Session Prep
Walking into an English tutoring session without clear goals means spending half the time figuring out where to start. These questions help you and your tutor align on your needs, measure progress, and get the most practical value from every session.
1.Based on what I've shared, what do you see as my biggest obstacle to fluency right now?
Forces the tutor to diagnose, not just teach. A thoughtful answer reveals whether they've really listened to you — and whether they can prioritize what matters most.
2.Which specific grammar or vocabulary gaps are holding me back most in real conversations?
Gets specific and actionable. A good tutor should be able to identify 2–3 concrete areas immediately after assessing you, not give a generic list.
3.How does my learning style affect which methods will work best for me?
Invites the tutor to reflect on pedagogy, not just content. Different learners (visual, auditory, kinesthetic) benefit from different approaches — your tutor should adapt.
4.What pronunciation patterns should I focus on first to sound more natural?
Pronunciation improvement is most efficient when targeted. Rather than correcting everything, a skilled tutor identifies the specific patterns that will have the highest impact on how natural you sound.
5.How can I improve my listening comprehension when native speakers talk fast or use slang?
This is one of the most common frustrations for intermediate learners. Good tutors have concrete strategies for building listening speed and familiarity with natural speech patterns.
6.What speaking habits do I have that I should be consciously working to break?
Most learners have unconscious habits that limit fluency — over-translating from their first language, pausing too long, avoiding certain tenses. Naming them is the first step to fixing them.
7.What should I be reading, watching, or listening to between sessions to accelerate my progress?
Language learning compounds outside of formal lessons. The right supplementary input — matched to your level and interests — dramatically accelerates improvement.
8.How would you approach helping me write more naturally in English for professional situations?
Professional writing has specific conventions that aren't taught in standard courses. If business English matters to you, this question reveals whether your tutor knows those conventions.
9.What's the most efficient way to expand my vocabulary for the type of English I need?
Not all vocabulary is equal. Someone learning for IELTS needs different words than someone learning for tech meetings or casual conversation. Efficient vocabulary building is targeted, not random.