An online language tutor uses the Internet to provide live language instruction to a student, and most lesson plans cover conversation skills, grammar, and vocabulary. The tutor assists the student in becoming proficient in the target language through speaking, reading, writing, and listening, and tailors each lesson to the student’s specific needs and skill level. Lessons are typically delivered via an online classroom platform, an audio, video, or instant-messaging client, or both.
Typically, the online language tutor teaches using pre-made lesson plans or customized plans tailored to the student’s skill level and needs. Lessons can focus on a specific area, such as education, business, technology, or medicine, or they can cover the basics of a language. The tutor may deliver the lesson via a virtual classroom interface that includes an audio and video stream and displays the content of the lesson. A video chat program or an instant-messaging client can also be used by an online language tutor to teach the lesson plan. Students usually communicate with their tutors via a webcam or microphone, but they can also use a text chat.
The tutor engages the student in conversation and role play in the target language during the online lesson. The current lesson’s theme is usually covered in the conversation portion of the lesson, but it may also review concepts learned in previous lessons. Practicing conversation allows the student to improve their listening and speaking skills while also allowing the online language tutor to assist the student in overcoming any weaknesses in these areas.
The tutor may also use a variety of written and oral exercises to help the student improve their vocabulary and grammar skills. These exercises could be assigned as emailed homework or incorporated into each online lesson. If a student needs more practice with a particular grammar concept or needs to review vocabulary words, the tutor can modify the exercises to meet those needs.
Because an online language tutor usually takes an individualized approach with each student, a large part of his or her job is to assess the student’s language knowledge and develop a plan to improve any skills that are lacking. Before beginning the first lesson, the tutor may conduct an initial assessment of each student and use the results as a starting point for lesson planning. Individualized writing and reading assignments may be required for students with poor writing and reading skills, while comprehensive conversation training may be beneficial for students with poor listening and speaking skills.