Language Lab 2026 Update

Thank You

Hey everyone! 2025 is almost over so I wanted to make sure to give you some updates about the Language Lab’s plans moving into the new year, as well as express my gratitude for your belief in me thus far. I’m truly grateful for you guys recommending me to your friends, your patience and encouragement, and all of your kind words. It’s your trust in me that keeps me going, I hope that my texts to you all expressed this.  

Groups Overview

The biggest addition coming to my tutoring services in 2026 is Group Courses. As the name suggests, Group Courses are designed to teach students who are around the same academic or ESL level in a group setting. Although it may seem like 1-on-1 tutoring is always a better option for students, that’s not always the case. Below I will discuss the benefits of group learning for each type of Group Course. 

ESL Groups - Adults [max students 10-12] 

One of the most common mistakes that I see with adults trying to learn English is trying to only learn the grammar rules before they feel ready to try speaking with others. Simply put, in order to improve language acquisition skills, the most important thing you need is to be a part of a community of people around your level. Having a language community increases students’ confidence and ability to speak within and outside of class. 

ESL Groups - Kids [max students 8]

The point above about adults remains true for kids too; to learn a new language you need to practice with other people around your language level. For kids this involves students having a comfortable environment to practice the speaking skills they are learning. Small group courses create environments that make language growth fun and beneficial for all. 

Academic Groups [max students 8]

While admittedly, 1-on-1 sessions do offer more in terms of individual support, there are many skills that students can (and need to) learn in groups that they can’t in 1-on-1 sessions. For example, skills such as debate, real-time problem solving, and articulation skills, are best practiced with others on your level. Small academic settings also encourage kids to participate in reading comprehension discussions, whereas they may be afraid to do so in typical classroom sizes. Ultimately, the reality is that kids who learn how to be successful in whole group settings (and this may look differently for each kid) tend to do better because that is what most of their classroom time will look like as they get older. 

Group Details 

After considering what students need to grow as well as trying to best accommodate everyone’s schedule, here are my first proposals for the group courses. As always feel free to talk to me about  any concerns or conflicts you may have. Group courses will cost $250 per student, for 15 hours of lessons. The location for the courses will be at Regus Offices, 15000 Weston Pkwy, Cary, NC 27513. 

• 4-5th Grade Academic Group: Starts Wednesday February 25th. Class will meet once a week for 90 minutes each session. This group will meet for 10 weeks total (the final class will be on April 29th). Start time 4:30-6pm.

• The Kids ESL Beginners: Starts Wednesday February 25th. Class will meet once a week for 90 minutes each session. This group will meet for 10 weeks total (the final class will be on April 29th). Start time 6-7:30pm.

• Adult ESL Beginners: I need to do some more research to see when adult students will have time to attend classes. The problem is that most adults want this class to happen while their kids are at school, but since I work at a school it is hard for me to find a time that works for everyone. I will have a definitive answer about this by the end of January. 

1-on-1 Tutoring 

Almost everything you’ve come to love about 1-on-1 Tutoring so far is remaining the same. The major thing is that the price for 1-on-1 tutoring is not changing. I know that I’ve told a few of you that the 1-on-1 price would likely increase, but for now, I don’t think I need to do so at this moment. Plus I don’t want anyone to feel like they can’t help their kid (or themselves) grow academically/linguistically due to price. 

The thing that is changing though is, my amount of availability for 1-on-1 tutoring is going to decrease. While Group Courses are happening (10-weeks at a time) I can only accept 1-on-1 sessions outside of the times that the courses are happening. For example, if I have a course on Mondays at 4:30-6:00pm and another that meets twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7-8pm, I would only be able to accept 1-on-1 sessions outside of those times. As far as Saturday 1-on-1 tutoring, I’m still considering if that would be something that I can handle while I am still working full-time at a middle school.

With this in mind I want to make a clarification. If you pay for the ten-pack of 1-on-1 lessons for $300 (plus tax), you can distribute those lessons however you see fit amongst your kids and yourself as long as the time you want is available. This means that if, for example, you have two kids and one is in a Group Course, you can still use the 1-on-1 lessons you paid for on that kid! For example if their teacher gives them a major writing project and you want me to go over it with them before they submit it. I guess I’ve never made that clear, but when you pay for the ten-pack of 1-on-1 lessons they allow for flexible scheduling in terms of time and the student. 

News and Updates 

Moving forward, important updates (like this one) will be posted here on the website. Feel free to continue calling, texting, or emailing me about any specific questions you have, but posting updates here is the best way for me to get general information out quickly. A text notification will alert you whenever an update happens. 

Again thank you for your support and belief in me. My goal is to continue making my services the best choice for you and your kids!

Jonathan

The Language Lab NC LLC