As a student on italki, have you been chatting using Skype messages with your tutors or teachers outside the scheduled time for studying? (and vice versa?)
Don't you think that starting from the point that learning languages envolves money, we actually make boundaries and limits to that learning?
In a way that, in my case for instance, most of my tutors and teacher are all the time online on Skype but don't often answer to my messages.
So if I want to chat a little bit, I send messages but don't get any answer.
During our lessons which last most of the time exactly 60 minutes and 0 seconds, my tutors and teachers help me and they give the best but after that time, it's like we don't know each other.
Don't you think that a real teacher is someone who is more than a simple teacher?
Someone that can give you support through emails?
Someone that would be happy to have a little chat with you outside the classes?
Someone that worries about you as a person?
Someone that teachers you more about life than about languages?
Since language remains only a tool, through which one can transmit the real message of life.
What kind of tutor or teacher are you on italki?
Are you that teacher who is seeking for having more students and more money?
Or are you a teacher who looks forward giving something (which is beyond language lessons) to his/her students?
Are you both?
And what do you think about the role of a teacher or a tutor on italki and outside of it?
Do you develop special relationship with your students? Lifetime friendship for instance?
Or do you actually see and talk with each other only in the 60 minutes scheduled at italki?
I'm the kind of tutor that doesnt mind helping people outside of our scheduled sessions. I always encourage them to message me any doubts or questions they may have and I always try to get back to them as promptly as possible. If I don't have a lesson after, and if the student has additional questions, I never hesitate to dedicate some extra time, but this depends on the student, because I understand that people have things to do and I wouldnt want to waste anyone's time.
I try to keep a professional relationship with everyone but always let them know that I'm happy to help them with their questiions. I also like to send them additional material/links that I find that remind me of their individual difficulties.
Most of the time though, if a teacher does not answer outside of scheduled time, maybe it is because they are busy and not necessarily because they dont care about you. This extra availability is nice for the student but it is not obligatory for teachers. They sometimes have too many students and a life as well, so it would be unrealistic to expect them to be available 24/7. :)
Well sometimes I give more than 1h (or if the lesson is instant tutorial almost of times I stay more than 30min) if I didn't give all lesson, I still at over the lesson, or over the conversation, depend. I allways try give materials to my students, and try know if they like the materials or if that help them in the study. I'm almost of time online, and I think they know they can allways ask me doubts, sometimes persons have doubts send me msg and I answer without any problem. I like when my students leave my lessons and are happy for learn what I teach them. And I also try be funny for don't give boring lessons and they get upset
I didn't talk with my students out of my lessons, but can happen I talk with some person and after become my student, or in end of lessons with regular students we talk a little for chilling...I also have some language partner, but how people usually say each case is unique, I think the most important is we keep the respect and some "barrier" but we don't need be like professors in time of our grandparents
I can see where you are coming from. With time, teachers learn what boundaries are suitable for them. I, for instance, do not hesitate to give support to students via email, and always send lesson reviews, tips and articles in between lessons. I willingly answer any questions. My teacher of Serbian is very similar and I respect her for this. However, it has never come into my mind to try to chat with my teacher on skype outside of our scheduled lessons, and, frankly, my students have never tried to start conversations with me outside of lessons.
Sandrah I agree with all you say :)
