Good question.
An online Italian lesson could be any length, of course, and there’s nothing to stop you, say, buying 10 x 30 minute lessons, then choosing to take 5 x 60 minute classes instead. Or even two x 150 minute classes, if you insist.
The customer is always right round here.
It would certainly be much more convenient for the teacher, who’d have to plan and set up fewer lessons, mark and correct less homework, and would generally therefore have an easier time and earn more money, more quickly.
But with 10 shorter meetings instead of 5 longer ones, you’ll have a longer period in which to build a relationship with your teacher (with whom you will be speaking in Italian, of course). And more time in between lessons to study and to reflect on the feedback you receive.
Which means more progress.
There’s no denying that language-learning takes time and effort, and that success will likely come only in the medium or longer term. Important therefore to find a steady pace, one that fits with your busy life, and which you can keep up for a while.
Plus, the human brain is structured in such a way that an intensive burst of studying may achieve little, whereas learning based on lasting relationships and habits (you and your online teacher who you meet once a week, for example) is likely to be much easier and more effective.
A larger number of shorter lessons will help you create a habit of studying and communicating which should eventually lead to the improved confidence, fluency and understanding that you desire.
And then, there’s the fact that with shorter classes, what you paid for lasts longer…
Conclusion? Because I personally think you will get more 30-minute classes, that’s what I offer in our online shop, and that’s what our teachers will recommend to you.
But the final choice is yours. So, if you find 30 minutes is too little time (remember it’s 1-1, so quite intensive), well, there’s nothing to stop you doing more.
Convinced? Good, now get along to the shop and get started on improving your Italian. Your teacher is waiting!
Not convinced (yet)?
Remember the offer this week? You buy one lesson and give it a try. If you’re not completely satisfied, just e-mail me to let me know and I’ll refund your money. No arguments.
Click here to visit our shop.
A domani.
P.S. The “money-back if you ask” offer has just two more days to run.
Sunday night is the deadline to try an online Italian lesson risk free (don’t ask which time-zone: that stuff confuses the hell out of our shopping cart software.)
So, here’s that link again.
Dianne Price says
Is 30 minutes long enough for a Skype lesson?
My 30 minute lessons for me are perfect.
In my lessons with Lucia, there are long pauses, half the lesson is made up of “um, um, um’s” and embarrassing laughter, so I finds 30 minutes is over very quickly. By the time we talk about some personal ‘stuff’ (which is great Italian conversation anyway) and then do our compiti and esercizi the lesson is over, but Lucia is very generous with her time. I feel I get very good value for my lesson, which is once a week, so this suits me. A 1 to 1 lesson is very intense, so I wouldn’t want it any longer. Also, we in Australia, have to pay 30% more for the lessons because of our exchange rate. The lessons NOW are a lot more expensive than 10 months ago when I started.
Daniel says
Apologies for the exchange rate, Dianne. According to the Economist, it’s due to the fact that the Australian economy is doing so well. Wish we had the same problem here in Italy!
Dianne Price says
Yes Daniel, I suppose I shouldn’t grizzle- I can remember when we were paying 17% interest on our mortgage! Now we are retired it affects our travel plans making them very expensive!
Daniel says
That must have been a nightmare!
But exchange rates go up and down. Hold fast, one day it’ll be the other way around and everything will be cheap again!
bruce benson says
Good advice.