Should You Hire A French Language Teacher To Help You Learn French?

Hiring a teacher or tutor to help you with your French studies is a very good idea.

Of course it is going to cost, but it can be a very worthwhile investment for your French language skills and I will be going through why they are worth using below.

What Do You Get When You Hire A French Teacher?

When you hire a teacher, you actually get a lot of things that you might not realise.

Obviously you are going to get taught the language but it is so much more than that.

Structure

A French teacher is going to bring structure to your learning. They know what you need to learn and in what order and why that order is the best for you.

Trying to figure this out on your own can really feel like you are walking around in the dark at times and can really slow you down.

Having a set structure to your learning is going to create efficiency, which means you are going to make progress faster, which is really what we all want.  

Experience

French teachers are usually properly qualified teachers, which means they come with a lot of experience.

This is both experience of knowing what works and what doesn’t and what will suit you best, as well as also bringing the experience of knowing how the French language works to a very high level.

The large majority of French teachers are also going to be able to speak English, which means they actually have the first hand experience of what it is like to learn a new language.

This experience is well worth investing in as it exactly what you do not have when you are stumbling around trying to work out how to learn French on your own. 

Feedback

One of the best reasons to hire a French teacher is for the feedback.

Learning French on your own is difficult and you really have no idea if you are pronouncing things correctly or doing things the right way.

Having feedback means that you can get corrected, there and then and nip any problems in the bud. It also means that if you are a little confused by something, you can ask for clarity and double check your understanding of things, which is extremely beneficial and allows for faster progress.  

Accountability

Hiring a French teacher is going to make you accountable.

You firstly have to pay, so are you really going to waste you money?

Then more importantly you are going to be sat in front of someone (probably on camera) and are going to be forced to do the work. You can’t avoid it or ignore it.

Once the lessons start you are going to have to start listening and studying French.

You will also find that any good French teacher will check up on your progress and make sure you are doing what is needed to be done to see results.   

Flexibility

Hiring a French teacher is much more flexible than studying a set course. When you go to a course you just have to do what is set and there is no flexibility.

When you hire a French teacher they will talk to you about your individual goals and needs, and then come up with a plan that is suited to you.

For most of us this is going to be the best option. We can allow the teacher to guide us and focus on what they think is best.

However, you are paying them, so really you can tell them what you want to focus on if you want. There are no real rules, so long as you can agree what will be done in the class, that is perfectly fine.

Where Can You Find A French Teacher?

You can certainly look locally, which will allow you to meet you teacher face to face. However, for the vast majority of us, looking online is going to be the best option.

There are hundreds of websites dedicated to putting students and teachers together and on each website there are probably thousands of teachers for you to choose from.

Finding a tutor online really is easy and simple. You should have no problem finding a teacher that suits your needs and who is available at the time you need them.

Should You have One to One Or Group Lessons?

How you want to study really depends on you. Most teachers only offer one to one study, which is going to be more efficient for you, but may cost a little more.

The group style teaching is going to be more for courses, which as I’ve already discussed is not as flexible for you.

Really you should aim to have one to one lessons; you will benefit a lot more from this style of learning.

Should You Still Study French By Yourself?

Yes, it is vital that you still study alone, even if you have a French teacher. You are probably going to learn the majority of things through your teacher, but it is important to still practice things and go over everything you have learned by yourself.

You will probably not be having lessons every day (simply as this can get expensive) so on the days you are not talking to your teacher; you should be studying by yourself.

Some teachers may also set you some homework and give you things to focus on in between lessons.

It is also very important that you still focus on French immersion as this is really going to help you solidify everything you have been learning in your lessons.

Are There Any Downsides To Hiring A French Teacher?

While French teachers are on the whole are great, there are still some downsides.

The main problem is of course the cost, which can rule some of us out, or at least limit how many lessons we can have. However, it is a very worthwhile investment. So if you are going to put any money into your French studies, paying for a teacher is a very wise place to put the money.

You then also have the problem that not all teachers are equal. While they are not your friend, they should still be curious and professional, but even so you may find you just do not like a certain teachers style or personality.

This isn’t a big problem as you can usually have a trail lesson and if it doesn’t work out, you can just try another teacher.

You do also have to take into consideration that some teachers are more experienced and qualified than others. This is usually reflected in the price and I would generally say you get what you pay for. Some teachers can just be worth the little extra they charge.   

Conclusion

If you are serious about learning French and you want to reach a decent level quickly, a French teacher is going to be ideal for this.

The price puts a lot of people off, but they are worth it. I would argue you can pretty much learn everything for free, although it is going to be a lot harder, slower and just generally tougher.

A French teacher is going to keep you pointed in the right direction and will help you make progress faster so they are well worth hiring.

(You can read more about – How To Find A French A Tutor To Help You Learn French)