Riyadh · Online
English Language tutors in Riyadh
Reading comprehension, directed writing and composition. The marks are technical (for structure, register and controlled accuracy) which is why a student who reads widely and writes fluently can still sit at a grade 6.
- USD 20-40 per hour
- Online, UTC+3
- Free 1-hour trial class
English Language in Riyadh: what usually goes wrong
Riyadh's international school sector has grown quickly, and growth of that speed has a predictable side effect: schools hire faster than they can be selective, and subject depth at sixth form is the first thing to suffer. The other thing to plan around is the week itself: school runs Sunday to Thursday here, so a tutoring schedule built on a Monday-to-Friday assumption will collide with the weekend twice a month.
The pattern repeats across schools, and it is rarely about ability. It is about the gap between understanding a topic and being able to perform it under the exact conditions the paper imposes. In English Language specifically, these are where the marks go:
- Comprehension answers that quote at length instead of selecting and explaining the relevant detail
- Directed writing in the wrong register or format for the audience specified
- Analysis of language features that names the device and never explains its effect
- Repeated small accuracy errors (tense, article, preposition) that cap the mark regardless of content
Every one of those is trainable. None of them is fixed by covering the syllabus again more slowly, which is what most extra help amounts to.
Who this suits
Every student takes some form of it, and it matters most for those writing in English as an additional language who have the ideas and lose marks on precision and register. It also suits strong readers whose grade has plateaued because nobody has shown them what the mark scheme is actually rewarding.
Which level is your child at?
Each level asks for something different, and preparation that ignores that difference wastes time. These pages set out what changes at each stage:
- IGCSE English Language · Years 10-11
- A Level English Language · Years 12-13
- IB English Language · Years 12-13
How lessons run
One-to-one, over video, with a shared whiteboard so tutor and student work on the same page at the same time. Sixty minutes is the default; twice weekly in the eight weeks before a paper.
Every session starts with marked work from the previous week, moves to the day's topic with a worked example, and ends with the student attempting a real past paper question live. After it, you get a written note from the tutor saying what was covered and what needs to happen next. The full process is here.
What it costs
USD 20-40 per 60-minute lesson, depending on level: the same rate wherever the student is, because the lesson is the same. Billed monthly against lessons actually taught, with no prepaid blocks and no minimum commitment. The full breakdown is on the pricing page.
English Language tutoring in Riyadh: common questions
My child reads constantly but the English grade is average. Why?
Because the marks are technical rather than literary. Comprehension answers must select and explain rather than quote at length, directed writing must match the register and format specified, and repeated small accuracy errors cap the mark regardless of how good the ideas are.
What is the difference between First Language and Second Language English?
They are separate syllabuses with different papers and different expectations. Students are sometimes entered for the one that suits them least, so confirming which one your child is actually sitting is worth doing before any preparation starts.
How do you fix analysis that just names techniques?
By always adding the effect. Identifying a metaphor earns almost nothing; explaining what that specific word choice does to the reader is the whole mark. It is a quick habit to build once a student sees it in a mark scheme.
Does the Sunday-to-Thursday week cause scheduling problems?
Only if it is ignored. School runs Sunday to Thursday in Riyadh, so lessons sit on Sunday to Thursday evenings and the weekend is Friday and Saturday. A schedule built on a Monday-to-Friday assumption will collide with your weekend twice a month, which is why we confirm the week explicitly at the start.
What time do lessons run in Riyadh?
Evenings in Arabia Standard Time, UTC+3. That is one hour behind the UAE, so if you have seen our UAE times quoted, subtract an hour.
Do you teach the British curriculum and the IB?
Yes, both. Riyadh's international sector has grown quickly and now includes substantial British curriculum and IB provision, and we teach to whichever specification your child is actually entered for rather than to a generic version of the subject.