Q and A

These points should answer most of your questions. However, if you still have questions that you would like to ask, please do not hesitate to contact us.

What is the objective of home tuition courses?

Homelingua courses are aimed at giving students an opportunity to develop their English language skills (typically spoken fluency) in a short period of time and to experience day-to-day British life through staying in the home of their teacher. One-to-one study is a more intensive and effective way to learn a foreign language than group study as lessons can be tailor-made to the student’s needs, level and interests. The student studies at their own pace and not at a pace determined by the group.

What administration is involved?

You should:

• Return your weekly schedule and lesson reports to Homelingua at the end of the stay. In addition fill in an online progress report.
• Annual recording of a 30-minute lesson to be sent with lesson plan for monitoring purposes. 

Accommodation and Facilities

You will need to provide comfortable accommodation in a home environment. Both flats and houses are suitable, but there must be a dedicated guest room in either case. You should be able to provide:

• A guest room with bed, drawer and wardrobe space, desk, chair, sufficient heating and lighting.
• A study area suitable for conducting lessons with table, chairs and tape recorder. Ideally teachers should also have a small whiteboard, although this is not essential
• Use of clean bathroom/shower facilities. Bathrooms without a separate shower should have a showerhead over the bath for washing hair
• Bed linen and towels for the duration of the stay, changed on a weekly basis
• A weekly clothes wash

What qualifications do I need?

There are two internationally recognized TEFL qualifications: Cambridge CELTA or DELTA or the Trinity College Cert TESOL or Dip TESOL. A PGCE in TEFL is also acceptable. However, we will consider applicants who are not qualified but who have EFL teaching experience.

What types of student join your courses?

We have adult and junior students of all levels but most students will have a lower intermediate level of English. Students mainly come from Japan, Russia and Europe.

How many hours a week do I have to teach?

Between 15 and 25 hours a week. In addition the home tutor is expected to provide two local excursions or activities with the student per week.

Can I do other work?

Yes, you can do other work but this should be minimal: one or two afternoons in the week.

When do I teach?

English lessons should be given weekday mornings. The home tutor must be available at these times. If the home tutor has young children, suitable child care must be organised so that there are no disruptions during lessons. If the student has opted for activities, these should be in the afternoons. In some circumstances lessons can fit around prior commitments.

Does Homelingua provide materials?

Home tutors are expected to build up their own library of resources including original and supplementary materials. Homelingua sometimes provides specialist material for certain courses. 

What happens outside of lesson time?

Home tutors usually take the student on two local excursions or additional activities (supermarket, pub, etc) per week to make them feel welcome and relaxed in their home during the stay. It is the home tutor’s responsibility to ensure that their student use their independent time (outside of lessons) to the full, by helping with information about sightseeing trips, public transport etc.

How much and when is the home tuition teacher paid?
Remuneration for a 15- hour teaching time tuition programme (adult General English) with 6 night’s accommodation is from £365 (£400 for London) per week. Payment is made a week in arrears by bank tranfer.

An additional supplement is paid for teachers in the central London area and for an en-suite bathroom if requested by the student.

Which are the most popular locations?

We recruit teachers primarily in the South East, London, Bath, Cheltenham and the Cotswolds, Oxford, Cambridge, Cumbria and Stratford upon Avon.

When do students usually arrive/depart?

Students usually arrive on Sundays and leave on Saturdays. Some students will have a taxi service from the airport, others use public transport and the home tutor is required to meet them at the nearest station. Home tutors are not required to meet their student at the airport.

How often can I expect a student?

We cannot guarantee a regular supply of students during the year. The number of students that we offer to you will depend on your availability, location and other circumstances. The busiest months are May-September.

What happens next?

Please complete our online enquiry form. We will send you an application form usually the same working day. On receipt of the application form we will call you to review all the details and answer your questions. The objective of this call is to get know about you, your teaching experience and what you can offer our students.

If your application is accepted and you would like to go ahead with home tuition, we will arrange a home visit and prepare a ‘teacher profile’ which introduces you to our potential clients.

Before you have a first student we will give you a thorough ‘induction’ to make sure you understand about the teaching and hosting requirements.