Skype Spanish Lessons - Best way to become Fluent in Spanish Abraham Arechiga - Co-Founder of Spanish55
Learning Spanish, or any other language, using the power of the internet is becoming increasingly common. The ability to start a videoconference with a person 500 miles away in just a few milliseconds opens the door for endless opportunities. It is easy to experience a one-on-one Spanish lesson over Skype as most providers for Skype Spanish lessons provide a consultation. At Spanish55, you will be offered a 55-minute consultation free of charge with absolutely no commitments.
1)Attention on you!
Your Spanish tutor is working a lot harder for you. Skype requires the teacher to plan the lesson far more creatively and flexibly. The classes are more interactive and practical in nature; the majority of the class will be verbal, since guided immersion is often the best way to reach fluency in any language.
When you work with a professional tutor over Skype, you will notice one major difference: there are no distractions! When you are in a cafe with a tutor, there are loud conversations nearby, people asking if they can take a chair from your table, and possibly even loud music playing. With Spanish55, your tutor will be in a well-lit, professional and private space. Less room for distractions will sharpen your focus and productivity.
When choosing your provider for Spanish lessons online, make sure your tutor is also distraction-free, as most work from home. At Spanish55, our team is not working from home; you can expect a highlycontrolled environment as our team of tutors works from a centralized office with high-speed internet, a high definition webcam and nice lighting.
With a perfect learning environment in place, your tutor will have an easier time directing you towards a specific lesson aim, that is, what your tutor wants you to be able to do by the end of the lesson. A great tutor will always take notes and keep a log in order to plan ahead and keep you on track towards your personal goals with the language.
2)Travel on a budget! What if you could travel abroad without buying a plane ticket? When you connect with a tutor who lives in a different city or country, you have the opportunity to learn about other cultures, views, traditions and ways of life. For most people, the idea of full immersion in a foreign country has always been intimidating, but not anymore. Skype Spanish lessons allow you to stay at home in a safe environment and move at your own pace. What better way to learn a foreign language than from regular immersive interaction with a bilingual professional whose native language is your target language?
Also, not every zip code in the United States has great tutors who will adapt to your busy schedule. The power of the internet puts the best Spanish tutors at your fingertips.
3)Do the math You will be taking at least 1-2 hours of private tutoring per week if you are serious about reaching fluency in any language. If you are meeting with a tutor in a public place, odds are you will have the following expenses:
-Gas ($5) -Coffee ($4) -Snack/Pastry ($3) -Parking meter ($2) --------------------------------Total = $14
In addition to that, of course, the average price for one hour of in-person tutoring in the US is around $50. The total comes out to roughly $64 per hour, without taking into account the time spent commuting!
With Spanish55, you can work with an experienced private tutor for as low as $30 per hour without leaving the comfort of your home. That is more than 50% off average tutoring prices!
4)Flexibility of schedule We all live busy lives, time is scarce, and the need for flexibility is more important than ever. Online tutoring sessions are convenient for both parties, making scheduling your Spanish lessons at odd times possible. Meeting in the evenings on a weekday can be difficult if you have to drive to a local cafe or public space. At Spanish55, you can schedule your lessons as early as 7:00 am Pacific Time and as late
as 8:00 pm Pacific Time (adjust accordingly if you live in a different time zone).
Most providers for Skype Spanish lessons offer flexible cancellation policies. There is no need to call your tutor to request a cancellation; everything is done from a convenient online student portal. At Spanish55, a 12-hour advance notice is required for cancellations.
5)Comfort of your home We all know there is no place like home. You have a favorite spot in the house, a favorite chair and a favorite cup of tea. You also have access to food at all times without having to pay a premium.
Learning requires your full, undivided attention. It is also extremely important that you feel relaxed; this is where working with a professional comes in. A great Spanish tutor will create a stress-free environment. It all starts with a friendly oral placement test, accurately calculating your level of comfort with the language, and understanding your profile and goals.
If you are still reading, chances are you are committed to acquiring fluency in the Spanish language, and this means you will be doing a lot of talking. Most learners are shy about speaking a new language, which is completely normal and expected. At home, you can talk as much as you like with no fear of being shushed by anyone around you. A bad experience can have devastating effects on your confidence and attitude towards learning a new language. Public spaces have distractions, like people tapping the table or playing their loud music, or even the occasional uncomfortable stare.
6)Online resources To increase your chances of success, your learning experience has to be enjoyable. The internet offers many resources, from free podcasts to flashcards to news in your target language. There are online resources for everyone. You may be asking yourself, how is this related to my Skype Spanish lessons? Well, a professional language tutor will know your level, interests, and goals; therefore, his or her recommendations will help you navigate the sea of information you will find on the internet. At Spanish55, your private tutor will research online resources during the lesson-planning process. However, meeting with a tutor in a public place limits you to printed material the tutor has in his or her possession. Of course, you can also access online resources at a caf , but in most cases, it is neither convenient nor effective for the student and the tutor to be looking at the same screen.
7)Technology Open your laptop and expect a video-call on the hour. With little to no effort, you will be face-to-face with your Spanish tutor. The simplicity of Skype means you are more likely to adjust to the routine of regular Spanish lessons. Warning: your excuses will start fading away. No more calculating your commute time and canceling appointments at the last minute.
Skype is absolutely free to use and has amazing features like file-sharing and screen-sharing, which allow for much easier interactions with learning materials. In an instant, you can receive a worksheet in a
digital format or see your tutor's screen in real-time. Need help with technology? Give us a call and we will happily guide you through it free of charge, no matter how long it takes. Our goal is for your Spanish lesson to be a stress-free experience.
Most providers of Skype Spanish lessons are able to send a friendly reminder message to make sure you don't miss your lesson. At Spanish55, you can expect an email reminder 1 day prior to your lesson as well as a text message reminder 2 hours prior to the lesson start time. Need to cancel? Just reply "2" and your coach will be notified immediately.
Skype is readily available and works on many platforms. For language learning, a PC or Mac is preferred as you will take advantage of all the available features and more screen real estate.
8)Chat transcript Everything shared over the chat window is immediately a study guide! From text to pictures and worksheets, everything stays saved on Skype. Both the learner and the tutor can type directly into the chat window, receiving immediate feedback on their writing as well as on their speaking and pronunciation. Curious to know how something is written? Ask your tutor and he or she will gladly type it out for you. Review the Skype chat to reinforce new vocabulary, grammar structure, jargon and much more. The chat transcript will always be accessible on all platforms, including the Skype app on your smartphone for you to study on the go!
A possible downside to learning from a tutor in a cafe or a public place is that you will not leave with much; perhaps you will receive a worksheet to continue practicing and some oral instructions on what to study.
9)Record for later! Want to record your Skype Spanish lesson? There's third-party software for that! Recording a Skype class is a great way to review the material at a later time. If you struggle with pronunciation or with remembering words, you can playback your session and listen to how you are speaking to make slight adjustments. Knowing that the lesson is being recorded will also allow you to concentrate on the moment without stressing about memorizing everything.
To get started recording, simply look for software to record Skype calls. You will find software like Evaer for PC and Ecamm for Mac.
10)Real-world experience Many adult learners have experienced Spanish in one way or another from software to apps, to traditional classroom learning. What all these options are missing is the real-world human interaction. Luckily, this is where your Skype Spanish lessons come in!
Choose a tutor who fits your specific needs. The Spanish you will need in a business meeting in Spain is different from the Spanish you will need for daily interactions with native Spanish speakers in the US. At Spanish55, you will learn neutral Latin American Spanish, which will allow you to interact with almost 100% of Spanish speakers in the world.
11)Online platforms vs online language
schools Be aware of the difference to avoid potential disaster. As with anything else in life, you get what you pay for. Online platforms are attractive due to the diversity of tutors you will find and the affordable pricing. Language schools tend to be highly selective with professors hired and offer more consistent language instruction.
Here are some possible disadvantages of online platforms:
-Tutors are working from home with sometimes spotty internet connections. -Tutors are responsible for finding their own teaching materials online. -Tutors have no formal continuing education. -Tutors are not interviewed or put to the test; one can simply sign up as a tutor. -Tutors may not have knowledge of teaching methodologies. -Tutors are not employed by the platform and can leave at any time. -The tutor may not know much about your culture, making it hard to relate.
Here are some possible disadvantages of online language schools:
-Fewer tutors to choose from means less diversity. -Higher prices due to high standards of service. -A smaller team means limited availability and no 24/7 availability. -Less technology and resources than online platforms.
12)Reviews A great advantage of online learning is the ability to verify your tutor's credentials without making it awkward. Contrary to popular belief, the less advanced a student is the more experienced the
professor has to be. Beginners may face frustration, confusion and culture shock, and this is where an experienced tutor will shine.
Reviews are easily made up when they are posted on a private website. Unfortunately, there is no "review police" online! When researching companies, make sure reviews are verified by third parties. Examples are websites like Yelp, which uses algorithms to hide reviews that appear to be fake, and Thumbtack.com, which verifies users before letting them write a review. It is also great to look for video testimonials for added credibility. Last tip: Testimonials that include promo codes or special links to sign up are almost always a hoax.
What's next? Want to try a free Spanish lesson over Skype with Spanish55? Use our online scheduler; it only takes a few seconds to get started. No credit card information required.
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