Learning a Language Online with Rype: My Honest Review. My Objective opinion on this controversial language platform.
Learning a Language Online with Rype: My Honest Review
Learning a Language Online with Rype: My Honest Review
Browsing the web I found many negative reviews about Rype. There is a sort of anti-Rype sentiment on the web. So I decided to know more and investigate further from the point of view of both a language teacher and a language student.
Here is what I have found out!
In this review, I’ll explain how Rype works, what it costs and its pros an cons. In the end, you can decide if Rype is the right language platform for you!
What is Rype?
Rype is a subscription-based language learning platform that uses live, one-on-one lessons with professional teachers via Skype to teach you a language, based on your schedule, learning style, and goals.
It is an online tutoring membership business in which you pay in advance for a set number of courses each month. Like iTalki, Rype is an online marketplace where you can find live one-on-one lessons from teachers but unlike iTalki, tutors are vetted by Rype. According to Rype, all teachers on the platform have professional teaching experience with at least three years of language teaching experience.
Unlike Lingoda though, the teachers are not trained or given any instructional materials.
Furthermore, unlike other tutoring markets, the teachers do not determine their own prices on this site. Instead, Rype pays the teachers separately from the company.
What languages can you learn on Rype?
There are 10 languages you can learn on Rype: Spanish, French, English, German, Japanese, Italian, Mandarin, Portuguese, Arabic, and Russian.
There is no distinction between learning Spanish and Castilian or Brazilian Portuguese and European, but you can look for pick and chose teachers with a diverse background or dialect. In the Spanish department, you’ll find trainers from Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and Spain.
While the quantity of teachers on Rype varies from one language to another, the total diversity is fairly limited compared to other resources.
If you compare Rype’s number of Spanish teachers to that of iTalki’s number of professional teachers, you’ll see the difference.
However, as previously mentioned, Rype vets all its language teachers and evaluates teaching candidates based on their teaching abilities and previous experience on online language learning platforms.
Teaching candidates also go through an interview process and a two-month trial period and are required to maintain good ratings to continue teaching on the platform.
How does Rype work?
First of all, you need to sign up for an account. You will tell Rype a little bit about your goals and which of their ten languages you want to learn. From there, Rype will suggest a subscription plan based on your goals and you will give them your credit or debit card information.
And here is the real reason for all the past bad reviews: your subscription will renew automatically, and some viewed it as a subscription trap. Just as gyms try to entice you into a long subscription, Rype does the same.
Think of the difference between a drop-in gym (other language websites) versus an all-access membership pass (Rype). With an all-access membership, you pay one fee, and you’re able to enjoy an all-you-can learn experience with any of the teachers on the platform.
In theory, you can learn up to 10 languages with only 1 membership!
Furthermore, since previous students complained that the subscription could be tricky to cancel, and in order to avoid any misunderstanding and thus future bad reviews, Rype tried to make it clearer that it is a subscription-based platform and not a pay-per-lesson platform.
So, you need to remember that your subscription will reniew automatically (if you think about it, LinkedIn does the same: it offers you a free monthly Premium subscription and if you forget to unsubscribe it, they will automatically charge you).
If you’re not interested any longer or you’re not satisfied with its services, you need to remember to cancel your subscription.
Cancellation Policy
As per Rype Terms and Conditions you may cancel your subscription at any time by sending an email request, along with your reason for cancellation, to help@rypeapp.com or you can go to your membership portal under plans & billing and delete membership.
Remember, if you are on a 6-month subscription, you can terminate your subscription after 6 monthly installments have been completed from the beginning of your installment period.
So, if you are on a prepaid plan, they will not be able to refund your payments. However, you can pause your subscription for 1, 2, or 4 weeks to accommodate any holidays or periods during which you won’t be able to take your lessons.
How much Rype Cost?
Rype is a subscription-based service that gives learners access to everything on the application.
The cost of your membership will depend on the number of hours of lessons that you receive and the payment model that you choose.
There are a few different subscription options with Rype:
- Pay monthly 4 hours of 1-to-1 tuition per month – $79.99
- Prepay for 6 months 4 hours of 1-to-1 tuition per month – $59.99
- Pay monthly 6 hours of 1-to-1 tuition per month – $99.99
- Prepay for 6 months – 6 hours of 1-to-1 tuition per month – $84.99
- Pay monthly 10 hours of 1-to-1 tuition per month – $179.99
- Prepay for 6 months – 10 hours of 1-to-1 tuition per month – $159.99
Thus, a one-to-one private lesson would cost on average from 15 to 20 dollars, depending on the plan you choose. A private school would charge you the same or more, depending on what country you live in and on other platforms such as iTalki private lessons generally ranges from around $8.00 to $30.00 per hour.
How do I book a lesson?
Once you make an account on Rype, using the filters, you can quickly choose your teacher based on availability and scheduling and book a lesson. Your teacher will work with you to structure your learning plan and how to best move forward with future lessons.
The teacher profiles have star ratings to help you choose your instructors and, using different tags, you can customize your search by adding a ‘New’ tag which will show the latest teachers who have joined.
You can also browse lessons based on your time availability instead of by coaches. This option allows you to book lessons with teachers that are available based on your schedule. You’ll receive all the information you need to join the lesson when you book.
You can arrange live 1-on-1 language lesson online with teachers from around the world at any time of the day or night.
Before each session, you’ll receive a lesson plan, which your tutor will tailor to your personal language goals and proficiency levels.
Rype uses Skype for most of its lessons. When it’s time for your lesson, your teacher will contact you on Skype to begin. You’ll receive two reminders before your lesson begins: one 24 hours in advance and another 2 hours before your lesson is due to start.
Rype’s lessons are usually about 30 minutes long. After your lesson, you receive some feedback from your teacher as well as a few follow-up assignments to complete on your own time. You can book lessons up to seven days in advance.
How are Rype lessons structured?
Rype lessons are all uniquely structured to meet a learner’s specific goals and learning needs. Lessons are created by real teachers based on each language learner’s skill level and learning style. According to Rype, about 85% of its users were total beginners when they started learning on the platform. However, teachers are able to accommodate any skill level.
In general, Rype uses a good amount of practice through actual conversation and teachers will likely assign you homework to do between your scheduled lessons.
Here are the pros and cons of using Rype.
PROS
Personalized language lessons
Private language lessons offer more one-on-one attention so you can identify specifically what you need to work on, and what you’re good at. This can be ideal if you want to learn a language very quickly and you’re committed to learning.
Rype’s greatest strength is that each of their teachers have been handpicked and pre-qualified through a rigorous vetting method. You know the quality that you’re getting by learning with their teachers and you can save a lot of time versus trying to source your own.
The process for booking a lesson is easy
Getting a lesson book is a simple process. A simple and intuitive user interface makes it easy to use. The lesson time selection process is easy.
All-you-can-learn model
One of Rype’s biggest differentiation in value is their all-you-can-learn model. This removes the requirement to pay for each lesson, and learn wherever you want, on your own time. As previously menioned, it’s like an all-you-can-access gym membership versus a drop-in gym.
You take lessons at your own pace and based on your own schedule
Lesson times last 30 minutes and may be scheduled easily. It’s up to you how fast and how often you take classes.
You can connect with a specific language teacher and build a relationship
You can develop a bond with a particular language teacher and have a real life learning experience.
Customer service is very responsive to your questions
If you have any questions, you can reach out to customer service. You can contact Rype through email or an online query form, and the company will respond within 24 hours, Monday to Friday. Telephone support isn’t available, though this is not unusual for this type of language learning company.
Alternatively, you could consult Rype’s FAQs or knowledge base, which provide a great deal of information on the business, its methods, and its teachers.
There is also a blog on the company’s website, with its posts often being broken down according to specific languages.
CONS
Rype can be more expensive than other services, such as italki.
A subscription is required and hourly fees can be more than other online tutoring options. On iTalki, teachers set their own prices per lesson and you can pay as little as $8 for a one-on-one lesson. However, teachers on iTalki can also raise their rates, so there is no set cost structure like Rype.
It can be difficult to cancel your subscription
Billing operates on a monthly cycle. However, if you select the 6-month prepaid option, you’ll be billed up front for that period. All plans will automatically renew until you cancel, which you can do at any time through the Plans and Billing section of your membership portal. Be aware that the company doesn’t offer refunds on its memberships, which means on a prepaid plan, you won’t get your money back if you decide to stop your lessons during the 6-month period.
You have a lesser choice of teaachers than other platforms
There aren’t a lot of details about the teachers. It appears that Rype has a wide range of experience levels, however, for some languages there are only a few teachers to choose from. While the quantity of teachers on Rype varies from one language to another, the total diversity is fairly limited compared to other resources.
Rype in a nutshell
Overall, Rype is a legitimate and safe way to learn a new language through online, one-on-one lessons.
Rype is a very good resource for learning a new language on your own schedule. It is more expensive than other platforms with similar learning models, including iTalki. On the other hand, Rype is likely more affordable than other private language tutors or classes offered by a university or a private school. The one-on-one instruction and personalized lesson plans will definitely help you learn a new language. Plus, you will save time learning your new language at home because there is no commute required to get to your class.
In conclusion, is Rype a scam?
In today’s world, having digital trust is a key aspect in selecting whether or not to invest in a product or service.
Rype is not a rip-off. In the past they probably engaged in some shady marketing and charges, but I’ve come to the conclusion that they’re a real company with real customers and real teachers.
To summarise, you will enjoy Rype because of its user-friendly layout and the 30-minute session time, which is easy to fit into a hectic schedule.
It has real teachers for one-on-one learning. The lessons are good and you get follow-up assignments after each of them. You can learn multiple languages from available teachers according to your availability. If you want to study a new language at your own pace, Rype is a great resource.
In conclusion, Rype is an attractive option for those who’d like to learn a language online without attending a language school. You can choose the number of lessons that you’d like to receive per month, and it also provides customized learning plans. Phone support isn’t available, but this is a relatively minor issue for most learners, who will likely appreciate Rype’s other features, such as the ability to pause and resume a membership.
Compared to other systems with similar learning techniques, such as Rosetta Stone, it is more expensive. In contrast to other private language teachers or schools, Rype is likely cheaper.
Surely all language platforms in the marketplace could confuse you. With tons of options and mixed reviews, it gets hard to opt for the right one.
I Hope this Rype review will help you and has exactly what you need before chosing your language platform.
You can also take a look at these reviews
This post contains affiliate links. It means that if you click on the links and make a purchase, we will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. This allows our blog to continue providing you with free information and resources. We only include links and products that we truly believe in.
