It is a great tool but it doesn’t give you a structured curriculum and the teacher quality isn’t always guaranteed. Especially for beginners, these problems can be really frustrating.
The teachers in italki are professional and certified in foreign language instruction, but also community tutors who are native or advanced students willing to provide more informal lessons for a lower price. You can find their hourly rates and upcoming availability on their profiles.
Choose Your Own Schedule
There are thousands of teachers and tutors from around the world who offer lessons on italki. This marketplace makes it easy to find a teacher who fits your learning and scheduling needs. Teachers are able to set their own rates, so you can search for a lesson that works within your budget. Most instructors have a 30-minute trial lesson available, so you can test out their teaching style before booking more lessons.
Lessons are conducted through italki English teacher online, which is easy to take from teachers. You can also access italki’s app and log in from your mobile device. During your first lesson, your teacher will assess your current level and help you develop a study plan if needed. After your first lesson, it’s important to continue practising with other resources and native speakers. Many teachers on italki will provide homework in the form of PDF files, articles or media recommendations.
Tutors can be professional teachers or community tutors. Professional teachers have valid teaching certificates or degree and have years of experience in their field. Community tutors are usually native or highly fluent speakers who enjoy helping others learn a language. Whether you’re a beginner or advanced, it’s always good to have extra practice with other people who share your passion for language learning.
Communicate With Native Speakers
Learning a language is all about speaking it, and there’s no better way to practice than talking with native speakers. While there are many great apps and courses out there, they’re no substitute for regular conversation practice. Fortunately, italki offers an easy way to connect with native speakers from around the world and get all that practice.
Communicating with native speakers can be challenging, especially when it comes to pronunciation. For example, non-native English speakers often have difficulty hearing the individual sounds in words when native English speakers speak quickly. One way to improve your pronunciation is by listening to native English speakers and repeating their words syllable by syllable.
Track Your Progress
One of the most important aspects of learning a language is finding a teacher that works well with you. With italki, you have a large selection of teachers to choose from, many of whom are vetted and recommended by other students. This makes it easy to find a teacher that suits your needs and budget.
Once you’ve chosen a teacher, you can book lessons on either a lesson-by-lesson basis or in packages of 5 or 10 hours. Both options offer flexibility and allow you to build a schedule that fits around your other commitments. Before you start your lessons, it’s a good idea to have a few questions prepared for the teacher. This gives the teacher a chance to get a better understanding of your language goals and will help guide the direction of your lessons. It’s also a great way to make the most of your time together!
Another great thing about italki is the variety of languages and dialects available. There are literally hundreds of languages to choose from, and you can almost always find a tutor that speaks your language of choice. For example, if you want to learn Chinese, there are plenty of teachers who speak Cantonese, Mandarin, Shanghainese, and Taiwanese. You’ll even find tutors who speak Arabic – Levantine, Egyptian, Gulf, MSA, and Maghrebi are all available!
