Take ESOL lessons with a private tutor in Stellenbosch

ESOL Lessons in Stellenbosch

Stellenbosch, an idyllic small town, is nestled in the heart of the Winelands of the Western Cape province of South Africa. Its population is swelled annually by thousands of university students, since it is home to the University of Stellenbosch as well as some of the top schools. Its oak-lined streets and avenues, cafes and restaurants give it an atmosphere and character which is unique and difficult to top. Against the dramatic background of the Jonkershoek Mountains, these are really majestic surroundings in which to live and study.

This is a university town, with the University of Stellenbosch (US) and its student population giving the town a vibrancy and ambience very unique to it. An ideal setting to pursue English lessons for beginners, don’t you think?

In this beautiful, tree-lined setting, there are a number of institutions which offer English as a subject of study.

Study at a Language Centre

Let’s kick off with its famous university, which has a Language Centre offering an Intensive English Programme (IEP) to international students who are not English native speakers. The courses run in 8-week blocks and are geared at improving a student’s listening and speaking skills, vocabulary and grammar, reading and writing. Students can also develop their English language skills to a greater degree by following the university’s EAP (English for Academic Purposes. Any student who is not sure of their level of proficiency can take the Language proficiency test at the Language Centre.

The benefits of following such a programme is that it is run by seasoned professionals who have in-depth knowledge of their subject and the needs of their students. The curriculum followed will also have stood the test of time, having been developed and refined over many years.

What About a Language School?

Then, there are private schools. For instance, the Multi-Lingua language school specialises in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) courses. It would be great to practise your ESL vocabulary lessons in a setting like this. Many schools believe in getting their students to converse a lot to help them get to grips with the intricacies of English, which may differ considerably from the student’s native tongue.

Also growing as a school is the One World Language School, which is unique in that it is owned by the teachers who established it. This school has catered to students from a number of foreign nations, including France, Switzerland, Japan, Korea, South America and several African countries. Furthermore, the school’s teachers have many years of international teaching experience in countries around the globe. Some are even qualified examiners for the British Council in terms of Cambridge ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages) and IELTS (International English language Testing System).

The school’s teachers, who are assessed on an ongoing basis, are also trained tour guides. They, thus, also conduct guided tours, excursions and picnics with their learners once per week. This, then, serves to immerse students into the language and culture of their ‘hosts’ and allows learning to develop in an informal, relaxed way. In this way, learners encounter the language in action. They will be encouraged, even emboldened, to use it without first formulating their ideas in their mother tongue, especially since they’ll be in the company of speakers of other languages, who will also have to encode their thoughts in English right ‘off the bat’. This can, of course, lead to hilarity – a whole lot of fun, to be sure! These are then ESOL lessons for beginners with a totally different slant.

ESOL Tutors Available in Stellenbosch

You’re in the heart of academia and, so, tutors will be plentiful. Your challenge is going to be sifting the wheat from the chaff. Many students will be offering their services. It is important that your first experience is a positive one and, so, it is vital that you select a tutor who will be the best choice, for you.

There is no doubt that many of the students will be good. Your task, however, will be to assess if they specifically address your needs and if their knowledge of the subject trumps the experience of a tutor who has taught learners, with similar profiles to yours, over many years. First prize, for you, would be to track down a tutor who has a combination of experience, compassion, understanding and patience along with the prerequisite academic background. A skilled tutor who has assisted foreign learners, in the past, may be the ideal person with whom to throw in your lot. Pricing is, no doubt, also a factor to consider, but this should not be the overriding consideration! Your goal should be your guide!

The beauty of exploring a Superprof tutor is that more than 90% of these folk offer their first lessons gratis (free). This allows you to assess your mutual compatibility. This website puts a number of tutors at your disposal in a format where you can easily compare them according to a number of factors. The site includes their qualifications, experience and pricing. Tutors also provide a brief summary of themselves and these are then followed by reviews from previous students, where available. Generally, your learning sessions will be online and you will be in a position to arrange them at a time convenient to you and enjoy them in the comfort and security of your own home.

What Do ESOL Classes Cost?

Tutor rates can be as low as R50 and as expensive as R350 per hour. These rates are directly related to the tutor’s level of education and experience. At the lower end of the scale is a young student with no to little tutoring experience, whilst at the upper end, you’ll be in the care of a seasoned lecturer who has assisted many English learners over several years and achieved a high success rate. In between these extremes are students and teachers with a mix of experience, who on average charge around R200 per hour. Some of these folk are prepared to travel to your home, while the bulk prefer to work online.

So, let’s excel at ESOL! Reach out somewhere today and set off on an exciting journey of exploration! Lift off ... we have a lift off!