Do we need them?
Studying for tests such as IELTS or SAT seems like an obvious thing to do as the ultimate goal, in the long run, is to obtain a score high enough to achieve university, college or private school entrance, or perhaps for PR or citizenship. However, it is important that both the student and the tutor form objectives before beginning the tutorial lessons as the process should not be limited to just hoping for a specified score.
You and your tutor should set goals together. Your tutor will ask you to specify them either orally or in writing. Some suggested goals are to:
1. Give yourself the time to self-study. Besides the lessons, what time do you have for self-study? Do you have a comfortable area to study that is free of disturbance?
2. Know your level. Only by knowing your language level can you be realistic. Students often expect to pass their exams in an unrealistically short time period and are discouraged when this does not happen.
3. Have a clear understanding of the examiner's expectations. What are the elements of a good writing or speaking score? In listening, reading, and grammar tests, ensure your understanding of the various types of reading and listening (e.g. general comprehension listening/reading, specific details, more in-depth reading/writing). You should also understand the types of grammar structures that will be tested.
4. Set numerical goals for various sub-skills, such as for written essays and vocabulary. How many essays do you expect to write each week? How many words do you expect to learn in a certain period of time?
5. Determine the number of practice tests you wish to do. Are you taking them in a real exam setting (zero disturbances, timed and without any aid such as dictionaries)?
6. Set a commitment to your studies in a way that promotes a good relationship with the tutor. Are you being fair towards the tutor by being prepared for classes, doing homework and review, not canceling classes every week without proper notice, and generally showing a positive attitude?
7. Have quantitative objectives for the amount of out-of-class English exposure in one day. Particularly for TOEFL and IELTS, this means speaking as well. The speed of your progress is shaped by your English exposure and this means listening to conversations, TV, videos, and text dialogues, reading for interest and pleasure (novels, magazines, internet), writing text messages or blogs, and doing plenty of conversational speaking in English.
Tutor Objectives
1. Show professionalism at all times. This means being prepared and, being punctual, dressing appropriately, and not canceling. It also means not engaging in contentious arguing or shouting matches or long digressions during the lesson (after all, time is money). They should not say hurtful comments (insulting, racist, sexist, suggestive, classist, etc.). Students should report the unprofessional conduct of a tutor immediately. DO NOT discuss it with the tutor first for these issues (for other issues discussed below [# 2-7], it is better to discuss them with the tutor first, but for cases of unprofessional conduct, it is better to report directly to us).
2. Be encouraging and understanding of the student. A tutor knows that goals are more easily reached when a student is motivated and confident. However, this does not mean giving falsely high assessments. Discuss with the tutor if your motivation has decreased. See #5 for more on this.
3. Provide student with a clear and accurate assessment of their current level. Only tutors can accurately gauge your level and this is their duty to communicate this. If the tutor has not, you should request he/she does so.
4. Communicate a realistic time frame for progression. If you to know how long you need to prepare for the test, the tutor should be able to give you that. Discuss a time frame for test preparation if you have already set a date for the test.
5. Set a high standard for production. No tutor should ever falsely praise the student knowing that obtaining a high score is a difficult and arduous process. A falsely high assessment is perhaps even worse than a low ball assessment.
6. Assign the appropriate amount of self-study practice that you need. Tutors should not pile homework onto you, particularly when you have other commitments. However, you should communicate the amount of workload that you think you can handle. The tutor will be able to determine the right amount of workload for you.
7. Assign the appropriate amount of time to practice skills during the tutorial. As your time is precious during the tutorial, you should expect to practice skills in class but not to write entire essays or to do an unnecessary number of worksheets. To balance instruction and practice is the tutor’s job. If you feel that there is not enough time for either, please let the tutor know this or report this to us.
.
Studying for tests such as IELTS or SAT seems like an obvious thing to do as the ultimate goal, in the long run, is to obtain a score high enough to achieve university, college or private school entrance, or perhaps for PR or citizenship. However, it is important that both the student and the tutor form objectives before beginning the tutorial lessons as the process should not be limited to just hoping for a specified score.
You and your tutor should set goals together. Your tutor will ask you to specify them either orally or in writing. Some suggested goals are to:
1. Give yourself the time to self-study. Besides the lessons, what time do you have for self-study? Do you have a comfortable area to study that is free of disturbance?
2. Know your level. Only by knowing your language level can you be realistic. Students often expect to pass their exams in an unrealistically short time period and are discouraged when this does not happen.
3. Have a clear understanding of the examiner's expectations. What are the elements of a good writing or speaking score? In listening, reading, and grammar tests, ensure your understanding of the various types of reading and listening (e.g. general comprehension listening/reading, specific details, more in-depth reading/writing). You should also understand the types of grammar structures that will be tested.
4. Set numerical goals for various sub-skills, such as for written essays and vocabulary. How many essays do you expect to write each week? How many words do you expect to learn in a certain period of time?
5. Determine the number of practice tests you wish to do. Are you taking them in a real exam setting (zero disturbances, timed and without any aid such as dictionaries)?
6. Set a commitment to your studies in a way that promotes a good relationship with the tutor. Are you being fair towards the tutor by being prepared for classes, doing homework and review, not canceling classes every week without proper notice, and generally showing a positive attitude?
7. Have quantitative objectives for the amount of out-of-class English exposure in one day. Particularly for TOEFL and IELTS, this means speaking as well. The speed of your progress is shaped by your English exposure and this means listening to conversations, TV, videos, and text dialogues, reading for interest and pleasure (novels, magazines, internet), writing text messages or blogs, and doing plenty of conversational speaking in English.
Tutor Objectives
1. Show professionalism at all times. This means being prepared and, being punctual, dressing appropriately, and not canceling. It also means not engaging in contentious arguing or shouting matches or long digressions during the lesson (after all, time is money). They should not say hurtful comments (insulting, racist, sexist, suggestive, classist, etc.). Students should report the unprofessional conduct of a tutor immediately. DO NOT discuss it with the tutor first for these issues (for other issues discussed below [# 2-7], it is better to discuss them with the tutor first, but for cases of unprofessional conduct, it is better to report directly to us).
2. Be encouraging and understanding of the student. A tutor knows that goals are more easily reached when a student is motivated and confident. However, this does not mean giving falsely high assessments. Discuss with the tutor if your motivation has decreased. See #5 for more on this.
3. Provide student with a clear and accurate assessment of their current level. Only tutors can accurately gauge your level and this is their duty to communicate this. If the tutor has not, you should request he/she does so.
4. Communicate a realistic time frame for progression. If you to know how long you need to prepare for the test, the tutor should be able to give you that. Discuss a time frame for test preparation if you have already set a date for the test.
5. Set a high standard for production. No tutor should ever falsely praise the student knowing that obtaining a high score is a difficult and arduous process. A falsely high assessment is perhaps even worse than a low ball assessment.
6. Assign the appropriate amount of self-study practice that you need. Tutors should not pile homework onto you, particularly when you have other commitments. However, you should communicate the amount of workload that you think you can handle. The tutor will be able to determine the right amount of workload for you.
7. Assign the appropriate amount of time to practice skills during the tutorial. As your time is precious during the tutorial, you should expect to practice skills in class but not to write entire essays or to do an unnecessary number of worksheets. To balance instruction and practice is the tutor’s job. If you feel that there is not enough time for either, please let the tutor know this or report this to us.
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