Learning English via Skype: reviews of teachers and schools

2024 Author: Angel Austin | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:14

Learning any foreign language is a complex process, and English is no exception. Although English is not the most difficult language compared to others, it still has a lot of difficulties that everyone who tries to comprehend it, and especially people who learn the language on their own, face.

It is often not clear where to start: grammar, vocabulary, or maybe just watching your favorite TV shows with sub titles is enough? Even if you already started learning English at school, it is almost worthless if, as a schoolboy, you did not pay enough attention to this subject.

Let's say you decide to start the lessons, stock up on time, finances and patience … and now what? It is best, of course, to study with the teacher personally by enrolling in some courses at the place of residence, but notthere is always an option to do so. The reasons may be different: the lack of professionals near the house, the unwillingness to attend classes, wasting precious time on the way there and back, and so on. Therefore, many prefer to learn a foreign language on the Internet. On the World Wide Web, there are many options for various courses, lectures, electronic textbooks, forums, from which it is impossible to choose just one.

If the quality of knowledge and the individuality of the lessons are important to you, then the best option is definitely Skype lessons, because individual lessons with a teacher are always more effective than group or independent ones. Moreover, it is almost always possible to find a teacher who is a native speaker, which in most cases is a good way to study English in more depth.

What to choose? Below you will find reviews about learning English via Skype.

Skyeng School of English

Skyeng is one of the biggest and best known platforms for those who want to learn English via Skype. We will consider reviews about it a little later, but for now we will conduct a brief overview of the training. The site offers an introductory lesson, during which your level of knowledge of English is revealed. If you decide to study on Skyeng, the platform guarantees the opportunity to study according to the schedule that is convenient for you. It is also stated that all teachers at Skyeng are certified specialists. In order not tospend the time of Skype lessons with a teacher practicing routine skills, the site offers a self-training module through which you can communicate with other students, practice pronunciation and understand grammar.

What are the reviews about learning English via Skype on Skyeng? The real responses are rather contradictory. Negative reviews about teaching English via Skype using this resource make up about twenty percent of all comments. The list of reasons why users did not like learning on the Skyeng platform includes:

1. Inconvenience. In general, customers are dissatisfied with problems that arose due to technical reasons: the inability to follow links that should lead to a personal account, poor communication quality, etc.
2. Schedule inconsistency. More precisely, judging by the reviews, it happened that classes were canceled without notifying the student or with a warning shortly before the scheduled start of the lesson via mail, for example, only 15 minutes before.
3. Problems with establishing the level of knowledge of the language of the student. In almost all negative reviews about English on Skype, along with Skyeng, it is said that the assessment of the student's knowledge level in a trial lesson is significantly underestimated. There are opinions as to why this is happening. Perhaps this is how Skyeng employees find a way to refuse English classes on Skype with a native speaker, commentators are sure of this in the reviews.
4. Cost of classes. Everything is clear here, becauseSkype will not teach English for free. However, it cannot be denied that in comparison with competitors in the field of teaching English on the Internet, the prices at Skyeng are quite high. Either way, it's up to you to decide if you're happy with the value for money.

As for the advantages of learning on the Skyeng platform, there are a lot of them:

1. Convenience. The name of this item is opposite to the name of one of the items on the list of shortcomings of the platform we are interested in, and this is logical, because the fact that one client has problems does not mean that another will have them. Speaking of convenience, it's no surprise that this is often mentioned as a reason why people choose online classes when they have a Skype connection with an English teacher. This item cannot be attributed specifically to the Skyeng platform. But the user-friendly interface, good organization of the learning process and even the presence of its own application for classes, of course, are the hallmark of this particular platform, adding another argument in favor of choosing Skyeng among many other options.
2. Homework. Not all online resources for learning English have a system for compiling and checking homework, and self-study is also an important part of learning the language. It is much easier to consolidate the knowledge just acquired thanks to the teacher than to study on your own on some third-party resources - it's just a matter of the effectiveness of classes and the reasonableness of spending your own time.
3. Technical support and efficiency. In thatthe employees of the school of English in question are certainly good: all calls to technical support are quickly resolved, and most of the problems are resolved in the best way for the client. You can also easily change the teacher if the current one does not suit you.
4. Efficiency. Of course, the main thing in learning English is the result, although, of course, the ability to enjoy the process is also important. A lot of satisfied customers confirm the effectiveness of classes on Skyeng, while noting that they receive only pleasant emotions during classes. Probably, a lot really depends on the choice of the teacher, so treat this with all possible attention and responsibility. In the end, it's only your money and time.

Melene Distance School of Foreign Languages

This educational institution provides teaching services not only in English, but also in other languages. These include German, French, Spanish and Italian. What are the reviews about English on Skype with Melene? The platform offers various programs and courses for language learning. Below is a list of them:

• Basic rate.
• For kids.
• For travel.
• English with a native speaker via Skype.
• Preparation for the exam and GIA in English.
• TOEFL, IELTS, FCE, CAE, CPE, ILEC preparation course.
• Corporate English training.

Immediately on the site you can see the profiles of teachers. MinimumMelone teachers have 4 years of experience, with a maximum of 33 years. The form also includes the name of the teacher, education and a brief introduction. As for the feedback on English via Skype, people who have been trained at the Melene school most often respond positively to the classes. However, there are certain drawbacks that some customers have experienced:

1. Study time. Despite the site claiming to be able to set their own class schedule, it seems that sometimes clients still have to adjust if there is no one available to teach you at the time you need.
2. Lack of opportunity to practice in a group. Controversial minus. In fact, private lessons are more effective. However, there are customers who are not satisfied with this.

Most of the clients are satisfied with their experience at Melene, with over 95 percent of the feedback being positive. Reasons why students enjoy learning on this platform include:

1. Pre-paid lessons do not disappear after some time. Many online schools sin with this, but not Melene. In addition, paying for several lessons in advance is cheaper than per lesson.
2. Opportunity to study with native speakers. According to reviews, English on Skype with a native speaker is more expensive than classes with Russian-speaking teachers, but if you have a fairly high level of English, it is in your interest to spend a little more money on improving your skills. If you are a beginner, it is better for you to study with a tutor whose native language isRussian.
3. Good teachers. Although the choice of tutors on the site is not that big, the feedback on teaching English via Skype with each of them is only positive.

Go-International School of English

Unlike the two previous platforms, Go-International has a narrower specialization: the main emphasis is on preparing for various kinds of exams. These include First (FCE), Advanced (CAE), Legal (ILEC), Financial (ICFE), IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC and USE. There is a special system for obtaining discounts on training, which requires the involvement of family and friends in training, which provides the site with even more customers. But there are also inconveniences associated with paying for tuition: you cannot pay for lessons one at a time, it is possible to pay only for a package of lessons. Otherwise, this school is in no way inferior to competitors, and clients aimed at preparing for passing exams will not fail to turn to here for help.

WRabbit ("White Rabbit")

Despite the relatively old age of this educational resource, it is still quite popular among English learners. However, on the site you can learn many different languages in addition to English: French, Italian, Greek, Finnish, Turkish, Japanese, German, Spanish, Czech, Swedish, Polish, Chinese and even Persian. In addition, on the platform, you can also take courses in mathematics and the Russian language. As for English tutors on Skype andreviews about them, everything is in order: most of the responses are positive. The only serious drawback is the small selection of teachers who are native English speakers. As for the pluses, there are much more of them:

1. Lots of courses for kids. In the English reviews on Skype on the WRabbit website, many indicate that the classes have affected the level of children's knowledge for the better.
2. Ability to choose the type of classes. Depending on your financial capabilities and preferences, you can do both individually and in a group. It is clear that group lessons will cost a little less than tête-à-tête classes.
3. The ability to choose the duration of classes. Lessons are offered for 30, 45, 60 and 90 minutes.
4. Ability to pay for classes in different ways.

Inglex

The next platform we'll look at is Inglex. This English language school offers a variety of courses for learning, among which you can choose exactly what you need. List of these courses:

• General colloquial.
• English for beginners.
• Business English.
• English for travel.
• Conversational practice.
• English with a native speaker.
• Preparing for an interview.
• Exam preparation.
• Preparation for the exam.
• Pronunciation.
• Personal course.
• Practical grammar.
• Express courses.

Howand everywhere, a free introductory lesson is offered so that you can evaluate whether this school and the Skype English teachers in it are right for you or not. In addition, there are many other positive aspects, the presence of which is confirmed by numerous positive reviews:

1. Teaching methodology. The main emphasis is on conversational practice, while grammar, hated by many English learners, is taught unobtrusively and in small quantities in one lesson, which makes classes more interesting.
2. Certificate upon completion of classes. For those who want to have tangible proof of their learning, this can be very important.
3. Teachers of the highest level. Teachers at Inglex English School go through a five-stage selection process to start teaching, so they are all good at teaching the language to clients.
4. The presence of a conversation club. The conversation club is an innovation in Inglex, but many students have already noted the benefits of this way of studying.

As for the minuses, it is difficult to find any, except for isolated cases of dissatisfaction with the training due to technical problems or unspoken aspects of the classes. This indicates the high level of the Inglex school.

Engoo

The class system at Engoo is very different from the class system at other online schools, which attracts the attention of many who want to learn English. This platform uses the Japanese teaching method,according to which it is enough to practice only 25 minutes a day, but without gaps. It is on this method that the rules and principles of Engoo work are based. Let's first consider the negative reviews about learning English via Skype on this service:

1. Payment. On the Engoo platform, you will have to buy lessons in bulk, missed lessons are not compensated. Although classes are cheaper than in most foreign language schools on Skype, it happens that they simply “burn out”. However, this payment system only encourages students to study daily, and most clients are satisfied with this. But still there are those who do not like it.
2. Short class duration.
3. Teachers. On the service it is almost impossible to find a teacher whose native language would be Russian. There are also no teachers who are native English speakers. Most of the tutors come from the Philippines and Serbia, but there are also Bosnia, Herzegovina and African countries. Therefore, classes on Engoo are not suitable for absolute beginners in learning English.

Of course, there are also advantages to learning a language through Engoo:

1. Conversational practice. Since there are few Russian-speaking teachers in this online school, it is almost impossible to study by switching to Russian. This is a definite plus for those who focus on the practice of spoken English. In addition, unless you only need to know the perfect "royal" British language, then the habit of listening to the speech of people in English, even withaccent will definitely be useful to you.
2. Schedule. To sign up for a lesson, you need to select a free half-hour interval in the teacher's schedule for a certain day. You can cancel the lesson no later than half an hour before it starts, otherwise you will lose the lesson. Definitely, this recording system is well established and user friendly.
3. Support. Support specialists respond quickly and begin to help already at the registration stages.
4. Teacher selection. You can find the one who suits you best using the search form, in which you can specify almost everything: gender, age, nationality, work experience, etc. The profiles of teachers contain short dossiers, there are photos, and sometimes videos to let students hear the potential tutor's voice and accent before class starts.

EnglishDom

Another online school for learning English. In addition to video lessons, you can learn the language in other ways that such services offer:

• with a Skype tutor;
• free online simulator;
• speaking club.

The communicative teaching methodology used by teachers is combined with Cambridge and Oxford materials to make learning as effective as possible. There is a large selection of courses according to the level of knowledge and interests of the student:

• Basic.
• Spoken.
• With carrier.
• Business.
• For kids.
• Preparation for international exams TOEFL, IELTS, FCE and other international tests.
• Specialized for any field.
• For IT professionals.

First, the shortcomings described in the negative reviews of English lessons via Skype on this service will be presented:

1. No homework. For many students of English, it is important not only to gain knowledge, but also to consolidate them, because otherwise such lessons are a waste of time and money. However, it all depends on whether the student is able to capture and memorize all the information given by the teacher, only in the classroom, without self-study.
2. Innovations. This applies more to experienced customers of this service. As it turned out, the site used to host webinars on various topics, even, for example, webinars on series. Unfortunately for English Learners at EnglishDom, the webinars have been discontinued for unspecified reasons.

As for the merits of this online English language school on Skype, the reviews confirm that there are a whole lot of them:

1. Quality control and learning process. Your progress (or failure, if you're unlucky) is tracked by your personal tutor who checks to see if you're happy with your teacher. If this is not the case, then you can easily replace the tutor. In addition, every month you will take a small exam to track your progress in learning, and at the end of the course you will be able to receive a certificate.
2. Teachers. ATDepending on your goals, you can study both with a native speaker and with a teacher whose native language is Russian. Reviews of English tutors on Skype on this site are also only positive.

Lingoda

"Lingoda" is an online language school that, in addition to providing English teaching services, has German, French, and Spanish teachers on staff. As for the English courses at "Lingoda", two types of classes are available here - individual with a teacher and group up to five people. The size of the groups most often depends on the relevance of the topic on which such a lesson is held. So, on the topic "Professions" there will most likely be the maximum number of students, and on another topic, for example, "Inventions of neuroscience", there is a high probability that the group lesson can turn into an individual one.

Now let's take a closer look at learning at "Lingoda", starting with the negative aspects mentioned in the reviews about English on Skype on "Lingoda":

1. No refund. Thus, 23,000 Russian rubles were written off from one of the clients, despite the fact that they were told that they wanted to suspend the exchange rate. As a result, I had to use the services of a lawyer. But these are particulars, but in the general case, the policy of "Lingoda" is clear: money goes only one way. And this, of course, is not suitable for all clients.
2. Lack of complete information about potential teachers. Practicallyno one is lucky enough to find a suitable English teacher on the first try, as the ranking of professors and their accents cannot be viewed by students.
3. Homework is not assigned. Self-study is just as important as tutored, if not more so. Therefore, the lack of homework is the negative side of studying at Lingod. After all, if a client decides to learn English, he is unlikely to be dissatisfied with homework, as if he were back in school days.
4. Educational materials. However, this is not only a shortcoming of "Lingoda". The higher the level, the more difficult it is to study the educational materials offered by the online school, because the complexity of the tasks does not correspond to the level of knowledge and preparation of the student.
5. Technical support. It only works from 9 am to 5 pm Berlin time, as the company is based in Berlin. This is definitely inconvenient.

But as for the advantages of "Lingoda", described in the reviews about English on Skype on this service:

1. Educational materials. They are publicly available for each level and are available for download in PDF format. This way you can view and translate the vocabulary for the lesson in advance so that you can focus on something else during the lesson.
2. Refund. Unlike many services, "Lingoda" always returns Wednesdays with a timely warning about the cancellation of the lesson from the student, without adhering to the "forever and in advance" payment policy. In addition, compared to many other services,"Lingode" English lessons via Skype are inexpensive for clients.
3. Topics for study. The problem of many advanced students is the lack of topics to study that would correspond to their high level. But on the Lingoda service, perhaps, almost all topics are revealed, from shopping to the problems of the extinction of rare animals. Reviews of English classes via Skype on the Lingoda service confirm that classes will benefit even those who think that they already know the language perfectly.

Ninnel

This school offers many languages to learn: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Arabic, Japanese, Chinese and also Russian. It is possible to undergo express training, for example, in order to prepare for a trip as soon as possible, having the opportunity to communicate with the local population. A specially designed course for children is also offered, designed to instill a love for learning foreign languages and significantly increase the level of knowledge of the language. For those who want to learn to speak fluently, there are separate courses, as well as for those whose goal is to successfully pass international exams or tests. Judging by the feedback about English on Skype on Ninnel, in 90% of cases everything suits everyone, and minor problems are immediately eliminated when contacting the site administrators.

How to choose?

Above were the platforms for teaching English via Skype. School Reviewshelp you make a choice. It is also worth assessing your circumstances:

1. Your goal. It's the most important. And this is what the managers of each site ask about, because it doesn’t make sense to learn the language “just like that.”
2. The amount of money you are willing to pay for classes: per hour, month, year.
3. The availability of free time or the normalization of the schedule of work or study.
4. The way you like learning.
5. Additional factors that can affect your ability to learn.

The article lists English language schools on Skype. Reviews are also provided.