Online Spanish Tutor - Should you hire one?



Published November 28th, 2017 - Hiring an online tutor for one-on-one Spanish instruction is an important decision, as the wrong tutor could spell a big waste of time and money, as well as a significant emotional setback for a would-be student.

In the global economy, business leaders and professionals are going to find themselves interacting and doing business with people who speak Spanish and come from cultures shaped in part by the Spanish language.

Having the ability to interact with customers, vendors, and other business partners in Spanish-speaking countries and to understand their respective cultures is therefore going to remain a critical component of many emerging leaders' professional development.

Some may perceive this need to take advantage of the exciting business opportunities available in Spanish-speaking countries and among the worldwide Spanish-speaking population. However, given the time constraints of their busy professional lives, these people may need a convenient alternative to conventional Spanish tutoring .

An online tutor can meet this need and do so at an affordable cost, but the student has to be invested in his/her online tutoring program in order to yield the maximum benefit from it. There are certain things a new student can do in order to ensure she accomplishes this:

Hire an online Spanish tutor


Should you hire one? Hiring an online tutor for one-on-one Spanish instruction is an important decision, as the wrong tutor could spell a big waste of time and money, as well as a significant emotional setback for a would-be student. One question a prospective student should ask is how much teaching experience the tutors have, as well as how much background they have in interacting closely with a Spanish-speaking culture. It's one thing to have a lot of book knowledge about the Spanish language; it is quite another for the tutor to have a proven track record of being able to help a student acquire applicable language skills at the student's own pace and in order to suit the student's own needs. If you decide to hire a personal tutor, he or she will hold you accountable for your progress. Your tutor should align with your goals and stick with them, this also means you need to trust your tutor.

Odds are, your tutor is going to be at least as challenging as they would be in person, and perhaps more so since online sessions cut out commute times and other administrative chores associated with conventional learning, leaving more time for lesson study time and lesson planning. A big advantage will be all the face-to-face interaction, a student is going to experience real 'everyday' effective communication led by a professional.



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How about using software to learn?


Online tutoring using software is a convenient way to study the Spanish language according to one's own timetable; however, that does not make it easy. Remember, convenient and easy are not the same. No matter what one's language abilities are, anyone who has invested in online tutoring is going to have to take the time from their busy schedules to do assignments, practice, study, and, most importantly, stay motivated.

Furthermore, online learning is going to require a student to know how to use technology effectively. A student who, for instance, does not know how install an update in order for the software to run smoothly runs the risk of getting frustrated on day 1. On the bright side, a student will learn how to use different educational tools and websites full of resources.

Procrastination is the enemy of success


It is easy for a person to recognize in theory that good time management is important, particularly in the less-structured times of self-study. However, in practice, hours you reserved for self-study can easily get thrown to the back-burner in favor of things that seem like they are more important.

One reason for this is that everyone, no matter how motivated they are, is prone to procrastination. The important thing to remember about this is that, ultimately, procrastination is an inner attitude that a person can (and should try to) control. It is not just a fact of life.

In many cases, a person might procrastinate because he or she will not be able to do a perfect job on a project and thus does not see the value in trying. Others simply lack the confidence in themselves to get started on a task they find difficult, and - let's face it - learning a new language is for the vast majority of people a "difficult" project.

Whatever the reason, procrastination is the mortal enemy of online Spanish tutoring success, as it quickly spirals into a student's making little progress, getting discouraged, and eventually giving up. While there is no one way to beat procrastination, asking lots of questions and admitting when you don't understand something and need help are good ways to build the confidence needed to get started on the rewarding process of learning the Spanish language.

Organize


Before embarking on an endeavor into online Spanish learning, it is important to plan. An obvious first step is to make sure that one has the right technology available to handle the online learning format, as well as a suitable backup plan should her or his technology fail, as it is bound to do just that from time to time.

A student also needs to set out a calendar with definite times in which she will work on his or her Spanish skills, this is where working with a human makes sense, figuratively speaking you are hiring a gym coach that will not rest until you reach your goals. On a related point, she should set up a dedicated, organized space for working which is free from distractions.

For those students who are married, have kids, or otherwise have other people closely involved in their lives, it's important also to communicate when "Spanish study time" is and ask for some space during that time in order to focus. Of course, before doing this, the student has to be absolutely committed to study time.

Conclusion: enjoy it


It is much easier to invest in something one enjoys, so the last "tip" to getting the most out of this Spanish learning experience is to learn to love it. In this respect, it is very important to choose an online option that is exciting and engaging.

Another thing that can spice up a Spanish lesson is an interspersing of practical information that might be of direct use in a person's line of work, such as information about the culture of a Spanish-speaking country in which the student has a professional interest.

The bottom line is that if a student treats his online Spanish tutoring as a worthwhile investment in his professional development and career, then he or she will be more likely to both succeed in and get a lot of return out of the course.