Learning a Language Online: My Experience with Lingoda

Learning a Language Online: My Experience with Lingoda, an on-demand online language school with live instructors and Zoom classrooms

Learning a Language Online: My Experience with Lingoda. I’ve tried the platform attending a few lessons and here is what I’ve learned.

Learning a Language Online: My Experience with Lingoda

Company Overview

Lingoda is an on-demand online language school with live instructors and Zoom classrooms. It’s a startup out of Berlin that has built and grown an online language learning platform based around live teachers and virtual classrooms.

Lingoda connects students who want to learn a language — currently English, Spanish, French or German — with native-speaking teachers who run thousands of 24/7 live, immersion classes across a range of language levels.

The company currently has some 70,000 students and 1,400 teachers, and runs more than 450,000 classes each year covering some 2,000 lessons.

Copyright Lingoda, reused without permission under fair use.

They teach with interactive methods, based on 20 years of research by Cambridge and Oxford experts and by a touch of personal experience of the founder and owner, Michael Shangkuan, a polyglot and pioneer in language learning, speaking six languages, namely English, German, Spanish, French, Chinese and Japanese.

Lingoda’s method

The whole idea of Lingoda is based on running all of its classes online and at the same time retaining one of the more traditional aspects of learning: humans teaching other humans.

In my experience as a language teacher and former language school owner, students have a strong inclination and preference for human teachers, thus learning in the Lingoda format can be an effective solution to learn a language, rather than using language apps such as Duolingo, Memrise, Busuu, Babbel, Rosetta and many more, which lack human contact.

Language is in fact a living knowledge and learning to speak requires a pretty fundamental level of engagement from the learner. Thus, human teaching may be more suitable for language acquisition.

Futhermore, language is almost never spoken in life the same way that it is in textbooks (or apps), so hearing from a range of people speaking the language, as you do with the Lingoda format, works very well.

Lingoda’s classes

As previously mentioned, lessons are held online through Zoom. As soon you book a class, the material is available to you. You can download it to prepare it ahead of time.

The class material consists of reading, speaking, and writing exercises. During the class, the teacher goes through the material and makes annotations along the way. These are then available to all students after class so you don’t have to take notes and can just pay attention to the teacher.

Each class focuses on specific subjects, such as vocabulary, grammar, communication and a revision.

Lessons also contains puzzles and game that helps you cement your memory in a fun and easy way.

Lingoda’s teachers

Your native speaking teacher will change every lesson. This way you can enjoy a variety of teaching styles and regional accents and you will have the opportunity to learn from many different teachers.

Still, when you book a class, you can see who will teach it, so, if you liked a particular teacher, you can try and look for his/her classes.

I actually liked the fact that I had different teachers coming both from South America and from Spain, especially since I chose to learn Spanish, a language that uses different vocabulary, has different accents and expressions, depending on where it is spoken.

Teachers in fact set their own schedules and call classes themselves, rather than being ordered into them.

Lingoda’s prices

You pay for courses along a sliding scale depending on various factors like whether you opt for group or one-to-one classes, how frequently you use the service, and which language you are learning, with per-group classes prices typically ranging between €6,40/$7,50 and €9.00/$10.00 depending on what you choose.

All learning material is included and there are no hidden costs, contrary to traditional schools that often request an enrollment fee.

This makes Lingoda courses very competitive compared to traditional courses, whose average hourly fee ranges from €20/$23 to €50/ $58, depending on the language you want to learn and the specific subject.

You can get similar prices on other platforms such as Italki, but the major advantage of Lingoda is that their built-in curriculum keeps you moving in the right direction.

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Lingoda’s placement test, levels and certificates

Before starting your classes, if you are not sure which level you are at, you can take an online placement test.

Unlike traditional schools, Lingoda offers a wide selection with dozens of levels between basic A1 and advanced C1 proficiency and provides a Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) certificate after completion.

For example, to complete the C1 level, you will need to complete C1.1, C1.2, C1.3, and C1.4. Traditional schools often cannot offer so many sub-levels due to the obvious lack physical space.

That doesn’t mean that a traditional school is not a good option to learn a language. I believe in fact that all resources and methods can be effective but you need to find the one that applies to you the best according to your inclinations, time and goals.

Everybody learns differently, so Lingoda can be a good solution for you if:

you can’t have a fixed schedule.

Lingoda is very flexible. You can take classes anytime 24/7, from anywhere in the world. You only need a device, an internet connection and a quiet place.

you don’t have much time so you’d rather spend it effectively on online classes rather than commuting to the school.

you need to start learning immediately. Unlike a traditional language school, you don’t need to wait until the next language class starts.

you are looking for a “good value for money” language course.

Lingoda is an affordable option that gives you access to good and well-trained teachers and a comprehensive course. The monthly price depends on how many hours of courses you book. The more courses every month, the cheaper the course.

you want to learn in small groups.

Lingoda combines the in-class experience of brick-and mortar language schools with the convenience of a digital solution. Traditional schools have to keep up with the costs of mantaining a physical school, hence, they tend to fill all their classes with as many students possible (their classes can vary from 10 to 30 students).

At Lingoda the average group class size is 3/4 students with a policy of max 6 students per class. This way you have more chances to talk in the class and ask questions. This is perfect if your focus is to practice speaking.

you often need to cancel classes.

If you take a traditional group course and you miss a class, you cannot rebook it. With Lingoda, if you cancel at least 7 days in advance or within 30 minutes after you booked, you don’t lose your lesson. I understand that 7 days can be too much in advance, but when you book, the teacher reserves a spot for you, and anyway, it is better this than completing loosing a lesson and money.

you are looking for private classes at competitive prices.

Similar to group classes, you can also book private classes with a monthly subscription and have the personalised classes you need at a very good price, especially if you need to learn a language for specific purposes, such as business, work or a particular hobby. The actual prices range from €29.5/ $34 to €19/$22 an hour.

you don’t want to commit to a long course.

At Lingoda you will pay every 4 weeks and you can cancel or change the plan as you want. There is also an option to pause your subscription when you need a break.

you want to learn a language as fast as possible.

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Lingoda offers several packages to learn a language

If you’re committed and want to learn fast at a very competitive price, I suggest you take the Marathon Courses. With this model, you will pay upfront and choose a 3-month, 6-month, or 12-month plan, at a cheaper price per class. You can even have a cashback from €50 to €400 if you attend 90% of your classes.

If you, however, prefer to have a standard monthly subscription, you can choose the Monthly Subscription. This way you can have lessons once a week, 2-3 times a week or even daily. This way you can just try the course without having to commit to a long course.

Anyway, all courses offer a 7-day free trial and you don’t have to commit from the start, even the private classes.

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you are up to a challenge.

A few times a year, Lingoda offers classes for free with two special programs called “Sprint” and “Super Sprint“. Both programs last for 3 months. “Sprint” includes 15 classes per month, while “Super Sprint” includes 30 classes per month.

It is very intensive but if you attend 100% of the classes you can get a 50% refund for the “Sprint” program and 100% refund for the “Super Sprint” program.

If you can make it you can have all these classes for free. If you can’t, you have learned a language intensively at a good price, anyway.

This program has a waiting list.

Click here Now to Become a Language Sprint champion and speak confidently in 2 months!

you want to have a 60-minute lesson.

In traditional schools an hourly class last for 45/50 minutes. Each Lingoda class is a straight 60 minutes long.

you are looking for native-speaking teachers that right from the start speak almost entirely in the target language and that are also certified and previously trained.

you’re not tech-savvy or don’t feel confident around computers.

Lingoda’s website is very user-friendly. You can select and book the classes easily. There is also an overview of your booked classes and you can see a count-down on your next classes.

When you create an account, you can log in to see what classes are available on certain days and on certain times and the tools for filtering are very simple.

On the other hand, Lingoda is not the best solution for you if:

you need to learn other languages that are not English, German, French and Spanish.

you are looking only for a software-based course, such as Duolingo or Memrise.

you are looking for a personal relationship with the teacher.

Unlike in a traditional language school, at Lingoda it is not possible to talk to the teacher after class and they are not always the same.

However, the teacher will write a report after class and you’ll receive a personalised feedback after each lesson, telling you on which areas you are doing good and which areas you should improve. This is very individualised in private classes. In the end you can also rate the class and your teacher to let Lingoda know if you like or dislike something.

you’re looking to make some new friends.

In a traditional language school you can always make new friends in a class. There is often a break time when you can get to know each other an you can chat before and after class.

I can understand that for some people who just moved to a new country, making friends can play an important role when choosing a language course, especially if the school also offers other leisure activities aside the language courses, such as wine tasting or sporting activities. This is not only more fun, but you can also practice with the other students after class and during your free time.

Furthermore, not all students have their camera on and this can limit one’s interaction with other students and the teacher.

At Lingoda there is a chat function, but this can be used only to message the teacher publicly but not to send private messages to each other and anyway, your classmates can always be different.

you want your homework to be corrected.

In each learning material, there is always a homework session at the end but they are hardly ever corrected. This can lower your motivation to do your homeworks. You can, however, practice on the designated area with supplementary exercises that gets corrected automatically.

you are not good at organising your schedule.

You have to chose the time and dates of your classes and you need to have a system and a reminder for you to remember a class is coming up. However, there is an option to add the classes to your google calendar and you’ll receive a reminder email before starting your lesson. This way you won’t forget to attend your classes.

you are looking for a slow-paced class.

All Lingoda classes have a 60-minute duration and the teachers need to move fast to cover as much learning material as possible. If you cannot catch up with the fast-paced, I suggest to prepare the classes beforehand by reading through the material or chose a one-on-one course.

However, you can rebook the same class. Unlike a traditional language school, you don’t have to worry about missing classes and miss out on learning.

your goal is to pass an official exam.

Lingoda classes are not exam-oriented. They mostly focus on speaking and getting you to speed with learning the language. You won’t practice any exam papers, unless you chose one-on-one lessons. However, after you complete a course, Lingoda provides you with a certification. For instance, in English, you can take a recognized Cambridge assessment to verify your proficiency.

My personal experience in a group class and in a private class

Once I have signed up and selected my time zone, which is key to arranging the time of my classes, I could immediately start planning my language journey, scheduling my classes. These are displayed in a section that keeps track of what classes I have signed up for with a countdown until my next class.

You can choose your level yourself or let be advised by Lingoda through a brief placement test, which is not mandatory, unlike many traditional courses.

That’s how it looks like for Spanish with a self-assessment and a written test.

So for instance, even though my test result was A2.1, I decided to start from scratch, since I last spoke Spanish ages ago and I didn’t feel confident enough to start at a higher level.

During my first class, however, the teacher immediately understood that I was not an absolute beginner and honestly suggested me to skip classes not to waste time and, of course, money.

I’ve found lessons on all types of subjects at all times of the day and I could book them even 10 minutes before starting.

So I booked my classes and added them to my Google Calendar. I received a reminder on my mail and could access the class both from the Lingoda website or directly from my mail. It was really easy.

I went through and downloaded the PDF, which is developed directly by Lingoda with CEFR standard levels. It’s an internationally recognized standard that describes your learning progress in more detail. In simpler terms, the framework helps you to explain your level from Beginner (A1) to Advanced (C1).

I found these resources colourful, not boring and very clear.

Here are some examples for a first lesson in Spanish…

BROWSE THE EBOOK

…and a second lesson.

BROWSE THE EBOOK

Learning a Language Online: My Experience with Lingoda

When I joined the class, my Zoom name automatically appeared, without any surname.

After going through the ritual greetings, the teacher shared her screen to display the PDF for the class and asked participants to take turns reading passages aloud, asking or answering questions, explaining vocabulary and grammar rules.

Even though it was an absolute beginner class, the teacher was very dedicated to using Spanish and refrained from reverting to English. She was very patient with all the students and always very kind.

In my Orientation class the teacher explained us everything over Lingoda’s method and system. She told us that we can choose freely what classes to follow according to our main goals, selecting among Vocabulary, Grammar, Communication, Writing or Revision Classes.

Also the program gives you suggestions according to your progress.

Each class has a lesson description and provides you with precise language goals so you can easily choose what to prioritise.

We are also provided with supplementary material for each class and we can further practice with online exercises, such as multiple choices, matching exercises and more.

I was surprised by the fact that in only 2 hours I’ve gained basic conversational skills such as how to greet someone and introduce myself and acquired basic grammar knowledge such as the formal and informal construction and the difference between male and female nouns.

I was able to make a basic conversation in Spanish with my class mates already after the first lesson!

In my private lesson I acquired more confidence and managed to sustain a full hour just speaking Spanish.

Overall I really enjoyed my experience trying out their platform from the very beginning. I found the scheduling very easy and came away favourably impressed by the teachers and at how much Spanish I’d gotten to learn in just 2 lessons.

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Learning a Language Online: My Experience with Lingoda

Final thoughts

Learning online became our “new normal.” The language learning market is increasingly shifting to online offerings that provide consumers with a more convenient, flexible and cost-effective way to improve their foreign language skills.

For lessons with native speakers, Lingoda is pretty affordable and the classes are very well-structured with each of them having their own learning objectives and accompanying PDFs.

With this immersive approach, you can quickly progress as the classes, right from the start, are almost entirely in your target language and you’ll be able to speak as much as possible, since the class sizes are very small.

Also the learning materials are built in a way that no translation is strictly necessary, leading you to slowly build vocabulary and sentences on your own.

Lingoda is a good option when it comes to accessibility, flexibility and efficiency. Video technology works very well, both at work and with learning a language. It saves you time from commuting to a class and gives you access to language classes available 24/7 held by qualified, native-speaking teachers.

This way, even the busiest people can have the opportunity to learn a language anytime and anywhere.

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Learning a Language Online: My Experience with Lingoda

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