Still, two main directions of learning English can be distinguished, namely: English courses – where learning takes place in groups, and an English tutor – where learning takes place one-on-one. Let's look at the pros and cons of these approaches for language learning.
Studying English with a tutor
Pros:
• The main advantage of studying with a tutor is 100% of the teacher's attention to you alone. By paying for an hour of time, you get exactly an hour of the teacher's attention, that is, the tutor. During lessons, the tutor will not be distracted by other students, thus being able to convey the necessary material to you in maximum quantity.
• Flexible schedule. When studying with a tutor, or rather – at the stage of finding one, you suggest to the tutor a convenient time and days for lessons (in courses, there is always a fixed time and days for the whole group). And even if you cannot always make it to a lesson, you can easily arrange with the tutor to reschedule it without paying for missed time.
Now let's see if there are any disadvantages of studying with a tutor:
• The first disadvantage stems from the first advantage: monotony of lessons. Since you study with the tutor one-on-one, you should not expect funny stories or news from other people's lives from the teacher. And after 5-10 lessons, you will be able to predict the teacher's behavior and manner of presenting material, which can turn the learning process into monotonous work that you don't always want to attend.
• The second disadvantage is the cost of tuition. Usually, the cost of lessons with a tutor is two to three times higher than group lessons in English courses. But this issue is also debatable, since you get 100% of the time of the entire learning process.
Now, as an example, let's consider English courses in Kyiv to find the pros and cons of group lessons.
Pros of studying English in courses:
• Variety of lessons. Studying in a group is always more fun and interesting, because each individual expresses their emotions, shares news, etc. In an English group, you can always communicate with other people, make new acquaintances, and possibly friends. Standard lessons in an English group are structured so that students conduct maximum dialogues and presentations in English, which significantly brings people together within the group.
• Cost of lessons. Group lessons in English courses are always two to three times cheaper than lessons with a tutor. Of course, one must consider the fact that the teacher cannot give you 100% of their time, as with a tutor.
Disadvantages of studying in a group:
• The main disadvantage, compared to studying with a tutor, is still the number of people in the group. Since even with 8 students in an English group and a lesson duration of 90 minutes, the following happens: 90 minutes divided by 8 people = 11 minutes per student. That is how much personal time the teacher can devote to each student. But, as practice shows, none of the students leave the group after the allotted 11 minutes, but continue to actively participate in the lesson: answer questions, supplement colleagues in the group, listen to other students' presentations – in short, they learn.
• The second disadvantage is considered to be the scheduled and strict lesson schedule. If you study in a group in English courses, you will have to adapt to the common schedule for the whole group. If you are late for a lesson or miss it altogether, the group will not wait for you and will continue the educational process without you. Of course, there are English courses that offer free make-up for missed lessons, but such make-ups should not be systematic.
Let's summarize
1. An English tutor is better when you have a clear goal, with deadlines and budget, for which you need to learn English: you are willing to work intensively to get results as quickly as possible;
2. English courses in a group are suitable for anyone who has enough time and plans to attend lessons that will be interesting and informative. Usually, to learn English (from beginner to advanced level) in group courses, it will take from one and a half to two years.
Thank you all, and we hope the information was useful and will be helpful to you in the future.