A good question about explanations names the topic, what you already understand, and the exam wording you need. Prepare it in writing before the lesson and it takes less than a minute to ask.
Two facts help. Lessons are explained mainly in English, so your question works best in simple English. And the exam answer is in English for most subjects, so the plan is always understanding first, exam wording second.
Why prepare the question?
Asking “can you explain this?” is a fair start, but it leaves the teacher guessing what you need. A clearer request saves trial time, because the teacher can begin at the right point.
It is also easier for a quiet or nervous student. A written question removes the pressure of finding words on the spot.
Four parts of a useful question
- The topic or term: the exact word or question where you stopped.
- The kind of explanation you want first: simple English, a short example or a diagram.
- What you can already do: one line on what you understand.
- The exam goal: “then help me write it in English the way the paper needs”.
The English, BM and Chinese concept bridge can give you the term and context to put in part 1. Its limit is stated plainly: it is a study aid, not a promise about the language a teacher will use in the lesson.
Worked example: diffusion and osmosis
Hui Min is revising Biology. She can describe water moving into a potato cell in Chinese at home, but her English answers mix up diffusion and osmosis.
Her prepared question:
“Before the lesson, I would like to ask about one topic: the difference between diffusion and osmosis. I understand the idea that particles spread out, but I mix the two words in English. Could you explain the difference in simple English with one example? Then could we write a two-sentence exam definition of each?”
Part by part: the topic is clear, the kind of explanation is stated, her current ability is named, and the exam goal is included.
A teacher reading this can plan the first ten minutes. The rest of the lesson then follows what she needs.
The mistake to watch for
Mistaken request: “Please teach me everything in Chinese.”
It sounds natural, but it does not match the exam, where the answer is written in English, and lessons are explained mainly in English. It also does not say what is difficult, and the student may be left with notes she cannot use in the paper.
The correction is to ask for a simple English explanation of one named topic, and to use your home language for your own notes if it helps.
Check yourself
1. Rewrite this vague request into a better one: “Can you explain chemistry in BM?”
Show answer
For example: “I am stuck on the difference between an atom and an ion. Could you explain it once in simple English with an example, then help me write the English definition?”
2. Which language should your final exam answer be in?
Show answer
English, unless your paper’s instructions say otherwise. Your own notes can be in any language that helps you understand.
3. How do you find out what kind of explanation helps you most?
Show answer
Try it in the trial. Ask for the same idea in simpler English or with an example, and note which helped. If the lesson does not suit you, a different teacher can be assigned.
Where this leads next
If you first want to know whether wording or ideas are your real obstacle, read the language versus concept test. For exam-ready wording, see how to bridge a subject term. You can also plan the lesson itself with the trial agenda builder.
If Biology terms like diffusion and osmosis keep blurring in English, ask about one-to-one Biology tuition. It begins with a paid one-hour trial at your assigned teacher’s confirmed rate.