Student Guide #1:
How our 1-2-1 teaching service can help you achieve your goals
This is a blog post about learning goals and how our 1-2-1 teachers can help you achieve them. It covers 3 main elements: knowing your goals, monitoring your progress, and adapting your goals to meet your specific needs. It is also a quick task. There are 15 phrases removed from this text (see the box below). You need to put these phrases in the correct gaps in the correct form as you go along. Best of luck with it! Enjoy!
Have you ever contemplated the following questions?
- How do I 1)_________ my learning goals and start measuring my progress towards them?
- How do I learn what is useful for me to learn and what is a waste of my time?
- What is the shortest route to achieving my goals?
- How do I know that I am on the right track?
These are just 4 of many essential questions that students are likely to ask themselves on their learning journey. These questions can act as a catalyst for progression or a reason 2)______________.
There is no doubt that in order to make progress, these questions must be addressed at regular intervals. The problem is that these questions are difficult for a student to answer on their own. To put it bluntly, students struggle to answer them because they are too close to their studies to be able to gain the perspective they need to see the way forwards; they cannot see the wood for the trees, if you will. In fact, they are difficult questions for classroom teachers to answer, too! This is because classroom teachers are thinking about the progress of the group, as well as each individual. They care equally about both, and their mind is focused on getting the best out of everyone in a way that is as personalised as it can possibly be. This is a great thing, but it has its limitations.
If only there were a specialist group of teachers who were able to assist you in answering these questions, guiding you towards your goals with unparalleled clarity. Questions about your progress and direction are better answered with the help of an individual who is tracking your progress, assessing your skills regularly, listening to your needs, and plotting a path to your future success. This individual is your 1-2-1 English teacher.
Knowing your goals:
Your 1-2-1 teacher starts with 3)_______________, free from biases and preconceived notions about the direction of your academic travel. They ask you what you want to achieve, then ask more questions 4)_____________________ and discover precisely how your decision to pursue those goals 5)___________ and what you plan to do to be successful. But they don’t stop there. Remember the poor students who couldn’t see the wood for the trees? Let’s build on that idiom. The 1-2-1 teacher asks more questions about your goals so that you can climb up that tree of knowledge, through the canopy, into the emergent layer and right to the very top. At this point you can see the vast landscape that is your own learning potential all around you. Only then will you truly understand where you are and where you want to be. The student spots their idea of success in the distance and asks their 1-2-1 teacher questions about how to get there. Instinctively, the 1-2-1 teacher calls upon their years of experience to guide the newly enlightened student towards sustainable, clear goals that will help them march boldly towards success.
If you stayed with me all the way through that analogy, congratulations! If you are lost. Don’t worry! I was trying to explain in a rather abstract way that your 1-2-1 teacher will ask questions to help you gain a deeper understanding of your goal/s. They will then show you the way to achieve them, and help you set small achievable goals that will keep you on track.
2 AI-generated images of views from the emergent layer of a rainforest. To prove that it doesn't look exactly like these two pictures, I would have to climb to the top of a very tall tree in the Amazon! That's highly unlikely to happen so I suppose we must accept that this is what it actually looks like from up there!
Monitoring your progress towards your goals:
It’s one thing to set goals; however, reaching them is another kettle of fish.
Your 1-2-1 teacher has helped you discover your position in relation to the grand landscape that is the English language rainforest (we are back to that tree analogy again aren’t we? Sorry!). You have discovered your direction of travel and the things you must do along the way in order to get to your goal. Now, the 6)____________ begins. Or so you thought. Actually, your 1-2-1 teacher has prepared lessons for you that guide you towards your goals in a manner that suits you. You cover vital vocabulary topics and learn essential grammar skills in lessons that have been designed to help you learn without you even realising it. You’ve picked up some additional learning habits from your teacher’s arsenal of study skills and your Sunday morning stroll has turned into a meaningful mid-afternoon jog towards your next target.
You’ve realised that having outsourced the material preparation and goal setting, obstacles that were once daunting are becoming 7)_____________. You’ve also made a new friend in your 1-2-1 teacher and look forward to catching up with them in your regular meetings to see what they have in store for you each lesson. While all this fun is happening you are steadily making progress towards your goal; both you and your 1-2-1 teacher know it because you’ve been having frequent chats about what you are doing well and what needs improvement. You are becoming more aware of your strengths and areas to improve and start actively seeking out ways to refine your skills between lessons.
Your teacher is keeping a record of all of this progress and assessing exactly where you are on the CEFR scale and what you need to be doing to jump up to the next level. Until one day, you have a low moment. You have an interaction with a native that doesn’t go the way you expected it to go, or you fail to understand someone on the phone, blame the signal and promise to call back later. Whatever it is, it knocks your confidence and leaves you feeling worried about your
progress and direction of travel. You decide to bring it up with your 1-2-1 teacher in the next lesson.
At this point, your seasoned 1-2-1 teacher instantly puts you at ease by listening to your concerns and understanding the way you are feeling. They then go about rebuilding your motivation quickly by reminding you of the progress you have made. They point you in the right direction and make it all feel achievable again. Then, you both get back to work. Something that could have easily dented your progress and motivation for months has been 8)_____________ and dealt with in double-quick time. Your 1-2-1 teacher is there to show you the way even when you cannot see it yourself. Many of our students agree that this is the most valuable benefit of having a dedicated 1-2-1 teacher 9)_____________.
Adapting to your needs:
So far, we’ve seen that having a 1-2-1 teacher helps you to understand your goals and gives you a clear direction to head in to achieve them. They also pick you up when you feel down, and keep the 10)_____________ burning when it is at risk of going out. But what happens when your priorities change? Well, your 1-2-1 teacher is there to help you with that, too.
By setting goals, monitoring your progress, and communicating with you about your aims frequently, your 1-2-1 teacher has a clear understanding of your entire English skillset and how each element can be tweaked and strengthened to help you make gains. Language is a complex beast, and what might have originally seemed to be the right goal could turn out 11)________. On your own, or in a class, 12)______________ can prove to be a difficult challenge. However, with a 1-2-1 teacher, it can be achieved seamlessly because they can help you adjust your route at any stage in the learning process to ensure that your goals are as precise as possible and that you don’t miss anything essential along the way.
Imagine a student who sets out with the goal of achieving an IELTS academic score of 6.5 overall in order to transfer to their company’s UK office. As a result of the student’s increased awareness of their capabilities, they discover that they have gaps in their skillset that they wish to address along the way. The 1-2-1 teacher uses their knowledge and experience to adapt the student’s lessons to ensure that these boxes are ticked while remaining on track. This could be described as an organised detour. Micro-changes in learning strategy like this can be difficult to manage on your own or when studying in a group. This is because it’s easy to get lost in the smaller goals and lose sight of the original purpose of your studies. Your 1-2-1 teacher can guide you through the process by creating smooth and efficient detours that allow you to collect additional skills without deviating for too long.
On some occasions, goals can shift wildly. Our IELTS student could suddenly decide to stay in their native country and pursue a promotion there. In such cases, the initial plan 13)___________________. As your 1-2-1 teacher works with you frequently, they will see this as a moment to reassess the
initial goals and have a reset. They will help you to establish new targets that suit your career goals and will continue to guide you towards success.
1-2-1 teachers understand that in the bespoke teaching industry, goals cannot remain static. They must move with the
student, 14)_________________ and always pushing them forwards. This special breed of teachers don’t just monitor your skills in relation to your aims, they also monitor your skills as a whole. They are always looking to fill gaps in your knowledge that could be hampering your ability to communicate effectively. In doing so, they can make a huge difference to your overall performance by introducing the correct learning content at the right time. Adding new skills and 15)__________ your existing skillset really is the only way for learners to reach peak performance levels. In summary, 1-2-1 teachers keep you on a winning streak by adapting to your needs, allowing you to grow beyond your wildest dreams.
Is learning with a 1-2-1 teacher for you?
The route to deciding to study 1-2-1 with an English teacher is often a long one. Especially for students who have only really known classroom-based education. There are many options to consider, not least the financial aspect of investing a good amount of money in the process in order to achieve results. I hope this post helped you to understand some of the key reasons why learning 1-2-1 is a sound investment of your time and money. It truly is the most efficient way to achieve a target and keep achieving subsequent goals. If you are keen to start learning with dedicated a professional, please don’t hesitate to get in touch to learn more about our 1-2-1 teaching services.
Thanks for reading this blog post!
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