One significant factor is the teaching method. Often, we are unaware of the specific needs of learners and apply a method without understanding whether it suits a particular student. For instance, for a grade five student, the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) method can be effective. In this method, a teacher interacts with learners directly in English and sometimes uses body language to clarify points. However, if the same method is applied to teach an adult, the student might prefer explanations in their native language.

A case in point is a woman who approached me after paying over 40,000 PKR at an academy where instruction was only in English, which she could not understand. In 2019, she paid me only 5001 PKR per month and, after a few months of study, was able to move abroad when the COVID-19 lockdown ended.

Therefore, it is crucial to select a teacher with linguistic or English language teaching experience, or at least a background in the basic concepts of teaching. Language learning is a skill, and traditional grammar-translation methods might make you a good translator but not necessarily a proficient language user.