Have you ever had a DIY fail? Maybe you tried to cut your hair at home, or perhaps you decided to teach yourself a new musical instrument. You likely spent a lot of time researching, which probably led to countless hours wasted as you had to use trial and error to determine an effective method. If you’re like most of us, the grand experiment ended with a terrible haircut or a resold musical instrument, and a vow to never again try to accomplish the work of an expert yourself.
There are many things we wouldn’t dare to DIY, so why do some of us try to DIY our language learning? The plethora of podcasts, videos, and articles can lead us to think we can figure things out ourselves, but when it comes to your desire to learn French, it’s absolutely vital to have someone walk with you through your learning process. Whether your French language learning goals revolve around business, travel, or romance, a French class with a tutor can change your language learning experience forever and can make sure you accomplish the goals you have for yourself. Here are four reasons that you should hire a French tutor, and should do so as soon as possible!
1. French Tutors Provide Accountability
Whether or not we consider ourselves goal-oriented, most of us have, at some time in our lives, set a lofty goal and then failed to follow through. Perhaps you once made an ambitious goal to become fit and bought a treadmill, only to have that treadmill now gathering dust – or a pile of clothing – in the corner of your room. Language learning is a wonderful and fulfilling goal to have, but it’s not an easy one to accomplish. Learning a new language will, like any other new venture, bring with it small triumphs, but also frustrating moments. How can you assure that you won’t quit on the hard days?
It’s quite simple. If your goal is to learn French, hiring a French tutor will provide you with the accountability you need to keep going. One of the best barriers to quitting any new venture is the accountability factor – if someone knows you’re throwing in the towel, you’re less likely to do so.
Accountability doesn’t mean that you’ll be shamed for not following through, but it does mean you’ll have someone in your corner to keep cheering you on when things get tough. If you know your regular French class is coming up, you’re more likely to keep going. It means that instead of your questions becoming an impossible barrier, they become a launching pad to success at your next session.
2. French Tutors Provide Structure
By far the most challenging season for French language learners is the beginning when they are learning the rules by which the language operates. This is similar to an aspiring musician learning scales – the student doesn’t want to play scales, they want to play the rock piece they heard on the radio! However, a good teacher knows that in order to succeed, there must be a structure to the learning process.
While one can find many resources for French language learning online, these resources don’t present a comprehensive language learning structure as a French tutor does. When you work with a language tutor, you receive a custom plan for your language learning, not a cookie-cutter approach that simply churns out content.
Your French tutor will discuss your French language learning goals with you, as well as past experience in language learning and the time you’re able to commit. They will then structure your learning process to get you exactly where you want to go, one strategic step at a time.
3. French Tutors are French Language Experts
Nothing could be worse than investing your precious time and hard-earned money into language learning resources that will teach you things you don’t need to know, or worse, teach you incorrect grammar or vocabulary. By hiring a French tutor, you’re assured that you are working with a French-language expert who is skilled and experienced.
When learning a language, you want to make sure that the language resource you choose will help you accomplish your goals. Perhaps you want to learn French for your career, or maybe you have a lifelong dream of moving to the French countryside. Whatever your reason for taking a French class, you don’t want to waste your time by pursuing language learning resources that will lead you astray. By hiring a French tutor, you are assuring that you’re working with someone who is an expert not only in the French language but also in the area related to your specific goals. Your investment in one-on-one or small group French classes guarantees that you’re working with someone who will be aware of your goals and will design your program around the most efficient way for you to accomplish those goals.
4. French Tutors Can Maximize Learning Styles
Are you a visual learner? Perhaps you get distracted by sitting for too long? When you work with a tutor, you can be assured that your personal learning style will be an asset rather than a hindrance to your education. Effective language tutors are trained to take into consideration their students’ learning styles and to create a custom learning experience that maximizes their potential. When you hire a French tutor, your tutor will tailor your French language learning experience just for you, which means you’ll learn French more efficiently and you’ll remember what you learn for longer. Language tutors are trained to incorporate a variety of learning styles into their lessons, and your French tutor will be no exception.
Your language learning goals are important, and learning the French language is a wonderful goal to have. There are many resources out there, but unless you are working with an expert French tutor who can provide you with accountability and structure, and who can take your learning style into account, you are limiting what you can achieve in your language! Take the chance to invest in a French tutor – you’ll be glad you did for the rest of your life.
