My Experience with Preply – An Honest Review

This post is sponsored and contains affiliate links. If you book a service or purchase products through the links, I will receive a small commission at no added cost to you. Although this post is sponsored, I have experienced Preply’s services as described in the post.

In December 2022, I fell in love with Mauritius, and promised myself I would learn French before I returned. I started off learning French through a popular learning app, then one devastating day, my 685-day streak had disappeared, and I was locked out of my account.

That was it.

My progress was over.

But what I hadn’t realised, was that Progress Takes TWO…

After re-gaining access to my learning app 5 months later, I couldn’t quite hold myself accountable again. I knew I needed help and support.

 I needed engagement, encouragement, and real human interaction.

So, my second time around, I decided to take it seriously. I knew that serious commitment required some level of accountability.

I spent a week or so deciding if I should start again with French, but having just returned from the Magical city of Mombasa, Swahili took the prize.

I decided it was time to start fresh. I was ready to learn a new language, with a new brand. I signed up to Preply, a REAL learning platform and app that connects learners with 100,000+ expert tutors, teaching 90+ languages. Preply ticked all the boxes, offering everything I was looking for.

TUTOR SELECTION

I played around with the site, and scrolled through a list of tutors – adding my favourites to my Wishlist. The best thing about Preply, is that each tutor has an introductory video, something that is so needed (for someone as indecisive as me) to help you have an idea of who you would feel comfortable connecting with.

Each tutor has their reviews, ratings, and their experience on their profiles. There are smart filters that help you to choose the right tutor, based on their native and second language spoken.

The introductory video really stood out for me. It helped me to pick the right tutor in half the amount of time I would have normally taken. I saved my chosen tutor to my Wishlist until I was ready to book the following week.

Let the Progress Begin!

Before booking my first lesson with Ruth, I sent over my learning goals of having a fluent conversation in Swahili. I then booked my first lesson with her on a Sunday evening, and the process was quick and easy. I am currently a few weeks in, and my initial struggle was with memorising longer words. Having previously known this, I am always equipped for every lesson with a notepad. Something I wouldn’t use if I was learning on a simple app.

Going over my notes daily, helps me to enhance the learning process, along with the homework that Ruth sets for me. It’s a game-changer for tracking my progress.

Learning With Apps VS a Real Tutor

Learning with a Human tutor matters most to me, especially in the age of A.I. Humans have genuine creativity that nothing else can come close to replicating. Aside from me learning a language, and gaining confidence to converse with other people, it’s important to me to support others who are passionate about providing a service.

A level of trust is continually being built and ultimately this is something that will come in use when we interact with other language speakers in the real world. Conversations should flow easily and effortlessly and this is what a Preply tutor can help us all to achieve.

Fluency comes from real human interaction. Our tutors are there not only to teach us, but to support us, correct us, and encourage us. A real conversation will always beat learning with an app to me. There’s something special about human connection. Even receiving messages from my tutor sets a different level of accountability.

It’s a partnership because Progress Takes Two.

Real progress happens when you have support, and you can hold yourself accountable, knowing that someone is rooting for you!

Ruth and I started our first lesson learning general greetings, which is the most important thing I wanted to learn, especially as a traveler.

So, although my lessons are structured, they are also tailored to my desires.

Learning with a human tutor helps me to improve my memory and concentration, as well as my communication skills. It encourages me to take my time when I speak. Learning a language is a life skill, a transferable skill I look forward to using while travelling the world.

Personalised Learning

What I love is that I can ask Ruth anything that crosses my mind, and even after our first lesson, I genuinely felt comfortable with her. Flexibility is something that is very important to me, so knowing that Ruth works every day, gave me the opportunity to book her on Sunday evenings – even though it was night for her in Kenya.

Preply offers you the opportunity at any time to switch your tutor if you are no longer satisfied with the one you have, and they even offer a tutor matching filter that helps select the best tutor for you (at no additional cost.)

I was surprised at the subscription packages they offer. I booked a block of 4 lessons at once, with subscription renewals due every 4 weeks. I aim to do more, but this helps me to be accountable without feeling overwhelmed with commitment.

Lessons are tailored to your goals, so whether you’re travelling, studying, immigrating, or you just want to learn a language for the fun of it, Preply can accommodate your needs. This is one of the reasons I would recommend learning with Preply.

Being able to work at my own pace is exceedingly important for me, as I can sometimes get easily overwhelmed. I’ve still got a way to go with my Swahili lessons, but I look forward to Sunday evenings, learning Swahili with Ruth.

Preply truly believe in the power of learning with someone by your side. They prove that human connection is at the heart of everything they do. Ruth helped me to speak confidently in a language that I hadn’t learnt before, and I’m currently learning to speak fluently.

Was It Worth It?

Of course!  Most people think learning with a tutor has to be expensive, but Preply has high quality, experienced tutors, for EVERY budget. Take it from a Solo parent that’s ALWAYS on a budget!

If you want to try Preply for up to 70% off your first trial, sign up here!