Comparing Teachers
| These days, there are many different ways to learn English. Whether in a classroom, a coffee shop, or online, each style has it's advantages and disadvantages. After working in the industry for almost 10 years, ATLAS has compared the various styles for their good and bad points. We used the 5 Reasons Why English Training Fails as our method of comparison: Material, Planning, Motivation, Timing, and Implementation. In addition, we added Cost to our comparison because it's important to many students. Click on any part of the comparison chart to read more details. |
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Cram schools are traditional classroom teaching. Although a favorite in Taiwan, cram schools didn't do well in comparison to other methods. In terms of Implementation, Timing, and Cost, they did very poorly.
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Most cram schools buy their course materials from other publishing companies. Using grammar text books and conversation guides from external sources seems to be the cheapest method, as most schools cannot afford to publish materials themselves. Often, school administrators will go to a local book store and buy what they think is the best source for English learning material.
However, this material is never customized for the student. It never directly addresses the student’s Goals and Gaps. And that is the real test of good material.
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Typically, these types of programs are well laid out in terms of the class schedule. They have a set syllabus for each class, and generally, the instructor follows the course calendar very closely. In all, if you are looking for a very structured program, cram schools are good choices.Back to Top
As was mentioned with timing, cram schools typically make you pay in advance and do not allow you to reschedule. This gives a financial motivation to attend class. And this type of motivation can be powerful. However, it does not give the deeper motivation of achieving your Goals. A great program should be directly aligned with your life goals. Back to Top
How do you apply what you learn in cram school to your real life? Can you ask your cram school teacher to edit your work email? This is where many English programs fail. They teach you some vocabulary and grammar but they do not assist you when you implement this in your real life. And after all, that’s why you are learning English in the first place. Back to Top
When it comes to scheduling an English class, timing is everything. Often times, cram schools will offer a wide range of available times to the student, while others don’t. But, one thing is for certain, these times are not very flexible, if at all. You can’t reschedule or postpone the class and of course, there are no refunds or credits for those missed classes. We all have busy schedules, so if you can’t make it to a class, shouldn’t you be able to re-schedule it? Back to Top
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While universities have a great reputation, their biggest failing is in Implementation. While they teach English skills, they don't teach how to use those skills in the real world. In addition, the price can be too high for many students.
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Most universities have excellent material. Because they offer a number of different English classes, you can select the topics that are most useful for you to study. Back to Top
Again, universities usually have excellent planning. Their programs are well laid out so a student can spend 4 years in a structured program. Back to Top
Attendance is usually factored into a university program’s marking, which motivates students to attend class. In addition, university credits and degrees are respected by employers and other schools. This motivates the student to finish their program. Back to Top
University programs are great for knowledge and theory, but are not always practical. They don’t help very much when it comes to business meetings or writing business reports.Back to Top
Timing is a major drawback to a university program. Universities are famous for being inflexible. Back to Top
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Online teaching programs are the hottest new trend in Taiwan. However, they have also generated a lot of complaints from students (and their own teachers). These companies usually employ Filipino or South American teachers and you don't always get the same teacher. Worst of all, they don't prepare you for face-to-face interaction in the real world.
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These classes use the same types of materials that most one-on-one classes do, but like the planning aspect, they are very dependent on the experience and preparedness of the teacher. Back to Top
Many online programs use levels (i.e. level 1-12) to classify students. This is fairly well organized and there is a general plan for each student. However, most online programs regularly change the teacher. Some will change the teacher EVERY CLASS. For this reason, the plan is not always followed.Back to Top
Like cram schools, online programs motivate their students with money. Specifically, online courses are fairly expensive and money is paid in advance. In order to get your money’s worth, you must use the service. However, again, online programs are not aimed at your specific Goals so they lack a deeper motivation.Back to Top
Online Service - Implementation
Online programs train us to speak English over the computer, using a system like Skype. If that is your life Goal, then it is a very useful implementation. However, most people want to use English in a business meeting or in a university classroom. If that is the case, then online programs do a poor job of preparing us for the real world. Back to Top
This is the great advantage of online programs. If you want to sit at home at any time of day or night and learn English, this is the best method. Timing is usually very flexible when using online services.Back to Top
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While private teachers are convenient and affordable, they aren't always organized. In terms of Material and Planning, many students complain about their private teacher.Back to Top
Material is crucial to an English program and it is the number one failure of most private teachers. Many private teachers bring a newspaper or generic textbook to class while even more teachers bring nothing at all. Why spend more money on a service that is minimally prepared or not at all? Back to Top
Again, planning is a serious flaw with private teaching. Organizing a study program takes time and many private teachers don’t put in the time. While a school has writers and administrators to help with planning, a private teacher usually works alone and does not have the support required to properly plan an English program.Back to Top
There are several things that can motivate us to study English. The most powerful motivator is to see the results of our English study in our regular life. That is, does our English study help our life Goals? Very often, a private teacher spends all their time in conversation and does not match their study to their students’ goals. In addition, because private teachers usually don’t charge in advance, money is also not a motivator to attend class.Back to Top
Private Teaching - Implementation
Some private teachers can help apply English to our job by editing emails or coaching us on specific job functions. This is very helpful and possibly the most important step in an English program. However, the responsibility is usually on the student to ask their teacher to do this. Most private teachers will not do this unless their student asks them.Back to Top
This is the great strength of private teachers. As a student, you probably want a teacher who is flexible about time (and money) and a private teacher offers this. With today’s busy lifestyle, this can be the best selling point for a private teacher. Back to Top
Private Teaching - Cost
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Premium Private Teaching combines the organization of a university with the flexibility of a private teacher. You get the best of both worlds, but the pricing can be a little higher. Nowadays, this is probably the most efficient way to study English.
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Premium Private Teaching - Material
Premium services develop material that is designed to address a student’s Gaps and move them towards their Goals. This type of material is very specific for each student, teaching them exactly what they need and wasting no time on unnecessary topics; then, adjusting the material in relation to the student’s progress to ensure that the student still learns challenging and relevant material.Back to Top
Premium Private Teaching - Planning
Ideally, an English program will be centered on a student’s Goals and Gaps. The detailed plan should move the student from their current English position (the Gaps) directly towards their Goals. This should be done as efficiently as possible. A premium private teacher can create a customized plan for each student.Back to Top
Premium Private Teaching - Motivation
A premium service can motivate a student in two ways. First, the plan and material will be aimed at the student’s personal life Goals. Since this is a powerful motivator in a person’s life, we can use this energy to learn English as well. Second, by paying for a premium service in advance, the student is also motivated by their money investment. Students who pay in advance always have more success because they are more committed to the program. Back to Top
Premium Private Teaching - Implementation
This is the best quality of a premium private service. The entire program should be geared towards the student’s life Goals. That is, the aim of the program is to implement this English in your real life. The plan and material are created with this in mind. In addition, the private teacher can answer questions, edit emails, and offer general English support services whenever you require help.Back to Top
Premium Private Teaching - Timing
A premium private service should offer students flexibility in their learning schedule. This should be done in two ways. Firstly, the in-class time and location should be favorable to the student. No one wants to travel to a school after a day at work. Second, a premium service should offer online material at any time of the day so the student can learn independently.Back to Top
Premium Private Teaching - Cost
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