How To Choose Your Portuguese Tutor

How To Choose Your Portuguese Tutor Top Tips When Looking For A Portuguese Language Tutor ChaptersLooking For An Online Portuguese TutorChoosing A Portuguese Tutor Based On ExperienceChoosing A Portuguese Language Tutor Based On Your Own Experience LevelFinding The Right Portuguese Tutor For YouIt’s no secret that having a good teacher can often be the difference between a pupil’s potential success or failure when learning a subject.If you have a bad teacher or tutor, for instance, then there’s a good chance that you won’t fully understand what you’re being taught, and you may also lose interest midway through a lesson as it’s difficult to follow what the teacher is saying.Conversely, a good tutor or teacher can inspire you to learn more about a subject and should lead you to be more engaged during a lesson. This means that ultimately, you should remember more information about that subject, and perform better when it comes to exam time.Foreign language tutors are no different to the above, and as such it’s vitally important that you find the best foreign la nguage teachers available who can help encourage you to learn about all the various aspects of language learning, including:Verb conjugation;Common phrases and words; andThe alphabet and good pronunciation.If you’re looking to study Portuguese therefore, doing some research in advance to find the best tutor for you is essential.  Below are some tips to help you with your search.There are a lot of factors to consider when choosing a Portuguese language tutor. (Image Source: CC0 1.0, 3dman_eu, Pixabay)You can learn from the comfort of your own abode; andOnline courses may be cheaper in the long-run compared to in-person courses.If you’re thinking about hiring an online Portuguese tutor based solely on price, however, it’s worth taking into consideration that the price of a tutor can fluctuate significantly.This is due to a number of factors, including the tutor’s experience level (which is discussed in further detail below) as well as factors such as how long your lessons will last and what you want to achieve from your lessons.If, for instance, you’d prefer to learn just the fundamentals of Portuguese, then it’s unlikely to take too long for a tutor to give you this knowledge. As a result, the cost of your lessons is likely to be lower than someone who, for example, needs to undertake an intensive Portuguese course in order to speak the language at a high level for business purposes.When looking for a tutor online, make sure to check their experience and that their offering aligns with your own learning goals. Equally, never feel pressured to go over your budget â€" know how much you’d like to spend on a Portuguese tutor, research what the average rates for tutors are, and you’ll be well-equipped to find a tutor that can give you the best value for money.Where Can I Find Portuguese Classes Near Me?While online Portuguese classes may be popular with some, others may prefer to learn Portuguese in the company of others.There are some benefits to st udying Portuguese in group workshops or through attending in-person tuition sessions. For instance, if you study Portuguese in a group, it can be a good way to make new friends who share a common interest, and it can also give you a chance to practice your listening and speaking skills, which may be harder to practice if you study on your own.Superprof has a number of Portuguese tutors that are happy to offer either remote, in-person or  online Portuguese tuition courses. If you’re looking for in-person courses, Superprof tutors can offer either one-on-one Portuguese classes or group workshops, so you’ll be able to learn Portuguese in an environment that you’re comfortable with.Knowing your budget can also help when looking for a Portuguese language tutor. (Image Source: CC0 Public Domain, Nikon D5100, Max Pixel)Choosing A Portuguese Tutor Based On ExperienceIt almost goes without saying, but the more experienced a teacher or tutor is, the more likely that their hourly rate wi ll be higher than a tutor who is currently:A student at a university; orA recent graduate in Portuguese as a foreign language.This principle also applies to Portuguese teachers, so it’s important to have a think about what you’d like from your Portuguese tutor so that you end up paying a reasonable price for the service you’re provided.If, for instance, you’re a highly experience Portuguese speaker, but you’d like an opportunity to practice speaking Portuguese more often and would like to learn more about particularly difficult aspects of the language, then it’s likely that finding someone with extensive experience in teaching Portuguese would be the right option for you.However, if you’re only starting out learning Portuguese and consider yourself a novice or intermediate learner, then having a tutor who has only a few years of experience, or who has an undergraduate degree in Portuguese may be a more sensible option for your budget.Only you can make the decision of w hich tutor is right for you, but giving some thought as to the kind of tutor you’d like can cut down the amount of time you spend searching for a tutor, and ultimately make your search much less stressful.Choosing A Portuguese Language Tutor Based On Your Own Experience LevelAnother way to find a Portuguese language tutor that is in line with your expectations is to spend some time thinking about your own experience with the Portuguese language.When it comes to learning a new language, there are four important skills that need to be developed:Listening skills;Reading skills;Writing skills; andSpeaking skills.Usually, people find it a lot easier to develop their reading and writing skills, while speaking skills may be one of the last skills to develop.If you find that you have this problem (i.e. that you can listen to and understand Portuguese well, but you have difficulty communicating in the language when you speak it) then try to focus on finding a tutor that can help develop yo ur pronunciation skills and who can work with you regularly to give you an opportunity to speak the language with them.Equally, you may find that you prefer to learn from a tutor whose native language is Portuguese, as you may find it easier to learn the intricacies of Portuguese pronunciation. If this is the case, it’s worth giving some thought as to whether the tutor comes from Portugal or from Brazil, or elsewhere.The pronunciation can be very different between the two countries, and ideally, you’d like to learn from a native speaker who came from the country you will be visiting, travelling to, or learning more about.Knowing what your current level of proficiency is in Portuguese when it comes to your listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills can be helpful when looking for a Portuguese tutor. (Image Source: CC0 1.0, epicantus, Pixabay)Finding The Right Portuguese Tutor For YouUltimately, there’s no single best way to find a Portuguese tutor.Finding a good tutor may take some time, or you could find one very quickly. The key is to know what you’d like to get out of your lessons and to have a think in advance about things like:What your current level of Portuguese is and where you’d like it to be;What your budget is;How often you’d like to have classes; andWhether those classes will be online, in-person, or as part of a group.Finally, think about the kind of tutor you’d like to have. Do you think you’ll do better with an experienced university lecturer or school teacher, or would you be just as comfortable learning with a recent Portuguese graduate or university student?Finding a tutor can be stressful, but once you’ve found the right Portuguese tutor, it should really help you in your language learning journey, and help develop your skills to help you, whether you’re planning on travelling to Brazil or Portugal in the near future, or need to learn Portuguese for work.If you’d like to choose between a selection of Portuguese tut ors, then you can also turn to Superprof to help make your search that bit easier. By entering your postcode you’ll be shown tutors in your local area that can provide lessons, as well as tutors who can provide remotely-held Portuguese classes. You can also view each tutor’s experience level and rates, helping you to compare between tutors and find the one that’s right for you.A Portuguese language tutor can help improve your proficiency in Portuguese in a number of ways, for example by improving your knowledge of grammar, Portuguese vocabulary, or by helping you grow in confidence when speaking the language. Whether you'd like one to one classes or would prefer to work through your personalised curriculum through Skype, you should be able to find a Superprof Portuguese tutor through Superprof's database.