Language and humanities educator, IGCSE to A-Level Cambridge specialist
Aliza Shakeel has taught for 18 years and now works as subject lead for Literature in English at a senior school, a role that puts her on the other side…
0500First Language English and Edexcel 4EA1, one to one
IGCSE English Language Tutors for clearer, stronger writing,
with feedback on every draft.
Writing marks slipping? A specialist marks your child's summaries, directed writing and compositions the way examiners do, then plans lessons around what is missing. Trial lessons cost AED 20 to 60.
Reviewed by Tayyaba Sabir, Head of Department with a BA (Hons) in English, teaching Cambridge 0500 and Edexcel 4EA1
Reviewed for accuracy on the 2027 to 2029 Cambridge 0500 syllabus and Edexcel 4EA1 and 4EB1 specifications.
12
English tutors listed
148k+
Hours taught between them
4
With 10+ years teaching
4.7/5
118 Trustpilot reviews
Our approach
Lessons that turn good ideas into marked answers
Most students know what they want to say. Marks are lost in how they plan, select and shape it. Here is how our lessons fix that.
The qualification
How IGCSE English Language is assessed and graded
IGCSE English Language is taken by students aged 14 to 16 across the GCC and beyond. Cambridge runs First Language English as 0500, with grades A* to G. Pearson Edexcel runs English Language A and B on a 9 to 1 scale.
According to Cambridge's worldwide June 2025 statistics, 14.0% of First Language English candidates were graded A*, and 84.4% achieved C or higher. Cambridge students sit Paper 1, then Paper 2 or a coursework portfolio, each worth exactly half the grade.
Many marks slip in writing tasks, not reading. Students copy phrases into a summary, lose track of the audience in directed writing, or let a story wander. One-to-one feedback on each draft shows them exactly what to fix before the real exam.
14.0%
Of Cambridge First Language English candidates gained an A* in June 2025.
84.4%
Reached grade C or above in Cambridge First Language English in June 2025.
120
The word limit for the Paper 1 summary in the 2027 to 2029 syllabus.
Papers and coursework
Paper by paper, from reading to composition
Cambridge 0500 students sit Paper 1 plus either Paper 2 or coursework. Edexcel 4EA1 students sit two components, and the second can be coursework. Your school decides the route.
Paper 1
Reading
Four questions on three texts, from comprehension to a 120-word summary. Your tutor drills picking points and explaining how writers create effects.
Paper 2
Directed Writing and Composition
A persuasive piece built from a text, then a descriptive or narrative composition. Your tutor marks drafts for audience, structure and accuracy.
Component 3
Coursework Portfolio
Three assignments: argue or persuade, describe, and narrate. Your tutor builds each skill on separate practice pieces, because the portfolio itself must be entirely the student's work.
Edexcel 4EA1
Non-fiction and transactional writing
Reading questions on an anthology text and an unseen extract, then one 45-mark writing task. Your tutor practises both halves under timed conditions.
Edexcel 4EA1
Poetry, prose and imaginative writing
An essay on an anthology poem or prose text, then a piece of imaginative writing. Your tutor shows how to analyse language and structure in depth.
Tutor focus
Planning before writing
A short plan keeps an answer on purpose. Your tutor trains your child to map audience, purpose and paragraph order before writing a word.
How to start
What happens after you get in touch
1
Describe the writing worries
Tell us the board, the paper and whether summary, directed writing or composition costs your child the most.
2
Get matched in a day
Inside 24 hours, we assign an English tutor familiar with the exact board and syllabus code.
3
See the tutor in action
Pay AED 20 to 60 for one trial session and watch how the tutor handles your child's writing before committing to more.
Settle into weekly lessons
Weekly lessons work from past papers and marked drafts. If the match feels off, a free re-match is one message away.
The tutors
English teachers who know how examiners read
Fewer than 2 in 100 applicants are offered a place. To join, an English tutor clears a subject interview, then teaches a mock lesson to our academic team.
Senior Academic Leader & Multidisciplinary Tutor | Cambridge Coordinator
Rabeea Tahir has spent more than 20 years in classrooms and in the offices that run them. She served as an O and A Level Coordinator and Senior Mistress at…
Expert ESL & English Language Tutor | IELTS & CELPIP Specialist
Aida Chaudhry has taught English online for more than 11 years, much of it to students in Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. She holds a Master's degree…
Head of Department | Middle Years and Cambridge Curricula Specialist
Tayyaba Sabir has spent 10+ years in the classroom and, latterly, at the head of a department, responsible for schemes of work, assessment policy and the training of the teachers…
CELTA Pass A English Language Specialist | Primary & ESOL Expert
Zahra Lali holds a CELTA at Pass A from Cambridge Assessment English, a grade awarded to roughly the top 5% of candidates worldwide. She added Teaching Knowledge Test Module 1…
English language and literature specialist, IGCSE to A-Level and IB
Hira Amran is an MBBS graduate who chose teaching instead. Sitting her own Cambridge O, AS and A Levels gave her a close reading of what examiners reward, and 7…
Is the writing holding back the grade? Find out in one lesson.Book a trial lesson
Skills we cover
Every reading and writing task on the 0500 syllabus
This course has no set topics, only skills. Your tutor works through each task type, starting with the one costing your child the most marks.
01
Comprehension
Explicit and implicit meanings in a set text
02
Selective summary
Relevant points in your own words, 120 words at most
03
Writers' attitudes
Short answers on opinions and viewpoints
04
Short-answer questions
Meaning and effect in a third text
05
Language task
About 200 to 250 words on how writers achieve effects
06
Extended response to reading
A letter, report, journal, speech, interview or article
07
Directed writing
A speech, letter, article or report built from one or two texts
08
Descriptive composition
About 350 to 450 words that bring a scene to life
09
Narrative composition
About 350 to 450 words with a controlled plot
10
Coursework Assignment 1
Writing to discuss, argue or persuade, in response to a text
11
Coursework Assignments 2 and 3
Writing to describe and writing to narrate
12
Speaking and Listening Test
Optional individual talk and conversation, endorsed separately
Spelling, punctuation and grammar
Accuracy marks across every writing task, checked in each lesson
Student reviews
In their own words: our students
I appreciate the constant support from my tutor, and how I am able to understand alot of things I found difficult before, and that plays a major role in my experience, so overall it's been positive
Sarah Al yassin
Trustpilot review · UAE
…teachers… are great especially in explaining the topics of the lesson making the students confident and ready for whatever types of learning they give out in the topic. notes from the teachers are also really helpful.
Youssef Mahmoud
Trustpilot review · Qatar
I started with little knowledge on a subject but they helped me improve in such a short period of time which has shown a great increase in my performance and my likability and enjoyment towards studying it.
Jude Al Balushi
Trustpilot review · Oman
The lesson platform
Recorded lessons your child can return to before mocks
Lessons run on video with a shared whiteboard, where drafts are annotated live. Our academic team then scores every recording on more than 20 measures of lesson quality.
- A recording of every lesson
- Flashcards, notes and topic maps
- Lesson quality scored on 20+ measures
Audience + purpose → tone and register
Lessons this weekOn track
Summary in own words
Tue · 4:30 PM
Directed writing: a speech
Thu · 6:00 PM
Descriptive composition
Sun · 11:00 AM
Updates for parents
Progress you can follow from home
A short tutor note lands every week, and a full progress report arrives every month. Skipped lessons and unfinished homework set off an alert to you.
- Short weekly notes from the tutor
- A full report every month
- Alerts if a class or homework is missed
Comparing options
One-to-one tutor, model answers or a group class?
Reading model answers shows what good writing looks like, and group classes add structure. This table sets both against one-to-one tutoring for draft feedback, timed practice and help with your child's own weak skills.
| Feature | IGCSE Tutors Live, one to one | Model answers Studying sample essays | Group class Shared teacher time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal feedback on each draft | Limited, shared across the class | ||
| Lessons aimed at your child's weak skill | Rarely | ||
| Practice within summary word limits | Every week | Possible, but unchecked | Sometimes |
| Coaching on tone for directed writing | Sometimes | ||
| Recorded lessons to rewatch | Depends on the class | ||
| Times set in your time zone | Any time | Fixed class times |
Model answers show the target, but not the gap between that target and your child's writing. A tutor points out the gap, draft by draft.Book a trial lesson
English FAQs
IGCSE English Language lessons: what parents ask us
Quick answers on First and Second Language English, coursework, the Edexcel route and cost.
First Language or Second Language English?
First Language English (0500) is for students who are fluent in English. English as a Second Language (0510, or 0511 with the speaking test counted in) is for learners still building fluency. Your school chooses the entry.
Is coursework easier than Paper 2?
Not easier, just different. The portfolio has three assignments worth 80 marks, the same total as Paper 2. Your school decides whether to offer it, and your tutor builds the same writing skills either way.
How can my child improve the summary?
For exams from 2027, Cambridge caps the summary at 120 words, written in the student's own words. Your tutor practises choosing only relevant points, then rewording them without copying from the text.
What is the difference between 0500 and 0990?
Both have the same papers and coursework option. The only change is the grading: A* to G for 0500, and 9 to 1 for 0990. Your child's school picks one, and lessons prepare them in the same way.
Do you teach Edexcel English Language A and B?
Two of our English tutors list Edexcel 4EA1, which has two components and a coursework option. Specification B, 4EB1, is a single three-hour paper. Tell us which one your child sits when you enquire.
Is there a minimum number of English lessons?
No. Each tutor sets an hourly rate, with the lowest at AED 50, and the trial is charged at AED 20 to 60. You can settle each lesson as it happens or prepay several, and leave at any point.
Keep exploring
Where strong writing helps in other subjects
Clear writing earns marks in essay subjects too. Tap a subject to see its tutors and how lessons work.
Get your child's next essay marked by a specialist
Share your child's board and the writing tasks that trouble them, and we line up an English tutor inside 24 hours. The trial is charged at AED 20 to 60, with no lock-in.