One-to-one English lessons online: finding the right teacher

One-to-one English lessons online: who are they for?

One-to-one English lessons online suit anyone who wants to reach a clear goal in limited time, works irregular hours or rarely gets a word in during group classes. You decide the content, pace and schedule, and your teacher works only on your mistakes. The price per lesson is higher, but so, usually, is the progress.

That individual tuition is particularly effective is one of the best-known findings in education research. In 1984, Benjamin Bloom described how learners who received one-to-one tutoring in the studies he analysed performed considerably better than learners taught in conventional classrooms (Bloom, “The 2 Sigma Problem”, Educational Researcher). The studies were not about foreign languages, but the direction matches what I see in language teaching.

Online lessons add a practical advantage: no commute, and you can fit a lesson into your lunch break or the evening. Our English courses online give you an overview of all formats.

When are one-to-one lessons better than a group course?

One-to-one lessons are the better choice when your goal is very specific, when you have little time or a changing schedule, when an exam or job interview is coming up, or when you feel inhibited about speaking. A group course suits you better if you enjoy exchanging ideas with others, like fixed times and are learning without time pressure.

One-to-one lessons for busy professionals

If you work full time, a group course often fails not because of the content but because of your calendar. If you miss every third lesson because of a meeting, the group loses the thread and you lose motivation. In one-to-one lessons you reschedule in good time instead of missing out. The lessons can also be linked directly to your current tasks: if you have a client meeting next week, that exact conversation is what you practise, with your own phrases and your typical uncertainties. This immediate benefit is the main reason many professionals choose 1:1.

Many learners combine both: a phase of one-to-one lessons to close gaps and build confidence, then a group for regular conversation practice. Our comparison one-to-one or group course shows how the formats differ in detail. If inhibitions are your main issue, read overcoming the fear of speaking English as well.

What a good one-to-one English lesson looks like

A good one-to-one lesson has a goal, a clear structure and plenty of speaking time for you. It starts with free conversation, introduces new language, lets you use it and ends with concrete feedback and a small task. The teacher speaks far less than you do and notes down mistakes instead of interrupting you constantly.

Sample structure of a 45-minute lesson at B1

How to recognise quality

• You know at the start what today’s lesson is about.
• You speak for at least half of the time.
• Corrections are specific: “Instead of I am here since Monday, say I’ve been here since Monday.”
• New words and corrections are available in writing after the lesson.
• Each lesson builds on the previous one and prepares the next.

Grammar comes in where you are missing it when you speak. Typical problem areas for German speakers, such as the present perfect, are explained in present perfect or simple past (in German).

Finding a private English teacher online: what makes a good teacher?

A good English teacher has methodological training and experience with adults, and can explain how they identify your needs and measure your progress. Being a native speaker alone is not a mark of quality. Look for training, a structured first lesson and whether the teacher listens to you before suggesting a programme.

The key criteria

• Training: a degree related to language teaching or a recognised qualification in teaching English as a foreign language
• Experience with adults: adults learn differently from children, with their own goals and little time
• Assessment: placement based on the CEFR, ideally including a conversation, not just an online test
• Planning: a learning plan with goals, priorities and milestones
• Feedback: clear, well-measured corrections and a list of mistakes you can keep
• Variety of English: British or American English depending on your environment, with a focus on clear, authentic language

Native speaker or not?

Native-speaker teachers bring a sure feel for the language and plenty of cultural knowledge. Teachers who learned English as a foreign language themselves know the pitfalls from their own experience and often explain grammar very clearly. Both can work extremely well. What matters is teaching quality, not the passport. The same goes for pronunciation: the aim is to be easily understood internationally, not a perfect accent. Exercises are available in improving your English pronunciation (in German).

Tutor platform or language school: which suits you?

On tutoring marketplaces you choose from many freelance teachers yourself and book directly, often with a wide selection and price range. A language school selects its teachers in advance, assures quality, plans your learning path and organises cover or a change of teacher. Which option suits you depends on how much choice and responsibility you want to take on yourself.

Platforms suit people who like to compare for themselves and already know what they need. A language school makes sense if you value planning, continuity and a single point of contact. If you need English for meetings and negotiations, language schools also offer specialised options such as business English courses.

English trial lesson: which questions should you ask?

In a trial lesson, find out how the teacher assesses your level, how they will align the lessons with your goal, how they correct you and how your progress will become visible. Also notice how much you get to speak yourself and whether you feel comfortable. Practical matters such as cancellation periods and changing teachers belong in this conversation too.

Questions for the teacher or the school

1. How will you assess my level?
2. What would a learning plan for my goal look like, and how will we measure progress?
3. How do you correct me: while I am speaking or afterwards?
4. Which materials do you use, and can I bring my own texts?
5. What happens if I have to cancel at short notice?
6. Can I change teachers, and how will my progress be handed over?
7. Do you teach British or American English, or both?

What to observe yourself

• Did the teacher mainly listen or mainly talk?
• Did you learn something concrete in the lesson?
• Were the corrections helpful without slowing you down?
• Would you look forward to the next lesson?

How to get more out of every one-to-one lesson

You get more out of one-to-one lessons if you learn regularly, bring your own situations and texts, review corrections between lessons and tell your teacher openly what helps you. One or two lessons a week with short practice phases in between usually achieve more than occasional long blocks, because new language is reactivated before you forget it.

• Bring material: an email you need to write, slides for a presentation, an article that interests you
• Keep a list of mistakes: go over the corrections from the lesson out loud twice a week
• Record yourself speaking: one minute on a topic once a week, and compare it with your recording from a month ago
• Review your goals: every six to eight weeks, check with your teacher whether the pace and focus are still right
• Try double lessons: two lessons back to back leave room for longer conversations or simulations

If you would like to do more between lessons, you will find suitable exercises on our page about online English lessons with a teacher, in the section on learning between lessons.

One-to-one English lessons at choices®

At choices®, one-to-one lessons start with a placement assessment and a conversation about your goal. From that, we create a learning plan that your teacher works through with you live by video. Individuals learn from €49.99 incl. VAT per 45-minute lesson; companies pay from €40 net plus VAT per 45-minute lesson.

• Teachers from 10 countries, chosen through a selection process that only about 1 in 25 applicants passes
• Methodological training and shared teaching standards, developed by our methodology team
• British and American English, with priority given to authentic, communicative language
• A structured handover if your teacher changes, so you never start from scratch
• Preparation for certificates on request; you take the exam itself at an official exam centre

If you want to compare formats, you will find one-to-one lessons, duo and small groups side by side on our page learn English online with a teacher.

Sources

1. doi.org: 0013189X013006004

Frequently asked questions

Łukasz Pakuła

Head of Studies at choices®. Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland Global Campus, lecturer at HM Business School Munich and Kempten University of Applied Sciences. Doctoral studies in applied linguistics, publications with Springer and Equinox, among others. More about us