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Finding the Best IELTS Teacher for YOU
Your Teacher
Choosing the teacher that will help you best with your IELTS, especially if you are looking to work online or one to one, is a very important decision. There is a lot of choice and you need to know that the teacher you choose is going to help you to achieve the score that you want.
Here are some tips to help you find the person who can help you the most.
Your learning preferences
- Do you like face-to-face study?
- Are you happier with a group of people who can also support you in your study?
- Do you want to go away from your home or work-place for your lessons?
If this is your preference then it is probably best to choose a language school that offers IELTS in small groups or classes. If you are lucky enough to have a few weeks, months, or longer to study then you may consider a school in an English speaking country.
- Do you need one-to-one lessons?
- Do you require some flexibility?
- Do you enjoy working online?
- Do you have limited time to study?
In this case it seems that online training might just be up your street! You can work the lessons around your daily schedule and complete the work in your own time. It also saves on travel time and you can do everything from the comfort of your home or workplace or even both.
Your budget
- An online teacher may be cheaper but it depends where they are based – if you have a teacher in the UK or Australia they will be paid at local rates
- Sometimes students think that tuition fees for IELTS courses should be less that the IELTS exam fee – this doesn’t make sense. The exam will be taken over a 3 hour period or so but your training could well be several days, weeks or even months and this involves the time and effort of a professional teacher. It is true that the IELTS exam is expensive but then you should expect that the training courses for the exam will be significant too and in many schools these are premium courses
- There is an expression in English ‘You get what you pay for’. If you need a high band then you will need an experienced IELTS teacher
- Factor IELTS training into your overall budget – if IELTS is THE deal-breaker then any other money you have paid to your agent or to a university will be wasted if you can’t get the required score. IELTS is often the golden key so be prepared to get the best support that you can so you can be successful
Your IELTS Needs
- Do you require very high bands 7 or 8? Then find a teacher who can deliver this. Not all teachers have the experience. I know teachers who will not teach above band 6.5 because they don’t feel they have the skills
- Bands 7 and 8 need high level language skills as well as an understanding of the specific techniques and skills required to get such bands
- Large IELTS classes will often go for the level required by the majority of the students in the class which is often band 6/6.5. If you need band 8 you may find that you won’t get a lot of help in a big class
- Do you need more training on a specific area of IELTS like writing or reading? – again in a large class the teacher will probably not focus on any one area so it may be better for you to choose a personal tutor who can help you with more specific things
Get Recommendations
- If you are looking for an IELTS teacher then ask around, see who your friends recommend
- Look at track records – how do their students do (although no teacher can guarantee your exam result )
- What do they offer you, how do they work, is this good for you
- Can you speak to them first about what you need and want – a good idea as you will get a sense of how they work and if this will be good for you
- If you are looking at a physical school you probably won’t have any choice about the teacher but you can find out about the school’s results
- If you are looking at an online school or agency can you choose the teacher? If not can you change the teacher if you find that you are not very compatible? This may be important in a one-to-one situation
- Look online at any testimonials, if the course is expensive then you may be able to speak to past students to get their story
Choosing wisely means that your money will be well-spent and you will get exactly what you need to be successful in your IELTS. It will probably save you both time and money too – so it’s well worth checking things carefully first.
Make Sure you Know Exactly what you need to do to get the IELTS Band you want.
IELTS Total Check-Up will help you do just that!
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