Conversation partner or English tutor? Who suits you better

So who would work better for you? English Tutor or English Conversation Partner?

If you are an absolute beginner, an English tutor definitely would suit you better. If you don’t understand basic words such as “moon”, “cat”, “school” or “medicine”, you will need someone to teach you elementary level English and put the foundation. You will have to learn not only around 2000 words in English but then also learn basic sentence patterns and grammar before really starting to learn conversation English. For this, an English tutor’s guidance is important.

On the other hand, if you know “some” English but can’t speak fluently, a conversation partner is the better option. Since English is a universal language, it is taught in schools around the world, and as a result most non-native English speakers have some basic foundation. Most of the students who come to our English classes know basic vocabulary and have an understanding of sentence structures, simple pronunciation patterns etc. What they lack is English speaking practice, which they cannot achieve simply by working with a traditional English tutor. So if you are not an absolute beginner, an English conversation partner is definitely the better option of the two. If you can find one who is a native English speaker too, it makes things such as mastering pronunciation even more effective.

Also, keep in mind that Conversation partners are cheaper than English tutors most of the time. English tutors have to invest in teaching certificates etc. making them charge higher rates for the classes they conduct. Conversation partners tend to charge less as they do not have such over head.

But ultimately, it comes down to what the best option is for you to improve your Spoken English. If you know “some” English, but want to speak more fluently, a 80%  conversation practice, 20% grammar + vocabulary approach would work best, and a conversation partner is best suited to execute this.

March 24, 2015