Which English school should you choose?

Are you looking for a new English course? Learning English online has never been easier. In the last few years, the number of language learning platforms has been steadily growing. You can find specialised websites for just about any learning style.

How can you pick the right school for you? We’re here to help.

We divided the review into four main parts: Lessons and how you learn, Teachers, Cost and Final Thoughts. You can also see an overview of each platform’s features below.

Please note that all the information in this blog post is based on publicly available information and our teachers’ personal experiences. It is accurate as of the time of posting. If you see an error, please let us know and we’ll amend it.

	Cambly	Verbling	Intrepid English
Lessons
Self-study courses	✓	✕	✓
Community discussions	✕	✓	✓
Lesson feedback	✕	✕*	✓
Lessons are recorded	✓	✕	✕
Structured learning	✓	✕*	✓
Individual lessons	✓	✓	✓
Group lessons	✕	✕	✓
Other languages	✕	✓	✕
Teachers
Experienced teachers only	✕	✓	✓
Native teachers	✓	✓	✓
Non-native teachers	✓	✓	✓
Teacher training	✕	✕	✓
Easy to switch teachers	✓	✕	✓
Cost
Periodic subscription	✓	✕	✓
Buy individual lessons	✕	✓	✕
Buy lesson packages	✕	✓	✕
Trial lesson	✓	✓	✓

Lessons and how you learn

Often, how you learn is more important than what you learn. You should decide whether you’re simply looking for someone to chat to or whether you’d prefer a complete package with learning plans and self-study materials.

Students sometimes feel like they need many 1on1 classes to progress. Naturally, you need to take lessons with a teacher to get feedback and guidance, but it doesn’t mean you can’t learn through other methods. On the other hand, taking private lessons without spending any time on revision or self-study can slow down your improvement. You want to find a balance between guided learning with a teacher and self-study time.

Lessons	Cambly	Verbling	Intrepid English
Self-study courses	✓	✕	✓
Community discussions	✕	✓	✓
Lesson feedback	✕	✕*	✓
Lessons are recorded	✓	✕	✕
Structured learning	✓	✕*	✓
Individual lessons	✓	✓	✓
Group lessons	✕	✕	✓
Other languages	✕	✓	✕

With Cambly, you can pick a curriculum and self-study courses to supplement lessons. The lessons follow the curriculum you’ve chosen, and you can review recordings of your lessons.

Verbling is a marketplace to find language teachers. There are no learning materials or a curriculum offered to students, but you can participate in discussions. Each tutor is an independent teacher, and there is no connectivity between your lessons if you switch tutors. You can study many different languages on Verbling.

All Intrepid English students have access to a learning community to ask questions and interact with other students and teachers. There are weekly competitions, discussions and learning challenges to keep you practising. 

Learning is structured according to student goals, and all Intrepid English Academy students have access to a library of self-study courses, assessments and achievements. After each lesson, you receive written and audio feedback for further practice. You can take both group and private lessons.

Teachers

Apart from your motivation and learning environment, your teacher is one of the most important aspects of learning a language. Not every teacher is suitable for every student. Find a teacher that you get along with and that motivates you. Don’t hesitate to change teachers if you’re not satisfied.

Teachers	Cambly	Verbling	Intrepid English
Experienced teachers only	✕	✓	✓
Native teachers	✓	✓	✓
Non-native teachers	✓	✓	✓
Teacher training	✕	✕	✓
Easy to switch teachers	✓	✕	✓

At Cambly, teachers do not need a teaching certificate, degree or any prior teaching experience. There are hundreds of tutors you can choose from, which can mean you spend more time looking for a teacher than studying. You can pick one teacher you like, or take each lesson with a different teacher.

Verbling does not require teachers to be native English speakers but asks for teaching experience. Lesson and lesson packages you purchase are specific to each teacher, and there is no easy way to transfer to a different teacher if you’ve already paid for lessons with one.

All teachers at Intrepid English are experienced and have access to regular training sessions and continued professional development. A smaller number of teachers are available at Intrepid English, which means you don’t have to spend hours to find the right one. Send us a message with your needs if you’re unsure, and we’ll get back to you with a recommendation.

You can easily switch teachers if you want to change or even have lessons with multiple teachers. It’s also easy to find a substitute teacher if your regular one isn’t available. There is no need to stop learning.

Cost

Of course, it’s important to consider how much you can spend on learning a language. If you don’t have a lot of money to spare, you may have to compromise quality for the price, or you may not be able to study as much as you’d like. You are paying your teacher for their time and expertise, so more experienced teachers often charge a lot more than new teachers.

Cost	Cambly	Verbling	Intrepid English
Periodic subscription	✓	✕	✓
Buy individual lessons	✕	✓	✕
Buy lesson packages	✕	✓	✕
Trial lesson	✓	✓	✓

The cost to subscribe to Cambly is one of the lowest in the industry. This, unfortunately, means that the pay rates for teachers are low compared to other platforms.

You choose your membership depending on how much you want to study each week. This is to encourage you to study regularly. The price also depends on whether you want to commit to paying one, three or twelve months in advance. You can change, pause or cancel your plan.

There are many English teachers on Verbling with big differences in price per lesson. Teachers set their rates, and Verbling takes a 15% commission. You can buy single lessons or packages. You can take a FREE trial lesson on Verbling when signing up for an account.

Intrepid English

Intrepid English runs a membership programme, with membership options for all budgets. You pay monthly and can upgrade, downgrade or cancel at any time. Membership options start from £49 a month. Find out more about them right here or book a trial lesson to chat with an Intrepid English Teacher and decide if online English lessons with Intrepid English are right for you.