experiences to their language study. This can include things like:

• Positive or negative feelings about English ("I'm only studying because my company wants me to learn it.")
• Confidence issues ("I'm scared of making mistakes in front of strangers.")
• Ideas based on previous experiences ("My teachers taught more through memorization than through conversation.")

Basically, beginners aren't starting from absolute zero, so we'll want to be sensitive about the beliefs they have about themselves, the language they're learning, and their language-learning process. This might mean:

• Building their confidence by drawing attention to small successes ("Great job pronouncing that word!")
• Helping them develop positive feelings about English — for example, by showing them how they can use it to pursue their interests
• Suggesting learning strategies that complement their learning preferences instead of replacing them

3. Beginners Have Clear Learning Needs

The adult beginner will always have some clear reason for wanting to learn a language. It may be recreational or occupational, and it is important for the teacher to identify this reason.

Beginners by Peter Grundy

Adult learners have specific needs for studying English, and beginners are no exception. So before we start teaching them generic words and phrases, it’s better to ask why they're learning English and how they plan to use it so we’ll know what will be useful for them.

If a student needs English to communicate with foreign coworkers, for example, you can:

• Teach them office-related vocabulary, such as words and phrases they can use in emails, telephone conversations and meetings
• Practice dialogues they're likely to have in the office, such as basic exchanges at lunchtime ("You wanna grab lunch?" "Sure. Where do you wanna go?"), at the end of the workday ("Alright, heading out now, have a good one!" "You too!"), etc.

If your student doesn't have a professional reason for learning English, try teaching them expressions related to their interests or other familiar topics.

And since our beginners are all learning online, most will appreciate some tips on how they can better communicate during their online lessons. For example, we can introduce phrases they can use during lessons: e.g. "What does ... mean?" "I don't understand." "Could you type that in the chatbox?"

Teaching students things they actually need will help them communicate with others better, which will in turn positively affect their confidence and motivation. So let's make sure to keep our students' learning needs in mind — even if they're just beginners!

👋 That’s it for now!

We hope this post has given you an idea of how to approach beginner students! Remember:

1. Most of our beginners know some English already. Build on this knowledge, but also remember there may be gaps in it.
2. Beginners bring all sorts of personal baggage to class. Be sensitive about this.
3. Beginners have clear learning needs. Try to teach them words and phrases they can use to fulfill those needs.

Feel free to check out the following helpful resources as well:

• A blog post that walks you through our conversation course for beginners
• Our guide to handling free-talk lessons with beginners

Happy tutoring!