LOR from Private Language Tutor?

[afamgrad2011]

Would you think it was better if I asked for a recommendation from private language tutor I have been working with recently, or from my language college professor from three years ago?

[fuzzylogician]

Both are probably not a good idea. What are you applying for? A good recommendation is one that can speak to your commitment to your field of interest, to your ability to do research - come up with interesting new ideas and develop them, your writing ability, your background in your field, etc. A language instructor can speak to your language-learning skills and your ability to do your homework assignment (write, read, speak the target language) - those are all tools a researchers might need, but they are certainly not the only thing you want your recommendation to say about you.

Anyway, if I had to choose one of those two, I'd go with the college professor who knows you longer. It'd be better if he also had a PhD and could say something general about your ability to successfully go through a graduate education.

Edited June 4, 2010 by fuzzylogician

[mudlark]

(As always) I agree with fuzzylogician. You want people who will speak to your research potential, not your language skills. If you feel the need to prove your competence with a language, and you've checked with a prof and it makes sense for your application, you could maybe have the language prof write a supplemental letter. In any case, I wouldn't use the private tutor. Stick to tenure-track faculty.