Warnings

	Christopher's advice to parents in Hong Kong When choosing a native English tutor or tutorial school in Hong Kong, please consider the following...
	Beware of fake English teachers & English tutors in Hong Kong Hong Kong is filled with people whom claim to be English teachers and English tutors. Alas, many have no certifiable qualifications in English teaching or even have fake qualifications During my 20 years of teaching I have come across so many ‘English tutors’ who do not even have the legal right to work in Hong Kong and even worse, a number of highly unsuitable people working as educators When you are looking for a native English tutor or considering enrolling yourself or child into a tutorial school, always be sure to check their qualifications. If their price seems low, that should be an alarm bell Just because they say or a tutorial center say they are qualified English teachers/tutors that doesn’t mean that their qualifications are valid or even real
	Do arrange a homework club Let your child and classmates meet once a week at someone’s home to do homework together You can rotate the location on a weekly Rota or one parent’s home for English, another for math’s etc. Save money on tutorial schools, avoid unqualified teachers! When students work together and share knowledge they perform a number of communication functions, recalling, explaining, rephrasing. These skills not only reinforce personal knowledge of the lesson topic but develop and practice lifelong, highly valuable inter personal communication skills and childhood and lifelong friendships
	Do allow your children to watch television Television provides a wide range of high quality and educational programming. In addition is a fun way to acquire multiple language and communication skills It is a highly valid input and very similar to reading, combining; listening, grammar and vocabulary skills
	Don’t buy unsuitable books What makes a book unsuitable or of low value for money? Unfortunately a number of books bought in Hong Kong are not suitable by; level, content, or vocabulary. Rather than increase interest in a subject they can poison a students desire to learn
	Don’t overload your children After a long day at school, every child needs to rest and relax. They already have had 6 to 8 hours of lesson and have homework, which can range in both quality and effectiveness. Do not force your child to endure or undertake a large number of extra curricular activities or classes. Allow your child the opportunity to relax, and for them to learn and choose how to use their own free time. Childhood is short lived and every child has the right to a happy childhood
	Remember the purpose of private tuition To individually support and motivate a student in areas of weakness which the school is unable to provide. These may be due to restricted time or teaching ability Unfortunately many parents believe quantity and difficulty are more important than the quality. This is utter nonsense! Language learning needs to be set at the correct cognitive ability level for the student. If you wish for effective learning to take place, it needs to be meaningful and thought provoking to allow for metacognative reflection If you just wish your child to be punished and perform endless, meaningless repetitive drills, you could save a fortune by simply locking them in a wardrobe and not releasing them until they have completed the exercises in whatever terribly written exercise book you have purchased Whilst some students attend excellent schools with superb teachers, they are then sent to 3rd rate private centers. Unfortunately in Hong Kong the majority of learning centers hire staffs that are unqualified and less than competent. This will have a counter productive result