Most students who try to prepare for the IELTS exam by themselves end up having to take the exam, multiple times before they decide to splurge on enrolling for a paid course. This is true even for native English speakers from countries like Singapore. All they manage to accomplish is paying hundreds of dollars extra in exam fees and wasting precious time. Even IELTS examiners recommend some form of coaching or exam preparation course before you sit for the IELTS test in order to understand the format and techniques needed for the exam. However, if you’ve decided to opt for this route, another perplexing question pops up. How do I pick a good tutor? In this article, we will take a closer look at the qualities and credentials that a reputable IELTS online tutor should have.
Make Sure That You Are Being Taught By A Native English Speaker
It might sound a bit prejudiced but to be honest most second-language IELTS tutors do not have the necessary language skills to provide quality lessons and teach the complex material needed for the writing and speaking components of the exam. Such a trainer might sound as if they speak fantastically well but that is most probably because their English level is a bit higher than yours.
Proper English Language Credentials
Make sure that you will be taught by someone with vast experience in the IELTS industry and is considered an expert. Choose native English teachers that are Celta or Delta qualified as this is the highest level of qualification for English as a second language lecturers that is offered by Cambridge University.
Choose a Teacher With IELTS Specialisation
The IELTS exam is not as simple as it looks. Most IELTS experts have dedicated years of their lives to understanding the content, structure and hidden complexities of the IELTS General Training and Academic exam. It would be really difficult for a general English teacher to switch and successfully tutor you for the IELTS exam.
There are so many facets to being an English teacher. It is better to opt for a tutor who specialises in teaching IELTS, or at least just 1 or two other language exams.
Sufficient Practice time
Having the best teacher in the world will make very little difference if you are not given enough time to put into practice the skills you learn during your classes. You could just practice on your own, but practising under the guided supervision of an experienced teacher, will really help to identify and overcome your weaknesses. Make sure that the tutoring service you choose offers these facilities.
Student Reviews
When choosing an IELTS course or tutor, you will be making a purchase that could potentially change your life. It is important to make sure that you can trust the person you have chosen to guide you on your IELTS experience. One of the ways that reputable tutors build up their trust levels with students is to make their previous students’ reviews easily viewable. However, you should also make sure that these are authentic before moving forward as there are plenty of fake IELTS tutor reviews online.