Benjamin Maier

My lessons usually last from one hour to two hours in length depending on the terms agreed in advance. The content of the lesson will vary depending on whether I am teaching English Literature or English as a Foreign Language.

In the former case, I will ascertain initially which text the student is using and where they are struggling. I will then identify for themselves the relevant themes and devices of the literary text. I will then form a lesson plan based off these themes and devices. However, my plan will remain flexible so if a student needs to study another element of the text later on I will be only too happy to adjust.

In each lesson I will try to provide in advance a list of questions and discussion points based on specific aspects of the text. I will then try to work through them with the student. If the text is a novel or another longer text, I will try to work through it chronologically with the student over the course of multiple lessons, showing how these aspects reoccur throughout the text. For shorter texts, I may use a more purely thematic approach, studying different themes per lesson rather than different chapters.

I will aim as far as possible to lead the student to do their own research and achieve their own insights but am willing to use my extensive knowledge and passion for literature to inform the students and guide them in their research and analysis.

For ESOL, I use the approach taught me at British Study Centres. This is that I teach a different topic each week. Each week, I will teach using listening, speaking and writing tasks which I will expect the student to carry out. The difficulty of this will depend on the student’s own knowledge and what their goals are. I will then discuss the student’s results with them and correct any mistakes, as well as answering any questions they might have.

I am willing to work online or at the student’s house.