Choosing a Chinese tutor is a critical process in your language learning journey. Despite the number of tutors who want to teach you, you should keep in mind to pick one that can help your needs and design a plan with you towards your goals. This article will give you important tips for choosing a Chinese tutor.
Decide if You Can Afford It
Hiring a Chinese tutor in Singapore is an investment of both time and money. It can get pricey fast, so make sure you know what you’re getting into before you dive in headfirst. You should figure out if you need to pay the tutor by the hour or word. Hourly tutoring is usually cheaper than word-per-word tutoring. However, the hourly rate might not be worth it if the tutor has many other students. Also, even though hourly tutoring is usually cheaper, it can still be costly depending on where you live.
Make Sure They Are Fluent
It might seem so obvious, but it’s easy to get too excited about the opportunity and overlook factors that will have a significant impact on your learning experience. Just because someone speaks your language doesn’t mean they know how to teach it. You want someone who can demonstrate their fluency through conversations and open-ended questions. They’ll be able to provide real-world examples of words and phrases from many different contexts so that you can make sure you know how to apply them yourself.
Tutor’s Availability
When choosing a Chinese tutor in Singapore, availability is vital. You don’t just want to find someone who can help you with speaking and reading, but also someone who will work with you consistently. You might be able to find a tutor that only offers lessons by text, email, or video chat. Still, it’s more likely that you’ll need a tutor that can meet in person at least some of the time if you don’t live near a school with Chinese language classes or have any other way to find regular practice partners, having a tutor that lives nearby could be a lifesaver.
Ask About Their Experience
Are they familiar with the kind of Chinese you’re learning? If it’s Mandarin or Cantonese, will they be able to teach you in a way that best fits the methods that have worked for you? It’s no secret that learning Chinese is hard, and it’s even harder when you don’t know what you’re doing or who you’re learning from. Do they have experience or training in it if it’s another dialect? Are they just going to try teaching you using their own experiences? Make sure that the answers are ones that you’re comfortable with.
Ask About Their Style of Teaching
Do they utilize technology? Do they focus most on grammar or conversational skills? Different methods work best for other people, so make sure that your tutor is the right one for you! It’s easy for a new teacher to over-hype their services and make claims about how much they can help with your Chinese classes. But before you shell out your hard-earned cash, ask the tutor about their style of teaching.
Conclusion
The right Chinese tutor is someone who works well with you, challenges your weaknesses, and helps you to achieve the goals you’ve set out to accomplish. While selecting a tutor is an important decision, it doesn’t have to be complicated. The tips above are designed to help you pick a Chinese tutor that’s right for your particular situation.
