Chat Time 8
Tutorial Classes
More and more students are attending tutoring classes after school. Most of them
take extra lessons in order to achieve better results in public examinations. They
also use the classes as an opportunity to exchange tips and create friendships with
students from other schools.
Kelvin is one such student. ‘I especially love the fact that the tutors here give us
model answers, which are never provided by my school’s teachers,’ he says. ‘The
atmosphere here is so much better than it is at my school. The tutors explain the
subject in a more interesting and humorous way.’ However, a local school teacher
thinks attending tutorial classes prevents students from thinking independently.
Schools could run extra lessons for students who want more examination practice.
Questions
1. Should students attend tutorial classes?
a. Students could attend tutorial classes if they want to take extra lessons in order to
achieve better results in public examinations.
b. Students need not attend tutorial classes if they motivate themselves to study hard
and pay attention in classes.
2. Do you think tutorial teachers can help students improve their learning?
a. Definitely. Students get more learning opportunities, better exam skills, and hopefully
higher exam results.
b. Absolutely. Students feel more comfortable and more confident when they are under
the guidance of excellent tutors. Also highly-experienced tutors also give
well-designed notes, extra-reading materials and exercises so that students’
knowledge can be greatly improved.
3. Are there other ways to help students perform better in public examinations?
a. Schools could run extra lessons for students to learn exam skills and practise exam
papers.
b. Schools could teach students some learning skills which boost their performance such
as analytical thinking, notes taking and memorization skills. Schools could also monitor
students’ learning progress and offer timely assistance.
Individual Response
1. Do you think it is worth attending tutorial classes?
a. It’s worth attending tutorial classes because the tutors are familiar with the
examination style and therefore offer great advice on exam preparation and
technique.
b. It’s not worth attending tutorial classes because students may rely on the tutors’ notes
and exam-tips and the essence of learning is lost. They may not really understand the
topics as they are seeking the short cut to public exams.
2. What do you do when you find it hard to understand something in class?
a. I would raise questions in class or seek help from my classmates.
b. If I don't understand something, I’ll ask questions immediately. If it isn't appropriate to
interrupt, I’ll make a quick note of the question and ask later.
3. What is more helpful for students: tutorial classes or afterschool help classes at school?
Both enable students to learn more about the subjects they are not good at and improve
their academic performances. But the former is expensive and time-consuming, while the
latter is free and direct.
4. Do you think the fees charged by tutorial schools are too high?
I do think the fees charged by tutorial schools are invariably high because they need to
employ tutor kings and queens. The superb teaching facilities and aggressive marketing
techniques are also costly.
5. If your friend wanted to attend a tutorial school, what advice would you give him/her?
I would tell my friend that tutorial schools are often so exam-oriented that they fail to
develop students’ proper learning skills. So, going to the tutorial school he cannot develop
sensible approaches to his studies. What he learns is exam skills alone.