All of the teaching in Learningguild at present done by Dr John Howes, the President, but his aim is that (in Melbourne, elsewhere in Australia, and in other countries) more and more members, including men and women who have studied English as a further language with him, will gain recognition as Learningguild teachers and give regular or occasional help to students.

In his editorial letter in our magazine Learningguild Letter, 2.2014 (pp.1-4), Dr Howes has set out his view of what some main features of tertiary-level education ought to be.  He has also specified some vital components of secondary-level training and development (at any age), components that ought to precede acceptance into tertiary education but now, for many students, both non-native and native speakers, need to accompany it!  You are asked to read this account of the tuition we offer in conjunction with that letter.

In a good education at any level there normally needs to be the right balance of these four components:

• written materials (usually printed) and recorded visual and/or oral ones such as DVDs and CDs;
• occasions of spoken exposition, preferably with opportunity for questions before, after and even during them;
• small groups (normally no more than fifteen), sometimes listed students but sometimes any who wish to come, seated so that each person can see each of the others, and primarily concerned with discussion of questions asked by the members, not only by the teacher; and;
• one-with-one meetings of teacher and student.

Learningguild gives special emphasis, as Oxford and Cambridge have traditionally done, to the fourth component, partly because students are very different in their needs, levels, aims, interests, abilities, and personal situations at any given time.  Moreover, those of our members who desire tuition have different times of availability. Sometimes such meetings are arranged for other times.  

Dr Howes normally charges a fee, for those who can afford it, of $100 a month, payable at the beginning of the month.  Though there will often be four or five one-with-meetings in the month, it should not be supposed that this fee is for such meetings alone: there is also Dr Howes’s annotation of written work, writing of letters, and seeking of material that would or might be especially helpful to the particular student.  People who could not afford $100 a month are invited to discuss their situation with Dr Howes.  It may be agreed that they will pay a reduced fee and give some help to Learningguild and/or to him, for example in  clerical tasks such as collating and in working in the garden at his and his wife Margaret’s home (23 Fallon St, Brunswick), a garden being developed partly in order to assist refugees.

All our students are warmly invited to come whenever they can to our Sunday Meetings, after the restrictions due to COVID-19 have been lifted. These meetings normally run from 3 to 4.30, include a talk and a discussion, and are followed by afternoon tea. The place for all these gatherings is often but not always the home just mentioned (the Melway reference is 29 F8).   There are occasional other gatherings, e.g. a picnic.

A person who would like tuition in Learningguild is or becomes a member: the annual subscription is $15 or, for a couple, $22.50.  (An additional $7.50 for another member of a family.)   There is a flyer for each term setting out our activities in it: the text is also on this website, at ‘MEETINGS’.  Members are entitled to a 20% discount on all our publications.