Ever dream of ordering croissants in Paris like a pro or charming your way through a Tokyo market?
Well, then, we are in the same boat. As someone who loves learning new languages and is a travel bug, I am always on the lookout for online learning platforms that offer language classes or special platforms curated for teaching new languages. But not traditionally, with bulky and dusty textbooks and endless verb conjugations.
In my eternal search for online language learning platforms, I encountered Preply. It isn’t some impersonal and boring tutor with robotic responses. Preply connects you with REAL human teachers who are native speakers. Imagine chatting with a Parisian about their favorite cafes or getting grammar tips straight from a Tokyoite! Preply makes it personal, tailored to YOUR learning style and goals.
Plus, there is no pressure to maintain a strict schedule. You can set the pace, choose your topics, and pick the teacher you like based on their accents and personality (now that is a unique feature).
But before you ditch your flashcard, it is crucial to ensure Preply delivers what it promises. You may wonder, ” I don’t have the time to do that.”
That’s okay because I do. In this review, I will explore Preply and everything it offers. I will also share my own personal experience and discuss what I liked about Preply.
Preply Review in 2024 Legit? Worth It?
Preply is an online language learning platform that connects you with genuine, native-speaking tutors for personalized lessons. Unlike traditional apps, Preply tailors the learning experience to your goals and interests. You choose your teacher based on expertise, accent, and personality, ensuring a comfortable learning environment. This flexibility lets you focus on specific areas like conversation skills, pronunciation, and business vocabulary.
Pros
- Personalized lessons curated by native speakers
- Solid community support
- More effective than traditional learning
- Affordable
- Lessons are often on discounts
- Has an app for learning on the go
Cons
- No free courses or trial
- Website has bugs
Recommendation
I recommend Preplu to every language aficionado (like me) who wants to learn new languages but needs more time to take language lessons. Preply provides a simple and convenient alternative to in-person classes. The lessons are interactive and detailed and come with tons of practical exercises. You can choose your own tutor based on your preferences and learn at your own pace.
What is Preply?
Preply, founded by Kirill Bigai and Serge Lukianov in 2012, offers personalized language learning experiences through one-on-one tutoring sessions. With a vast selection of courses, Preply connects students with tutors worldwide, catering to learners of all levels (beginners or advanced) and interests.
Preply has an impressive range of courses, covering over 20 languages, including popular English, Spanish, French, Mandarin, and German, and less commonly taught languages like Arabic, Japanese, and Russian. With thousands of tutors available, you can find instructors specializing in various dialects, accents, and teaching styles to suit your preferences and goals.
The platform has an extensive network of tutors. It includes certified language teachers, native speakers, and experienced language enthusiasts, providing you with personalized instruction best suited to your needs and learning objectives. Each tutor undergoes a rigorous selection process and receives ratings and reviews from previous students, ensuring quality and accountability.
Preply’s unique approach to language learning sets it apart from traditional classroom settings. By offering one-on-one tutoring sessions, students receive personalized attention and feedback, allowing for more efficient progress and greater flexibility in scheduling. Preply’s online format enables you to access lessons from anywhere with an internet connection, eliminating geographical barriers and making language learning accessible to everyone worldwide.
In addition to live tutoring sessions, Preply also offers a range of supplementary resources and tools to enhance the learning experience, including interactive exercises, study materials, and progress-tracking features.
Who is Preply for?
Preply offers a variety of languages you can learn, which is why it can be the ideal language-learning platform for many people. Learning has no age limit, so anyone can use Preply regardless of age. Preply has well-structured lessons, interactive exercises (more focused on conversational skills), and an encouraging community that sets it apart from its competitors. But it (more) suited for some people like:
Those who crave personalized learning: Preply caters to individuals who want a learning experience tailored to their goals and interests.
People who learn best with real interaction: If traditional language apps are dull or ineffective for you, Preply’s live, one-on-one lessons with native speakers offer a dynamic and engaging approach.
Learners seeking flexibility: Preply allows you to set your own learning pace, choose lesson topics, and select a teacher who complements your learning style and preferred schedule.
Individuals with specific language needs: Do you need help with conversation skills, mastering a particular accent, or focusing on business vocabulary? Preply allows you to personalize lessons to tackle these specific areas.
Those who want to connect with different cultures: Learning from native speakers provides more than just language skills; it fosters an understanding of their culture and perspectives.
Preply is ideal for anyone looking to learn a new language, regardless of background or learning style. Its versatility, accessibility, and emphasis on practical skills make it a unique learning platform for language aficionados of all levels.
How much does Preply cost?
Preply is an open-host learning platform (like Udemy), so course prices vary significantly depending on the instructor. The pricing is complicated, but I will simplify it as much as possible.
The tutors on Preply set their own hourly rate. It can be anything from as little as $4 per hour to as high as $40 per hour, depending on the tutor and what the course offers. You can filter out the courses based on your budget; Preply will only show you courses that fit your needs.
Preply does not provide free courses or a free trial period, so you can’t be sure what the course will be like. However, it offers courses at a discounted rate for some time to help you decide whether to subscribe to more hours.
After discussing it with your instructor, you can commit to subscribing to 28 hours of learning per month and distributing these hours however you wish. It can be anywhere between 1 and 7 hours per week.
If the tutor you have chosen charges $10 per hour, your subscription fee for 28 hours will be $280 per month. You will keep getting a better deal if you subscribe to more hours every month.
If you want to cancel your subscribed hours per month, you need to do so before the month is completed. If you fail to cancel your subscription, you will again be charged your subscription fee.
Only some of the hours you have subscribed can roll over to the next month (if you decide to continue with your subscription model). If you cancel your subscription, your unused hours will be lost. So, it is best to utilize all your monthly hours to avoid loss.
Preply Refund Policy
Preply offers a full refund or a free replacement if you are unsatisfied with your purchased course.
If you decide that Preply courses are not all they are cracked out to be (I am sure you will not feel that), you don’t have to pay any fixed fee as there is no commitment.
My Experience with Preply
As a language enthusiast and avid traveler (who is taking a trip to Paris in two months), Preply was a game-changer for my French! I craved real conversation and the ability to tailor my learning to my interests, and Preply offered precisely that.
Finding a tutor was pretty straightforward. I filtered for French tutors with experience teaching real-life conversation skills since that’s what I needed for my upcoming trip. I ended up with Olivier, a highly-rated tutor from Paris with a background in the arts. His profile mentioned a love for classic French cinema, which was an incredible bonus.
My first lesson with Olivier started well. He assessed my level, and we discussed my goals for the course. However, the initial course plan he created felt a bit generic – a lot of textbook exercises and grammar drills, which wasn’t exactly what I’d hoped for.
Luckily, Preply allows for flexibility. I politely communicated my desire for more real-world conversation practice, and Olivier was very receptive. We adjusted the plan to incorporate travel-related scenarios and role-playing exercises. He even found some interesting articles about tourist etiquette in France to analyze.
The lessons were engaging. Olivier’s passion for cinema came in handy—we used clips from French films to practice dialogue and pronunciation. It was a fun way to learn, though some days, the technical connection wasn’t great, causing a bit of lag during video calls.
Overall, Preply was a positive experience. I could personalize the course and achieve my goals with some initial communication. Having a conversation with a Parisian colleague on my trip felt fantastic! However, if you’re looking for a completely pre-made, one-size-fits-all learning experience, Preply might require some upfront effort to tailor it to your needs.
What did I like about Preply?
Preply provides language courses designed for people wanting to learn new languages. The lessons are detailed and well-structured to keep you engaged while giving you precise information to learn at your own pace and convenience. The lessons are personalized and designed just for you, so if you require conversational skills, you can ask for them. This feature sets Preply apart from its competitors.
As a learner, there were a few things that stood out to me, like:
- Chance to learn from a Native Speaker: Preply connects you with real, live human teachers who are native speakers. Learning on Preply feels like talking to a long-distance friend and knowing more about their life and culture in their dialect.
- Flexibility: What I like the most about Preply is its convenience. You can choose your own tutor, who specializes in what you want to learn and on your own budget. Preply lets you tailor your learning experience.
- Real-life conversation: Traditional apps can leave you feeling like a parrot, just repeating stuff. Preply cuts through that. My lessons are designed to get me talking – from discussing my travel dreams to debating current events. It’s all about real-world communication, so I can walk away feeling confident.
- Learning on the go: Preply lets you control your schedule, from booking lessons to setting weekly hours that work for you. They offer different lesson lengths – quick 30-minute lessons or in-depth hour-long classes. It’s perfect for squeezing in language learning between working or studying full-time.
- Solid community support: Learning a language with friends (or at least fellow language enthusiasts) is more fun. Preply gets that. It has a whole community of other learners on the platform. You can connect with them through forums, share tips, swap experiences, and practice our language skills with each other.
Conclusion
This concludes this review. Now, let’s answer, “Is Preply worth it?”
In my honest opinion, yes, it is.
Preply stands out as a unique platform for personalized language learning experiences. With a massive selection of courses and thousands of tutors, you can find the perfect instructor to suit your needs and goals. From conversational practice to exam preparation (like TOEFLS), Preply offers a wide range of courses covering over 50 languages, ensuring learners of all levels and interests can find the support they need to succeed.
What sets Preply apart is its commitment to personalized learning and quality instruction. Each tutor undergoes a rigorous selection process and receives ratings and reviews from previous students, ensuring accountability and excellence. Additionally, Preply’s online format allows flexible scheduling and access from anywhere with an internet connection, making language learning accessible to learners worldwide.
I took a conversational French course, and I would not say that it made me fluent, but I have a better grasp of basic French and feel confident about being able to talk easily during my upcoming travel.
Preply provides the convenience of online learning, but its one-on-one, specially curated classes offer the customized experience of in-person learning. So, you get the best of both worlds. With supplementary resources and tools to enhance your memory retention, Preply will help you confidently achieve your language learning goals.
Learning is always a personal choice, and everyone has their preferred learning style, so I agree that Preply might not be suitable for everyone. Still, my experience with Preply has been overwhelmingly positive, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to embark on their language learning journey.