Lingoda: a review

As a linguaphile and polyglot who loves to talk about language, I'm often asked about the best way to go about learning or improving a language.  My answer is usually the same: take a class.  Self-study is attractive for its convenience and cost, working with a tutor can give you specialized instruction, but in my experience, it's the exchange of ideas enabled by language that makes things stick.  I've found nothing more effective than taking a class with a small number of people, led by a qualified and engaging instructor.

In these busy times, physically getting oneself to a live class regularly can be challenging, but with the development of online instruction over the last several years, we fortunately have other options.  I've done several online classes for various languages, but no platform has impressed me as much as Lingoda.  If you're interested in learning French, Spanish, German, Italian, or English, I highly recommend checking it out.

I've been using Lingoda to work on my German, which currently is at a high-B1/low-B2 level (there's a placement test you can take on the site).  After five classes on a variety of topics, I'm hooked.  Each sub-level has a curriculum focusing on a particular aspect of language mastery, but you aren't locked into taking all the sections in order; you can pick the ones that interest you most.  The PowerPoint slide decks for each lesson are available so you can preview them and prepare for the lesson, as well as review material afterwards.  I find this one of the most valuable features of the site.

What else do I love about Lingoda?  It's quite cost-effective ($7-9 per class) and you can choose how many classes you want to take per month.  Each class is capped at five students, which allows for good interaction and plenty of opportunity to practice.  Also, the teachers hail from all over the globe, so classes are available at all times of day instead of, say, only during working hours in Europe.  I also appreciate that the students come from all over the world as well instead of just the U.S.; my latest class had students from Turkey, Chile, Iran, and Russia.  I've never felt out of place as an Asian American studying a European language.

Want to give it a try?  Lingoda offers a free week in which you can take up to three classes -- a generous trial.  And if you love it as much as I do and decide to subscribe, you can get 30% off using my referral link!  I'm happy to answer any other questions about my experience.