Italki Review

Sunday, June 26th

2022 Latin Lesson Reviews

Italki

• Live lessons
• One-on-one instruction
• Affordable and flexible fee options
• About 20 instructors to choose from
• Skilled instructors even at the lower fee rates
• Flexible class schedules

Italki has been around since 2006. It started as a social network for people around the world to practice their language skills and learn from each other. Two years later, they expanded into a marketplace where those who wanted to learn a language would pay someone to teach it to them. It was a new idea and it worked. Today, there are over 150 languages you can learn, more than 20,000 teachers, and there have been over five million people from more than 180 countries who have chosen to learn through Italki.

Certified proficiency

The teachers on italki are tested or must prove native proficiency in that language through certification, and they're required to speak in that language for you in their introduction video. This way, you know you have people who really can communicate well in the language you want to learn.

How to select your teacher

Well, one thing is done for you: you know that they are certified in Latin. Most, if not all, speak English, so that's helpful for you. Next, you can watch their video to learn about them and hear them speak Latin. You can also see how many students they have had, how many lessons given, and reviews. The detailed reviews are useful to see if what these students liked or disliked are the same features you're looking for in a teacher as well.

You can change teachers

You can stick with the same teacher if you like them and your schedules work together. Or you can change teachers at any time - you're not locked in or committed in any way. Heck, you can even change teachers for each Latin lesson, though we wouldn't recommend it. We'd suggest giving a teacher two to three tries so you both can get to know each other as well as their teaching style and your learning style.

Three trial lessons

Italki wants you to give them a try, so you have three discounted classes available to you. Use your three trial Latin lessons with the same teacher, different teachers, or even try a different language while you've got a deep discount.

Now get going and take your lesson

Choose the time and date you want your lesson. Each teacher has a calendar with their availability, so find a teacher and time slot that works. No worries if your teacher is in a different country or time zone: the calendar is for the time zone you set for yourself. At the class time, enter your Student Dashboard, find today's lesson, click to enter, share your screen, and start to learn Latin. If you're concerned about the wifi signal on your part or that of your instructor, you can do a pre-lesson check - no class time wasted in the old, can you hear me now? After your lesson, you can submit a review.

Costs

• From $11 to $45 per hour

More expensive may not indicate better

The teachers with teaching degrees, university degrees, and actual teaching experience are permitted to charge more. Some italki students have found that there are excellent instructors in the lower price bracket, so you'll just need to try for yourself.

Confusing payment structure

You don't pay directly in dollars; instead, you use credits that you purchase. Converting your actual dollars to credits and vice-versa might be a bit catchy. You should also know that there is a 4% processing fee, whether you use a credit card or PayPal.

Italki Community

You can submit your writing sample to the italki community. Anyone in the Latin community can make comments and suggestions on your work. Italki asks that you not only receive help, but also offer help to those learning English or other languages you may already know. You can also find exercises to complete under the Community tab. Since the Community is made of people, you can ask questions, share your learning stories and milestones, and meet and connect with others through discussions on language and culture. Aside from the Community, italki admin is available to answer your questions, and they assure you a response within 48 hours.

You'll talk-i with italki

Your teacher is a real person in real time. During your lesson, they will want to interact with you to make sure you have understood or to ask you where you are stuck. They will also want to converse with you. If you're not awake and ready to go, or if you are camera shy and would rather learn more passively, it's not fair to you or the teacher. There are other language programs out there where you match images to words or phrases, and speak into a microphone rather than to a real person. If you like that, and prefer no face-to-face interaction, you might try another of our other highly-rated Latin platforms. However, given that with italki you're learning from an expert in Latin who can work directly with you one-on-one, plus you have a community of members you can interact with, we rate italki highly.