10 Useful Phrases To Improve Your Online English Lessons

Online tutoring lets you study anytime and anywhere you want. But that's not all: You can also choose what you learn, how you learn and what type of corrections you want.

Here are 10 useful phrases that will help you to make your online English lessons the best they can be.

Starting Your Online English Class

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

1. "Call me … ."

You can use the phrase “Call me … “ to tell tutors your name; it could be your real name or a nickname that 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, Engoo students choose one of our many 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 check an essay I've written 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.

3. "I’d like to improve my … ."

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

• I’d like to improve my listening skills.
• I’d like to improve my pronunciation, especially the “th” sound. Could you please correct my mistakes?

Asking for Feedback and Thanking Tutors for It

Whether you want to ask for a specific kind of feedback or a better way to say something in English, here are some phrases you’ll find useful. 

4. "What are some ways to … in English?" 

If you aren't sure of the best way to say or do something in English, you can always ask your tutors for help with the question “What are some ways to … ?”

• I had an argument with my friend and I want to apologize. What are some ways to do this in English besides just “I'm sorry”?
• I want to ask my roommate to not be so loud at night. What are some ways to express this in English?

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

If you 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 about it 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 useful feedback, make sure to thank them! This will show them what types of corrections you prefer and encourage them to give you more feedback like this in the future.

• Oops, I still sometimes confuse “bored” and “boring.” Thanks for pointing that out.
• Thanks for pointing out my stiff pronunciation. I’ll work on my rhythm so I sound more natural.

7. "Thanks for letting me know."

Besides mentioning mistakes, your tutor will also give you other kinds of feedback. If you appreciate any of it, be sure to tell them! 

• 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?"

If you want to know how to spell a word, or if you missed something your tutor has said, you can ask them to type it 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 think certain parts are unnecessary for you, 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 I expected to!
• I learned a lot and had a great time today! See you next time!

If you haven’t already, make sure to join Engoo so you can start taking online English lessons and improving your skills today!