Preply Language Learning Tool Review

What is Preply? 

While many language courses emphasize repetition and rules, focusing on the real-world application of a language, like conversational skills and pronunciation, can be one of the fastest and most effective ways to learn. 

With the self-proclaimed “world’s largest selection of language tutors,” Preply helps connect you with vetted, private tutors who provide interactive one-on-one online lessons that are personalized to your needs, goals and budget. 

With Preply, you have access to more than 32,000 tutors teaching 50 languages to find someone who fits your style and schedule. They make it simple to book a session and provide the tools you need for a seamless online classroom experience, like audio and video, note and message features, and an interactive whiteboard. You have the option to switch tutors and reschedule as needed, so you can feel confident you’re getting the language learning experience that you need to succeed.

How Preply Works

Having your own personal language coach who can create customized learning plans may seem like a luxury, but Preply makes it accessible and affordable enough for anyone to enjoy. 

By providing a large network of tutors with a range of skillsets, certifications and teaching styles to meet your unique needs and goals plus a safe and convenient space to learn online, Preply helps create that personalized experience for fast and effective language learning.

Here’s a look at what you can expect once you decide to take the plunge with Preply:

1. Find your tutor.
Choose your perfect tutor using Preply’s search features, which allow you to select your tutors’ native and second language(s), nationality, availability, specialties, certification and price per hour. Many tutors post intro videos to give you a better feel for their personalities, backgrounds and teaching styles, and you can also see reviews from other students.

2. Schedule a trial lesson.
Once you’ve found a tutor you like, Preply offers all new students an hour-long “trial lesson” (the price depends on the tutor you choose) so you can meet your tutor, discuss your needs and goals, as well as create a plan. If something doesn’t feel quite right, you can request a refund or free tutor replacement, or choose to subscribe to your tutor on an ongoing basis (Preply recommends at least three times per week for the best results). Trial lessons are one hour long, but subsequent lessons can be 30 minutes, 45 minutes, one hour or longer.

3. Choose your subscription.
Once you’ve completed your trial lesson, you’ll choose how many hours per week you want to meet with your tutor and pay for them as part of a monthly subscription fee (more on that later). Preply recommends sticking to a recurring schedule to help promote consistent learning, although you are able to schedule individual lessons around your tutor’s availability. You can change, pause, cancel your subscription at any time, and you always have the option to change tutors as needed.

In addition to customized language lessons, Preply offers language classes for school, college and university students, professionals or corporations, and test preparation such as IELTS and TOEFL.

The Preply App

In addition to signing up and accessing your secure Preply Classroom through the website, Preply also offers a user-friendly mobile app that allows for seamless learning on-the-go. With the app, students can schedule lessons, communicate with their tutors, and access lesson materials all in one place. The app also features interactive tools such as audio and video recording, making it easy for students to practice their speaking skills even when they are not in a live lesson. 

Preply’s Teaching Methodology 

Unlike the typical independent, often isolated style of learning offered by most digital language platforms, Preply offers something that a Chatbot or artificial intelligence tool simply can’t provide—a personal touch. 

They believe that interactive, human-based instruction is a more effective way to learn a language, and their tutors tailor lessons to your needs while focusing on developing strong conversational skills from day one—arguably the most critical part of learning a new language. 

In addition to live lessons to build confidence and put what you’re learning into practice, Preply also enables you to customize and continue learning outside the online classroom from your computer, tablet or mobile app with self-study courses. The course topics are broad, from grammar exercises to vocabulary practice about trending topics, and introduce key language for the topic through short listenings, readings and exercises. 

During your Preply lessons, your tutor will send you words and phrases through the chat. You can import these words and phrases and practice them on the go with Preply’s vocabulary feature. This feature uses spaced repetition, which is a technique that has been proven to increase learning speed.

While live lessons are the core of Preply’s language learning experience, they also understand the importance of providing other activities to expand and reinforce your newfound skills for the best results. Mixing up how you learn prevents boredom and keeps your memory fresh.

Preply Pricing and Plans 

Learning a new language requires both regular practice and commitment, which is why Preply offers courses and lessons through a paid subscription model to help encourage students to stick with their sessions for increased success. 

Subscriptions allow students to choose how many hours of lessons they’ll take every week (between one to five hours), and set up an automatic recurring payment to refill their hours every 28 days. The exact pricing you’ll pay per month with your subscription will vary based on how many hours per week you’d like to commit to learning and the price your tutor charges per lesson. 

For example, say you choose a tutor who charges $8.50 a lesson, and you decide that you’d like to meet with them three times per week (or three hours a week). That works out to 12 lessons every four weeks, which would amount to you being charged $102 per subscription period (plus any additional fees). 

While Preply recommends sticking to the same schedule every week for consistency and efficacy, you can essentially choose to use your paid lesson allotment however you’d like within that four-week timeframe. 

If for some reason you’re not able to use up all of the lesson time you’ve paid for in a particular period, Preply even allows you to carry over up to a week of your monthly hours into the next cycle. Plus, you always have the flexibility to pause, cancel or change your subscription plan at any time.

Preply Trial Lesson

Before you commit to a subscription plan, you’ll first have to complete your trial lesson with a tutor of your choice. When searching for tutors, you’ll be able to see the price per lesson each person charges, and can even filter by price to best suit your budget and needs. Prices can range anywhere from $5 to over $50 for a standard lesson (about 50 minutes) depending on the tutor you choose, which is often reflective of their experience, qualifications and additional certifications. While students will be charged for this trial lesson, Preply does offer a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee policy, so if the lesson didn’t happen or the tutor didn’t meet your expectations, you can request a free tutor replacement or get a full refund. 

Preply Promo Code Savings

While Preply really does provide something to fit basically every budget, they also often run special promo savings and other discounts. Your best bet is to sign up on Preply.com to receive savings sent straight to your email inbox. 

There you can also get more details about the student discount Preply offers for university level learners, as well as their referral program that rewards both you and a friend for trusting Preply to help you learn a new language. 

Preply Customer Service 

In addition to a robust online help center full of detailed FAQs and articles, Preply also has a helpful customer support team who speak a variety of languages and are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The best way to get in touch is to utilize their chat feature directly on their website or through the Preply App, or by emailing [email protected]. 

Preply does not currently offer phone or video support.

How Preply Compares to the Competition

Preply provides a digital language learning experience that differs from many of the big names on the market, but how does it compare to some of its closer competitors? Let’s take a look:

Preply vs. italki 

Preply and italki are language learning platforms that offer online classes led by tutors, who you can find using filters based on schedule, price and specialization. That said, Preply offers far more specific filters to further narrow down your search. And while Preply emphasizes taking consistent, one-on-one lessons with a qualified tutor via a subscription plan to achieve the best results, italki offers only pay-as-you-go lessons as well as independent courses and simple community connections with native speakers. While italki may offer more flexibility, Preply offers more structure and focus for someone looking to achieve true conversational fluency fast. 

Cambly vs. Preply

Both Preply and Cambly offer online hubs where you can practice your conversational skills in a new language, but unlike the diverse group of languages that Preply offers, Cambly’s focus is on helping students specifically with testing out their English language skills with native speakers. Preply provides more of a comprehensive, consistent language learning experience by connecting you with a qualified tutor in the language of your choice with additional independent resources, while Cambly is mainly used more for on-the-spot English conversation practice.

Bottom Line: Why We Love It

Not everyone excels in learning independently, especially when it comes to new languages,  which are meant to be practiced and experienced. So we appreciate that Preply takes a different approach than the typical online language platform by providing one-on-one lessons in a safe, online classroom with a qualified tutor who can provide instant feedback and instruction as you go. With a huge marketplace of tutors to choose from across diverse languages, backgrounds and specialties, Preply makes it easy to find someone who can customize lessons to your specific needs, goals, interests, schedule and even budget. It’s language learning that’s truly made for you.

Preply FAQ

Is Preply legit? 

Absolutely. Preply is a trusted platform with more than 32,000 tutors teaching 50 languages to hundreds of thousands of learners in 180 countries. They prioritize user safety with a secure online classroom environment and ensure that all tutors are vetted. Preply also has a rating of more than four stars on Trustpilot, and is highly rated on the Apple store and Google Play. 

Does Preply provide teaching materials? 

Yes, Preply can provide example learning plans for tutors that include example lessons and a progress test to help you structure your students’ lessons for the best results. Many tutors also  offer their own teaching materials to enhance the learning experience, or can incorporate materials that the students prefer as needed. 

How does Preply work? 

With Preply, students can browse tutors and languages, book lessons, and start their learning journey all on their own schedule. 

To get started, you’ll use Preply’s filtering features to narrow down a tutor from their extensive database to meet your language needs, schedules, specialized interests and even budget. Once you’ve narrowed down your search, you’ll book a trial lesson for a small fee to get a sense of what they offer and discuss your language goals. You can try different tutors as needed, but once you find someone you want to stick with you’ll choose from a few different subscription plans based on how many lessons a week you’d like to take (ranging from one to five hours a week). 

You and your tutor will connect in the Preply classroom, which is similar to Zoom/Skype but is a built-in feature of Preply’s desktop and app versions. So, you don’t need to download any software. Plus, you can swap tutors and change or cancel your subscription at any time. 

By setting a consistent schedule and connecting one-on-one with someone who can tailor your language learning experience to your specific needs, Preply makes it easy to start speaking and comprehending a new language in no time. 

Can I switch tutors if I feel the current one isn’t a good match?

Yes. Preply understands the importance of the student-tutor dynamic for effective learning. If you feel your current tutor isn’t aligning well with your learning style or objectives, you can easily browse and select a different tutor that better fits your needs. Remember, the goal is to ensure you have the best learning experience possible.

How can I apply on Preply? 

For those looking to share their language expertise, Preply offers a simple application and vetting process. Visit Preply.com for more details about how to sign up as a tutor and start teaching.