5 Reasons to Get Yourself an ESL Tutor
See also: Effective SpeakingYou may realize at some point that you need an ESL tutor. ESL, if you have never heard the expression, means English as a Second Language. There are tons of ESL tutors, both here in the US and abroad.
If you grew up here in the states, and you speak fluent English, then you will likely never need an ESL tutor, at least not for yourself. There are plenty of people who need them, though, and in this article, we’ll run down a few of the likely scenarios where you’ll have to locate a suitable one.
You Are Moving to the US
Perhaps you are interested in improving your English speaking skills because you are moving to the United States from another country. For instance, maybe you’re moving here from China, Japan, Mexico, or elsewhere. Perhaps you’re coming here because of a job opportunity, or there are lots of other reasons why you could decide to make the US your home.
When you get here, you will find that English is the most commonly spoken language. There are many other languages that US citizens and visitors speak, but there’s no question that you'll have an easier time getting around and meeting people if you speak fluent English. Even if you only speak a little conversational English, that will be better than knowing none at all.
You Have an English-Speaking Love Interest
Perhaps you were born here in the US, but you grew up in a household that spoke another language. Maybe you encountered English outside the home, but you never learned it formally. At some point, though, you met someone, and the two of you started dating.
That is certainly a situation where you might wish to get an ESL tutor, assuming your new romantic interest speaks English as their first language. Maybe they speak a little of your native tongue, or perhaps they don’t speak it at all. Either way, if you learn English, you can communicate more easily with them, and you can convey that you want the two of you to be together.
Apart from that, if you start dating someone, and you learn English so you can converse with them more easily, they will see that you are taking the relationship seriously. They will realize that you sincerely want to get to know them better, and that should score some points for you as you try to win their heart.
You Are Going to Start a New Job
Let’s say again that you grew up in a household where English was not the first spoken language. That was okay because most of the other people in your neighborhood did not speak much English either.
That might be fine during your childhood, but when you get older, it could be problematic. Maybe you can get a job where you don’t have to speak much English, but you will have many more opportunities if you hire an ESL tutor and learn some of the basics.
If you can tell your would-be boss or a hiring manager who is interviewing you that you either speak English or you are learning it, you have a better chance of getting the position. If you can barely speak a word to them or your other coworkers, they will probably pick another candidate over you.
You Want to Assimilate
Whether you are moving to America or leaving a household that does not speak much English, if you learn the language, that’s a big step toward assimilating. In some immigrant communities, it’s almost as though assimilation is a bad word. Some individuals will stubbornly refuse to learn English or any American customs, because they feel like that’s betraying their native culture.
This mindset doesn’t make much sense, though. Even if you were born in another country and still feel deep ties to it, that does not mean you can’t hire an ESL tutor and get a lot of benefits from learning the language.
You can still follow your native country’s traditions if that’s important to you. You can celebrate the holidays, dress in traditional garb, eat the food, and so forth. However, by learning English, you can still show your friends, coworkers, fellow students, etc., that you want to connect with your new country as much as you wish to respect and cherish the old one.
You Want to Speak the Language Better
You also might have a situation where you grew up in a household that spoke some English, but more often than not, you spoke a different language. You also may not have encountered English all that much outside the home. There are certain New York neighborhoods, for instance, where this is common.
You might have picked up some English, and you can speak and write a little. You may not have total confidence, though, at least not like some of the people you meet outside your community.
If so, then you can hire an ESL tutor to teach you more about the language. They can get you to the point where you can speak, write, and read better than you once could.
This can help you in all kinds of ways. If you go to college, you can make friends easier, and perhaps you can find a romantic interest as well. If you have improved vocabulary skills, then the language will flow in a much more natural way, and you will feel ready to engage with anyone.
When you start job hunting, you won’t feel embarrassed if you don’t know the name of a particular object in English. Your tutor might help you with cadence and pronunciation.
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If you do decide to hunt for an ESL tutor, be sure to get one that has reasonable rates and great online feedback. You’ll also want to locate one close by, so they can either come to you, or you can go to them. Failing that, you might get one with whom you can do some strictly online lessons.
About the Author
Susan Melony: I am an avid writer, traveler, and overall enthusiast. Every day I create a life I love.