Best IB English A tutors in the Netherlands & online

IB English A: Language & Literature at SL or HL, taught one-to-one online by Lanterna's English specialists and top-scoring IB graduates: commentary on unseen adverts, cartoons and speeches for Paper 1, the comparative Paper 2 essay, the oral and, at HL, the essay. Weekday-evening and weekend slots on Central European Time start at €63 an hour, whether you live in Amsterdam, The Hague or a smaller Dutch town.

Expert IB tutors & teachers
700+
Starting price per hour
€63
Avg. Lang & Lit grade lift with Lanterna
+1.2
Would recommend us
96%

Language & Literature tutors available to IB families in the Netherlands

The cards below mix specialists with years of English teaching and graduates with top IB scores. Let us know your level and the part of the course that is dragging the grade down, and we propose the one who fits.

Matilde

Matilde

IB graduate

IB English A Tutor45/45 IB graduateUniversity of Cambridge3+ years' IB tutoring

My name is Matilde. I completed the IB in 2021 with a score of 45 before coming up to the University of Cambridge, where I read Human, Social and Political Sciences and graduated at the top of my cohort. I am currently completing an MPhil in Social Anthropology at Cambridge, and will be progressing to a PhD in October. I have now been tutoring IB students for over three years. Alongside this, I have worked as an editor for the Cambridge Journal of Political Affairs and with a number of student-focused non-profits. As a result, I have a lot of good experience helping students improve their performance around exams! My approach to tutoring is deliberately flexible, as I recognise that each student brings their own strengths and ways of learning. That said, I do try to incorporate elements of the Oxbridge tutorial style, which I think lends itself particularly well to one-to-one teaching: encouraging students to engage critically with material and develop confidence in their own analytical voice.

  • English Literature
  • History
  • Global Politics
  • English Lang & Lit
Book a free consultation
Grace

Grace

IB graduate

IB English A Tutor45/45 IB graduateUniversity of Oxford

I'm Grace, an IB graduate with 45 points with over 4 years of teaching experience, studying French and Spanish at the University of Oxford. I achieved 7s in all my subjects (English Literature, Spanish B and French B at higher). I've taught students aged 10-18, and I have a strong knowledge of the IB and MYP programmes for languages and literature. I like to focus my teaching on global issues, associating studies with a real world context, and finding interesting points of engagement with the subject matter through culture, history, art and music. I'm a friendly face and an expert mentor in all things exam related: I also have expertise in teaching students with learning difficulties. In my sessions, I aim to build student confidence, empower students with their growing knowledge and help them to adopt the resilient attitude you need to conquer the IB! Outside of tutoring I love ballet, swimming, playing guitar and acting.

  • English Literature
  • Spanish B
  • French B
  • English Lang & Lit
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Alice

Alice

IB graduate

IB English A Tutor45/45 IB graduateDurham University

I'm Alice, an IB graduate with 45 points who has just graduated with a first-class degree in History from Durham University. I am currently doing a Masters in Law in London as part of my training to become a solicitor in the UK. I achieved 7s in all of my IB subjects and have been tutoring IB students for nearly 5 years. My tutoring style focuses on adapting to my tutee's individual learning styles, and making my sessions interactive and fun to help students really grasp the fundamentals of the IB programme. I can really relate to the challenges of the IB, so I love to work with students to build their confidence in their subject areas, by focusing on strengthening their exam answers and Internal Assessment work. Outside of tutoring, I love cooking and baking and I also compete for a field hockey team in London. I also have two black cats!

  • History
  • English Literature
  • Geography
  • Internal Assessment
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Mike

Mike

IB specialist

IB English A TutorFormer DP coordinatorHead of English

I'm Mike, and I have been working in IB schools for more than 10 years, teaching MYP and DP English Language and Literature, English B, and Theory of Knowledge, and have taken on the leadership roles of Diploma Coordinator, Extended Essay Coordinator, TOK Coordinator, and Head of English. I have five years of experience as an IBDP English examiner, marking the Individual Oral and Paper 2, and have been an English and TOK tutor since 2020. In terms of my tutoring approach, I am very much focused on helping students with whatever they need help with, and in whatever way they need help. That's why my first two questions for my students are always some variation on: "What do you want to work on, and how do you want to work on it?" And if a student doesn't know how to answer those questions, I have plenty of suggestions that will help you find the answer. Outside of tutoring, I love reading, watching sports, and spending time with my family.

  • English Lang & Lit
  • TOK
  • Extended Essay
  • English Literature
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Syeda

Syeda

IB specialist

IB English A Tutor17+ years' teaching

I’m Tayyaba, an IB English Language and Literature teacher with over 17 years of experience in international education. As an IB Examiner and Extended Essay Supervisor, I’ve consistently helped students reach their academic goals, with a 100% pass record, most improving by one or two grades, and my Extended Essay students achieving an A. I hold a Master’s degree in Mass Communication (Gold Medalist) and a Bachelor’s in English Literature from the University of Balochistan. I’ve taught IBDP English A: Language and Literature at Beaconhouse Newlands and Beaconhouse Margalla Campus, where I also supported students through Internal Assessments, Extended Essays, and exam preparation. My tutoring style focuses on simplifying complex ideas, strengthening analytical writing, and developing exam strategies that truly work. I guide students to think critically and communicate with clarity and confidence. Beyond the classroom, I love exploring world literature, listening to music, and travelling to experience diverse cultures. Fluent in English and Urdu, I believe language learning is not just about words,it’s about understanding the world.

  • English Lang & Lit
  • Internal Assessment
  • Extended Essay
Book a free consultation
Tahmina

Tahmina

IB specialist

IB English A Tutor7+ years' IB teaching

I’m Tahmina, an experienced IB teacher and IB Examiner specializing in English A, English B, Russian A, and Theory of Knowledge (TOK). I hold a Master’s degree in Educational Management from ADA University and a Bachelor’s in English Literature from the Azerbaijan University of Languages. For over seven years, I have been teaching at Khazar University Dunya IB School, where I work with MYP and DP students as a Language A/B and TOK teacher, Extended Essay supervisor, and ATL Coordinator. My certifications include IB training in Language and Literature, English B, TOK, ATL skills, and Extended Essay supervision. Alongside my school experience, I have taught Russian A, as well as SAT and IELTS preparation, and coordinated international academic competitions. My tutoring style is structured yet supportive: I focus on helping students break down complex ideas, refine their critical thinking, and build strong exam strategies. As an IB Examiner, I know exactly what examiners are looking for and guide my students to meet and exceed those expectations. I see myself not only as a tutor but also as a mentor who helps students grow in confidence and independence. Outside the classroom, I enjoy literature, exploring global education trends, and speaking four languages: Azerbaijani, English, Turkish, and Russian.

  • English Lang & Lit
  • English B
  • TOK
  • Extended Essay
Book a free consultation
IELTS and TOEFL

Does IB English replace IELTS or TOEFL at Dutch universities?

Each of the five Dutch universities whose rules we read accepts an IB route in place of IELTS or TOEFL, but the routes differ: Groningen looks only at the language you were taught in, UvA only at whether English was one of your exam subjects, and VU, Leiden and Erasmus (including RSM) at the English course, level or grade on your Diploma, with VU, Leiden and RSM also accepting a Diploma taught in English. VU sets the highest grade, a 7 in Language & Literature at SL or a 6 at HL.

Read the wording closely. English B appears on Erasmus's lists but not on VU's or Leiden's, and Leiden asks for English A at HL unless the Diploma was taught in English. We have not verified the IB English rules of Utrecht, Maastricht, TU Delft or TU/e, so check their own pages. How these rules sit within each university's wider IB requirements is on our overview of Dutch admissions, and our guide to Dutch universities for IB students covers applying.

The IB route each university accepts in place of an English test, in its own words (read 14 November 2026)
UniversityIB route that exempts youNote
University of Amsterdam (UvA) “English as an IB exam subject” Wording on its Economics and Business Economics and Psychology pages
VU Amsterdam “English-taught, bilingual or completed with English A Language and Literature SL 7/HL 6 or 7” IB requirements for 2027-2028; English B is not on the list
Leiden University “International Baccalaureate™ Diploma (IB DP) taught in English or with English A HL” Psychology page; Leiden University College lists the same two routes
Erasmus University Rotterdam “English A or B at Higher Level, English A Standard Level” General list for 2027/2028; some programmes add grades
Erasmus: IBEB “English A HL (4) or English A SL (5) or English B HL (5)” International Bachelor in Economics and Business Economics, 2027-2028
Rotterdam School of Management: IBA Final two years of the IB “fully taught in English” Otherwise English A at 5 (SL) or 4 (HL), or English B HL at 5
University of Groningen “English as language of instruction” Its 2027/28 rule; the 2026/27 version listed English A and B grades instead
Dutch or English?

The cabinet’s plan for English-taught bachelor’s degrees

English-taught bachelor's degrees are still on offer for 2027 entry, but the government wants Dutch to become the default: on 5 October 2026 the cabinet announced that programmes should in principle be taught in Dutch unless another language has added value for society, which each institution would judge on the labour market, the region, the programme's international orientation or its research field.

Universities would also be allowed to cap places on English-taught programmes or tracks. None of this is law yet: as of November 2026 the cabinet aims to send the bill to the Council of State before the end of the year. Places on some English-taught programmes are already falling, Erasmus's IBEB among them, though its page gives no reason; our Rotterdam page has the numbers.

Keeping Dutch-taught options open

If a Dutch-taught degree might be on your list, proof of Dutch matters as much as proof of English. Which IB Dutch courses count is set out on our English A: Literature page.

The assessment

Four assessed parts of Language & Literature

Lang & Lit sets literary works beside everyday texts, from opinion columns to photo essays, and asks how each one shapes its reader's response.

  • Paper 1. Written analysis of unseen non-literary texts with a guiding question: one text in 1 hour 15 minutes at SL, two in 2 hours 15 minutes at HL.
  • Paper 2. A comparative essay on two works studied in class, written in 1 hour 45 minutes with no copies of the texts.
  • Individual oral. Fifteen minutes on how a global issue runs through a literary extract and a non-literary one, ending in the teacher's questions.
  • HL essay. A 1,200 to 1,500-word essay on a line of inquiry you choose, assessed externally.

Lang & Lit or Literature?

Literature reads only literary works, more of them, some in translation. Because the oral counts as internal assessment, our IA page sets out what help a tutor may give.

SL or HL

Lang & Lit at SL and HL, and what each level proves in the Netherlands

The two levels averaged within a tenth of a grade of each other worldwide in May 2025. For applicants to Dutch universities whose Diploma was not taught in English, the level can still decide the exemption: Leiden names English A at HL only, and VU and Erasmus IBEB accept a lower grade at HL than at SL.

Standard Level

Language & Literature SL

Hours of teaching
150
Literary works
Four
Share of the grade
Oral 30%, Paper 1 35%, Paper 2 35%
World mean, May 2025
4.9
For an English exemption
VU asks for a 7, Erasmus IBEB a 5
Higher Level

Language & Literature HL

Hours of teaching
240
Literary works
Six
Share of the grade
Oral 20%, essay 20%, Paper 1 35%, Paper 2 25%
World mean, May 2025
4.8
For an English exemption
VU asks for a 6, Erasmus IBEB a 4; Leiden wants HL
Free resources

Lanterna guides on the papers and on applying

All free IB resources
Reviews

Reviews from IB English students and parents

Grade 6 to 7
“She was really helpful in breaking each criterion down into smaller more understandable pieces and also at learning how to consistently structure all of my essays”
Eliza D., student Lyford Cay International School · Class of 2026 · English A Literature
“I chose Ania Habibi, who is an IB Examiner for English A and I was incredibly happy with my choice. She was exceptionally knowledgeable and my work greatly improved. Additionally, she was extremely kind and supportive, allowing my confidence to increase tremendously.”
“Highly recommend using Lanterna” English A Language & Literature
“When we needed help urgently, they delivered. When we needed to adapt the plan, they adapted with us. My son passed his IB Diploma and we couldn’t be prouder. Lanterna played a real part in that success and I would recommend them without hesitation to any parent navigating the IB journey.”
MANON B. English A Language & Literature

The leading IB tutoring platform, trusted by 20,000+ IB students

English lessons start from the works your school has chosen and the grade your programme asks for.

FAQs

IB English tutoring: what families in the Netherlands ask

Can a tutor help my child reach the English A grade VU Amsterdam accepts instead of IELTS?

Yes, and VU's bar is the highest in our table: a 7 in Language & Literature at SL, or a 6 or 7 at HL, unless the Diploma was taught in English or bilingual, in which case the grade doesn't matter. A Lanterna tutor finds where the marks go missing, often in timed Paper 1 analysis or the oral's unscripted questions, and works on those parts first, so the final grade has a better chance of reaching the one VU names.

Where can a student in Rotterdam or The Hague find an IB Lang & Lit tutor?

Online, through a free consultation with us. You tell us the level, the works your class is reading and the component that worries you, and we suggest a tutor from our 700+, a specialist or a top-scoring IB graduate, who teaches Language & Literature and has evening or weekend hours on Central European Time. The same tutors are open to families in Rotterdam, The Hague and towns with a single international school.

My child moved from a Dutch school into an international school’s IB programme. Can English lessons help?

Often a great deal in the first months. Students arriving from vwo or havo, the Dutch pre-university and senior general tracks, often speak and write English well; what is new is the IB's way of reading a text, explaining how its choices work on a reader rather than what it says. A short run of lessons early in DP1 builds that habit before the first graded commentary, and the tutor can also talk through whether English A or English B suits the student if the school offers both.

What happens if my child’s IB English won’t meet a university’s English rule?

Then a separate test such as IELTS or TOEFL is needed, and the dates matter: for 2027-28 entry, UvA wants English test results by 1 April 2027 from non-EU/EEA applicants and by 1 May from EU/EEA applicants. Booking a test early is the safe course; tutoring alongside it can still lift the IB grade for programmes that accept it.

Can English lessons continue through the May exam weeks and the Dutch May holiday?

Yes. The written papers run from late April to mid-May 2027 and overlap the Dutch May holiday, so a student can keep a lesson or two going for Paper 2 practice while younger siblings are off school. Our Geography page lists the regional holiday dates; results follow in early July 2027.

How much does an online IB English tutor cost in the Netherlands?

Individual lessons cost from €63 an hour, charged in euros, with lower hourly rates on larger packages; see prices and packages. Lang & Lit students we have tutored moved from an average grade of 4.6 to 5.8; your own starting point and hours will shape your result.

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