Student Success stories series is a collection of studies on students that have been wildly successful in our program. Success stories have been written by our own teachers and feature their real students so new potential students can see if the NSEO program is right for them. Please note that the names and some personal data has been changed to protect the privacy of the students.

This student success story features Teacher Laura's student, Stephanie. 

The Story of Stephanie

Stephanie began taking lessons with me in 2021.  When Stephanie began taking lessons she was speaking at an intermediate level and was seven years old.  

She loves to have casual conversations and always has questions for me about myself and experiences. She is inquisitive and thoughtful, but did not use past tense verbs and sometimes spoke with unnatural phrasing or word order.  

Stephanie and I immediately developed a connection that allowed us to engage in natural, fluent conversation.   

It also provided an atmosphere that allowed her to feel comfortable as she learned and made mistakes along the way.  Throughout the course of our lessons, Stephanie has developed the ability to consistently use past tense verbs independently, comprehend figurative language and form sentences with natural fluency. 

I have been working with Stephanie for over two years– since she began taking lessons with NSEO.

She had previously taken lessons with other online teachers and classes through her school.  She had many opportunities to participate in English conversation at home, at school and with her friends.  

Stephanie began to join clubs where she speaks English, but she needed guidance on her grammar and articulation.

Why Stephanie Chose Laura: Natural Fluency 

From the beginning, Stephanie was eager to learn and engage in conversation.  She quickly demonstrated her ability to keep up her end of the conversation by asking questions and sharing her own personal experiences.  

At the beginning, she spoke quickly.  Sometimes her sentences did not connect with each other and she often used run-on sentences.  My goal for her was to continue to build her natural speaking fluency while sounding like a native speaker.  

  Stephanie chose me because we established a connection quickly and I allow her to have input on how she learns... I have adapted the material to suit her learning style and needs. 

I believe Stephanie chose me because we established a connection quickly and I allow her to have input on how she learns.  I could quickly see what lesson formats she responded to and actively participated in.  I have adapted the material to suit her learning style and needs.

I actively listen to Stephanie when she speaks and value her opinions.  All of this has helped us form a deep connection that is the foundation for the hard work she puts into each class.  

How Laura Responded 

To accomplish the goals, we practiced using past tense verbs since she consistently used present tense when speaking independently. Stephanie built her knowledge and ability to use past tense verbs through lesson presentations, guided practice activities and independent demonstrations.  

I have observed Stephanie independently use past tense verbs with the correct pronunciation in most of our conversations and when retelling stories. Also, Stephanie has developed a solid understanding and ability to use figurative language.  

We began by learning the meaning behind different similes, metaphors and hyperbole.  Once she demonstrated an understanding of them, I asked her to use them in sentences with my guidance.  Once she became familiar with them, I noticed her use them spontaneously while speaking and the need to ask for clarification decreased.  

I knew the ability to understand figurative language and use it would determine her listening and speaking fluency, so it is something we have worked on throughout our time together.  

Finally, we worked on using full, complete sentences.  We practiced identifying and understanding the difference between run-ons, fragments, and complete sentences.  We looked at ways that she could connect her thoughts by using conjunctions or order words (first, next, finally).  

She already had an excellent ability to engage in relaxed casual conversation, but this helped to enhance her skills when articulating something related to academics or speaking in a formal manner.  

The Results

Overall, Stephanie’s speaking fluency greatly improved as she uses the appropriate verb tense 80-90% of the time.

She uses figurative language independently in her speech and I am able to use them without having to provide clarification. She speaks in concise, full sentences when appropriate and uses relaxed causal English other times.  

Her English skills continue to strengthen as she has moved into advanced levels for listening, speaking and reading.  

I’ve worked in several educational settings and she sounds like English is her first language.  

When students receive individualized attention, they are more likely to engage with the material, ask questions, and receive feedback. They can also move at their own pace, which can be especially beneficial for students who are struggling or who have unique learning needs.

One-on-one tutoring can provide students with the support and guidance they need to reach their full potential.