General service info
Chinese languages such as Mandarin and Cantonese are the most popular languages in the entire world. Singapore itself has such rich Chinese presence and culture and collaborates routinely with Chinese businesses and organizations. The language has not only made its presence in the international linguistic community but is also establishing dominance in the professional and academic environment. Under such circumstances, it has become extremely important to gain mastery over the language and these tutoring services in Singapore can help you do just that. Apart from the utility of the language, China has a rich and substantial culture filled with literature, arts and music. Learning Chinese can help us understand and appreciate their culture even more.
Chinese Tutor Hourly Rate
The costs of home tutors for pre-schoolers can go from $15 to $50 per hour depending on the experience of the teacher. The rates of lower primary are marginally lower than that of the upper primary with most institutions charging somewhere close to $10 - $25 per hour. It increases to $15 to $30 for upper primary classes.
All you need to do is answer a few simple questions, compare the prices of various services and make a choice from the best Chinese learning programs.
How long does it take to find the right & good Chinese tutor?
Before the days of the online platform and automated software, finding the right teacher was about trial and error and experience. However, today with automated database and continuously accessible online platforms, finding the right teacher can take from 2 to 5 hours. In order to shorten the search time even further, parents and students can analyze and make a note of the various strengths and weaknesses in their language skills. If one is a complete newcomer to the Chinese language, then one can find basic courses and classes almost instantly.
What are the potential sources of additional costs?
While most of the course work and guidance will be taken care of by the teachers in tuition centers and private mentors, costs of additional resources such as textbooks, stationery, and traveling costs among others must be fulfilled by the parents of the students.
Other than the ones mentioned above other possible areas of expenditure can come in the form of extra classes or extended coaching hours for special students, special training sessions such confidence-boosters and stress-busters, extra and repeat tests, taking additional course material and taking on multiple subjects.
How do chinese tutoring services usually charge?
Most tutors who are employed by such services are extremely qualified (NIE / MOE – trained) and hence usually charge on an hourly basis. Certain teachers attain specialization in Chinese such as post-graduate degrees and as such might charge higher than other typical tutors.
Most tutoring services, be it private or center-based, operate on a contractual basis where teachers are taken on for a fixed period of time. Various policies such as those concerning cancellation of classes, refund of fees, the frequency of payments, payment options and scholarships, and other financial processes change from organization to organization. Added to this, there are two significant deciders to the cost of tuition. First is the presence of an agent or a middle man and second is the medium of communication. An agent usually charges a fixed percentage of the fee of the first month. Today with the establishment of online portals most agents and middlemen can be easily bypassed. The communication matters significantly as courses and classes delivered online are significantly cheaper than those in physical centers or with home tutors. Most contracts are long-term and have very stringent refund policies. Hence, it is advised to go through the terms and conditions very carefully.
Who can become a tutor at such teaching services?
Most of the academic tutoring services and agencies in Singapore thoroughly assess and vet their candidates before they can become tutors. For language studies, tutors of different classes like primary, secondary and junior college might have different requirements in terms of their qualification and experience. They are assessed on their educational qualifications and certifications, years of experience, attitude with children and subject specializations. As far as the Chinese language is concerned, tuition institutes mainly look for graduate and post-graduate degrees in Chinese language studies. Additionally, if the teacher is from Mainland China, they have a higher chance of getting selected. Specifically, Chinese speaking teachers with NIE and MOE training and experience and always in demand in such services. Academic services today are getting more and more automated that maintain detailed records of each and every teacher who are then accurately paired with corresponding students. With the growing popularity of Chinese as an international language more and more enterprising students and professionals are learning the language through these professional teaching services.
Do Chinese tuition centers provide their own course materials?
Most language tuition centers plan and formulate training materials according to their syllabus. They usually provide training materials to all their students, the cost of which is usually included in the fee. However, additional textbooks and reference books are often required in advanced language courses which must be procured by the students themselves.
Are Chinese online home lessons available? Can they be utilized in groups?
Most home teaching sessions in Singapore offer the Chinese language as one of the subjects to both group and solo sessions according to the comfort of the student and the parents. However, there are not many services that allow groups of parents or students to customize the student groups. The groups are either created randomly or based on skill and language proficiency. Chinese tuitions can also be categorized based on the skill that is taught. Spoken Chinese classes may have separate groups than Chinese calligraphy or singing classes.
Is it vital to stick to their plan?
Professional tutoring services consist of experiences MOE and NIE trained teachers who can understand the various strengths and weaknesses of each individual student. The course or goal-plan that they prescribe caters to the unique needs of the student. Hence, it is strongly advised to never deviate from the prescribed action-plan.