italki: How was your experience?

[mickallen]

I had about five lessons last year, I was a total beginner, the first couple of lessons went quite well, but it went down hill from there really, I struggled with the conversation, and sensed that the teacher was getting frustrated with my lack of progress, which really knocked my confidence, I just thought that I was not cut out for language learning and nearly stopped trying to learn Spanish altogether.

I felt it ended like a bad relationship does, with us both getting increasingly frustrated with each other, with neither of us saying why, after the last lesson I think we both new there wouldn't be any more, (Very strange really).

Having thought about it after, I think the lessons were to advanced and moved to quickly they didn't have any repetition, every week there was different vocabulary, when what I needed was to go through the same as the previous lesson to reinforce my understanding and only when I felt comfortable, should we have moved on.

Probably not all the teachers fault, I should have voiced my concerns, but also I would have felt less disillusioned if she had said to me that I was doing okay but she was not the right person to move my Spanish forward, and that I should look for someone else.

[Valddu]

According to iTalki I’ve logged 177 lessons (there’s probably another 100 additional lessons I’ve done with my two favorite tutors who I now arrange lessons privately and pay via PayPal). I’m a high B+ who really wants to break into the C1 range and so having conversations is not difficult for me. As a rule, I generally only want conversational practice with a few typed corrections here or there and occasional assistance when I’m struggling with a word or how to phrase something. I generally have a very positive view of iTalki and these kinds of lessons, but I’m very extroverted, and so this type of learning meshes very well with my personality. Here are the things I like and dislike about tutors in regards to my language learning.

The Positives:
1. Great Source of Informal Language: Last night I was talking to one of my Spanish tutors about pyramid schemes. She used the phrase “lavar el coco” (to wash the coconut) at one point, but from the context I knew she meant “to brain wash.” I had no idea it could be worded like that, but it stood out to me so much that I doubt I’ll forget it. Another time I was talking to a tutor and noticed he referred to another of his students as being “grande” and I thought he must be big, as in tall or maybe wide, or both, but that didn’t really make sense in the context of what he was saying. I asked him to explain and he walked me through how the word for big can also be used to imply age, which something I hadn’t seen or heard in any of the Spanish media I had consumed. I recently found a tutor that changed her demeanor completely once she realized I was an advanced student and within twenty minutes or so she was mixing slang and curses into the conversation. I favorited her on my list of tutors as a result. I want that exposure to every day Spanish and I feel that iTalki is a good place to find it.

2. Speakers with Different Accents: Over winter break I tried an experiment where I spoke everyday to a different tutor for 21 days. I mostly picked tutors from different Latin American countries. It gave me a chance to see whether I could understand/be understood by all these different speakers. For the most part it was successful, although I definitely discovered the Argentinian accent was very challenging for me. If I ever decided to visit, say, Puerto Rico, I know that I would spend a good bit of time listening/watching Puerto Rican material as well as spending some hours on iTalki speaking to Puerto Ricans in the run-up to my trip.

3. Helps You Spot Gaps:
I’ve found two great tutors in the last two years. They don’t really teach me in any sort of formal way, but they’re great conversationalists. They ask questions, they listen, they have stories and opinions. I talk to them weekly and as a result we naturally diverge into different topics. Once, I remember trying to explain to a tutor a situation that involved someone being falsely convicted of murder. It went horribly, as I tried to explain it I realized I didn’t have any of the vocabulary I needed to explain what happened with any degree of fluidity. After the conversation I started targeting some of my reading around stories/articles that featured the vocabulary that I lacked. Another conversation revealed that I was almost incapable of speaking about issues relating to personal finance. Afterwards I read a book and a half about personal finance in Spanish and then I felt like I could talk about those topics comfortably.

4. Rewarding and Informative: I like using iTalki because I feel like it’s a reward for all my work studying and exposing myself to Spanish. The fact that I can just skype with a Colombian and enjoy a conversation where I can both understand and be understood feels great. I also feel like it connects me more to the cultural background of the language since many of my talks with tutors centers around learning about their lives in the country they’re living in.

5. No Sense of Judgement: I’m learning Spanish because I’m Mexican-American, but was never taught the language growing up. I look Mexican. I have a Mexican name. As a result, speaking to natives can be really stressful for me because they often assume I’m also a native speaker. Some people react very negatively if they find out you’re from the same cultural background but have difficulties speaking the language. However, on iTalki that’s not really an issue. I can have conversations without dreading a negative response if I make a mistake or have to ask for clarification.


The Negatives:
1. It’s not the most efficient way to learn standard vocabulary and grammar. Reading books via ReadLang (and occasionally tapping on words/phrases to turn them into SRS flashcards) is probably the most efficient thing I do in terms of helping develop my overall language level. My Spanish shot up dramatically as I worked my way through a Double Super Challenge in reading, and little of that had to do with my tutors. In a conversation, sure, sometimes tutors can offer a word or recast a sentence I said incorrectly, but that rarely sticks. When I’m reading I can stop and take my time when I run into things that I’m confused by. Also, the words I encounter per minute is so much higher with reading that I don’t think tutoring can compete.

2. It takes awhile to find a tutor that matches your needs/wants. Some people want structured lessons. Some people want tutors to correct even the smallest mistake. Some people just want to shoot the shit. I’ve found tutors that would be perfect matches for each of these types of learners, but I’ve only found 2-3 that really clicked with me (many others were great though).

3. It might not even be the most efficient way to practice output. After I did my recent 21 lessons in 21 days challenge I didn’t really notice much of a difference in my fluidity when speaking. I think I’m slightly better, but I can’t really measure if that’s true. However, if I had instead just used a random journal topic generator and recorded myself responding to prompts for 30 minutes a day I think I would have saved a lot of money, improved just as much, and have been able to review the recordings later on to look for mistakes or just to get a sense of whether my speaking was actually improving.

[learningchayse]

According to iTalki I’ve logged 177 lessons (there’s probably another 100 additional lessons I’ve done with my two favorite tutors who I now arrange lessons privately and pay via PayPal). I’m a high B+ who really wants to break into the C1 range and so having conversations is not difficult for me. As a rule, I generally only want conversational practice with a few typed corrections here or there and occasional assistance when I’m struggling with a word or how to phrase something. I generally have a very positive view of iTalki and these kinds of lessons, but I’m very extroverted, and so this type of learning meshes very well with my personality. Here are the things I like and dislike about tutors in regards to my language learning.

The Positives:
1. Great Source of Informal Language: Last night I was talking to one of my Spanish tutors about pyramid schemes. She used the phrase “lavar el coco” (to wash the coconut) at one point, but from the context I knew she meant “to brain wash.” I had no idea it could be worded like that, but it stood out to me so much that I doubt I’ll forget it. Another time I was talking to a tutor and noticed he referred to another of his students as being “grande” and I thought he must be big, as in tall or maybe wide, or both, but that didn’t really make sense in the context of what he was saying. I asked him to explain and he walked me through how the word for big can also be used to imply age, which something I hadn’t seen or heard in any of the Spanish media I had consumed. I recently found a tutor that changed her demeanor completely once she realized I was an advanced student and within twenty minutes or so she was mixing slang and curses into the conversation. I favorited her on my list of tutors as a result. I want that exposure to every day Spanish and I feel that iTalki is a good place to find it.

2. Speakers with Different Accents: Over winter break I tried an experiment where I spoke everyday to a different tutor for 21 days. I mostly picked tutors from different Latin American countries. It gave me a chance to see whether I could understand/be understood by all these different speakers. For the most part it was successful, although I definitely discovered the Argentinian accent was very challenging for me. If I ever decided to visit, say, Puerto Rico, I know that I would spend a good bit of time listening/watching Puerto Rican material as well as spending some hours on iTalki speaking to Puerto Ricans in the run-up to my trip.

3. Helps You Spot Gaps:
I’ve found two great tutors in the last two years. They don’t really teach me in any sort of formal way, but they’re great conversationalists. They ask questions, they listen, they have stories and opinions. I talk to them weekly and as a result we naturally diverge into different topics. Once, I remember trying to explain to a tutor a situation that involved someone being falsely convicted of murder. It went horribly, as I tried to explain it I realized I didn’t have any of the vocabulary I needed to explain what happened with any degree of fluidity. After the conversation I started targeting some of my reading around stories/articles that featured the vocabulary that I lacked. Another conversation revealed that I was almost incapable of speaking about issues relating to personal finance. Afterwards I read a book and a half about personal finance in Spanish and then I felt like I could talk about those topics comfortably.

4. Rewarding and Informative: I like using iTalki because I feel like it’s a reward for all my work studying and exposing myself to Spanish. The fact that I can just skype with a Colombian and enjoy a conversation where I can both understand and be understood feels great. I also feel like it connects me more to the cultural background of the language since many of my talks with tutors centers around learning about their lives in the country they’re living in.

5. No Sense of Judgement: I’m learning Spanish because I’m Mexican-American, but was never taught the language growing up. I look Mexican. I have a Mexican name. As a result, speaking to natives can be really stressful for me because they often assume I’m also a native speaker. Some people react very negatively if they find out you’re from the same cultural background but have difficulties speaking the language. However, on iTalki that’s not really an issue. I can have conversations without dreading a negative response if I make a mistake or have to ask for clarification.


The Negatives:
1. It’s not the most efficient way to learn standard vocabulary and grammar. Reading books via ReadLang (and occasionally tapping on words/phrases to turn them into SRS flashcards) is probably the most efficient thing I do in terms of helping develop my overall language level. My Spanish shot up dramatically as I worked my way through a Double Super Challenge in reading, and little of that had to do with my tutors. In a conversation, sure, sometimes tutors can offer a word or recast a sentence I said incorrectly, but that rarely sticks. When I’m reading I can stop and take my time when I run into things that I’m confused by. Also, the words I encounter per minute is so much higher with reading that I don’t think tutoring can compete.

2. It takes awhile to find a tutor that matches your needs/wants. Some people want structured lessons. Some people want tutors to correct even the smallest mistake. Some people just want to shoot the shit. I’ve found tutors that would be perfect matches for each of these types of learners, but I’ve only found 2-3 that really clicked with me (many others were great though).

3. It might not even be the most efficient way to practice output. After I did my recent 21 lessons in 21 days challenge I didn’t really notice much of a difference in my fluidity when speaking. I think I’m slightly better, but I can’t really measure if that’s true. However, if I had instead just used a random journal topic generator and recorded myself responding to prompts for 30 minutes a day I think I would have saved a lot of money, improved just as much, and have been able to review the recordings later on to look for mistakes or just to get a sense of whether my speaking was actually improving.

Thanks,Valddu. Helps a lot.

Are you still using italki for conversational practice? Any tips on finding a tutor that clicks with you?

My needs are pretty similar to yours. I haven't tried out many tutors.
Been sticking with the one I think is okay, but her price has gone up.
I know there must be other tutors that fit my needs and charge less.
How did you find your favorite?