Why do words matter? Understanding the essence of verbal communication is pivotal for upgrading its implementation in live online tutoring. Along with the basics, there are some highlights and tips that a lecturer can use to create a successful tutoring session in the virtual classroom.
Verbal communication in live online tutoring: components
There are four major components to verbal communication
- Listening – Tutors are often too busy and so wrapped up in their own explanations that they tend to neglect the importance of listening to and bonding with the class. Active listening is a powerful source of feedback. It can be of tremendous help to the organization of the course content. But most of all, it is a wonderful way to motivate students by showing them care and respect.
- Speaking – A friendly and positive attitude is conveyed through nonverbal communication, but also through the way a teacher speaks. Elegant and refined speech that doesn’t sound too snobbish (but without using slang or jargon) can set a good tone and generate feelings of mutual appreciation. It is very important for live online tutoring and, in fact, for teaching in general, that lecturers understand, master, and wield the power of words. Educators must also bear in mind that oral communication has the highest impact on audiences.
- Reading – Reading offers lots of benefits. Besides sculpting the imagination, research has shown that it enhances one’s intelligence. There are several ways to implement the reading component in the virtual classroom. One is to create a short reading competition that will put the students’ abilities to flawlessly read to the test. Reading out loud can be done in the form of quoting. When the tutor reads another person’s thoughts, this makes them look less godlike and more human, instead. Being closer and more accessible to one’s students paves the way for the tutor to reach the hearts of their pupils and to better motivate them.
- Writing – A lecturer cannot expect their students to be able to do something if they were not properly introduced to it or shown a good example. An educator’s level of literacy must be impeccable. This will guarantee that the tutor has the right to guide, give advice, and aid their students in their written expression.
Verbal tips for live online tutoring
There are three golden rules that a tutor must remember when teaching in a virtual classroom:
- remember the power of words
- mind the tone of voice
- avoid negativity
To be effective and efficient in the live online tutoring environment, teachers must pay close attention to their verbal communication. Each word can evoke a different feeling or emotion in students. Instead of using words habitually, lecturers should be mindful about what they are saying. With live online tutoring both what is said and how it is said are important. In order to correctly convey a message to their students, the tutor must choose words wisely and also pay attention to their tone. Failure to observe this rule may lead to conflict and arguments that may destroy the fragile bond between the tutor and their students.
One example that illustrates the power of words is negativity. The use of words such as “I can’t, it cannot be done, it is not possible, never, etc.” lowers motivation and lays the foundations for an attitude of surrender and defeat. Negativity nurtures demotivation. The virtual classroom should be a cultivator of vigor and determination through the live online tutoring example set by the teacher.
Verbal communication in the virtual classroom often consists of reading and typing and is mediated via keyboard. Notwithstanding the fact that such messages do not involve spoken words, they are still a manifestation of verbal communication. In addition, they are just as significant and must be carefully considered when implemented in the course of live online tutoring. Lecturers should remember that the ethical principles that are used in face-to-face interaction apply here as well.
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