Preply Review: Get Fluent With the Best Online Language Tutors

We all know that person who’s been on language apps but never speaks. That is not the way to get fluent.

How to Get Fluent in Any Language

To become fluent, focus on four essential skills: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.

For speaking practice, the gold standard is to talk to a human. ⭐️

Real conversations are like rocket fuel for language learning progress.

Where to Find Great Speaking Practice in Any Language

While it’s free to talk to your friend or partner, there’s a better shortcut to learning a language: find a tutor!

Tutors are the best because they listen patiently while you make mistakes, they show up like professionals, and know how to teach the language (unlike your girlfriend’s uncle).

One of the easiest ways to find a great language tutor is to try out a platform like Preply, and that’s what we’re doing today.

What is Preply?

Preply is a leading online language learning platform that connects a global community of over 42,000 expert tutors teaching 50+ languages to hundreds of thousands of learners in 180 countries.

How I Reviewed and Tested Preply as a Student

For this review, I signed up to Preply as a student and looked for classes in French and Welsh.

Try it out here <—

Each tutor has a welcome video so you can experience their voice and teaching style. You can filter by native language, timezone, and cost per lesson.

There’s a Super Tutor status that highlights tutors who are highly rated and experienced, similar to the Superhost status on Airbnb. I would definitely use this to find a good match for my beginner languages like Mandarin or Russian.

After the trial lesson, Preply asks you to subscribe to the tutor’s lessons, so you’re paying once a month for 1-4 weekly classes.

Is Preply Good? Here are the Pros

Here’s what I liked most while I wrote my Preply review:

Finding Tutors Was Easy

It was not difficult to select a tutor and I enjoyed the video introductions.

All my tutors were friendly, approachable, and a good match from the start. I chose to subscribe for Welsh and paid for 4 weekly classes upfront. It was easy to schedule them.

From the teacher side, I’ve also heard good things. The tutors I talked to have a range of students and showed a lot of enthusiasm for teaching. Preply makes it easy to find students and offers useful training.

No Time Wasted Trying to Find the Perfect Tutor

Once you’re matched, subscribe and commit. If you’re an overthinker who never feels like you have the perfect solution, this is a good thing. It keeps you focused where you need to focus.

Plenty of Lesson Preparation

I liked the preparation screen, where I could give details on my learning and goals. In the bigger languages (French, German, English …but not Welsh) there was also a placement test and I could record a little message to my tutor in my target language. The system classed me as a B2 student, which felt about right overall.

Good Preply Tech and Design

All in all, my experience with Preply was brilliant. A good-looking platform that is easy to use, works well, and got me into speaking practice very quickly.

I liked that there was not a lot of trial and error, and had zero problems with the a video call inside of the Preply platform, so no need to download Zoom or connect on anything else.

There’s also a handy app, which I downloaded, and I connected my Google calendar so I could get lesson reminders.

What are the Downsides of Using Preply to Learn a Language?

The biggest con is not really a con here: A lot of people don’t like the subscription model.

As a learner, it does push you to commit at an earlier stage, but if you take your trial lesson seriously and don’t shop around for a dozen free chats, I think this is actually a good thing.

The only thing I would suggest is allow 25-minute lessons as well as 50-minute lessons, but that’s not a dealbreaker.

Conclusion: Is Preply a Good Platform?

All in all, my experience as a Preply tester was positive.

• Easy to Set Up and Use: A good-looking site and app that got to the point fast.

• Great Tutor Selection: The tutors I worked with for this review were lovely and professional.

• Subscription model: This cements Preply as a platform for learners and weeds out shoppers.

Preply vs Italki

If you want to compare Preply and Italki, the two biggest online marketplaces for language tutors, here’s what you need to know.

Price is not the key point. As a former tutor, I do not agree that you should select your own language tutors based on who’s the cheapest. Here are my tips for finding tutors at the right price.

Both are legit platforms where you’ll find language tutors at a range of prices.

• Preply: Structured subscription, easier planning.

• italki: Flexible bookings, but with potential for distraction by shopping around.

Choose Preply if you want a reliable language routine. If you want drop-in, on-the-fly lessons, Italki may suit.

Is it Hard to Cancel a Preply Subscription?

Although some users report issues with cancelling subscriptions, my experience was straightforward and problem-free. I paid the expected amount and cancelled after scheduling the lessons I had paid for.

Having been a tutor, I think I’d also like this commitment because it’s one of the most important ways to get a student invested.

Get More Out of Preply For Advanced Language Learners

If you have a high level in your target language, why not take a class in a fun subject like art or music in that language? After a quick search, I found fun options like

• Guitar lessons from a Tunisian French speaker

• Public Speaking practice with a Spanish speaker

• Literature lessons from a Korean native

Is Preply Legit and Trustworthy?

Based on reports from my tutors and my experience as a Preply tester, it’s a yes.

Preply found me reliable tutors for several languages very quickly, and the lesson quality was good. The payment system is different to other platforms, but I felt it was fair and simple.

Is Preply Safe?

With Preply, I had zero problems in terms of safety. If you’re looking for lessons for your child, you’ll be reassured by the video introductions and in-built classroom system.

What if I Miss My Lesson on Preply?

As a student, Preply only allows lesson cancellation up to 12 hours before your scheduled timeslot. If you miss the lesson without telling Preply or the tutor, you still have to pay for it.

Disclaimer: Preply provided me with sign-up credit and compensation for my time writing this review. The links I share are affiliate links. This did not affect the content and my experiences and words are fully independent.

How To Learn A New Language With Smart And Useful Goals

For a long time, I had a difficult relationship with goal-setting. As a fully-fledged questioner, I find it hard to take anything at face value, let alone the idea that I must have a goal to achieve anything.

When I was learning languages in full-time education environments like school and university, the goals weren't on my mind. My school sorted that out for me: turn up to classes, write essays, take exams. But since I've started working with independent language learners (and since I became one), goals have taken an entirely different role.

As an independent language learner, you need to know what to do. It's easy to think that you're already doing the work by stating what you want to achieve. But let me have an honest moment with you here:

Those goals don't help you do things.

In this article, you'll learn about the two types of goals you need for language learning.

Contents

Goal Type 1: Vision Goals
The Little-Known System for Success in Language Learning
Goal Type 2: Path Goals
Recap: The 2 Goal Types You Need for Learning a Language
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Structure Your Language Learning Routine

Goal Type 1: Vision Goals

Let's have a look at those language learning goals I see online again and again.

• "I want to become fluent in Spanish"
• "I want to have a 15-minute conversation in German" Or here is one that I set for myself last year:
• "I want to speak Welsh at the Eisteddfod festival in August"

I am sure you have often heard about SMART goals. In many areas of life, our goals will only serve us if we make them specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.

In my mind, these fail the SMART list on a bunch of counts:

• They're not specific and realistic enough because they are your inspiration

• They aren't measurable, because concepts like "fluency" or "fluent conversation" just aren't

• They aren't time-specific either, unless you want to make yourself sad by setting a painfully ambitious deadline

None of this is a bad thing in itself. If you are motivated and driven by a vision of your future self speaking a foreign language without hesitating, then that is an amazing image to hold on to. It should be one of the many vague and inspiring concepts you hold dear, and in fact I would even advise you start visualizing your success.

But those visions aren't useful goals, because they just won't help you when it gets down to doing the language learning work. You need that vision.

And for times when you've carved out that half hour to get to business and really learn a language, you need goals.

The Little-Known System for Success in Language Learning

Goal Type 2: Path Goals

In my Welsh studies, I've been completely independent from the start. I don't have that external structure of tutor, group class, exams, and it took a while before I found a way to use my time for language learning. At first, I tried ideas like "I want fluency" and even "I want to speak Welsh at the Eisteddfod in August". They worked as a motivator, but failed to give me a clear idea of the steps I wanted to take to learn a language.

My current path goals in Welsh

I needed something that would help me know what to do when my study time comes. These goals are what I call path goals. They guide you when you're in study mode and mark the milestones on your path.

Here's what you need for making good path goals:

Structure

Structure is the thing that stops you from starting every study session wondering what you'll work on today. It's absolute gold for independent language learners, because you simply don't have the time to faff every single time. Decision fatigue is real, and it's going to paralyze you if you allow it.

Learn more about how this works when you study more than one language.

• Schedule the days when you're going to study your language, so you can treat them like any other appointment.
• Use your path goals as simple "next steps" so you spend zero time deciding what matters.
• Get some external structure. Follow an established course, work with a tutor, or use a textbook or online course. Even without that, you can be just as successful. Set your goals up to match the four core skills, and this should provide you with the sense of variety and progress you need.

Core Skills

The four core skills are the essential set of everything that makes language learning a success for you. You will want to focus on some more than others, but ultimately you need to put work into all four for becoming that inspiring future self.

The four core skills are listening, speaking, reading and writing. (I wrote a book about this!) Structure your goals around improving in each one, and you're guaranteed to succeed.

There might be other areas you want to focus on too, such as improving your pronunciation and vocabulary. But if you've got the four core skills covered in your goals, I would advise you not to worry too much about any others. They will come naturally as you improve and respond to your needs in every situation.

Variety

Variety is a key component of the path goals you set for yourself. It's realistic to acknowledge that moods, motivation and focus can vary from day to day. So on one day you might be excited to crack open the textbook and work your phrases, but on another day all you want is speaking practice with a tutor.

Having varied goals (I recommend at least 4 to cover each core skill) allows you to pick from a short, focused list of tasks and make progress in every single study session.

Recap: The 2 Goal Types You Need for Learning a Language

So there you have it. Goal setting isn't the holy grail of productivity. But when you do it right and know your goal types, each step can give you the right support you need to progress today.

1. Set Vision Goals

You can call this an intention, a vision, a goal. This is the imagined, vivid image of your future self that will keep you going.

2. Set Path Goals

Path goals are not big visions, they are the structured next steps that will help you when it's time to work on studying

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Set a Smart Goal for Learning a Language?

Start by creating your big and inspiring vision goal. This is about where you see yourself once you have mastered your language. This grand vision will help you get excited and keep you motivated throughout your language learning journey.

Next, break down this vision into SMART path goals. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. These smaller, well-defined goals act as stepping stones towards your ultimate vision, making the learning process manageable and less overwhelming.

What is an Example of a SMART Language Learning Goal?

Let’s create a SMART goal example: suppose you have a language learning podcast you enjoy. Instead of a vague goal like “listen to a language learning podcast,” make it specific and actionable.

Instead of saying “listen to language learning podcast”, you could try and say: “Listen to episode 4 of the [Podcast Name] and write down 5 new words by Friday.”

This goal is specific (listen to a particular episode), measurable (5 new words), achievable (within a week), relevant (improves vocabulary), and time-bound (by Friday). 

Such SMART goals keep you focused and make your progress trackable. For more detailed guidance, consider exploring the full Language Habit System® I created specifically for language learners.

What is the Best Way to Learn a Language?

The best part about learning a language is that everything will work a little bit. Rule one should be to do what you enjoy the most. You are NOT doing it wrong. The beauty of language learning lies in its flexibility, and almost any method can contribute to your progress.

It will help you massively when you set yourself goals that help you along the way. Think about why you are learning the language, and where you want to be in the future. For the day-to-day process, add in SMART “Path Goals” that make it easy to take action.

How to Structure Your Language Learning Routine

Do you want to follow the system I explained in this article and start to discover your ideal language learning routine? Then I recommend you check out the Language Habit System, my hands-on course to help you learn any language with personalized milestones.

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