Home Tuition FAQ's

Here are some questions and answers that will help you decide if home tuition is for you:

Q Who does it tend to suit?
A Many of our teachers are early retired, having had a previous career and retrained in TEFL 

Q How much teaching will I get?
A This depends on your location, experience, flexibility and the time of year

Q What kind of students do you get?
A Most of our students are adult and come from all over the world. Most come from Europe and Japan.

Q When does the teaching take place?
A Most teachers do the bulk of the teaching in the morning and early afternoon

Q What courses are offered?
A We offer a range of courses including General English, English plus Culture, Business English,
Exam Preparation, Young Learner and English for Academic Purposes 

Q Do students come all year round?
A Our busiest periods are May to September. Most students stay for one to three weeks.

Q Is it just a matter of providing lessons?
A No. The most important thing is hospitality. To be a successful home tutor you will need to be interested in your students and be able to encourage and motivate. You will need to welcome them into your family.

Q What materials do I need?
A Teachers are expected to provide their own materials (using books, audio, video, websites etc). In cases where the student requires specialist materials eg exam preparation books, we will normally provide them. Students should normally be given a copy of the materials you use.

Q Do you use a particular teaching method?
A No. The teaching method should be appropriate to the student. The majority of students want to improve their speaking skills and in almost all cases modern communicative approaches work well. Most students want lots of opportunity to practise speaking and use the vocabulary they know.

Q Do I need to plan the lessons?
A Yes. It is very important to present a weekly plan of work to the student at the beginning of the course. Plans should take into account the students needs and priorities and be adapted as necessary.

Q Apart from the teaching, what else do I need to do?
A You will need to provide a suitably furnished guest room, home-cooked meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner), an orientation around the local area and at least one social activity per week in the evening. Some courses involve cultural activities or visits. If required, teachers are expected to pick their student up from and drop their student off at the nearest convenient station for the student.

Q What does there need to be in the guest room?
A Bed, drawer and wardrobe space, desk, chair, sufficient heating and lighting. 

Q What paperwork is required?
A Teachers send us copies of their lesson plans and fill in an on-line Progress Report for the student  

Q What is my employment status?
A As a freelance teacher you will be self employed. 

Q Is it possible to teach while having young children at home?
A Yes it is possible but you will need sufficient child care arrangements.

Q What level of English do your students have?
A It is very unusual to have beginners or very advanced students. Most students have an intermediate level.

Q What age are your students?
A The majority of our students are adults.

Q Can teachers choose what students they want to teach?
A Yes. Teachers can tell us their preferences on their application form. Of course, the more selective you are, the fewer students you are likely to be offered.  

Q What support do I receive?
A The academic staff at Homelingua are happy to advise on materials and how to deal with teaching and pastoral issues.