eTutoring tips
  • Sakura April 2013
    In case you missed it, we have a forum titled eTutoring. You’ll find some good tips in there, so please check it out!

    Meanwhile, there are several things that I particularly want to ask all my lovely Japanese students. It would be great if you can take your time to read through the following!

    • Please use a headset. 
    Here are what happens if you use the built-in speakers and microphone on your computer: it catches a lot of background noise which may disturb other participants; your voice may not be heard clearly; other participants’ voices can echo back to themselves. In order to create an optimum learning environment, I’d appreciate if everyone could use a headset. Even a cheap one will do! 

    • Please don’t use your video.
    I’m NOT saying that I don’t want to see you! This is rather because there were more than a few occasions where we experienced a connection slow-down due to students’ turning on their videos. It doesn’t happen all the time, but there’s a good chance that it does. Living Language never asks students to turn on their videos during an e-Tutoring session anyway, so I think it’s simple and easy if we just say, “No students turn on their videos”.

    • Please have your last name show up on the attendee list.
    Since we use our last names to call each other, it really helps me if I see students’ last names on the GTM panel. So far I’ve been pretty successful at recalling everyone’s last name even when I only see the first name. But as more students start to enroll, it might get harder for me to keep track of everyone’s last name, especially when there are multiple people named “John”, for example. You can have either just your last name, or full name show up on the attendee list. Thanks for your help!.


    •  Please study the lessons thoroughly beforehand.
    There are a few notes regarding this topic on the main eTutoring forum. So please take a look when you have a moment. But here are the main points:
    - eTutoring sessions are there for you to review the lessons you’ve studied;
    - If you take a session which you’re not ready for, it will be frustrating and unfair for other participants who are fully prepared;
    - It is fine if you forget a few words or make a few mistakes. Nobody is perfect! But you should at least be very familiar with all the grammar points, and should have memorized most of the vocabulary in the lesson(s).



    If you have any questions regarding the above, or anything else about eTutoring, feel free to post your comments below!

    Thanks everyone, and I’m looking forward to talking to you at your next eTutoring session!

  • Christopher April 2013
    Excellent tips! I second all of them, but especially the one about preparing for the session thoroughly in advance. eTutor sessions are for practice and review; they're not for introduction of new material. You (and the one or two other students in the session with you) will get the most out of it if you're all on the same page and can bounce the same amount of the new language off of one another.

    If anyone has any questions about how best to use the material in order to make it stick, let us know. We're more than happy to give tips based on your preferred learning style and schedule. We're here to help.
  • Sakura May 2013
    Also, please start with the orientation, and then move on to Essential 1-2, Essential 3-5, and so on. In other words, please don't skip a session. It's not a competition!  
  • Mady June 30

    Konnichi wa, I just got Living Language Japanese and I'm really excited to be learning the language that I have admired for a while. I really want to do the e-Tutoring sessions, but I'm super shy and get a little nervous when I think about signing up for one. I feel like I'm prepared for the first session (Essential 1-2) but I'm not sure. How do I know when I am ready for a session?

    Arigatoo Goziamusu

  • Suzanne July 1
    Mady,
    It can be daunting and nerve-wracking to think about taking a live session where you have to speak and understand your new language, but trust me, once you get through one you'll feel so much better and more confident!

    If you have been through each lesson at a reasonable pace for your own learning, and if you have completed all the exercises with satisfactory results, you are probably ready. Our tutors are very good at adjusting; if you stumble, the tutors will patiently help guide you to the correct phrase. A huge part of learning a language is being willing to make mistakes!

    I say try it; if you think it was too soon, you can always write to us at [email protected] and we'll advise you further on what to do to prepare for your next session.

    Hope this helps!
    -Suzanne/LL
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