My name is Alicia, and I write about things for a living. In August 2023, I had the pleasure of observing several lessons at W@W so I could have a better understanding of the organisation and how it operates, which would, in turn, help me write content about them. What I found at the Bukit Timah W@W branch blew me away.
What is a typical classroom at W@W like?
I walked into Teacher Anthea’s classroom at 9.15am, rather mistaken about the lesson start time, which was actually at 9am. All the students were seated by then and Teacher Anthea had started the class by asking about how the students were doing at school.
Even at such an early hour, her students were bright and cheerful, eager to share their experiences at school with their friends and teacher. One of them even told Teacher Anthea about an essay she was working on at school entitled “Revelation” and asked for some guidance about what she should write about. Teacher Anthea helpfully responded, telling her that the word meant that you had experienced a sudden realisation and to look back at past stories for inspiration.
I thought to myself, “Wow, W@W actually really cares about what your children are doing at school! They follow up on any tests and assignments you have and help you if you need it.”
Close guidance and help with schoolwork are something I think students and parents need. Having seen firsthand at home how my parents were confused and overwhelmed with my sibling’s academic requirements and schoolwork, having someone to follow up on schoolwork for subjects requiring advance preparation to master like English is highly valuable.
What is the W@W curriculum like?
I was emailed a copy of the W@W Lesson Notes prior to attending the lesson. I was amazed at how W@W structured the notes and made it easy for all students (whether they are naturally good at writing or not) to absorb and read, breaking down an essay into its individual components, with guidance and suggestions as to how to write each paragraph.
When I was in school, although I had been lucky enough to be good at writing essays, my classmates who fared less well would ask me how I managed to write like that. I told them the honest answer – that I genuinely didn’t know, but that I had read a lot of books and used vocabulary from those books in my essay. I didn’t know how to use a Plot Curve, or the 5W1H elaboration, or any literary techniques of the sort. I just plodded on writing essays until my teacher found them acceptable. I had to learn how to write different types of essays on my own.
At W@W, everything is broken down for you. English has a reputation as a “nebulous” subject that is impossible to prepare for in advance, and students often “wing it” on the exam day and do their best. However, at W@W, the study of how to write well becomes more like a Science, with elements you can control. You can use your imagination and logic to figure out what comes next, and there are phrases and structures you can memorise to help you.
What is the learning environment at W@W like?
However, despite all the practical benefits to students’ academic progress that W@W boasts, what struck me was the camaraderie and pleasant learning environment in class. I felt that W@W was less like a typical tuition centre, where students, bleary-eyed and groggy, just came to “mug” (Singaporean term for “studying really hard”). Instead, I saw W@W as a place where students are free to be themselves – they could laugh, they could be creative, they could tell jokes while reenacting the essay plot. This was a marvellous thing to see, as I knew that students would remember these moments more than they remembered anything about the essays they wrote.
The students who have benefitted from their time at W@W are more likely to remember how their teachers encouraged them when they felt low, the good times they had laughing until their sides hurt with their friends, and the time they felt they could relax after a hard week of going to school and keeping up with all the attendant expectations and burdens of being a good student.
I tell my friends with young children who are interested in taking classes for writing about W@W as much as possible. I say, “This place is different. It’s not the same as other places.”
In fact, what W@W has is almost magical. Instead of selling the mere promise of a good grade, or the mechanical process of drilling and revision, their competitive advantage comes from an experience – an experience I would think few can replicate, which will no doubt benefit every single one of its students as they take the transferable skills of being able to write in a creative yet logical manner and the good memories of caring, passionate teachers with them, way beyond their schooling years.
Learn How to Write in a Coherent and Concise Manner with WR!TERS@WORK!
At WR!TERS@WORK, we are committed to providing the smoothest learning experience for your primary or secondary school child sitting for their English exam. With our carefully curated methods of teaching your child how to write, your child will be able to craft well-written essays in any genre with good grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure.
English tuition and writing courses are instrumental for students not only in school, but to prepare them for their future undertakings as good writing is a universal necessity. Enjoy a smoother learning process with WR!TERS@WORK as we reinforce your child’s language skills and provide them with a strong foundation for academic success. For more exam tips, parents and students can explore our website and watch our YouTube videos.
If you are interested in our primary English tuition and secondary English tuition in Singapore, WR!TERS@WORK has expanded to 8 convenient locations. To find the nearest location that suits your needs, please explore our options. If you have any inquiries regarding our range of programs or class schedules, please feel free to contact WR!TERS@WORK.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
1. How Do I Find the Best English Tutor?
Firstly, research and ask around for good recommendations from family or friends. Next, research online and read the reviews of tuition centers to find suitable candidates. A good idea is to drop by the tuition center and let your child experience a trial lesson to find a good tutor.
2. What is the Purpose of an English Tutor?
An English tutor is supposed to guide your child to their full potential in terms of mastering the English language. Different children have different skills and capabilities in their academics, and the job of the tutor is to identify strengths and weaknesses of the child and help them accordingly.
3. What Skills Should an English Tutor Have?
A tutor should have a discerning eye for strengths and weaknesses of the student, patience to deal with different students, the requisite qualifications and experience, and they should be up to date on the relevant changes in the Singaporean English syllabus.
4. What Are Some Important Skills in English?
The English language requires the understanding of simple rules such as grammatical rules and sentence structure. Moreover, it requires more complex skills such as inference and synthesis which come later on as the student progresses to more difficult exercises.
5. Which English Language Skills is Most Difficult?
Synthesis is one of the most difficult skills in the English language as it involves using present ideas to generate new opinions and viewpoints.
6. What is the Most Difficult Part of English Class?
The most difficult part of English class is to understand how to craft your own ideas from an existing body of work, and how all the individual parts of English – grammar, vocabulary, sentence structure, clauses, etc. – fit together in an essay as a whole.
