10 Useful Phrases To Make The Most of Online English Lessons

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Online tutoring lets you study anytime, anywhere, and with whoever you want. But did you know you can also choose what you learn, how you learn, and what type of corrections you want? Here are 10 useful phrases that’ll help you make the most of your online English lessons.

Kicking Off Your Online English Class

Online English classes usually start with a self-introduction, so here are some phrases to let your tutor know who you are and what you’d like to learn.

1. Call me … .

You can use the phrase, “call me … “ to tell tutors how you’d like to be addressed – whether that’s by a nickname, an English name, or any other name you prefer.

My name is Sebastien, but please call me “Seb.”
My name is José, but feel free to call me “Pepe.” All my friends call me that.
My name is Mikhail. You can just call me “Misha.” I prefer that.

2. Today, I’d like to … .

Normally, students choose one of our hundreds of learning materials when they book a lesson. However, you can use the lesson time to work on anything you want! Here are some ways to tell your tutor what you’d like to do.

Today, I’d like to go over an essay with you. Could you correct my mistakes?
Today, I’d like to practice talking about marketing.
Today, I’d like to read a news article and discuss it together.

3. I’d like to improve my … .

If there’s something, in particular, you want to improve, make sure to let your tutor know with the phrase, “I’d like to improve my … .”

I’d like to improve my ability to express myself more precisely.
I’d like to improve my pronunciation, especially of the “th” sound. Could you please correct my mistakes?

Asking for Feedback And Thanking Tutors For It

Whether you want to ask for a better way to say something in English or to make sure your tutor keeps giving you a certain type of feedback, here are some phrases you’ll find useful.

4. What are some ways to … in English?

Sometimes, you have some thoughts you want to express in English or tasks you want to carry out, like giving a presentation. But you aren’t sure of the best way to do this. In that case, you can always ask your tutors for help with the question, “What are some ways to … ?”

I’d like to apologize to my friend for breaking her cup. What are some ways to do this in English besides “Sorry for breaking your cup”?
I want to ask my flatmate to not be so loud at night. What are some ways to bring this up in English?

5. Is there a more ... way to say this in English?

If you already have an idea of what you want to say, but you’re looking for a better way to say it, you can ask your tutor for help with the question “Is there a more … way to say this in English?”

Is there a more polite way to say this in English?
Is there a more precise way to say this in English?
Is there a more natural way to say this in English?

6. Thanks for pointing that out.

When your tutor gives you feedback that you find extra useful, make sure to thank them! That’ll show them what types of corrections you prefer and encourage them to give you similar feedback in the future.

Thanks for pointing out that I keep confusing “bored” and “boring.” I thought I had mastered this, but I guess I didn’t!
Thanks for pointing out that I sound robotic. I’ll make sure to work on my rhythm so I sound more natural.

7. Thanks for letting me know.

Besides pointing out mistakes, your tutor will give you other kinds of feedback – both positive and negative. If you appreciate any of it, make sure to let them know!

Thanks for letting me know that I need to work on my grammar. I’ll take some grammar lessons next time.
Thanks for letting me know that my pronunciation is actually not bad. You help me feel more confident!

Other Requests

8. Could you type it in the chatbox, please?

Sometimes during a lesson, you’ll miss what your tutor said and want them to write it down. Or perhaps you want to know how to spell a word. In situations like these, you can ask your tutor to type what they said in the chatbox.

Sorry, I didn’t get that. Could you type it in the chatbox, please?
Could you type the word you just said in the chatbox, please? I’d like to know how to spell it.

9. Could we skip … , please?

If you take lessons using learning materials and find certain parts to be unhelpful or unnecessary, you can let your tutor know that you’d like to skip them.

Could we skip this question, please?
Could we skip the vocabulary exercise, please?
Could we skip the article, please? I already read it before class.

At the End of an Online English Lesson

10. I learned a lot.

Finally, thank your tutor for the lesson. You can do this at the end of the class or with a nice review! A phrase that tutors like to hear is “I learned a lot.”

Thanks for the great lesson. I learned a lot more than expected!
I learned a lot and had a great time today thanks to you! See you next time!

If you haven’t already, make sure to join Engoo so you can start taking online English lessons and reaching your desired level of fluency!