So, what is Italki?
is an online language platform created in 2007 and based in China, it welcomes language learners from all over the world to improve their language learning skills. It is not only about the English language, you can select any language you are interested in.
Click on the imageSo, what language are you interested in learning?
Well, there are about 130 or even more online languages offered on the. So, once you click here, you will be directed to the registration form where you need to add your E-mail address and password to access your profile. After that, you fill in your profile and choose the language you would like to learn. Once the profile is created, you can set your price and spend ample time going through a list of tutors who teach your target language.
You will be amazed at the number of tutors who teach at Italki, and you need to be smart in picking up your potential tutor. In other words, you need to select the country of your tutor, price, and availability. Also, it is recommended to click on their introductory video to learn more about their accent and if it is easy for you to understand.
Is Italki free to use?
Well, it is not completely free! In other words, you can join and sign up for free, but you need to pay the tutor before scheduling the lessons. The price is not the same for each tutor and you may do your search and choose the tutor whose price aligns with your budget. You could find some tutors charge the language learners as low as $3 while others charge as high as $50 or even more! So, it depends on the tutors’ experiences, locations, and more.
However, there are always some discounts when you purchase a package of lessons. You can purchase 10 lessons in one package, or even more.
Can you become fluent in Italki?
Of course, you can! But, you can’t simply rely on the hours that you spend on the online language platform and expect to become fluent overnights! I’m being very honest with you. If you want to become fluent, you need to have self-learning discipline. Read a lot and try to chat online with foreigners to keep on improving your language. With tutors, you can actually improve but not enough to become fluent, unless you would like to spend hours a day on Italki.
One more thing I would like to highlight is the types of tutors on Italki. There are two categories, named as, professional tutors and community tutors.
Professional tutors are graduates with years of teaching experience. The lessons are always structured to prepare you for professional exams, job interviews, business lessons, and more.
Community tutors are native speakers who help language learners learn the language through conversations. So, the lessons are usually focused on speaking but they don’t use any lesson plans as the professional tutors.
The price of the Community Tutors is lower than the Professional tutors since they do not need to prepare any lesson plans and it is just about conversations.
Does italki have group classes?
Absolutely! there are private and group lessons. If you feel that you need extra attention or to learn certain grammar rules, writing skills, or any related ones, I suggest using private lessons. However, if you need to speak more with other language learners, then the group lessons are for you. So, the decision is yours!
With group lessons, you can choose the topic as there will be some topics pointed out so you can choose the one that you are interested in before joining the lesson. Group classes can be a more structured, social, and cost-effective way to use Italki than private lessons. The topics might perhaps differ from one language to another, and the spots are always limited. In other words, you need to be very quick in selecting the topic to save your spot. The topics are usually related to everyday life situations, such as travel, hobbies, culture, and more.
How long should an lesson be?
Well, the lesson can be for 30 minutes, 45 minutes, one hour long, or even for one hour and 30 minutes.
Does Italki use Zoom?
You can use any platform to have the lesson, though, classrooms are available and can actually be done on the website or Italki App. So, you don’t need to use anything else. However, if you prefer other platforms, you need to agree with the tutor and choose any platforms that both of agree on. You can use Zoom, Skype, Facetime, WeChat, etc.
So, I hope you find today’s post useful, and I highly encourage you to give this online language platform a try. Just sign up to explore the tutors available, and set your language learning goals. Don’t forget to share your experiences in the comments below—let’s create a vibrant community of language enthusiasts, learning and growing together.
Should you have any questions, whether about Italki or language learning in general, don’t hesitate to ask. we are always here to support you every step of the way.
✍ our previous topic: Practice speaking online
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