Frequently Asked Questions

A one-to-one tutor is far and away the most successful way to learn or progress with a foreign language. You are no longer in a classroom situation, so your tutor can concentrate on you, and your confidence will grow as you see the language really working for you.

You can expect to learn much faster this way than by other methods. There is genuine value in learning a language intensively. In the lessons you will find out how to communicate and deal with real-life situations.

Our pay as you go rates compare favourably with other leading providers:

• One-to-one tuition: £40 per hour
• Two-to-one tuition: £48 per hour
• Small group of 3-4 students: £56 per hour
• Larger group of 5-6 students: £60 per hour

You simply pay the teacher after each lesson. If you are prepared to pay on the day of booking by debit/credit card or bank transfer for a block of 20 hours the there can be a reduction on the normal hourly rate. Please do not hesiatate to contact us on 0207 1010 750 or learn@talklanguages.com. 

These prices include all tuition, lesson preparation and materials along with the teacher’s time and travel costs.

If you would like to buy your own text book to accompany the lessons then speak to your teacher – he or she will recommend one.

See a summary of our charges and what’s included here.

Yes. Your tuition can start within a few days – once the decision has been made to have language tuition, it is best to start right away. We should be able to have your new course up and running in the current or following week if required.

We specialise in one-to-one tuition and can also cater for small groups. Two-to-one works very well with students of the same basic level, while learning in small groups does have the advantage of the camaraderie it creates. A group of more than 6 could become more like a lecture, which is counter productive.

Lessons work best if you have them on a regular basis. However we all know that sometimes obstacles crop up. Our teachers will be as flexible as they can to accommodate the unforeseen. As long as our teacher has 24 hours notice of changes and cancellations, you will not be charged for your lesson. If you do not give 24 hours notice of cancellation or postonement then 50% of the lesson fee is due to the teacher unless the lesson can be rescheduled satisfactorily. The teacher will try to reschedule it in the same week if possible.

We pride ourselves on being sensitive to your requirments and interests. Our teachers are from many walks of life with a great deal of expertise and experience between them. We will match you with a teacher with relevant experience if we can. All our teachers are prepared to research your requirements (weddings, specialised vocabulary, property management, shopping, etc.) in order to present the most appropriate lesson content and vocabulary – they will be rooting for you!

We understand the desire to meet the teacher and ‘have a go’ before you commit yourself. However, our teachers will need to prepare lesson material and give up their time so we cannot offer a free trial lesson. But why not go ahead and have a first lesson? You can pay as you go, so you need only commit yourself to one lesson. Then if you are satisfied, as we feel sure you will be – you go ahead and book another lesosn directly with the teadher. The start of a great relationship….

Your teacher can come to your home to teach. Some of them can teach from their own homes too. They will also come to your workplace if there is a room/office available for the tuition to take place. There is also the option of a quiet public place such as a cafe, library or The South Bank Centre/Barbican Centre.

Alternatively, there is also the option of online language tuition via Skype, Google Meet, or other video options.

Before tuition starts, your new teacher will call you to introduce her/himself and discuss

• the form that the tuition will take
• where to meet for the first session
• what to expect during the first lesson.

First call us on 0207 1010 750 or email learn@talklanguages.com to discuss your requirements.

We will ask you:

• Which language you would like to learn
• One-to-one or a group
• Where and when you want the tuition
• Lesson length (1 hour, 1.5 hours or longer)
• Your reason for learning
• Your language level and previous experience

During this free consultation, please ask us any questions you may have. Our role is to assist and guide.

After the free consultation…

1. We will offer you the teacher who best matches your requirements
2. We will confirm and give you our teacher’s contact details 
3. Our teacher will call you to introduce her/himself
4. We will issue a pre payable invoice to be paid before the tuition commences.

Yes, your teacher will bring along everything you need for each class. However, he or she may suggest a textbook to buy to accompany the classes.

Yes we will:

• Your teacher will assess your level during the first lesson.
• Your teacher will continue to make assessments of your progress.
• After 50 hours of tuition we will send you a Progress Report free of charge.
• You can request an additional Progress Report at any time for a small fee.

• For beginners, a 20 hour course should be enough to grasp the basics of the language.
• For ‘rusty’ learners who want to brush up, we recommend either an intensive course of 10 sessions or a steady ‘drip’ of weekly 1 hour or 1.5 hour lessons.
• For advanced speakers wanting to fine tune their skill, andintensive course of 10 sessions would benefit most

Yes! We will issue the following:

• A Diploma after 20 hours
• A Progress Report after 50 hours

Yes. As long as you give your teacher 24 hours’ notice, you can cancel or rearrange the lesson free of charge. If less than 24 hours notice is given, then 50% of the fee is due.