We’re living in a digital world, so doing more and more things online is something that comes naturally for every single one of us.
From speaking with friends to watching movies and shopping. It doesn’t matter what it is.
We’re always connected and we try to save as much time as possible with every action we take.
But, is that really a good thing for all areas of our lives?
Let’s talk about learning a new language: English, German, French, Spanish, Japanese, Italian, Chinese, Thai, Korean… which one is yours?
As I said, it’s a connected world, so learning a new language is easier than ever.
There are dozens of apps that can help you on this journey, paid and free as well - DuoLingo, Memrise, Busuu, HiNative and many others.
And, that’s not all.
It only takes one click to get in touch with an online tutor from the other side of the world.
It’s just that simple.
We get everything handed to us nowadays and things are so easier that we don’t even think about other ways of getting stuff done.
We don’t do it, even if there might be another solution to our problems, one that is far more effective than what we’re so used to.
Here, you’ll find exactly that.
A different solution to learning a new language. - In-person tutoring.
And even more, you’ll find about 3 ways in-person language tutoring can help you learn faster and better.
Let’s see how we do it, at TUTOROO:
- Real human interaction.
As great as online learning is, nothing can beat real face to face human interaction.
Learning a language is not all about words.
It's about expressions, body gestures, nonverbal signs.
And, you can't learn that online.
Especially if you’re a beginner and you are still taking baby steps getting to know and understand a culture totally different than yours.
When you're right across the table from your tutor and he/she is explaining a new phrase, you're well aware of all the details and aspects that go into that phrase.
That’s how people can right now start learning foreign languages like French in Sydney or Spanish in Singapore with the help of foreign native speakers in their city, or also discover and learn how to speak local languages with a Dutch teacher in Amsterdam, a native Xhosa tutor in Cape Town, South Africa, or a native Turkish speaker with a native Turkish teacher in Istanbul, for instance.
With face-to-face, in-person private lessons, you will always be able to notice the facial expression, the body position, and you can even feel the “tension” in the air.
Many studies have been made on this subject, in order to figure out what’s more effective: in-person learning, or learning through other methods.
For example, a 2009 research called “Foundations for a New Science of Learning” found that:
“The need for social interaction in language learning is shown by foreign-language learning experiments. 9-month-old infants experienced 12 sessions of Mandarin Chinese through (a) natural interaction with a Chinese speaker (left) or the identical linguistic information delivered via television (right) or audiotape (not shown). (b) Natural interaction resulted in significant learning of Mandarin phonemes when compared to a Control group who participated in interaction using English (left panel). No learning occurred from television or audiotaped presentations (middle panel)”. (Source)
2. Focus
It’s hard to maintain focus when you’re trying to learn something new with your eyes stuck to a screen.
There are so many distractions that can get in your way: your phone is ringing, you get a message on Facebook, the power goes off or the internet connection fails.
Plus, your motivation can fly out the window in a fraction of a second.
Hundreds of miles, or maybe even more, are between you and your tutor… and that only helps with slacking.
It’s easy to cut corners when you don’t have someone breathing down your neck.
I’m not saying you should be fearful or that you should only learn because someone watches over your progress, not at all.
But, if you want to actually achieve your learning goals, you need discipline, and doing lessons over Skype is a sure way to make things harder for you.
You can come up with an excuse every time you don’t feel like learning, you can always shut down your laptop or log off skype.
Real-life learning is different.
When your tutor is right next to you, whether you’re in Melbourne with a Japanese Tutor or in London with an Italian Tutor, you can’t just get up and leave… actually, you can, but you’re less prone to such behaviour.
Why?
Because there’s someone who keeps you on the right track, someone who motivates you and helps you stay focused even when you’re not in the mood for learning.
And you can always find that someone on TUTOROO. You can search for language tutors in 40 different cities around the world. For example, you could search for an English Tutor in Manila (https://www.tutoroo.co/english-tutor-manila) or for a France Tutor in Sidney (https://www.tutoroo.co/french-tutor-sydney).
3. It has no limits.
Learning with a native speaker right in front of you is something special.
The human interaction is without a doubt, unmatched by technology. You won’t have to deal with delays, interruptions, video or audio problems.
You can learn not only by studying the theory, but you can also learn from body language, nonverbal clues and other things that are impossible to convey through an online medium.
You get to bond with your tutor and form a long-lasting relationship that can’t be done through a computer.
And you’re free to learn in whatever way you want to.
You don’t have to be stuck in front of a laptop, you can go out and have a drink with your tutor, or you can go to see a movie, or take a walk.
There’s no limit to this.
Doing different activities with your tutor allows you to learn faster, in a fun and easy way.
In conclusion, no matter how popular online learning is, there’s always a better and more effective way of learning a new language.
And, even though in-person language tutoring has its drawbacks, nothing beats human connection after all.
If you want to learn more about in-person language tutoring with a native speaker, you can always check our blog or go directly on our website and search for a native speaker in your area.
We are now a community of over 48,000 English, Chinese, Russian, Korean, French, Spanish, Italian, Thai, Vietnamese, Xhosa, German, Portuguese, Japanese tutors... worldwide! Feel free to also be part of this amazing journey by signing up at www.tutoroo.co and start getting paid for teaching your mother tongue while meeting with locals!