There’s no requirement to prepare for your online English lessons in advance. You’ll still get something out of them if you just turn up and talk to your tutor. But according to a survey of Cambly users, 90% of students learning English online do some form of preparation before their lessons, even if it’s just briefly.
The 10% of respondents who don’t prepare stated reasons such as wanting to improve their ability to speak English on the spot, or simply not having enough time in their busy schedule. If you feel too busy, preparation for English lessons can become a burden, which then makes learning English a hassle, and it all gets overwhelming. So there’s no need to force yourself to prepare – first and foremost, prioritize and value continuous lessons. Sticking to these will certainly improve your English, with or without preparation, or at the very least maintain your English conversation skills. It’s just that lesson prep will improve the experience and make your learning more effective.
The benefits of preparing for your English lessons
We recommend that you take five minutes to prepare before the lesson begins. As well as enhancing your learning, this preparation time will get you in the right mindset and relieve any tension from the day so that you can be present and effective in your lesson. This is especially true if you are not accustomed to English conversation. If you do not prepare anything at all, you may find the lesson more difficult. You might not make the most of your time in the lesson and waste the opportunity. Simply put, learning English is quicker, easier, and more effective if you prepare for your lessons.
6 preparation tips to enhance your online English lessons
Here are six extremely useful methods for preparing for your online English conversation lessons. We will go into them all in detail:
- Read the articles and materials that will be used in the lesson
- Make a note of any questions you would like to ask in your lesson
- Learn new words and expressions you want to use in your lessons
- Get your head in the zone to learn English
- Practice your English writing skills
- If you are meeting a new tutor for the first time, read their profile
1. Read the lesson materials in advance
When using English articles and teaching materials provided by your online English conversation course, prepare for lessons by reading them in advance. You can then look up any words you do not understand, and you can even read them aloud to see where you have any stumbling blocks. News articles, which are always easy to find, are also very popular as teaching materials. Some sites classify news articles according to the vocabulary used, so refer to that English level and select the article that suits your English proficiency.
This is also a chance to practice your pronunciation. If you can understand the pronunciation of words in a simpler English sentence, move on to more difficult English sentences that you are less familiar with and improve your vocabulary. And if you want to improve your on-the-spot speaking ability, you can read articles out loud. We also recommend finding different teaching materials that are relevant to what you want to focus on, such as holding discussions.
2.Make a note of any questions you would like to ask in the English lesson
Many people enhance their English study by watching foreign films, YouTube videos, and by listening to podcasts. Students taking lessons with Cambly find it useful to make notes on any of the unfamiliar phrases, expressions, and nuances that come up in the content, so they can ask questions in their lessons. The more nuanced expressions and differences between dialects and accents can be difficult to grasp on your own, so you’ll get a deeper understanding of these from a native teacher in an online English conversation lesson.
If you prepare your questions in advance, such as “What does (word) mean?” or “What’s the difference between (A) and (B)?”, you’ll be able to ask questions and receive answers more smoothly in the lesson.
3. Learn new words and expressions you want to use in your lessons
Words and phrases can be better understood not just by memorizing their meanings, but also by practicing using them. If you learn 10 new words before the lesson and challenge yourself to use three of them as naturally as possible in the conversation, you can make a fun game out of it!
If you find it difficult to use a word you just learned, prepare an English sentence in advance. If you have any doubts about how to use certain words or phrases, ask a native English teacher during your lesson so that you can go on to use them with confidence.
4. Get your head in the zone to learn English
It can be difficult to switch quickly from your native language to English. For this reason, many Cambly users recommend getting into an English frame of mind with some immersion before the lesson. You can watch your favorite movies and TV shows in English, talk to yourself, and read aloud in English.
Once you get used to English, it is really beneficial to expose yourself to English on a daily basis – not only before a lesson. We recommend watching movies in English with the English subtitles turned on as well. You can also spend some time reading aloud or having conversations with yourself in English.
5. Practice your English writing skills
Many Cambly students are doing IELTS preparation, or prepping for other English qualifications such as TOEFL. Your English lessons are a good opportunity to request corrections on your English writing practice, and if these are well prepared in advance, you’ll be able to use the lesson time more efficiently. One of our students kept a diary and had it corrected – bring whatever is helpful to your lesson, just have it ready!
By reading the English sentences you have prepared aloud to your tutor, you can practice pronunciation as well as receiving corrections. In addition to improving your grammar, you’ll lay the foundation for taking a big step forward in your fluency. You will be taught more natural phrases and expressions by your teacher.
6. If you are meeting a new tutor for the first time, read their profile
In your first lesson with a new tutor, there is usually some time for introductions at the beginning. Check the tutor’s profile again before the lesson begins to see if you have any common interests or topics you can discuss. Your tutor wants to have a fun lesson as well, so it really helps if you have some common interests to help conversation flow.
Your conversation will also flow more smoothly if you prepare a few things you want to talk about to begin with and have checked whether your wording is accurate. If you speak well from the start, you will feel more confident to continue communicating in English.
Always be prepared!
Preparing for your online English lessons, even for just a few minutes, adds a lot of value to your learning experience. It also helps improve your mindset, relieve anxiety, overcome resistance and diffuse any tension you are feeling about learning English. Our lesson prep tips will make you a much more effective learner, so find the preparation style that takes the burden out of learning English for you.
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