Learning any foreign language is a difficult process, and English is no exception. Although English is not the most difficult language in comparison with others, it still has plenty of difficulties that everyone who tries to comprehend it, and especially people who learn the language themselves, face.
It is often unclear where to start: grammar, vocabulary, or maybe just watching your favorite series with subtitles is enough? Even if you have already begun to learn English at school, it does not work much if, as a schoolboy, you did not pay enough attention to this subject.
Suppose you decide to start your lessons, stock up on time, finances and patience ... so what now? The best thing, of course, is to engage with the teacher personally, enrolling in some courses at the place of residence, but there is not always the opportunity to do this. The reasons can be different: the lack of professionals near the house, reluctance to attend classes, spending valuable time on a round trip, and so on. Therefore, many prefer to learn foreign on the Internet. On the expanses of the World Wide Web there are many options for various courses, lectures, electronic textbooks, forums, from which it is impossible to choose one thing.
If the quality of knowledge and the individuality of classes are important to you, then the best option is definitely to use Skype, because individual lessons with a teacher are always more effective than group or independent ones. Moreover, there is almost always the opportunity 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 on Skype.
Skyeng English School
Skyeng is one of the largest and most well-known platforms for those who want to learn English on Skype. We will review reviews about it a little later, but for now we will conduct a brief review of the training. The site offers an introductory lesson during which your level of knowledge of English is revealed. If you decide to do it on Skyeng, the platform guarantees the opportunity to do it according to your schedule. It is also stated that all teachers at Skyeng are certified professionals. In order not to waste time on Skype lessons with a teacher for training routine skills, the site offers an independent training module through which you can communicate with other students, train pronunciation and parse grammar.
What are the reviews for learning English on Skype on Skyeng? The real responses are quite controversial. Negative feedback about learning English on Skype using this resource makes up about twenty percent of all comments. The list of reasons why users did not like training on the Skyeng platform includes:
- The inconvenience. Basically, customers are unhappy with the problems that arose for technical reasons: the inability to click on links that should lead to your personal account, poor quality of communication, etc.
- 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 class by mail, for example, in only 15 minutes.
- Problems with establishing the level of knowledge of the language by the student. Almost all negative reviews of English on Skype along with Skyeng say that the assessment of the level of knowledge of the student in the test lesson is significantly underestimated. There are opinions about why this is happening. Perhaps, in this way, Skyeng employees find a way to refuse English classes on Skype with a native speaker, commentators are sure of this.
- The cost of classes. Everything is clear here, because no one will teach English for free on Skype. However, it cannot be denied that, in comparison with competitors in the field of teaching English on the Internet, prices in Skyeng are quite high. In any case, it is up to you to decide whether you are comfortable with the price-quality ratio.
As for the advantages of training on the Skyeng platform, there are a lot of them:
- Facilities. The name of this item is the opposite of the name of one of the items on the list of shortcomings of the platform that interests us, and this is logical, because the presence of problems for one client does not mean that they will be for the other. Speaking of amenities, it is not surprising that this is often mentioned in the reasons why people choose Internet classes, having a connection with an English teacher on Skype. This item cannot be attributed specifically to the Skyeng platform. But the user-friendly interface, the good organization of the learning process and even the availability of your own application for classes are certainly a hallmark of this particular platform, adding one more argument in favor of choosing Skyeng among many other options.
- Hometasks. Not all Internet resources for studying English have a system for compiling and checking homework, and independent studies are also an important part of learning a language. It is much easier to consolidate the knowledge that has just been acquired, thanks to the teacher, than to independently engage in some third-party resources - this is just a matter of the effectiveness of the lessons and the rationality of spending your time.
- Technical support and responsiveness. In this, the employees of the school of English in question are certainly good: all technical support calls are quickly considered, 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 with something.
- Efficiency. Of course, the main thing in learning English is the result, although, of course, the ability to enjoy the process is also important. Many satisfied customers confirm the effectiveness of classes on Skyeng, while noting only receiving pleasant emotions during classes. Probably, really a lot depends on the choice of the teacher, so treat this with all possible attention and responsibility. In the end, it is only your money and time.
Melene Distance Learning School
This educational institution provides services for teaching not only English, but also other languages. These include German, French, Spanish and Italian. What are the reviews of English on Skype with Melene? The platform offers various programs and courses for language learning. Below is a list of them:
- Basic course.
- For children.
- For travel.
- English with a native speaker on Skype.
- Preparation for the exam and GIA in English.
- Preparation course for TOEFL, IELTS, FCE, CAE, CPE, ILEC.
- Corporate English language training.
Immediately on the site you can see the profiles of teachers. The minimum length of service for Melone teachers is 4 years, the maximum is 33. The questionnaire also shows the name of the teacher, education and a brief presentation. As for feedback on English via Skype, people who have studied at Melene tend to respond positively to classes. And yet there are certain disadvantages that some customers have encountered:
- Class time. Despite the site’s statements about the possibility of establishing its own lesson schedule, it seems that sometimes clients still have to adjust if there is no one ready to train you at the time you need.
- Lack of opportunity to engage in a group. Controversial minus. In fact, individual lessons are more effective. Nevertheless, there are clients whom this does not suit.
Most customers are satisfied with their learning experience at Melene: more than 95 percent of the reviews are positive. The list of reasons why students enjoy learning on this platform includes:
- Pre-paid lessons do not disappear after some time. Many online schools do this, but not Melene. In addition, paying several lessons in advance is cheaper than classroom.
- Ability to practice 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’s in your best interest to spend a little more money on improving skills. If you are a beginner, it’s better for you to study with a tutor whose native language is Russian.
- Good teachers. Although the choice of tutors on the site is not that big, feedback on teaching English on Skype with each of them is only positive.
School of English Go-International
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 the exam. There is a special system for obtaining discounts on training, which requires the involvement of families and friends in training, which provides the site with even more customers. But there are also inconveniences associated with tuition fees: you cannot pay for lessons one at a time, you can only pay for a package of lessons. For the rest, this school is in no way inferior to competitors, and clients who are aimed at preparing for exams do not fail, turning here for help.
WRabbit ("White Rabbit")
Despite the comparative prescription of the foundation of this educational resource, it is still quite popular among students of English. However, on the site you can learn many different languages besides 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 the English tutors on Skype and feedback on them, everything is in order: most of the responses are positive. The only serious drawback is the small selection of native English teachers. As for the pluses, there are much more:
- A large number of courses for children. In reviews of English on Skype on the WRabbit website, many indicate that classes affected the children's knowledge level for the better.
- Ability to choose the type of occupation. Depending on your financial capabilities and preferences, you can practice both individually and in a group. It is clear that classes in the group will cost a little cheaper than tête-à-tête classes.
- Ability to choose the duration of classes. Lessons of 30, 45, 60 and 90 minutes are offered.
- The ability to pay for classes in many ways.
Inglex
The next platform we will look at is Inglex. This English school offers various courses for study, among which you can choose exactly what you need. List of these courses:
- General conversational.
- English for beginners.
- Business English.
- English for travel.
- Speaking practice.
- English with a native speaker.
- Preparing for an interview.
- Exam preparation.
- Preparation for the exam.
- Pronunciation.
- Personal course.
- Practical grammar.
- Express courses.
As elsewhere, a free introductory lesson is offered so that you can evaluate whether this school and Skype English teachers are suitable for you in it or not. In addition, there are many other positive aspects, the presence of which is confirmed by numerous positive reviews:
- Method of teaching. The main emphasis is on colloquial practice, while many English learners hate grammar is taught unobtrusively and in small quantities in one lesson, which makes classes more interesting.
- Certificate at the end of classes. For those who need to have material evidence of their training, this can be very important.
- High level teachers. Teachers at the English language school “Ingleks” undergo a five-stage selection process to start teaching, so they are all good at teaching clients the language.
- The presence of a conversation club. The conversation club is an innovation in Ingleks, however, many students have already noted the benefits of this method of training.
As for the minuses, it is difficult to find any, with the exception of isolated cases of dissatisfaction with the training due to technical problems or non-negotiated aspects of the classes. This indicates a high level of the Inglex school.
Engoo
The system of studies in Engoo is very different from the system of classes in other online schools, which attracts the attention of many who wish to learn English. On this platform, the Japanese teaching method is used, according to which it is enough to do only 25 minutes a day, but without passes. It is on this method that Engoo's rules and principles are based. First, consider the negative reviews about learning English on Skype on this service:
- Payment. On the Engoo platform you will have to buy classes 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, such a payment system only encourages students to engage in daily activities, and most clients are satisfied with this. But still there are those who do not like it.
- Short duration of classes.
- Teachers. It is almost impossible to find a teacher on the service whose native language would be Russian. There are also no native English teachers. Most tutors come from the Philippines and Serbia, there are also Bosnia, Herzegovina and African countries. Therefore, classes at Engoo are not suitable for absolute beginners in learning English.
Of course, there are advantages to learning a language through Engoo:
- Speaking practice. Since there are few Russian-speaking teachers in this online school, it is almost impossible to study in Russian. This is a definite plus for those who focus on the practice of spoken English. In addition, if only you do not need knowledge of the perfect “royal” British language, then the habit of listening to people in English even with an accent will definitely be useful to you.
- Timetable. To sign up for a lesson, you need to choose a free half-hour period in the teacher’s schedule for a specific day. You can cancel the lesson no later than half an hour before it starts, otherwise you lose the lesson. Definitely, this recording system is well established and user friendly.
- Support. Support specialists respond quickly and begin to help already at the registration stages.
- Selection of a teacher. You can choose for yourself the one that suits you best using the search form, in which you can specify almost everything: gender, age, nationality, work experience, etc. The teacher profiles contain brief dossiers, there are photos, and sometimes videos to let the students hear the voice and accent of the potential tutor before class starts.
Englishdom
Another online school for learning English. In addition to video communication classes, you can learn the language in other ways that such services offer:
- with a tutor on Skype;
- free online simulator;
- conversation club.
The communicative teaching methodology used by teachers is combined with materials from Cambridge and Oxford, which makes learning as effective as possible. There is a large selection of courses in terms of student knowledge and interests:
- Base.
- Colloquial.
- With a carrier.
- Business.
- For children.
- Preparation for international exams TOEFL, IELTS, FCE and other tests of international level.
- Specialized for any field.
- For IT professionals.
First, the shortcomings described in the negative reviews about the English lessons on Skype on this service will be presented:
- Lack of homework. For many students of English, it is important not only to gain knowledge, but also to consolidate it, because otherwise such lessons are a waste of time and money. However, it all depends on whether the student is able to capture and remember all the information given by the teacher only in the lesson, without independent classes.
- Innovations. This applies more to experienced customers of this service. As it turned out, earlier webinars on various topics were held on the site, even, for example, webinars on TV shows. Unfortunately, learning English at EnglishDom, webinars were discontinued for undefined reasons.
As for the merits of this online English language school on Skype, reviews confirm that there are a lot of them:
- Quality control and learning process. Your successes (or failures if you are not lucky) are monitored by your personal methodologist who checks to see if your teacher is happy with you. If this is not so, then you can easily replace the tutor. In addition, every month you will pass a small exam in order to track your progress in training, and at the end of the course you can get a certificate.
- Teachers. Depending 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 school of foreign languages, which, in addition to providing services for teaching English, has staff of teachers in German, French, and Spanish. 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 groups most often depends on the relevance of the topic on which such a lesson is held. So, on the topic "Professions" the maximum possible number of students will probably be present, and on another topic, for example, "Inventions of Neurobiology", it is highly likely that a group lesson can turn into an individual one.
Now, let’s take a closer look at the training at Lingode, starting with the negative aspects mentioned in the English feedback on Skype on Lingode:
- Non-refund. So, one of the clients was charged 23 thousand Russian rubles, despite the fact that they were told about the desire to suspend the course. As a result, I had to use the services of a lawyer. But this is particular, and in the general case, the policy of Lingoda is clear: money goes only one way. And this, of course, does not suit all customers.
- Lack of complete information about potential teachers. Almost no one is lucky to find a suitable English teacher on the first try, since the rating of professors and their accents can not be viewed by students.
- Homework is not set. Independent classes play the same important role as classes with the teacher, if not more. Therefore, the lack of homework is a negative side of training at Lingode. In the end, if a client decides to study English, he is unlikely to be dissatisfied with his homework, as if he had returned to school weekdays.
- Educational materials. However, this is a drawback not only 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 training of the student.
- Technical support. She works only from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Berlin time, as the company is based in Berlin. This is certainly inconvenient.
But as for the advantages of “Lingoda”, described in reviews of English on “Skype” on this service:
- Educational materials. They are publicly available for each level and are available for download in PDF format. So you can view and translate vocabulary to the lesson in advance, so that in the lesson you can focus on something else.
- Refund. Unlike many services, “Lingoda” always returns environments with a timely warning about the cancellation of classes from the student, without adhering to the payment policy “forever and forever”. In addition, in comparison with many other services, at Lingode, English classes on Skype are inexpensive for clients.
- Topics to explore. The problem of many advanced students is the lack of topics for 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 on Skype on the Lingoda service confirm that classes will benefit even those who believe that they know the language perfectly.
Ninel
This school offers many languages to learn: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Arabic, Japanese, Chinese, and Russian. There is the opportunity to undergo express training, for example, in order to prepare for the 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 of learning foreign languages and significantly increase the level of knowledge of the language. For those who want to learn fluent colloquial speech, there are separate courses, as well as for those whose goal is the successful passing of international exams or tests. Judging by the reviews of English on Skype on Ninnel, in 90% of cases, everyone is happy with everything, and minor problems are immediately eliminated when contacting the site’s administrators.
How to make a choice?
Above were presented the platform for teaching English on Skype. Reviews of schools will help to make a choice. It is also worth evaluating your circumstances:
- Your goal. It's the most important. And this is what the managers of each site ask about, because "just like that" language does not make sense to learn.
- Amount of money that you are ready to give for classes: per hour, month, year.
- The presence of free time or the normalization of work or study schedules.
- The learning method you like.
- Additional factors that may affect your learning ability.
The article lists Skype English schools. Reviews about them are also presented.