Preply is certainly a valid option when it comes to searching for a platform to learn a language, but sometimes people want to search for Preply alternatives because they have already used it and it didn’t work for them or because they looked at it and hesitated. There are certainly alternatives, but as someone who teaches both on Preply and independently, I think there are a few things to take into consideration when searching for alternatives.
Sometimes, what students are actually trying to work out is whether it is a tutor problem or an arrangement problem.
There are many reasons why a teacher might not be a good fit for a student. A teacher can still be a great teacher and not meet the specific needs of a student as, especially when it is a one-to one lesson, there are many expectations. Over time, students may start to suspect that is not simply bad luck, but something about the way the marketplace works, and look for a different arrangement.
What students are trying to solve
I never experienced a mismatch with a student regardless of the platform the lessons took place on, but it is quite evident to me that students who have some experience with learning languages don’t only want to understand its structure, but want to use it and practise it in real-life communication settings. When the teacher only proposes working through a textbook, it feels boring and doesn’t motivate the student.
Some students have come to me after trying several other tutors and restarting their learning process over and over again.
Another point that might cause a mismatch and lead the student to search for alternatives outside the platform as well can be the correction style. Especially in live sessions, correction needs calibrating. After all, interrupting every error can kill fluency for someone who needs to feel more confident while speaking.
The person might not be a good match, leading the student to search for another tutor on the same platform.
You might also search for Preply alternatives when the audio is poor, the room is being dull to look at and the platform is not intuitive or when you can’t say what you are working towards.
Some alternatives that exist
In cases like these, sometimes you need to search for Preply alternatives and italki (I compared the two here, including the cost and whether they're worth it) is certainly the other one-to-one marketplace that might work. It is a valid option if you want to look for a tutor at around the same price as the tutor you worked with on Preply and it is very much focused on private lessons between an experienced teacher and the student.
In particular, if you’re urgently looking for a teacher who can help you prepare for an exam, such as a citizenship exam, it may be worth considering italki and seeing what options are available. However, this marketplace can still present the same browsing challenges described above.
Among my favourite Preply alternatives are language schools with online group classes, which I find extremely useful when a student who is used to one-to-one lessons wants to challenge themselves in a less protected setting and in front of other people who are at more or less the same level. Group classes are usually cheaper per hour. One negative aspect, though, is that the focus of the teacher is not only on you.
I think it is something that you can do even if you are thinking of looking for another teacher, as you can still keep yours while practising the language in a different setting from the usual one. It keeps you more motivated.
When you are already exposed to the language a great deal because, for example, you have an Italian partner and can talk to them on a daily basis, using apps and self-study can be key. Especially if you already learned another language before and you can give yourself structure, these apps can be a real help while you still practise with a native speaker.
Apps are good for vocabulary and daily habit, but they can be genuinely bad at producing speech. That’s why a combination always works better.
When I was improving my Spanish, I spoke on a daily basis to native Spanish speakers based in Spain and it was a great way to convert passive knowledge into fluent practice. Trying to communicate what you have in mind with the words that you have is a hard exercise that allows you to work with the linguistic tools that are available to you.
To make the language exchange very effective, you can first have an open conversation and then focus on a specific topic you prepared beforehand; this way, preparing the vocabulary in advance will force you to use it during the actual conversation and, through the practice, help you memorise it as well.
Correction style also plays a role in this, as some students prefer to be interrupted and corrected in the moment, whereas others want to talk freely and only later understand their mistakes. Considering it is supposed to be an exchange, it is recommended to split the time strictly, half in each language; otherwise a fair balance between the two languages will not be reached.
A teacher, though, also offers structure and correction; an exchange partner is a great option for challenging yourself in a less guided setting.
There is also another category I am part of, that of independent teachers with their own website. This is a smaller category compared to a marketplace and it requires you to trust one person. The downside is that there is no platform to arbitrate a dispute, but the good side is that you can really see what you are buying. Marketplaces are optimised to make comparisons in an easy way, which works well when the range of teachers is very big, but my website is about me.
What a marketplace is good for
A marketplace provide you with a range of teachers the student can choose from, with different accents, experience, personalities, methods. A marketplace allows you, when uncertain, to try several teachers cheaply before committing; and if a tutor does not show up, or there is a communication issue, you have somebody to complain to.
Time zones can also be tricky; on a marketplace there is a very large choice of times them. For some students, the right answer is to stay where they are: searching for a tutor on a marketplace is also a good choice if you do not yet know what you want from lessons. Committing early might be a mistake.
In addition to this, you can switch teachers simply by booking someone else, which the teacher might not like, but it saves you an awkward conversation and it makes the switching process faster.
On Preply you can take out a subscription with one teacher, for example one of 8 lessons a month (ideally 2 lessons per week) but you are not actually forced to end your lessons within one month, what matters is that the lessons are scheduled so you don’t lose them. The subscription will automatically renew for 8 more lessons per month and, when needed, the number of hours can also be reduced or increased. A marketplace like Preply certainly puts students first.
What changes when you work with one teacher
When you work with one teacher, having the same person every week, someone who knows you very well and knows your specific spots, makes the difference. After every lesson you are provided with feedback and, if the teaching style works for you, you do not need to search for anyone else for a very long time.
One teacher also means also one set of times, which might be a problem when the time zone is very different or when you want a specific slot that is already booked or is not available on your teacher’s schedule.
A good teacher on a marketplace can do exactly the same things; an independent teacher, though, can decline students who are not a fit. Preply’s ranking rewards breadth and availability. Therefore, on an independent website the teacher has certainly chosen your case, rather than simply filled a slot for performance reasons.
I have the feeling that the relationship can also become more personal and long-term but for me it is not very different with the students I teach on marketplaces, whom I have also met in person several times.
There is a specific plan that runs across months and also more relaxed conversational lessons. And if you do not agree with some of the marketplace’s rules, like an automated charge on your bank card every month, this can work better for you. I also offer a free trial lesson, with no commitment, so you can see what working with one teacher costs and includes.
On a marketplace like Preply, the trial is a paid lesson, and if you are not satisfied it is moved back to your balance so that you can try someone else, twice, after which trials are simply lessons you have paid for.
On italki the trial lesson is also paid, but when not satisfied you need to contact customer support for your credits to be returned.
What best fits your needs
Choosing a teacher on a marketplace, despite the filters that you can apply, requires effort and can feel overwhelming; searching for an independent teacher can sometimes feel safer.
If you do not yet know what you want from lessons, Preply can be worth it to keep trying teachers before deciding what works for you; you do not need to compromise right now. If you need a specific outcome, such as an exam, the citizenship test or preparing for your next trip Italy, ask for a plan before you take out a subscription.
If you have restarted multiple times with different tutors, the teacher was not the problem. Instead, take a free trial lesson and aim for a single plan that will last.