With the development of technology, new ways of learning English have begun to emerge. The most popular of them are learning through applications on phones and learning English via Skype. How effective are these teaching methods?
Now we will look at the pros and cons of teaching via Skype. Can such lessons replace live communication with a teacher? What should you pay attention to when studying online?
Within the framework of the article, English classes can be divided into 2 categories: group and individual classes, which, in turn, are divided into live or Skype classes.
First, you need to decide which lesson format suits you best. We discussed this in detail in the article - how best to study English in a group or individually. This is important because these teaching formats aim to achieve different English language goals.
Now let's look at the positive and negative aspects of learning via Skype and what you should pay attention to when learning via Skype.
Advantages of learning English on Skype
1. Classes in any place convenient for you.
You don't have to travel anywhere, just open the program. Neither bad weather nor traffic jams will interfere with such activities. You don’t have to think about what to wear or the fact that you need to have time to clean the apartment before the teacher arrives. You study in conditions that are comfortable for you. All you need is a computer and Internet access.
2. No attachment to time.
This is very convenient for busy people. If you are constantly traveling or on business trips, you do not need to interrupt your studies. You can choose any time convenient for you. If you want, you can even practice at night.
3. The opportunity to study with a teacher from anywhere in the world.
This is very convenient, especially if you live in a small city where there is not a huge selection of courses and teachers. You can study with anyone: with native speakers from the USA, Canada, Australia, England, or with a Russian-speaking teacher.
4. Low price.
Although you will study at home, the cost of such classes will not be compared with the cost of individual lessons. After all, the teacher does not need to travel anywhere.
Disadvantages of teaching English via Skype
1. Non-professional teachers.
If you decide to study via Skype, you need to be very responsible when choosing a teacher. Don't hesitate to ask your teacher to send you a copy of their diploma or other evidence of their professional skills, especially if it is in native media.
It is also important to understand whether the teacher experience in this format of classes. After all, classes via Skype are very different from real training. At this stage, you can ask your teacher for the contact information of his students. If the teacher is good and his clients are happy, then he will easily give you their email or Skype so that you can ask about their impressions and results.
It is important that your teacher prepares for the lessons and not treats them like you would a conversation with a friend.
2. It is difficult to overcome the language barrier.
3. Sound distortion.
Communicating on the phone or on Skype is not the same as in person. Sometimes the connection is poor, and the teacher may not be able to hear that you are pronouncing some sounds incorrectly. And, accordingly, it will not always correct your mistakes.
4. Live communication is more pleasant.
An integral part of human dialogue is the emotional component: gestures, facial expressions, personal contact. The person who is nearby is better than on the screen. Some people are not comfortable communicating through “technical innovations”; they are much more pleased with a live conversation.
5. It's difficult to organize yourself.
Not everyone can bring themselves to study at home, especially after work. For many people, home is a place where we are used to rest and relax. English may take a backseat because you may cancel a lesson citing fatigue.
6. Distractions.
Most of us have husbands/wives, children, dogs, cats and fish. To take classes via Skype, you need to “get away from everyone” for a while and concentrate on classes, which is not always easy. In addition to this, at home something can constantly distract you: either you need to answer the phone, or pour tea, or open the door.
In this case, it is difficult to concentrate on English and understand the new material that the teacher explains.
7. Computer time.
Almost all people spend a lot of time at the computer at work. Firstly, it is not very healthy, especially for the eyes. Secondly, not all people will be able to sit all day and all evening in front of a monitor.
What is better: live training or skype?
The main thing in learning English is the result, which you want to receive. Both learning methods have their positive and negative sides. In one case it is better to choose one training option, and in another - the second.
The most important advantages of taking classes via Skype are saving time and the opportunity to study anywhere. If you are a busy person who is constantly traveling, or you live in a small town where there are no good courses or teachers, then this option will be the best for you.
However, Skype lessons cannot replace a live lesson. If you have no problems with time and you can study live, then it is better to choose this option.
Without confident English, you will not be able to convince your business partners that your proposal is serious. You can take one or more classes to practice communicating in English and perform at your best in real negotiations and business meetings. In this mini-course you will:
master basic business or industry vocabulary that will be useful in meetings or negotiations;
learn English words and expressions for argumentation, persuasion, opposition, proof and agreement with someone else's point of view;
write a speech for a presentation, and also practice delivering it in front of the teacher;
play out dialogues with the teacher, working through different scenarios for the outcome of business meetings and negotiations;
You will learn in detail: how to outline the purpose of negotiations in English, discuss a business proposal and make a counter proposal, propose new ideas, resolve disagreements and resolve conflicts, and reach a mutually beneficial agreement.
Presentations
Presenting any business idea in Russian is a lot of stress in itself. In English, this is much more difficult to do: you not only need to convey the idea to your interlocutor, but also speak correctly, without mistakes, and even with good pronunciation. Our express course will help you understand all this and develop your own presentation style. After completing it, you will be able to:
use business or industry vocabulary when composing texts for presentation slides, graphs, tables and diagrams;
translate the text of the finished presentation from Russian into English;
introduce yourself and the topic of the presentation in English, give comments on the handouts, focus the audience’s attention on the most important points of the presentation and correctly complete the presentation;
sound beautifully and convincingly during a presentation with the correct intonation and meaningful pauses;
Prepare answers to potential questions from listeners.
Business trips abroad
If you often travel abroad on business trips or to meet with business partners, you need a crash course that will allow you to feel comfortable in an English-speaking business environment. We will teach you:
use business or industry vocabulary when communicating with foreigners at exhibitions, conferences, seminars and trainings;
organize business trips: buy tickets, book accommodation, take out insurance - and all this in English;
use basic tourist phrasebooks to communicate at the airport, hotel, store and other popular places;
navigate an unfamiliar city and quickly get to the necessary conference rooms, restaurants and any other places for business meetings.
Visa interview
If you need to undergo a visa interview, we will prepare you as quickly as possible. There are tourist, work, student and immigration visas. Together with your teacher, you will play out the main possible interview scenarios. Upon completion of the course you will be able to:
remove the fear of a language barrier that may prevent you from passing an interview;
answer any of the basic questions that a visa center employee may ask you.
The program is developed for each student individually. If you need an immigrant visa, you may be asked about the history and culture of your destination country. If you are interviewing for a work visa, you will hear questions about your professional experience, the reasons for your desire to work abroad and your plans to return to your homeland.
tutor in English, German and 1 other subject
Moscow
Hello! My name is Anastasia Anatolyevna. I am an English teacher with a higher specialized education (MPGU, 2012, diploma with honors). Since 2006, she regularly completed teaching practice in Moscow schools. From 2007 to the present, I have been continuously engaged in tutoring activities. From 2012 to 2014, she worked in a secondary school with a gymnasium parallel, teaching English in all parallels from grades 2 to 11. At the moment I work with almost all age groups (from 7 years old and older). Since 2014, I have been an officially registered tutor - an individual entrepreneur. I give preference to teenagers preparing for final exams and entering universities, as well as adults interested in preparing for international exams and learning a foreign language for work or travel. In 2013, my personal website began operating on the Internet, where I post detailed and up-to-date information about myself and my classes, methodological recommendations and recommendations for parents and students. In 2017, she received the Cambridge CELTA international qualification, which gives her the right to teach English around the world. Currently, I am actively working on my own online courses for my students, the purpose of which will be to complement face-to-face classes and give students the opportunity to independently work through the studied material at a time convenient for them, as well as to implement combined learning (a combination of e-learning with face-to-face training). I also regularly take advanced training courses for English teachers, participate in seminars and webinars organized by leading universities in Russia and the world. The main topics of the courses are academic writing, international exams (FCE, CAE, IELTS) and preparation for them, methods of teaching English, combined learning. I also regularly expand my knowledge by studying the history of the English language and the United Kingdom. Since 2016 I have been studying German; In the future I plan to work as a German language teacher. I regularly visit European countries and communicate with native speakers. Below you can find detailed information about the classes. By studying with me, you can work according to the school curriculum or ahead of it, prepare for final and international exams, learn a language for work and travel. You choose a convenient format of classes (at your home or remotely via Skype), which will allow you not to waste time on the road and study in a comfortable environment for you. You receive an individual work plan taking into account your wishes, needs and deadlines and study using textbooks from leading European publications. During the classes, oral and written communication skills are equally developed; Particular attention is paid to speaking and listening skills. Gaps in knowledge will also be eliminated and the language barrier will be removed. For each lesson, I develop an individual work plan based on the age and personal characteristics of each student. Students are given the opportunity to take online courses developed by me to consolidate and repeat the material they have learned. Each student is assigned a fixed time. Classes take place from Monday to Saturday throughout the year. A flexible schedule is possible only in the first half of the day, sometimes during the holidays. During the holidays you can study according to your schedule, study more or relax. In case of regular cancellations of classes, I reserve the right to interrupt classes due to the ineffectiveness of such training. Homework must be completed regularly in full (if you have any questions regarding homework, you can and should contact me between classes). Thank you for your time!
Conversational English course via Skype is the most popular course at our school. You feel the result after the first lesson, even at the initial level, and receive a large amount of information in the shortest possible time. The course is suitable for both beginners and those wishing to refresh old knowledge. Immersion in the language environment and overcoming the language barrier, a set of useful vocabulary for communication, the opportunity to quickly learn to communicate competently on everyday topics in an English-speaking environment - all these are the advantages of the English speaking intensive.
WE RECOMMEND INTENSIVE ENGLISH COURSE BY SKYPE IF:
- You have a very short time frame for learning a foreign language;
- You want to prepare for the international exam format (provided that you have sufficient language proficiency to pass the chosen exam) in the near future;
- You need to prepare for an important interview;
- in the near future you will be traveling to an English-speaking environment;
- you want to achieve the effect of “immersion in the environment” using old knowledge in spoken language and gaining new knowledge;
- You have a desire to attend classes, do your homework well, and follow the teacher’s recommendations.
STRUCTURE OF INTENSIVE ENGLISH CONVERSATION LESSONS
When studying English intensively via Skype, you study 4-5 times a week, one lesson lasts from 1 hour (60 minutes) to 2.5 hours (160 minutes). The minimum course duration is 2 weeks, maximum 3 months. Most of the lesson (up to 80%) is devoted to speaking practice in a foreign language. You study the necessary grammar in accordance with your level of English proficiency, train your listening skills, thereby improving your ability to understand foreign speech by ear, significantly increase your vocabulary, systematize old knowledge and use new ones in practice!
Training in the course CONVERSATIONAL INTENSIVE: ENGLISH takes place at the following levels: Beginner, Elementary, Pre-intermediate, Intermediate, Upper-intermediate. If you have never studied English before, we suggest you study 3-4 times a week for an hour for 2.5 - 3 months, this pace will allow you to learn and consolidate the material properly.
The teacher selects the pace necessary for you, prepares additional theoretical and practical material, motivates you to learn a foreign language, re-explains points where difficulties arose, corrects mistakes and gives the necessary recommendations, following which you will successfully learn a large amount of information in the shortest possible time.
Individual program and pace of preparation, student motivation when taking an intensive English language course
Studying the most relevant topics on general topics (for traveling abroad for tourism) or business topics (for an interview or for work) will allow you to quickly and efficiently obtain the necessary knowledge in accordance with your goal - to speak English.
p.s. The intensive course is designed not only for English language learners. At the ALTAIR Online foreign language school, teaching other foreign languages via Skype is also available.
TIP: if you are studying several foreign languages, use the intensive course for only one, and attend the rest once a week to maintain the level.
