Do Online Language Classes Work?

Michel is taking Spanish classes online via Skype with an E-Learning For All teacher and he is very happy with his classes. Talking to a friend of his about his lessons he realizes that his friend is not very convinced that it is possible to learn a language online.

Michel: Dude, I'm learning Spanish with a teacher from Argentina via Skype. I enjoy it a lot because I take classes twice a week at 10:00 pm when I'm already at home in my PJs. It's only 30 minutes, to me it's perfect!

Gabriel: Really?! I never liked online classes, I think they are too impersonal, I don't know!

Michel: We disagree there! The classes couldn't be more personalized. I choose magazine or newspaper articles online about topics that interest me and we talk about them in class. We talk a lot, it's as if I were having a conversation with a friend in my living room. My teacher makes a chart with the new words we use in class and with the words that I have difficulty with and we review those things together.

Gabriel: It must be cool for a conversation class, but how about for learning grammar? Do you have any books? I don't know,  man, it all just seems so weird to me!

Michel: She prepares classes based on what I need. We do not use a book, no, but she sends me a document called Google Doc that is interactive, everything she writes, I can instantly see it and vice versa. Everything is automatically saved in this document and I can open it on my phone or on any computer. As I asked for conversation classes we don't do much grammar, but there have been times in which we had to review some grammar points and she explained all the details, we did exercises and she even sent me homework. Gabriel, you need to update yourself!

Gabriel: I'm kind of old-fashioned, man! I like to write when I'm learning, and writing on the computer is not my thing!

Michel: I have to confess that we agree there, I learn better when I write on a piece of paper, but hey, my teacher recommended that I have a little notebook to write vocabulary, verbs, grammar rules or anything else that I find interesting during class and I do that. Next to my computer is my little notebook!

Gabriel: Well, I guess I could learn this way then. But I think a half-hour class is simply too short, there is hardly any time to get started!

Michel: I had the same idea at first, but I realized it's more than enough because I'm the only one in class. When I was in a group class I had fewer opportunities to speak, and when the teacher was asking a question to another student, I could rest or think of something else. In these classes I have to be focused for the whole 30 minutes, it is very intense!

Gabriel: It makes sense! Is it possible to have a free lesson to try?

Michel: Sure, there's a button on E-Learning For All's website that you can sign up for a free demo class. Fill out the form and then a teacher is going to send you an email or a Whatsapp message to schedule the class. You'll like it, I'm sure!

Gabriel: I'll give this online class a chance then. Thanks, dude!

E-Learning For All teacher offers a variety of online language classes. You can learn Spanish, French, Portuguese and English. The first class is free and all you have to do is sign up by clicking here.