Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
What about materials?
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All our courses and lessons are tailor-made to the individual, therefore all materials will be provided to suit your level and ability, (an assessment will be done to determine this), specific needs, interests and preferences.
If you are currently studying and/or wish to bring your own textbooks, workbooks or other materials, we will support you alongside your current studies.
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How quickly will I learn?
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We are often asked this valid question, and the simple answer is that it can vary between people. Whilst individuals will have different strengths and weaknesses, there is one thing that is guaranteed to speed up the results of your studying and that is the amount of time that you dedicate to your studies; the more you study, the quicker you will learn and this includes self study and homework tasks.
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What about homework?
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To re-emphasise the latter, homework is set for you to practice and consequently reinforces what you are learning. It is a vital part of your learning, and is in fact crucial in progressing to a higher level.
Progress is faster when you, as the student, put in the effort along your lessons.
Tuition Services
How long will my lessons be?
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The length of private lessons is solely dependent on the student. For adult students, the average is usually between one and one and a half hours. Younger students’ concentration span is a lot less than this, usually 30 minutes per subject.
For the Putney centre, there is a timetable that can be viewed here.
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We at UK English Tutors will obviously assess this, especially in the 1:1 classes.
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How often should the lessons be?
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If you have an exam coming up, then you can study as much as you need to in preparation for this, but we would suggest not having a lesson every day, 2-3 times a week to allow for self-study and homework.
Other than this, once or twice a week is usual.
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How do I book a tutor?
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Simply contact us by email or fill out our online contact form giving as much detail as possible so we can arrange a suitable tutor to contact you directly. The tutor will arrange days and times in a mutual agreement.
All your details are kept confidential.
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How do I pay for lessons?
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There are two ways you can pay. Either pay the tutor directly - preferably in cash, although a cheque might be acceptable - at the end of each lesson, or arrange a bank payment via our office. Credit is not given, so please do not ask to pay in the next lesson!
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Can I negotiate on the fee?
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All our fees include materials and are very fair, so sorry, no. You cannot try to negotiate with any tutor assigned to you as the fees are set by UK English Tutors.
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Once I have taken on a tutor, what is my commitment?
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The first few lessons will be on an ad hoc basis - if you do not want a tutor to continue, just let him or her know. If you are happy to continue lessons after the probationary period, a month's notice will be required if you wish to discontinue.
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If I cancel a lesson, will I still have to pay?
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Our cancellation policy is as follows:
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24 hours is reasonable, however, if you cancel on the day, then expect to pay for the lesson.
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How safe is it to allow a tutor into my home?
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Most of our teaching is in the Wood Green N22 and Putney SW15 centres, however some of our tutors can, by arrangement, visit your home, but travel expenses must be covered in addition to the hourly fee.
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All of the tutors are DBS checked. Ask the tutor to bring a copy if required.
Proofreading Questions
What is the difference between proofreading and copy-editing?
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There is a clear distinction between proofreading and copy-editing.
Copy-editing is done before proofreading and involves intensive editing to ensure your document is easy to understand and easy to read.
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Proofreading is the process of reviewing the final draft of, for example, an essay before submission, and involves the checking of mistakes in spelling, punctuation, grammar and formatting to ensure consistency and accuracy.
We do offer in addition to proofreading a light editing service which involves checking the consistency in the layout of your document and deleting and re-wording parts of the text to ‘improve’ it.
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What are your prices?
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Prices in the industry seem to vary between clients and the work submitted. For example, the more complex the content, the more time the proofreader will spend and his invoice will reflect this time.
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Here at UK English Tutors, we guarantee the proofreading prices as set out here, no matter how long it takes us to proof read your document.