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Toby Smith

English Tutor at Lancaster University | Literature, Writing, Reading, Debate

4.8(32)

Free trial lesson

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Verified degree or teaching certification of Toby
Verified degree or teaching certification of Toby
Verified degree or teaching certification of Toby
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Private tutor - Toby Smith

Bachelors degree

$13

$12

/ 30 min

About your english tutor

Hi there! My name is Toby, and I am an experienced, TEFL certified teacher, of both English and Spanish, from the UK. I have over 3 years of experience teaching students of all ages to become the best linguists they can be. If you are looking for a professor to push you in your studies, to tailor the learning experience to you, and provide you with skills that will help you in the real world, not just boring textbook exercises and vocab tests, then look no further! My specialities range from accent coaching, to test prep strategies, to business english, ensuring that each student has a comprehensive grounding that allows them to master English or Spanish to the highest level. Whether you are a beginner, or an experienced speaker looking to refine your English or Spanish skills, I am here to help you succeed. Let’s embark on this language journey together and unlock your full potential in English or Spanish.

Meet Toby

Toby graduated from Lancaster University

Toby graduated from Lancaster University
Toby graduated from Lancaster University

English classes overview

My teaching methodology is unique in that I incorporate the latest and most up to date teaching strategies within my curriculum. I have eliminated the outdated and actively damaging practises of learning by rote and standardised class structures from my approach, as these have been proven to not only slow learning progress, but also weaken a students adaptability in the target language. As such I employ an approach of fully immersive classes, in which 90-95% of the content is taught in and around the target language, only using translations when absolutely necessary to ensure student understanding. I create a personalised and tailored curriculum for each student, using an initial aptitude test and my own insights in the first few sessions to target the weaknesses within their fluency, and to actively improve the areas that will support the purpose of their learning. With over 100 successful students taught, and over 5000 hours of classes under my belt, I have a proven track record in my style and my ability to accelerate a student’s learning by making lessons engaging and personalised.

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Rated 5 stars for speaking confidence

Students report feeling more confident in conversations.

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Strong focus on speaking and writing

95% of parents see growth in both written and spoken language skills.

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Regular progress check-ins

90% of students get regular updates on their language skills.

English tutor specialities

Accent coaching icon

Accent coaching

Real world application icon

Real world application

Test prep strategies icon

Test prep strategies

Visual learning icon

Visual learning

Listening skill icon

Listening skill

Speaking fluency icon

Speaking fluency

keyLearning

English concept taught by Toby

Amol learned about 21 hours ago

Toby is tutoring Amol for the SAT, focusing on grammar and vocabulary weaknesses using a challenging practice test. They are reviewing the test together, with Toby providing detailed explanations of grammatical rules and conventions, including subject-verb agreement, parallel structure, and proper use of conjunctions. Toby emphasizes over-preparation and plans to introduce a numbering system for grammar rules in the next session. They also discuss scheduling and personal interests.

SAT Grammar Focus

Dangling Modifiers

SAT Grammar Numbering System

Vocabulary Context Clues

Oxford Comma

In Fact vs. And

Not Only...But Also

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Dan learned 1 day ago

Toby tutored Dan, focusing on literary analysis skills using an excerpt from "Of Mice and Men," assessing comprehension, theme identification, and inference abilities. Toby identified Dan's strength in detail recall but noted a need for improvement in drawing inferences. The next session will focus on Dan's current assignment, "The Outsiders," and Dan will bring in examples of his schoolwork.

Repetition

Tone and Informal Language

Foreshadowing

Analyzing Text

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Philip learned 2 days ago

Toby is tutoring Philip in Spanish, focusing on grammar concepts like pronouns (reflexive, direct, and indirect), reflexive verbs, and contractions. Philip struggles with the complexity of tenses and contractions, so Toby uses reading comprehension exercises and plans to revisit these topics. They review rules and examples, and Toby emphasizes the importance of context and working backwards when translating. The next lesson will delve deeper into these concepts, and Toby will share lesson materials.

Object Pronoun Placement

Pronouns

Reflexive Pronouns

Indirect Object Pronouns

Contractions

Direct Object Pronouns

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Sabrina learned 6 days ago

Toby is tutoring Sabrina in Spanish, addressing technical issues and her allergies at the start. They review various verb tenses (present, past, future, perfect) and pronoun usage, with Toby providing explanations, examples, and visual aids. He assesses Sabrina's level as B1/B2 and plans a test to pinpoint areas for improvement. They discuss the benefits of formal language certification and decide to postpone a detailed study of the subjunctive mood. Toby will provide additional learning materials like flashcards and a whiteboard.

Near Future Tense

Preterite vs. Imperfect

Past Perfect (Pluperfect)

Direct and Indirect Object Pronouns

Reflexive Pronouns

Subjunctive Mood

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Philip learned 7 days ago

Toby Smith tutored Philip Atkinson in Spanish, focusing on the nuances of *ser* vs. *estar*, *por* vs. *para*, and imperfect vs. preterite tenses. Philip practiced identifying the correct verb forms and applying them in sentences. As homework, Philip was assigned to create new sentences demonstrating each tense for review in the next session.

Far Future Tense

Near Future Tense

Ser vs. Estar

Por vs. Para

Imperfect vs. Preterite

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Sabrina learned 9 days ago

Toby Smith tutored Sabrina on Spanish grammar, beginning with a review of a National Geographic article and focusing on adjective agreement. The main topic was an introduction to the subjunctive mood, its triggers, and its usage in expressing doubt or desire. Toby assigned homework to review the PowerPoints and prepare questions for the next session, where they will continue practicing the subjunctive.

Lenua vs. Tongue

Adjective Agreement

Indicative vs. Subjunctive

Subjunctive Triggers

Subjunctive Mood

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English tutor also teaches

English Listening

English Listening

English Literature

English Literature

English Speaking

English Speaking

English Vocabulary

English Vocabulary

English Writing

English Writing

English Reading Comprehension

English Reading Comprehension

Free lesson slots

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Teaching tools used by english tutor

Translation tools image

Translation tools

Speech recognition image

Speech recognition

Game based learning tools image

Game based learning tools

Interactive quizzes image

Interactive quizzes

Writing prompts image

Writing prompts

Student types for english class

English for Adults icon

English for Adults

English for School students icon

English for School students

English for Beginners icon

English for Beginners

English for College students icon

English for College students

English for Kids icon

English for Kids

ADHD icon

ADHD

ASD icon

ASD

Anxiety or Stress Disorders icon

Anxiety or Stress Disorders

Home schooled icon

Home schooled

Interactive english lessons

Record lessons icon

Record lessons

Note taking icon

Note taking

Pets are welcomed icon

Pets are welcomed

Parent feedback icon

Parent feedback

Mobile joining icon

Mobile joining

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