For many people, one of the most effective ways to learn a new language is by working face-to-face and one-on-one with a private tutor. This way, their instructor can tailor their lessons to their exact needs, rather than forcing a student to learn through a generic program designed to hopefully meet the needs of a large group of students.
Over the last several years, though, learning language online has been presented as an alternative to traditional classroom or face-to-face learning.
The question, now, though, is whether learning Arabic one-on-one online can be as effective as a private tutor.
After all, this method shares a lot of similarities with learning from a private tutor. So, let’s look at some of the benefits and differences between online Arabic lessons and learning from a private tutor.
The Benefits of Online Learning
There are a number of reasons people choose to learn a language online rather than with a local, private
tutor.
The Benefits of Online Learning
There are a number of reasons people choose to learn a language online rather than with a local, private
tutor.
- You can learn from the comfort of your own home, from a hotel room while you’re on the road, or even outside at the neighborhood park. Anywhere you have a connection to the internet can be the location for you next Arabic lesson.
- Scheduling becomes far more flexible because you don’t have to go anywhere to meet the tutor. Forget those stressful, time-consuming trips across town. Instead, use that extra time to memorize some more vocabulary words. You can also schedule your online meetings for times that are the most convenient for you.
- You have a chance to work with native speakers. If you live in a relatively small town, you might not have access to native speakers who are willing to take the time to tutor you in their language. When you go online, the world opens up to you.
- Online coursework and video replays mean that the learners can constantly go back and work on the areas in which they have the most difficulty. They can work on pronunciation by listening to phrases spoken the exact same way every time. If there’s anything they don’t understand about the only classes, they can bring it up with their instructors when they meet again online.
What’s the Difference between Online and Offline Tutors?
Despite all these benefits, there are some reasons why some students still prefer a private tutor.
For some, communicating over a computer just doesn’t have the same feel as sitting in the same room with someone who can see exactly what they’re writing, hear exactly how they’re pronouncing something, and carefully explain how they can improve.
In other words, learning online can still feel a little too distant for some people.
This is certainly a valid feeling, so the question will be: can you give up some of that closeness for the convenience of online learning?
That is a question that each individual student will have to answer on their own.
Making Sure Your Online Endeavors are Productive
Going the online route can be an effective way to embrace a new language. But just like any traditional, offline learning method, you’re going to get out of it what you put into it.
In other words, if you start to let your lessons slip, or let your mind wander during these one-on-one meetings, you’re not going to get as much out of it as you may have hoped.
You can make sure you get the most out of your language learning time by setting and keeping some goals.
We’re not talking about arbitrary goals for memorizing vocabulary or watching a certain number of videos every week. Your goals need to be more personalized than that.
This is another area in which you can work closely with your online instructor to determine what type of goals will have the biggest impact on your language skills.
This can also set up the all-important accountability as you continue to meet with your online tutor and review your goals and see how much you’ve progressed.
Everyone has their own learning style, and what works for one person may not work for someone else. While some people may require the face-to-face interaction of a private tutor, others may find that the convenience of an online program exactly what they need to progress as their own pace.
Take a look at our online programs and discover if this is the right choice for you.
