Mastering English with a Splash of ESL and IELTS

I am a native British English speaker, TEFL-certified with Distinction, and I have a BA Honours degree in English Language and Linguistics. I have been teaching English as a private tutor for over 8 years, both online and face-to-face, assisting students with their exam preparation from KS2 to A-level. My areas of expertise include TEFL, ESOL, IELTS, TOEFL, and Research Paper Writing for higher education students. I have taught English grammar, pronunciation, business English, interview skills, CV and cover letter writing, and everyday conversation skills, as well as teaching IELTS to higher education students in the UK, for which I achieved Grade A with full marks from Westminster College London.

I will always customise my lesson plans to suit my students' needs, as I understand that different people learn in different ways. However, I find that the most effective method is to begin my lessons with a warmer, to encourage students to talk about what they already know, and to generate interest in the subject. I would typically follow this by presenting a listening or reading passage, or a role play, to bring the subject to life in an authentic context and familiarise the student with the target language. I then ask a series of comprehension questions, to test students’ ability to recall specific details (facts, figures, etc), as well as open-ended questions to interpret the text using full sentences. A gap-fill exercise, categorisation exercise, or cloze test may be used to check students’ understanding of the content. Any unknown words are explained and clearly illustrated with authentic examples. Understanding of keywords is elicited through concept-checking questions. Finally, I will ask the student to share their opinions about several statements in the text, moving towards their own situation/culture and encouraging free discussion. Based on my experience, this has proven to be an effective method for improving students' conversation skills and building up their confidence to express themselves in everyday life.