Yara, Brazil
Hey!

I´ve been teaching one-to-one classes for a number of years, and I think the best thing about this type of classroom environment is that you can really focus on the student´s profile and preferences, and actually modify, add and subtract information according to the student´s individual needs. That´s the fun of it! Ask you std what he/she likes doing , if he/she has hobbies and special interests and have this in mind when preparing extra materials. Tell them to feel free to request any type of help they might need... For example, most of my stds work for international companies, so they ask me for help to prepare presentations, to write important emails and things like that...
It´s really rewarding when we have the possiblity to have our classes, course books, teaching style etc, fit to the students needs and not the opposite.
Hope it helped :-) good luck

Alison Bradley, UK
Alan,
Whatever books, sites, etc you find, don't forget that YOU as a native English speaker sitting face to face with your student are the best resource available!! Find out from your student what his/her expectations are, what they enjoy, where they think their weak points lie, what their interests are, their past experience of study, and what they hope to achieve from your lessons. Plan your lessons accordingly and go from there. In a 1:1 situation you can respond directly to the needs of your student. Use a text book as a basis if you like but don't worry if you move away from it or dip in and out. You could suggest using half the lesson with text book and half conversation based.( If you are in the UK, the kids' newspaper 'First News' is a great resource) . In conversation make quick notes of your student's errors, and use them as a basis for the next lesson, students find this very satisying.
Good luck!

Erin Bouma, Russia
As an American who has taught English in Moscow for the past 16 years (and had about 60 individual students from ages 3-63), I can tell you that one-to-one teaching can truly be the most productive method of learning a second language. In fact, conversation between two people occurs naturally and your time is spent in the communicative mode.

The main advantage is that a teacher can find and use materials and exercises uniquely suited to the student's interests, level, and needs. Beyond this, the pacing of lessons can be geared to the individual student's ability to grasp new things.
So often in group classes, teachers are striving to individualize and motivate everyone-- the fast, the slow, as well as answer some of the narrow interests of students. We often only hit a "general mean" in the middle that can frustrate both the quicker and slower learners.

The real challenge, though, in one-to-one teaching is the matter of energy level. I find that if the student is low-energy or passive, not much comes back when you "give" as a teacher. Afterwards you feel drained, because it's hard to get any momentum going. Many adults tell me they want to focus on "conversation" but they give me one-word answers to my questions and are unable to sustain the give-and-take. Then you must fall back on a more structured approach, like reading a text or doing exercises together. If you can "light a fire in them" or build their confidence, this problem might resolve itself.

Another point I might mention is that I don't do exactly the same thing with any two students. This keeps things fresh for me, as well. I draw on a number of collected materials and I especially like using a variety of course workbooks (without the classbook). By "scaffolding" I work on several short activities together with my student and then I assign the next activities/pages for the student to do as homework. This moves the material at a faster pace than trying to adapt a classroom coursebook for one. When we finish one workbook, I find another on the next level (often switching from program to program). It's never boring.
I also ask my individual students to do some reading in English. This can be from simplified readers, newspapers, children's books from America, or something of interest from the internet. We can discuss the contents, go over new vocabulary, and they can retell and summarize the text.

I've had very few individual students willing to put in the time or effort to do some writing in English, but it's good if you can get them to express themselves from time to time in written form. Then, you can use simple dictations and occasional tests as ways for students to measure their own progress. Finally, I would encourage you to find some way to "play" with your student. Either it can be some form of wordplay (puzzles, word searches, scrabble, etc.) or even adapted card games. I use this "reward" system for the end of classes, and a relaxed atmosphere allows for uninhibited interaction and chat on a personal level. The bond you form should be one of fellowship and mutual respect. If you have over an hour period to work together, you can also work with video movies, songs or other activities in closing.
Good Luck

Irin David Evans
Teaching 121 is a far less structured process than group teaching. The very individual nature of classes means that you can respond to grammar needs, vocabulary deficiencies, expression etc either immediately or by preparing something for your next individual session. Course books can be useful, but you should really be selective, using a variety of stimulating materials (photos, audiovisual, roleplay etc). First sessions are vital with 121 teaching. I tend to spend the first session as an interview, getting to know the student personally for it´s important to develop a relationship. Listen very carefully to your student, for they will provide you with the information you need to plan in the future. Each student, and often each class, is different, don´t be afraid of this, enjoy it!

Roberta, Mexico
Teaching one to one is a challenge. However, it can be very rewarding for both teacher and student. It allows the teacher to develop a closer relationship with the student than with larger groups. It allows the teacher to develop material specifically geared towards that student's interests.

Obviously, the teacher needs to find out what the student's specific goals are. Does the student want to become more proficient overall or does the student have a specific area on which he/she wishes to focus? One to one often stresses conversation and as such, the most important thing the teacher can do is help the student feel comfortable speaking the language. In my experience, the student needs encouragement to improve his/her self-confidence. Once this is accomplished, the rest follows.

Get your student to take a Multiple Intelligences quiz to find out his/her preferred intelligences and look for materials of interest to the student geared towards those intelligences.

There is a lot of work for the teacher to do to keep the classes interesting and productive. However, it is worth it when the student tells the teacher of an experience where the lessons made a positive difference in his/her handling of a formerly stressful English language situation.

Jean Rowbottom, Italy
Often individual courses are for people who have special needs or require English for a specific purpose, so always involve them directly in working out a programme and even providing their own materials (reports, slides, instructions, etc.). Activities designed for groups can often be adapted and used successfully with individuals. Bear in mind that the student/teacher relationship is completely different from that in class and you should work together in an atmosphere of co-operation that's much stronger than in the classroom.
All the best with your new course.

Alan, Brazil
Alan, you are right, most material seems to be for groups. I have had to be flexible and adjust the material depending on the needs of the student. To be honest, I don't think you will have to adjust a good book too much, and you will have to open up and participate yourself more than you would in a classroom. I love teaching one to one, it's more informal, relaxing and you can build really good relationships with your students.

Dr Annamaria Kalmar, Hungary
One-to-one teaching is a more risky, but much more fascinating challenge I've been convinced about it many times since of my first experience at language teaching. If you want to be successful and achieve improvement with your student (either a teenager or an adult) it is suggested to do the followings: 1) make yourself acceptable and lovable for your student, 2) test the strengths, weaknesses and ambitions of your student, 3) find a capability-and capacity-tailored course matter (might be the combination of two, three, or even more course-books and Grammar Testbooks),4) make a reasonable working schedule, 5) always mind the right proportion of the 4 skills during the lessons, 6) don't charge the student with too much homework, but require the regular independent training and 7) finally, find the way to appreciate and award the good performance of your student, motivating him/her to climb the peaks.

Rogerio Paes Costa, Brazil
I've been teaching 1-1 classes since 2004 and these are some of the things I've learned:

1. It's essential to have a discussion with the student about his/her purposes. A 'needs analysis' form is extremely helpful.

2. Using a coursebook is a very good idea. Although they're not designed specifically for 1-1 classes, developing a syllabus and preparing new material is demanding, exhausting and, sometimes, worthless. There is also a plethora of great websites with free resources for extra practice.

3. Get to know your student: different students have different learning styles. You can tailor your classes to his/her specific needs/goals and help him/her with learning strategies.

4. Establishing rules is very important: classes schedule, payment, holidays, make-up classes etc.

5. Be flexible: teaching private classes means that teacher and student should feedback each other every class. Don't be afraid of changing plans if necessary.

6. Enjoy!

Lisa, UK
I have recently started teaching one-to-one and find it quite easy to adapt past group sessions to one-to-one. You can act as the person for the student to interact with, which is good as you are the native speaker and will guarantee they speak in English. I find it best to take some notes during these interactions and then feedback after.

I think reading activities with a grammar point and questions and activities are great for a session. I usually get through one decent length one in a 2 hour session and add maybe an extra grammar exercise to it if needed.

Also encourage your student to bring questions, vocab lists, etc to you and this takes up quite a portion of a session and it is something relevant to the student and helpful to them.

Andrielle Oliveira, Brazil
Hello Alan.
I have been in a one-to-one teaching job for more than a year, and I can tell you that the most dificult thing is not to let it turn to be dull, because although the person is alone with you, he or she must not be very interested in what you're going to say, and then he or she may get bored very easily or may want to talk about other things. Be careful not to make so many gestures, because they can divert the person's attention. Try to talk in diferent tones of voice to see which one calls the person's attention better and try to explain any matter in a simple language. Well, each student is diferent from the others, so try many methods and use the one which better fits the kind of class and student.
I hope these hints can help you. Good luck!

Barbara Race, France
Over the last couple of years I have often worked with individual students. I find it more difficult and less satisfying than groups and the preparation is nearly as long. My students also tended to cancel at the last minute and I had wasted time, although the lesson itself was ready for use at a later date.

I found that the length of the lesson needed to be shorter - an hour of intensive one to one work was sufficient for the student as well as for me. Teenagers, however, are used to longer sessions and could work for longer. An individual student needs praise a much as each individual in a class. Discussions are more limited, as there are only you and one student to provide ideas. Perhaps to stimulate conversation you need a picture with plenty of action or more questions prepared than for a group.

I enjoyed being able to tailor-make lessons and activities for students (all ages). You can choose texts that follow their interests- or your mutual interests. You can also find out exactly where the difficulties lie and work on these. I would suggest that you find out exactly why he is learning English and what his expectations are so that you can best meet his needs. If you have a student who enjoys games, you can work for longer. Or you can include a game as a break from intensive work. Pelmanism works well for lower levels, lotto games up to advanced level etc. The atmosphere is less intense and even adults love to win a small chocolate.
You may be able to use a computer with just one student. I made great use of the BBC language programmes online for helping my English friends learn the language of their adopted country. Equally, the British Council site provides good materials for students learning English.

If you are working with a beginner it will be even harder, as the student will not have the opportunity to hear his fellow classmates repeat answers. You may need additional reinforcement materials. I successfully worked with teenagers who had got behind (learning a language is cumulative so if they had missed the basics they needed to redo the work). I used the HEADWAY series from OUP and omitted irrelevant parts.
If you are working privately, insist on payment up front and in advance, to avoid preparing work you end up not getting paid for. Set out your terms for cancellingetc at the beginning. Finally, do ask your student if what activities he likes, what he finds successful and what he feels he needs to work on, though put your own professional interpretation on this.
Good Luck!

Janet Gosling, Cyprus
I loved reading all the comments. I too teach privately on 1-1 or 1-2 basis. I enjoy it, as lessons can be so specifically geared to the needs of the particular student. I use a lot of listening exercises CDs, on-line exercises etc. to give them a change from my voice! With older ss working towards IGCSE I use a lot of past papers and for practice for the speaking test I actually do a complete run-through of the test and use a cassette recorder. This shows them exactly how the test will be and hopefully builds their confidence and takes away the "fear factor" which most ss seem to have about speaking & listening!