7 Traits of a Successful Oral English Teacher

Being a tutor is a wonderful job that allows people to help and educate one another. However, some people are naturally more equipped than others when it comes to the personality and skills needed to be a good tutor. If you are currently trying to find a tutor to help you improve your English skills, you will want to find a oral English teacher who possesses the 7 traits listed below.

Is An Approachable Person

Tutoring sessions (especially ones with a oral English teacher) are about communication, so tutors need to be friendly, personable, and easy to talk to. This will make students more comfortable, which will make them more likely to communicate effectively with their tutor. Students and tutors will be able to accomplish more together if they get along.

The opposite is true for a tutor who is standoffish. If a tutor does not act friendly, a student may not be able to open up and communicate well. This will affect how much and how well the student learns.

Has Patience

In order to teach anyone, tutors need to be patient. Everyone learns at their own pace, and some people may learn faster or slower than others. A oral English teacher needs to understand this, and needs to be patient. Rushing a student may make them misinterpret something, or they could miss the concept all together. It can also make the student feel uncomfortable or unappreciated. It takes patience to make sure a student fully understands something.

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Understands Language Barriers

An important part of being a tutor is understanding a student’s language barrier. A successful oral English teacher will take this into consideration and won’t judge a student for having an accent or using broken English. They should also be aware that the student may not know certain words, phrases, or idioms. Because of this, a good tutor will use simple explanations without relying on overly complicated vocabulary or language. They will also teach their students the meanings of phrases or idioms, and teach them how to use them properly.

Gives Positive Feedback

No one likes to feel discouraged. To help their students feel successful, a oral English teacher needs to give positive feedback. Even if a student makes some mistakes, it is better to focus on a student’s strengths rather than their weaknesses. This will inspire them to work hard at improving their English skills.

On the other hand, giving the student only negative feedback could upset them and if they get too discouraged, they may want to give up.

Doesn’t Do All Of The Work and Vice Versa

Although the tutor is supposed to be the expert, it is not beneficial for a tutor to do all of the work. If a tutor takes over and does all of the talking, how will the student be able to learn or practice their English skills? A successful oral English teacher should divide their time evenly, making sure the student participates as much as possible.

At the same time, a tutor needs to be involved and can’t just let the student do the work. The participation needs to be about 50/50. The tutor is there to guide the student, giving answers and feedback as needed. The goal is for the student to become independent over time and eventually become an expert themselves.

Understands Grammar Rules

Although the sessions are all verbal, a good oral English teacher should know their basic grammar rules. The many rules we use to read and write English (except for punctuation) still apply to speaking English. If a student is having difficulty in one area or skill, the tutor needs to be able to explain what they are doing wrong.

For example, let’s say a student is mixing up their verb tenses when they speak and asks the tutor to help them fix their mistake. A tutor needs a basic understanding of grammar to answer the students question, explain what exactly the student is doing wrong, and explain how to fix it.

Checks In With Students

Sometimes tutor assume that students are understanding everything and enjoying the sessions.  Unlike a regular teacher, a tutor usually doesn’t give a quiz or an assessment to check how a student is doing. Because of this, a tutor should openly discuss these things with the student and ask for feedback.

For example, a tutor can ask what the student has enjoyed, or what things need to be improved. The student could also recommend things they would like to try. This way the student and tutor can both get the most of their sessions together.

Are you currently looking for a oral English teacher? If so, check out Spoken English Practice where you can find a native English speaker who with practice English with you and act as your tutor.