Do you think online tutorials are effective?

[Judhie]

I mean there are many other websites that are offering this right? And I'm not sure how many people actually enrolls themselves to one of these tutorial sessions but with all the English language resources already available online, do you think online tutorials will still be of big help? I'm thinking of enrolling to one to further improve my English language but I seem to feel the youtube lessons to be okay ha ha! I know, there are many free tutorial videos in youtube and I really love watching them. I don't know about improvement yet but do you think online tutorials can be good for us? Or are we better off just watching tutorials and other materials? Just a thought because I've been seeing a lot of tutorial ads online.

[linguaholic]

I am sorry, but what kind of online tutorial are you talking about? I can't follow 

[GeorgeUK]

Online tutorials are fine in that you get the bedrock of solid grammar and the chance to hear the pronunciation of words too. It still boils down top the fact that learning a new language is 30% teaching and 70% practising speaking and writing it yourself.

[Fabrice]

I think that they are effective. Not only online tutorials, but speaking with natives in general. I have internet friend from USA and we sometimes talk on Skype. It is a huugee motivation boost if you can use a language you're learning in a practical way. It also helps you to learn how to pronounce words properly.

[dtommy79]

I think online tutorials are good aids, but nothing can substitute a real teacher, especially once the learner reaches intermediate level.

[Medza]

To some extent I think that they're great. It really depends on the production value of the course, if it's just some unedited footage then it probably won't be great. But if someone spends their time producing and carefully editing it then it can become a very strong asset to learn languages. I think you can safely use it to achieve beginner to intermediate levels, but I don't think you will be able to fully master the language without having proper lessons with a teacher.

[angelicanicole]

Yes, in my opinion, I think that You Tube videos or any other source that provides online tutorials of the English language can be very effective. I believe that it is the same as being in a classroom setting because you're just sitting there listening to a tutorial or lecture. Although I do not watch English Language videos, I do watch language from Harvard professors all the time on different subjects. I have learned a lot so I am sure it is quite effective.

[Damien]

I think english can be learned by just listening to it a lot, but it also depends on the region you come from. It's easier for germans to learne english for example, but for asian people it's not so easy.

[Baem7]

I think English online tutorials are good aid in learning the language. But more importantly is learning the core of the language. Also practicing frequently will greatly help in learning it.

[Anderson]

They are very helpful for enlgish specially, I think it's a very practical language that can be learned easily by listening to it a lot.

[Brad]

Tutorials are great and youtube has many helpful videos for people looking to learn english.

[NatureSun]

It depends on which kind of tutorial you're talking about.

I think video tutorials can be really useful when learning a language and can really help you get the basics correct.

However, the written tutorials, atleast in my opinion don't work as well. You really need a real teacher who can speak to you to actually be able to learn from text.

[Czarownica]

I prefer written tutorials. It's easier to get back to a part I want to re-read. Also, for me it's easier to focus on a written text rather than on a video.

However, one advantage video tutorials have over text tutorials is having audio. Being able to actually listen to the language is a huge plus.

[IsaacChase]

I don't have any experience with online tutorials, at least not what the author is talking about.  But I can say that my son has had excellent results with using tutors over Skype.  I can't recall the name of the service we have used, but it connects you with a native speaker and you have conversations for set amounts of time during the week.  He was out of his immersion program for a year and it really helped him stay current with his Spanish.

[LauraM]

I think online tutorials can be effective.  The key is to find one that is formatted according to how you learn best.  Some people prefer to rely on listening skills.  Others may prefer to see the written word.  Others may want some combination. 

I tend to like to see the text as well as hear the spoken word as I'm learning.  But ideally, I would pick the written word first and add in the audio and/or visual later on.

I think what's great is that based on our preferences we can usually find some kind of tutorial online that will help meet our needs at that time. 

I think English online tutorials are good aid in learning the language. But more importantly is learning the core of the language. Also practicing frequently will greatly help in learning it.

Yes, I agree wholeheartedly.  We have to have the discipline to practice if we are going to make progress. 

[BWL]

I totally agree that not every student is the same. I've had students who had to write down new words all the time in order to visualise them and I've also had some who needed to constantly repeat newly-learned vocabulary in order to memorise them.

[altrouge]

I think they are, but I believe it still depends on what seems to work best for a specific person. Some people learn well in the classroom, others by textbooks and other resources, others online, and some by talking to native speakers. Still I don't think online tutorials are any less effective. If it's a video, it can get a lot of people started with the basics and give them an idea on pronunciations that aren't quite clear on books as well.

[Netra]

The internet nowadays is so vast that you can find anything you're looking for in a matter of minutes. You could search for eBooks and I believe that are some are really excellent. But like you said, not every student is the same and it depends how they grasp certain things. While some students learn well by reading books, other may excel while they do it online. Online tutorials are a good source if you really pursue it and find the right one.

[A0130]

I feel they are effective in learning the general language. Not as effective as a class or talking with native language speakers, but they do work. Rosetta Stone is the WORST however! I bought it to try my hand at Japanese a while back, it was really bad. I would find another if I were you in the market.

[kitkat0124]

Online tutorials are effective for me. I tried one before, but we are all different. It might be effective for me but not for some.

[Jellyfish]

One can be effective but it depends on how it is designed and on how much will to learn you show. Learning on your own is always harder than in a class or something.

[Mark Skype Teacher]

I did face to face classes in Spain for 5 years. I moved to Ecuador 2 years ago and put my business online doing classes via skype with Spaniards. My business has steadily grown (gracias a dios) and I have been able to employ teachers working online via skype which I could never do while working with face to face classes.

With regard to online classes, I think they are better than face to face classes for the following reasons:

- no time wasted travelling or money spent

- you can do nearly everything that you can with face to face and have a lot more technological features (e.g. MP3)

- less body language and worse sound quality means the student can perform better with listening exams (which typically have bad sound quality and no body language)

There are other reasons why skype classes work very well and often better than face to face classes. Perhaps one reason not to do many online classes is if you don't want to spend more time in front of a computer. All the best.

[deyvion]

Youtube is usually the source I go to if I want a tutorial about something. There are really great videos about English grammar on Youtube which I normally watch and search for if there is something I want to know. That goes for most languages, so I do think that online tutorials, no matter in what form or from where, are good.

[pcgamer]

Do you think people actually bother with online tutorials when they want to learn a language? I for one certainly didn't. How could I when I didn't even know a single word of English until I was 16. I have been learning English since I was 16, but online tutorials were never a help for me.

[GetFresh]

They are effective, but not as much as you think they are. Online tutorials can be free and don't require you traveling outside your home. I find learning a language face to face with a teacher greatly improves your ability.  If you have questions you can directly ask since you have a teacher.