Learning English used to mean sitting in a classroom at the same time every week, feeling a little self-conscious and wondering if your questions will seem silly to the other students. Times have certainly changed as more and more people choose to study English online. If you’re considering ditching the crowded classroom and taking English lessons online, here are 8 reasons why you might find online English lessons the best way to learn.
Vocabulary
- to ditch (verb): to quit something or end a relationship of any kind
- New Year’s resolution (phrase): a tradition of setting goals at the beginning of a new calendar year
- bricks-and-mortar (compound adjective): a physical building such as a school or shop. As opposed to an online school or shop
- rush hour (phrase): the time of day when the traffic is at its busiest as people are travelling to or from work
- tricky (informal adjective): difficult or challenging
- persuasive (adjective): good at persuading your audience to do or believe or buy what you want them to
- commitment (noun): a scheduled or planned arrangement
- the flu (informal): a shortened name for influenza
- feeling the pinch (idiom): to be temporarily short of cash
- a wealth of (phrase): a very large amount of
- tailor (verb): to create something to fit a specific person
- one’s cup of tea (idiom): used to describe something you like or something you enjoy doing
- generic (adjective): non-specific, general and boring
1. You can choose what time to schedule your English lessons
There never seems to be enough time in the day to do everything we would like. It can be difficult to stick to the same schedule every week and getting to an English class on time seems almost impossible. Despite our best efforts, taking English lessons can get pushed down the list of priorities and that New Year’s resolution is ignored once again. That’s why online English lessons are the perfect solution. You can schedule your lessons at a time that suits you; it could be a different time every week.
2. You can choose the place
Who wants to spend more time than is absolutely necessary squeezed onto public transport, stuck in a traffic jam or tackling crowds of people on the streets? Bricks-and-mortar language schools can often be tricky to access, especially during the evening rush hour. Online English lessons allow you to take your class anywhere you like, as long as you have a quiet room with a reliable internet connection. At Intrepid English, we are as flexible as possible, so you can fit your English lessons around your busy schedule.
3. You can choose how long your lessons last
Some weeks are busier than others, but you don’t want to miss out on your English lesson. No problem; you can choose a 30-minute lesson that week. Preparing for a presentation at work? Don’t worry; just book a 90-minute lesson and make sure your slides are as error-free and persuasive as possible. Still need to work on your script? Schedule a 60-minute lesson with your Intrepid English teacher and perfect your presentation skills and pronunciation so that you feel prepared and confident. At Intrepid English, we always aim to offer our students an option to suit their needs.
4. You can choose how often to take your lessons
Not two English learners are the same! Each has their own goals and learning needs. Very few of us have a predictable schedule these days with some weeks being much busier than others. Some Intrepid English students like to take their lessons at the same time every week. Other only take English lessons when they need some help to prepare for an English meeting or need some help to write a business email. Most of our students take one or two lessons every week, but they could be on different days depending on their other commitments. A course of ten lessons is valid for a whole year, so there’s no need to worry about wasting money on lessons you couldn’t attend. (Yes, we’ve thought of everything!)
5. You can take a break without missing out on any of the course
Picture this, you’ve been attending the same English class in the city at the same time every week, but last week you were ill and couldn’t make it. This week you’re back in your usual seat, but your classmates are talking about what they’ve learned while you were away. Learning a language is hard enough without having to make up for lost time.
Now imagine you are recovering from the flu at home, wrapped up in a warm blanket with a hot cup of tea. It’s a great feeling to know that you can take your English lesson without even leaving your armchair to go outside in the wind and rain. Which option sounds better to you?
Whether you are going away on holiday, taking a business trip, feeling the pinch after an expensive month, or snowed under at work, there will be occasions when it’s just not possible to take an English lesson for a little while. That’s not an issue for Intrepid English students. You have complete control over your English lessons so you can take a break from your lessons without losing any money. Your course can resume as soon as you are able to take your lessons again, so you won’t have missed anything. That’s the beauty of a one-to-one lesson; it progresses at your speed.
6. You choose what you want to learn
If you need to work on anything in particular, just let your teacher know before the lesson and he or she will be happy to help you. Alternatively, our teachers have a wealth of experience teaching English and will prepare an interesting and informative lesson tailored just for you!
To supplement your online English lessons, we have created a library of self-study courses packed with helpful lessons on a range of topics and skills. The Intrepid English Academy contains courses on general English topics such as English for Travelling, Essential English Idioms and English for Beginners, business English courses such as Business English Basics and even exam preparation courses such as IELTS Speaking Preparation and CAE Exam Preparation. We add new courses every month, so just let us know if there’s an area of English you really want to learn.
7. You can have a trial lesson to see how you feel
Still not sure if online English lessons are your cup of tea? You can book a trial lesson to chat with one of our friendly teachers about your goals and learning needs. There’s no pressure to buy any future lessons, and we will send you personalised feedback after the lesson including any corrections we gave you during the lesson. We will even send you an audio recording of the feedback so that you can listen to our voice and practise your pronunciation. Yes, it’s all completely free!
8. It’s not as expensive as you might expect
Learning English doesn’t just happen overnight, it can take several years to reach your English-language goals. Here at Intrepid English, we understand that you would rather spend your money on one-to-one, tailor-made English lessons with an experienced and friendly teacher than on a generic audiobook or a large group class an hour away from home.
So, if you are still wondering if online English lessons are right for you, why not book a trial lesson today and talk about your learning goals with an experienced native English teacher. This could be the year you finally reach your English goals!
This blog was written by Intrepid English Teacher and Founder, Lorraine.
If you have any questions, or you would like to request a topic for a future blog, leave a comment below, or email us at Intrepid English.