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Finding a Language Coach | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Learning Techniques, Methods & Strategies |  | |
 strickvl Bilingual Tetraglot Pro Member Jordan alexstrick.comRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 4490 days ago 27 posts - 41 votes Speaks: English*, Dutch*, Arabic (Written), Arabic (Levantine) Studies: Persian, Pashto, Dari Personal Language Map | Message 1 of 16 28 August 2012 at 2:18pm | IP Logged | ||
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I'm thinking about working with a language learning coach, in part because I seem to have trouble with motivation,
but also because it's always useful to have an outside set of eyes. I've been studying languages on my own for a long time, and haven't worked with a teacher or a more pedagogically-oriented 'coach' since secondary school. I think the first thing I should do is write down a clear set of things that I want to get out of working with a coach -- which I'm doing at the moment -- but I was wondering if any of the users of this forum have any experience working with language coaches. (For your information, I'm studying French, Pashto and Urdu at the moment, with an emphasis on Urdu, but I'm thinking that the teacher should be interrogating my methodology of study rather than talking to me about specific grammatical points etc.) Very grateful for any replies. Thanks in advance. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Flarioca Heptaglot Senior Member Brazil Joined 5674 days ago 635 posts - 816 votes  Speaks: Portuguese*, Esperanto, French, EnglishC2, Spanish, German, Italian Studies: Catalan, Mandarin | Message 2 of 16 28 August 2012 at 3:32pm | IP Logged | ||
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I've had private classes in English, French and recently also in German. Twice in English, in the first time during almost two years, when I was very young starting to learn this language, then about four months when I was already at an advanced level. About four months in German and a year in French. All very profitable.
The main activity has been conversation, but grammar exercises, listening and writing have also been part of our meetings. I'm quite sure that you cannot learn a language through private lessons, you must learn it alone. Mostly because there is a huge number of words which are impossible to learn during some meetings of a few weekly hours. It also applies to many other subjects at a deeper level, but it is even more clear for language learning. That said, in my opinion, private lessons are the best way to quickly improve your speaking fluency and to remove some systematic mistakes that might damage your progress. 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| maydayayday Pentaglot Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 5011 days ago 564 posts - 839 votes Speaks: English*, German, Italian, SpanishB2, FrenchB2 Studies: Arabic (Egyptian), Russian, Swedish, Turkish, Polish, Persian, Vietnamese Studies: Urdu | Message 3 of 16 28 August 2012 at 4:21pm | IP Logged | ||
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I don't think a coach will help you over the motivation issue.
An external view of your ability is good. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| s_allard Triglot Senior Member Canada Joined 5222 days ago 2704 posts - 5425 votes Speaks: French*, English, Spanish Studies: Polish | Message 4 of 16 28 August 2012 at 4:37pm | IP Logged | ||
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I think you have to distinguish at least between a private teacher, i.e. one who prepares lessons and teaches, and a conversation tutor who is there primarily to help you with your speaking skills, i.e. without preparing lessons, etc. There could be a big difference in price.
1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Serpent Octoglot Senior Member Russian Federation serpent-849.livejour Joined 6389 days ago 9753 posts - 15779 votes 4 sounds Speaks: Russian*, English, FinnishC1, Latin, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese Studies: Danish, Romanian, Polish, Belarusian, Ukrainian, Croatian, Slovenian, Catalan, Czech, Galician, Dutch, Swedish | Message 5 of 16 28 August 2012 at 6:53pm | IP Logged | ||
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I'm not sure there's such thing as teaching someone to learn languages... Most teachers have a fairly narrow comfort zone, and if your problem is difficult they'll only be able to give fairly basic advice... Heck, most of them have never heard of techniques like shadowing!!!
Your best friends are books, imo :) Read "The Art of Learning Languages" by E. Gunnemark and "How to Improve Your Foreign Language Immediately" by Shekhtman if you haven't yet. And of course, collective wisdom rocks! If you describe what you do and what doesn't feel right, we'll be able to give you useful advice I hope. Edited by Serpent on 28 August 2012 at 7:09pm 3 persons have voted this message useful | |||
 emk Diglot Moderator United States Joined 5324 days ago 2615 posts - 8806 votes Speaks: English*, FrenchB2 Studies: Spanish, Ancient Egyptian Personal Language Map | Message 6 of 16 28 August 2012 at 7:02pm | IP Logged | ||
It sounds almost like you're looking for a "personal trainer" for foreign languages— somebody to provide high-level coaching, to help you with strategy and techniques, and to hold you accountable. The only person I've ever heard of doing that is our own sctroyenne. She speaks French around C1, or maybe a bit above, and she's been looking for people who want to be coached, not tutored. This isn't an established business yet, but it might be worth sending her a PM and asking her to kick around some ideas with you. If you want traditional tutors, especially at the intermediate levels, my advice is to look for people who charge about 50% above the market rate and have qualifications that look good on paper. Then talk to a couple of people (in your TL), and see if anyone clicks. That's how I found my amazing French tutor for the DELF B2. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| strickvl Bilingual Tetraglot Pro Member Jordan alexstrick.comRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 4490 days ago 27 posts - 41 votes Speaks: English*, Dutch*, Arabic (Written), Arabic (Levantine) Studies: Persian, Pashto, Dari Personal Language Map | Message 7 of 16 28 August 2012 at 10:27pm | IP Logged | ||
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Thank you for the replies. I was indeed thinking more of a 'coach' than a teacher specific to each language. I'm don't
have so much of a problem with studying on my own -- I can work my way through a textbook -- but I seem to get lost some times in the actual studying of a language, or setting up a programme that I can follow. I wrote a list of things that I was hoping someone might be able to help me with: - evaluate current study methods - put together a programme of study for me to follow - check in to ensure I'm following the programme - set clear goals for the medium term - ensure I'm not trying to do too much Now that I write it down, it seems I could do a lot of those things myself. Teachers can be useful, though. I suppose I just assumed that people like this would exist. I thought, for example, that this was something that Prof. Arguelles did with some students. I have read lots of things on language learning (although not the two books that @Serpent recommended -- have ordered them now) but was really looking for something more hands on. I feel a bit lost in terms of my overall strategy, aside from making to do something every day, regardless of what that actually is. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Serpent Octoglot Senior Member Russian Federation serpent-849.livejour Joined 6389 days ago 9753 posts - 15779 votes 4 sounds Speaks: Russian*, English, FinnishC1, Latin, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese Studies: Danish, Romanian, Polish, Belarusian, Ukrainian, Croatian, Slovenian, Catalan, Czech, Galician, Dutch, Swedish | Message 8 of 16 28 August 2012 at 10:33pm | IP Logged | ||
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These two books are very hands on:)
There's a consistency thread for ensuring you do things daily:) You may also want to join the Super Challenge and do Tadoku when it finally happens. 1 person has voted this message useful |
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