There is one 15-year-old female student. She is an intelligent, polite young lady with a solid academic history and a love of modern languages. She is a native Russian speaker, and has only been studying in the UK for the past two years. Although she has a good grasp of the academic material that she is taught (her understanding is excellent), her English language skills are holding her back.

She boards at a good private school in Surrey, and is taught by knowledgeable and encouraging staff. She is entering a crucial year with GCSE examinations at the end, and it is the belief of her teachers that she will not fulfil her potential without significant work on her English. She has opted to study a range of GCSE subjects including history, where her English is considered an obstacle. Her Tutors predict that with a better command of the language, her grades could jump by as much as two levels.

She is a diligent pupil, but struggles to think instinctively in English. She is hard working, academically ambitious, and determined to succeed.

The role of the Tutor is to expose the student to a high level of English during the course of the summer. The Tutor will be expected to accompany the family on their summer holiday, attending family outings as well as working intensively with the girl. The ideal Tutor will also assume the role of ‘best friend’ for the duration of the summer — building trust and confidence in her while instilling a greater understanding and fluency. Her sister, who is also her guardian, has requested that the Tutor prepare 3 hours a day of formal tuition and 3 hours a day of informal work.

The girl’s English teachers have already set her some holiday work in an effort to increase her exposure to the language. She has been asked to keep a daily journal to practice her written English. She is also required to read Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice — the GCSE English text — by the end of the holiday. She should not refer to the Russian translation, though she can use a dictionary. To incorporate some contemporary writing, her English teacher suggested that she reads the editorial (or something of a similar level) in the Daily Mail as often as she can and preferably daily. This work can be incorporated into the Tutor’s lesson plans, and the Tutor should feel free to look over, correct and modify the journal as appropriate. The editorials can also be used in comprehension exercises, or incorporated into the lessons as the Tutor sees fit.

The student, like all non-native speakers, struggles with idiomatic English. Introduction to a reference book such as W. Best’s ‘Students’ Companion’ or A MacIver’s ‘First Aid in English’ would be helpful. She also needs assistance with auxiliary verbs and the definite article, which is sometimes overlooked in her everyday conversational English. The main obstacle to her fluency is her reluctance to ‘think’ instinctively in English. She clings to the Russian language, often reading Russian translations before tackling GCSE texts. She has additional Russian classes during term time, which, while useful to her Russian studies, rather compromise her dedication to English.

The job itself is based in three locations during the summer. The work will begin in Formentera for one week, before the family moves to a private house on the island of Ibiza for the next two weeks. From the 18th of August, the family will be in another location that has yet to be confirmed. The Tutor should be aware that accommodation for the first week will be shared with the student.

The family is predominantly Russian speaking, so any grasp of Russian will be an advantage. However, the student is taking GCSE Spanish, and plans to study Spanish and Italian at A level, so an EFL teacher with either of these additional languages would also be welcomed.

The successful candidate should be calm and considerate, flexible and resourceful. The post will suit someone of academic inclination. She should have good general knowledge across all subjects, particularly GCSE level modern history. An interest in Art History would also be a great advantage, as will an enjoyment of racket sports. It is likely that there will be an opportunity to play tennis or go swimming with the student, so a sporty individual would be preferred.

Although the academic requirements of this position are not onerous, it is a full time post. The Tutor is expected to work at least 6 hours a day, 5 days a week. The Tutor must be able to respond flexibly to the client’s requirements in terms of availability and working time. She will be living in close proximity to the family and should expect to work flexibly with their plans.

The Tutor should expect to deliver three hours of formal tuition each day, but she should also be prepared to spend the daytime and evening with the family. She will be entitled to the equivalent of two days off per week with no holiday entitlement due to the short nature of the contract. The time off is subject to prior agreement with the family, and the Tutor should be aware that a degree of flexibility may be necessary.

The family will split their time between Formentera, Ibiza, and a third location yet to be confirmed. The Tutor will be required to accompany them at all times. The Tutor can incorporate these locations as part of her tuition plan, for example, using different vocabulary in various museums, towns and other locations.

While in foreign locations, the client will provide full board and lodging within their homes.

The Tutor will have access to the client’s transport on her days off. The client will cover all costs associated with commuting to the Client’s home should the final weeks of the contract be spent in England.