Improve Your English skills With English Tutor Sydney

Whether you are a high school student or someone who is seeking an ESL program with English tutor Sydney, you can improve your English skills and knowledge.

Learning English in school is particularly important, as it covers so many topics which feature in day-to-day life, from writing an email to reading the newspaper.

This is why no one can afford to neglect their English learning or give up at the first sign of difficulty, as it will inevitably have an impact on their life.

Reading and comprehension skills are particularly important when the time comes to sit exams or enter the world of work, where these skills will come into practice, regardless of the situation.

Having a good command of English is essential to so many aspects of life, and this is exactly why no one can afford to miss out on studying English.

Of course, some students find English easier than others, who could do with a little more encouragement to help them alongside their studies in school.

One-on-one tutoring in English can offer personalised support to anyone who needs help keeping up in class, or simply wants to hone their skills and achieve the top marks.

Book your online tutor on time to ace your exams and reach a new level of learning!

English as a second language — ESL

ESL stands for English as a Second Language and is used to describe non-native speakers of the English language. If you are learning English in the United States, Australia, Canada or other English-speaking countries, the term could apply to you.

Moreover, if you are learning English in a country where English is not common, then the phrase English as a Foreign Language (EFL) would apply. Whatever your native language is, you can add English as another language skill.

When it comes to methods of learning English, they are highly variable depending on the student’s level of English proficiency and the manner and setting in which they are taught, which can range from required classes in school to self-directed study at home. In some programs, educational materials (including spoken lectures and written assignments) are provided in a mixture of English and the student’s native language.

The English language has great reach and influence, and English is taught all over the world. In countries where English is not usually a native language, there are two distinct models for teaching English: Educational programs for students who want to move to English-speaking countries, and other programs for students who do not intend to move but who want to understand English content for the purposes of education, entertainment or conducting international business.

Moreover, the differences between these two models of English language education have grown larger over time, and teachers focusing on each model have used different terminology, received different training and formed separate professional associations. English is also taught as a second language for recent immigrants to English-speaking countries, which faces separate challenges because the students in one class may speak many different native languages.

A short history of the English language

When it comes to English language periods, we can divide English into three eras: Old English, Middle English and Modern English.

If we compare languages that developed within the boundaries of one country (or one distinct geographical region), to English language since its beginnings 1,600 years ago, it evolved by crossing boundaries and through invasions, picking up bits and pieces of other languages along the way and changing with the spread of the language across the globe.

Old English (450-1.100)

With the arrival of three Germanic tribes who invaded Britain during the 5th century AD, the history of the English language really started with these tribes. The Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes crossed the North Sea from what today is Denmark and northern Germany.

When the arrived to Britain, at that time, the inhabitants of Britain spoke a Celtic language. But most of the Celtic speakers were pushed west and north by the invaders — mainly into what is now Wales, Scotland and Ireland.

The Angles came from “Englaland” and their language was called “Englisc” — from which the words “England” and “English” are derived. The language of these tribes, now known as “Old English“, was soon adopted as the common language of this relatively remote corner of Europe. Although today it would be very hard to understand Old English, it provided a solid foundation for the language we speak today.

Middle English (1.100 – 1.500)

The period beginning after the 1066 Norman invasion which saw the gradual merger of two languages — the Germanic Anglo-Saxon and the Latin-based Norman French — into one language. This was accomplished roughly by 1450. The most extensive changes in English vocabulary occurred during this period. Henceforward, more than half the English vocabulary is of Latin (or French) origin and only a minority is of Germanic origin.

This period was marked by two major events: the Viking invasion and introduction to French language.

Invasion of the Vikings: With the Viking invasions, Old English got mixed up with Old Norse, the language of the Viking tribes. Old Norse ended up giving English more than 2,000 new words, including “give” and “take”, “egg”, “knife”, “husband”, “run” and “Viking”.

The French language has been put for use: Even though, English was spoken widely on the British Isles by 1,000 AD, the Norman invasion established French as the language of royals and of power.

In this era of English language, Old English was left to the peasants, and despite its less glamorous status, it continued to develop and grow by adopting a whole host of Latin and French words. The Old French took over as the language of the court, administration and culture. Latin was mostly used for written language, especially that of the Church. Meanwhile, the English language, as the language of the lower class, was considered a vulgar tongue.

Around the year 1200, England and France had split. By this period, English changed a lot, because it was mostly being spoken instead of written for about 300 years. The use of Old English came back, but with many French words added. This language is called Middle English. Most of the words embedded in the English vocabulary are words of power, such as crown, castle, court, parliament, army, mansion, gown, beauty, banquet, art, poet, romance, duke, servant, peasant, traitor and governor.

Modern English

Somewhere in the 14th-15th century, following the hundred years war with France that ended French rule of the British Isles, English became the language of power and influence once again. With the development of English culture and English literature spearheaded by William Shakespeare it got its further boost.

Immense Shakespeare’s influence on the development of the English language and its unique and rich culture is hard to grasp; the man is said to have invented at least 1,700 words, including “alligator”, “puppy dog”, and “fashionable”, in addition to writing classics like Romeo & Juliet and Hamlet!

The great Vowel Shift started towards the end of Middle English, a sudden and distinct change in pronunciation, with vowels being pronounced shorter and shorter.

There were three big developments in the world at the beginning of Modern English period: the Renaissance, the Industrial Revolution, and the British Colonialism.The British had contact in the 16th century with many people from around the world. Getting in touch with different cultures and the Renaissance of Classical learning, it meant that many new words and phrases entered the language.

In this period printing brought standardization to English, with the invention of printing also meant that there was now a common language in print. In 1604, the first English dictionary was published.

Late Modern English (1800 – Present)

When it comes to this period, the main difference between Early Modern English and Late Modern English is vocabulary. This period has brought many more words, arising from two principal factors: first, the Industrial Revolution and technology created a need for new words; secondly, the English-speaking world was at the center of a lot of scientific progress, and scientific advances went hand-in-hand with the evolution of the language.

English was solid by this point, but it became more polished. English is an ever-evolving language, and advances in technology often lead to changes in English.

Moreover, one of the most amazing thing about English is that it’s still evolving. We can see the changes from the development of local dialects and slang in countries as far apart as the U.S., South Africa and New Zealand, and in cities as different as New York, Oxford and Singapore, to the incorporation of tech vocabulary into everyday English. English is in a constant state of flux.

Every year, vocabulary alone is increasing at a pace of approximately 1,000 new and approved words; and these are just the words that are considered important enough to get added to the online version of the English Dictionary.

This dramatic increase in new words is mainly due to technology, and how people spontaneously coin new words in their email and text transmissions that spread quickly and efficiently via social media.

Australian English as one of the British English varieties

Soon after the foundation of the Colony of New South Wales in 1788, Australian English began to diverge from British English.

Back in the days of colonization, the British convicts sent to Australia were mostly people from large English cities, such as Cockneys from London. The settlement was intended mainly as a penal colony.

Moreover, many of the original immigrants were free settlers, military personnel and administrators and their families.

Peter Cunningham in 1827 wrote in his book “Two Years in New South Wales”, that native-born white Australians spoke with a distinctive accent and vocabulary, albeit with a strong Cockney influence. In addition, a much larger wave of immigration, as a result of the first Australian gold rushes, in the 1850s, also had a significant influence on Australian English, including large numbers of people who spoke English as a second language.

Due to shared history and geographical proximity of Australia and New Zealand, Australian English is most similar to New Zealand English. Moreover, the difference between the two spoken versions is obvious to people from either country, if not to a casual observer from a third country. The vocabulary used also exhibits some differences.

Phonology, vocabulary and spelling

If we are speaking about dialects, we have to say that Australian English is a non-rhotic dialect. Australian English vowels are divided into two categories: long, which includes long monophthongs and diphthongs, and short, all of which are monophthongs. Unlike most varieties of English, it has a phonemic length distinction: a number of vowels differ only by the length.

Terms that Australian English incorporates, Australians consider to be unique to their country. One of the best-known of these is outback which means a remote, sparsely-populated area. The similar bush can mean either native forests, or country areas in general. However, both terms are historically widely used in many English-speaking countries. Many such words, phrases or usages originated with the British convicts transported to Australia.

Moreover, some elements of Aboriginal languages have been incorporated into Australian English, mainly as names for places, flora and fauna.

There is a widely held belief in Australia that “American spellings” are a modern intrusion, but the debate over spelling is much older and has little to do with the influence of North American English.

Many Australians believe themselves to be direct in manner and/or admire frank and open communication. Such sentiments can lead to misunderstandings and offence being caused to people from other cultures.

Australian English makes frequent use of diminutives. They can be formed in a number of ways and can be used to indicate familiarity.

English tutoring Sydney

English tutors Sydney can show their students a way to the rich world of English literature and its works.

As we already know, it’s no secret that teaching is most effective when the tutee is enjoying themselves — and this is just as relevant for English lessons. Experience the new level of possibilities with our online tutoring Sydney platform.

Supplemental English lessons can be just what some students need to get motivated and take more of an interest in their school English course, which usually translates to an improvement in exam grades.

Great Tutoring Comes Down to a Great Tutor

Not a long time ago, you’d have to spend hours travelling to different tutors or have one come to you. If you didn’t want to be stuck in bad traffic, you were limited to tutors in your neighbourhood.

With online tutoring at Tutornova, you can say goodbye to average local tutors. If you have access to an internet connection and a computer, you can achieve your goals in the record time with Tutornova private tutoring.

With the click of a button, you can book in an HSC private tutoring English session with any of the expert tutors on Tutornova, from Sydney or elsewhere in NSW. You can get a trusted, experienced tutor right in your home, with the convenience of online video tutoring. Your high school achievements are no longer limited by your access to high-quality education.

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Tutornova English tutor Sydney rank amongst the best in Australia — including high achieving 98+ ATAR graduates and qualified high school teachers.

We want your online learning experience to be with the private tutors who are handpicked and fully vetted to guarantee you the highest quality tutoring in Sydney.

Qualified teachers using proven methods and techniques will bring out the best in your child and not only that, they will bring the fun back into learning.

We work hard to make sure that our students meet only quality and certified Sydney tutors.

Book your online tutor on time to ace your exams and reach a new level of learning!