What’s the difference between a Language Teacher, Tutor and Coach?

You may see so many different titles that people use for their job descriptions that it can become confusing and overwhelming. I personally use the title Language Coach. I sometimes do language teaching and language tutoring as well, but the main part of my business is language Coaching.

But what does this jargon even mean?

So, let me try and simply what these terms mean in general and why I chose the title I did.

Language Teacher

Language teaching decisions are top-down. That means the syllabus created is decided by the teacher, not the student. It is most often used for beginner, pre-intermediate, intermediate level students who need to increase their English knowledge.

A language teacher will come to class with content designed to teach language skills such as vocabulary building, pronunciation, or listening comprehension. It’s the teacher who usually decides on the content that will help the student reach specific language goals like passing a test, or writing and delivering a presentation.

This can often be in the form of group sessions, as the course is often not personalised to an individual, but a general syllabus that will allow the students to achieve an aim set by the teacher. Attendees do not have much say in what will actually happen in the teaching process.

Language Tutor

Language tutoring decisions are also top-down. That means the framework created is decided by the teacher, not the student but after discussion with the student and personalised for their aims. It is most often used for beginner, pre-intermediate, intermediate, or upper-intermediate level students who need to increase their English knowledge.

What the student learns will be based on their individual needs and the relative ease or difficulty they have had with certain aspects of the curriculum.

Language tutoring is often 1-1 as the program is highly personalised and aims to deliver targeted results. As such, attendees will have some say in what will actually happen in the training process, but the decisions are still ultimately made by the tutor.

To become an online teacher or tutor generally, you do not need to be a qualified teacher with an Education degree, but you should have completed a TESOL/TEFL course in order to have a fundamental understanding of English language teaching.

Language Coach

A language coach, however, aims to address any particular issues the person is having IN ENGLISH. This is a “bottom-up” approach, as the person who is being coached will decide the syllabus. It is usually for upper-intermediate or advanced language learners who need to address a particular issue they are having.

Language coaching will incorporate some teaching/training principles but includes so much more. The responsibility for the program outcomes rests more on the participant (see – the word student here just doesn’t fit). The language coach is a little like the driving instructor when you learned to drive. You are driving, but there is someone next to you learning when to brake, how to handle the road conditions, etc. They can also put the brakes on for you if you need it as this is a SAFE SPACE.

You know where you want to go. I will point you in that direction, support you along the way, provide any teaching/tutoring you need, and challenge you (in a fun way) to go for it!

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And now we come to one final point to note. I don’t refer to myself as a Language Coach all that often. I refer to myself as a Business Communication Coach mostly. So, I am focussing on empowering you to use your English skills to change breakthrough your career barriers.

However, language coaching isn’t suitable for everyone. You will need to have a certain proficiency in English already. I recognise that not everyone has this – but still may need the ultimate goals of coaching to be achieved. I have been reflecting on this for a while now.

So, I have decided to include a Language Teaching component in my services.

I will develop a syllabus to take a pre-intermediate or intermediate language learner as close to upper-intermediate as we can get in order to allow them to access the coaching themselves. This syllabus will be Technical English in the Mining and Minerals Processing Industry. It will be language specific to the workplace, so a little different from other general English programs.

There are a few notable benefits for this as I will do this in a group environment. This will mean:

·      Costs will be lower

·      You will get the support of other students to learn with

·      You will be able to access the community outside of class and can find people to help you achieve the improvement you want to see together (practise together, recommend things that have helped you etc). You will not need to depend solely on me.

But, the syllabus will be set to some extent (we can vote together, but majority rules). If you need a tutor or coaching, this forum won't be the best.

This all takes some time to develop and I am trying to get it done properly. But, this is a heads up it is on the way. Reach out and let me know if this sounds like something you would be interested in - and what you want to see included! We can build this together.