Take ESOL lessons with a private tutor in Johannesburg

ESOL Lessons in Johannesburg

“All roads lead to Johannesburg,” Alan Paton once said. What he meant was that it is and was regarded as the city where opportunity could be found, especially as regards job opportunities and the creation of wealth, or at least a financial nest egg. People fled the countryside to find work in the ‘big city.’ People also streamed in from around the globe with the discovery of gold in the late 19^th century.

In the City of Gold, there are numerous institutions which offer language courses to students at all levels, from beginner or novice to advanced and post-graduate levels. Many are located in the heart of the city or the immediate surrounding suburbs. So, if you search online for “English class for adults near me”, your screen will instantly be populated with a host of possible service providers, either institutional (language schools or learning centres) or individual (private tutors).

ESOL and ESL

Before we consider where to learn English in Johannesburg, let’s consider the term ESOL. This initialism refers to English for Speakers of Other Languages and is more inclusive than the term ESL (English as a Second Language), because the student may be using English as a third or even a fourth language. So, this term would draw in any individual who may be a speaker of several languages already, to whom English would then be foreign or little known.  ESOL would, thus, cover the spheres of both ESL and EFL (English as a Foreign language).

Where Do I Go for ESL Lessons?

As mentioned above, the CBD (Central Business District) and surrounding area are dotted with institutions which offer courses that may be suit your needs. Tutoring services and language schools are concentrated in the area between Alberton, Randburg and Sandton. This makes it easy for you to locate an institution close to your residence, place of work or on your route home.

You can enrol for a course offered by the Humanities department at the University of the Witwatersrand Language School, or at one of the many private colleges or language schools dotted across greater Johannesburg.

One language school, for example, boasts excellent English classes at centrally located premises, close to public transport nodes. It offers courses to learners, from across the globe, from a beginner to an advanced level. The school is unique in the sense that it offers the Cambridge ESOL examinations which are recognised across the world – the only Gauteng language centre to do so, it boasts. It also provides preparation courses for the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test. This test assesses the language proficiency of students who are non-native speakers of English. Their reading, listening, speaking and writing skills are evaluated.

The school offers a four-week course for speakers of other languages. Students commit to six hours of study per day which are made up of various combinations of activities, e.g. 4 hours of General English study; a one-hour extension class; a one-on-one session with a teacher and/ or a one-hour period of self-study.

Built into one of the course, the extension class focuses on particular aspects of English, namely, grammar, pronunciation, listening and speaking, Aspects, which are focused on, change every month. These are, no doubt, what a new speaker of English requires as areas to be developed. Once these are in place and strengthened, you, the confidence of the student will grow in leaps and bounds.

For the purposes of self-study, students have access to a listening lab, a library as well as a computer room with free Internet access for all full-time learners. These facilities will be a great leg-up for the student who doesn’t have access to these resources or a separate or private study area at home. You are sure to excel in an environment like this, where your activities are also varied and structured.

So, if you’re a gregarious person, you will enjoy the group sessions. If not, there are one-on-one sessions which are tailored to your specific needs. These sessions will focus on aspects such as pronunciation, literacy, general English and preparation for the Cambridge ESOL exams.

What About a Tutor?

You may be an individual who is a bit shy or anxious and, so, do not generally want to be exposed to a classroom or group setting. Retaining the services of an English tutor would then be a better option for you; someone who can give you one-on-one tuition and guidance. A large number of highly qualified tutors are at your disposal in Johannesburg, some of whom possess a great deal of experience in teaching English to speakers of other languages. They may have taught English to non-native speakers in an overseas setting, or locally, in South Africa. The experience of these tutors will be crucial to how quickly you progress.

Your best option, very often, is to hook up with a trained educator who is qualified to teach English as a second or foreign language. Such teachers will quickly assess your current level of proficiency and design a solid curriculum which will address your particular needs.

Your task would be to select the most appropriate candidate to assist and guide you.

What Does an ESOL Tutor Charge?

Superprof has a selection of more than 1 000 ESOL tutors to select from. You’ll be like a kid in a candy store, wanting to grab a handful! But, slow down … breathe! These caring and compassionate tutors, some of whom are experienced ESOL teachers, are well educated and trained. Some can tutor right up to varsity level and others are TEFL and TESOL trained. They are available across the breadth of Johannesburg at an average cost of R190. Quite a number charge around R150. There are even some at a special low price of only R100.

So, there are tutors out there to help you. You simply have to apply your criteria to your search. Decide whether price or experience is going to be the overriding consideration. Proximity should not really be an issue in the digital and technological age in which we find ourselves. Most classes can be conducted via the Internet and, so, once you have identified your tutor, it should merely be a matter of synchronising schedules. Right!?

No more dill-dallying! Let’s get moving on this!