English Conversation and Writing tutor - 6 years experience. Speaking, Writing & Pronunciation guide. Gain confidence in Australian English with Henry. (Can speak Chinese and Japanese)

Find out more about Henry

• When did you develop an interest in your chosen field and in private tutoring?

  In my university years, I often helped proofread assignments for my friends who were international students. I found that I was quite good at it and was able to help them attain higher grades. To be useful, to really help someone in this way gave me satisfaction. So, I thought, maybe I could be a teacher. And that is what I did. I went to Japan and taught as an assistant language teacher for 2 years.
  
  I've learned languages my whole life. I've always found that having someone to give feedback, to encourage and motivate me has been important whether that was a teacher, a friend or… my wife (Chinese). One-on-one tutoring is rewarding and challenging. The teaching and help is concentrated and focused on the needs of one person. In this way it's far superior to learning in a class setting. Your teacher is your tutor, your language partner is your tutor, and the student you want to copy the answer off of is your tutor. At each point you get quality feedback.

• Tell us more about the subject you teach, the topics you like to discuss with students (and possibly those you like a little less).

  As an English as a Second Language tutor, I enjoy teaching important skills such as speaking. Pronunciation is a forte. I enjoy helping students learn where to position the tongue and jaw in order to make the correct English sounds. It's rewarding, because often, just after a few minutes of work the student has corrected a pronunciation point and has a great sense of accomplishment.
  
  
  As far as discussion goes, I like to talk about a range of things. I especially like to hear the stories of my students as they do their best to express themselves in English. Everyone has a story. So, I often ask them to tell me a story. We also discuss their future aspirations. The topics that are challenging for me as a tutor to discuss with students are politics and social issues. While we touch on those subjects from time to time, I try to steer the conversation to the positive to keep the mood light without negating the students feelings.

• Did you have any role models; a teacher that inspired you?

  There are many! My German teacher in highschool, Frau Wichmann. She was a serious teacher who saw potential in me and encouraged me. When I underperformed, she would give me a look as if to say, "You can do better than that." But I took it the right way. She was serious about my learning. Her teaching methods were also effective. So I try to show the same kind of care with my students. I learned from her that the student must feel that I care about their learning. It motivates them and helps them accept the things I'm trying to teach.

• What do you think are the qualities required to be a good tutor?

  Patience - A good tutor will listen patiently to what the student needs and then meet those needs. When he's taking longer to catch on to a concept a good tutor will not get frustrated, but will patiently look for other ways to explain or practice the concept.
  
  Empathy - a good tutor can truly understand and even feel the difficulty that a student goes through to learn. The tutor will also be ready to be happy with him when he has a breakthrough.
  
  Knowledge - A good tutor will know how to help the student effectively. He doesn't wing it or just make guesses. A tutor has to know thoroughly what he's teaching before he teaches it.

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to your subject or your days at school.

  I'll relate a positive experience I've had. Recently, a new student started taking lessons with me. He is a retired dentist who has lived in Australia for decades and whose English, I would say, is close to native - C2 level. He says to me, "I'd like to take my English to the next level". "Next level!?" I thought, "his English is practically on par with mine!" Despite misgivings and fear, I decided to take him on in the end. I felt the pressure. A man with that level of English and academia would be tough to teach anything new to. I started out with English idioms in our first lessons, which went well. He knew about 70% of the idioms I introduced. But he felt so happy when a new one came along. We eventually moved on to a study of high level vocabulary and studied many of their collocations. That he finds challenging. So, we've had about 10 lessons together now and I'm feeling more confident and sure of myself as a tutor. He even gave me nice feedback just this week. He said, "I feel like my English is actually getting better since we started."
  
  Through this I learned (once again) that I needn't be fearful of taking on a challenge. All I have to do is focus on the work and put my best foot forward. At the very least, I will gain valuable experience.

• What were the difficulties or challenges you faced or are still facing in your subject?

  Diversity of students. Some students may be in primary school while others are retired scholars. And yet others are in the workforce, or preparing for English tests. When my student base becomes too diverse I add stress to myself and my teaching can suffer if I'm not careful. So what I make sure I do is categorise the students and teach one main theme for each category, though I adapt it slightly to fit the needs of each student. Doing so means I can reuse resources and materials, which reduces time spent in planning.

• Do you have a particular passion? Is it teaching in general or an element of the subject or something completely different?

  Languages are my passion. I find them fascinating. They are formulaic in structure (grammar and syntax etc.) and yet artistic. The truly beautiful thing about languages for me is that they allow me to connect with and better understand people from different backgrounds and cultures. It's also nice to give someone a surprise, even just by simply greeting them in their language. If that person is abroad, perhaps feeling homesick, it can really make a difference to their day and boost their mood. I have studied French, German, Japanese and Chinese so far. Studying these languages has taught me to be empathetic towards the struggles of my students as they try to master English. It can feel like a very daunting and laborious undertaking. Because I've been there before, I'm in a good position to act as a support, a mentor and a coach.

• What makes you a Superprof (besides answering these interview questions)?

  Consistency and reliability. From day one as a tutor, it has always been my aim to arrive with the same energy and to provide high quality no matter how long I've been teaching. When the students see that I'm serious, they're more motivated to pitch in. So, I make sure I'm always on time, comfortable to present what the student needs to learn in that lesson and have homework ready to set. Students who reciprocate inevitably see great gains early on and in the long term.