English-Learning Tips for Beginners

English is an Indo-European language belonging to the Western-Germanic branch of the linguistic family. It has become ubiquitous in international discourse, featuring prominently in the business sector and operating as a lingua franca worldwide. With English fluency, a student can optimize their career paths and learning opportunities, gaining the ability to navigate foreign countries and connect with people around the world. Whether your interests are for personal or professional reasons, taking conversational English lessons for adults from a private online tutor is the best way to achieve linguistic mastery quickly and effectively.

The Challenges of Taking English Lessons

Despite the advantages fluency presents, English remains one of the most daunting languages to master as an adult student. Pronunciation for nonnative speakers is almost always a significant stumbling block. Additionally, written English overflows with irregularities.

English’s orthography, the language’s spelling system, is a mesh of several languages; while the English language carries around 40-50 distinct sounds, there are over 200 ways those sounds can be written out. For example the pronunciation of “laughter” (a gh representing an “f” sound) in comparison with “daughter” (where the gh is dropped altogether). English features several homophones, words that are spelled differently but pronounced the same, “through” and “threw,” which can be confusing even for a proficient speaker.

English also comes with a vast vocabulary. Oxford Royale cites that English vocabulary is large in comparison with other languages because we have many words that mean the same thing (or nearly the same thing), for example: “plump” and “fat.” A private tutor can explain the subtle differences, the connotations versus denotations, and help a beginner pick up on patterns to simplify the learning process and avoid burnout.

The Perks of Acquiring English Fluency

While the task of gaining fluency as an adult may seem formidable, by doing so you’ll expand your international opportunities in higher education and the job market. If you are looking to live or work abroad, English proficiency is a great stepping stone, with 60 of the world’s 196 countries listing it as their official language. As of 2022, Statista cites English as by far the world’s most spoken language with 1.5 billion speakers, Mandarin a close second at 1.1 billion, and Hindi a distant 3rd with 602 million. The number of English speakers will only continue to grow, as 1 billion people claim to be in the process of learning English.

Along with opening new markets for you to apply in, being fluent will strengthen your resume, even if you’re looking to stay local. The BBC reported that English fluency has become the unofficial language of commerce, with even international companies choosing to work solely in the language (even on a domestic level). Becoming bilingual in such a challenging language as an adult will demonstrate your adaptiveness and drive. Speaking English can empower you in business meetings, customer service, sales, marketing, and communication, as well as everyday interactions.

Why Online Tutoring is the Best Option for You!

Students looking to acquire English might consider immersive, in-person class environments. While these can be beneficial in finding like-minded individuals to practice with, a class environment may prove too slow-paced for someone trying to achieve proficiency in a matter of months.

In-person one-on-one tutors are an excellent option for those who can afford them; however, their prohibitive cost may make them unrealistic options for those without the extra spending money. There is also an abundance of language-learning apps to turn to, however, without the nuance and direction of face-to-face feedback, it’s difficult to master pronunciation or become aware of errors you may be making.

An affordable alternative to these methods is online private tutoring platforms. Online private English lessons empower you to tailor your sessions to your learning style and learn at the pace that’s best for you. You’ll be able to pick between a native speaker, who can provide cultural insights and perfect pronunciation, or bilingual tutors, who, having already mastered English as a foreign language, can help you navigate common learning difficulties. Online tutoring provides a variety of economical choices, and Eurekly.com can put you in touch with tutors offering rates as low as $10 an hour.

Try Eurekly’s Private Online Tutors!

If you’re looking for an online platform to become proficient in English, Eurekly is your best option to find professional tutors. Eurekly allows students to pick the tutor most suitable for them, with hundreds of options to select from. Most tutors will provide a trial period to ensure students and teachers are a good fit. Because Eurekly sources tutors from all over the world, you can choose from a native speaker abroad, or find a bilingual tutor from your own country. Tutors can be filtered by subject, experience, professional background, hours of availability, location, and price. By using Eurekly, you’ll soon be well on your way to English fluency!