The benefits of Spanish Tutoring

Spanish being the most important foreign language in the United States, it is offered in all schools with the great majority of students choosing it as their second language in education. Why is a positive and successful language learning experience so important in modern society?

What students, and parents, often underestimate, is the importance of becoming fluent in a language that will make such a great impact on their future career.

Students approach school Spanish as "just another subject", aiming for a good grade throughout the 3 years of mandatory language requirements, and then the great majority drops the language the fourth year, and happily takes a study hall instead.

Spanish, however, is so much more than a subject. Fundings show that:

• 9 out of 10 US employers rely on college graduates with language skills other than English

  
  

• 56% say their language skill demand will increase in the next 5 years

  
  

• 47% state a need for language skills exclusively for the domestic market

  
  

• 1 in 3 language-dependent US employers report a language skills gap

  
  

• 1 in 4 US employers lost business due to a lack of language skills

Students that enter the market place with fluent Spanish are indeed more likely to be given a job, and to be paid more!

LET'S TRY TO UNDERSTAND, WHY DO STUDENTS NOT ENJOY LEARNING A LANGUAGE IN SCHOOL?

The answer is fairly simple. Rarely schools teach a foreign language with a conversational method, and the students struggle learning how to speak, focusing way too much on the singular grammar point, or on the accents, instead of embracing the language as a whole. Students are often penalized for the small mistakes, and do not get to enjoy the fact that as broken as it can be, they ARE SPEAKING, and speaking is progress. This often becomes a frustrating process and as a result our world is losing many potential spanish speakers of the future.

Do you think only translators need to know another language? No, doctors and nurses do, teachers do, lawyers do. Imagine how amount of population that could be served by a bilingual professional in any field.

TUTORING is the tool that families have to make the learning experience a positive one and instill the passion for languages. Tutoring, however, should NOT be perceived only as an instrument to shadow the teacher and review what has been explained in class. Tutoring can be a complement to the school education, an environment in which the students brings all the learning to life and starts producing language. This kind of experience has proven to be so enjoyable for all ages, that we at TLH have seen students asking to keep studying the language over the summer for the PLEASURE OF IT.

Languages are not for all and not all people will find language learning rewarding or fun. However, young adults are less judgmental, less biased and less fearful. A fun and rewarding experience creates the foundation for motivation, which is the key for success.

Do not consider tutoring only if your student struggles in school. Consider tutoring as a gift for life, one they WILL learn to appreciate when time comes.