Did you know that as well as being translators, our team also boasts a range of additional skills? One of these is language teaching and, from 2025, we are offering language tuition for secondary school pupils and adult beginners studying French or Spanish. In this blog post, we look at why private language lessons can be beneficial to children at all stages of their education.
1. Specialist knowledge
Many parents feel they lack the knowledge and experience to help children with their language homework. It may have been a long time since they used or studied another language, or they may not be familiar with the language that is taught at their child’s school.
Language classes and homework clubs can be a great solution to this problem. Tutors who specialise in teaching a particular language can support children to complete their language homework, help improve a particular skill and motivate learners to enjoy their language lessons.
2. Personalised lessons
Everyone learns differently, and what one child may find easy to understand may be a challenge for another. Working one-to-one or with a small group allows a tutor to get to know your child, how they prefer to learn and how to motivate them. They can also identify your child’s strengths and tailor lessons to fill gaps in their knowledge.
Tutoring can be particularly useful for learners who have missed some key lessons, changed school or switched from one language to another part-way through the curriculum.
3. Increased motivation
Learning an additional language has many benefits, but sometimes learners struggle to engage in class. If the style and pace of lessons doesn’t resonate with them, working with a tutor can help make sessions enjoyable and relevant. A tutor will take the time to understand how best to explain new ideas to your child, help them practise in a way that holds their interest, and build their confidence in their skills. They will also be able to support children who don’t feel challenged by their normal language lessons to go beyond the basics and explore extra topics.
Additionally, tutors can encourage pupils to become more accountable for their learning by setting goals, tracking progress and helping them to plan regular language practice into their daily routine.
4. Study skills
One of the biggest barriers that pupils face when learning a new language is how to study it effectively. A tutor will have time to introduce a range of techniques, discover which work best for your child and help them implement them in tutoring sessions, at school and during independent study.
Tutors can also use language learning activities to help students develop skills that are useful in other subjects too, such as time management, communication and problem solving.
5. Calm learning environment
Language classrooms can often be busy or noisy environments and some pupils feel overwhelmed or uncomfortable asking questions. Attending smaller group sessions away from their usual classroom space can help pupils to concentrate and feel able to discuss their learning with a tutor. Smaller groups also allow the learning environment to be adapted to meet the needs of individuals and for a range of learning activities tailored to your child.
If you feel that working with a tutor would benefit your child, there are lots of ways to find one. You could ask your child's school or the parents of other pupils for recommendations, check local Facebook pages and community magazines for adverts, or use reputable tutor search websites to find someone who meets your criteria. We have another post coming soon about how to find a tutor who is a good match for you and your child, but it's wise to get in touch with tutors if you have any questions and to check their safeguarding credentials (such as DBS checks) before booking.