So you've decided that you're learning a new language this year. Congratulations!You've never learned a language before, and you're wondering what's the best way to learn a language. Should you take language lessons with a professional teacher or find a language school nearby?There's no right or wrong decision necessarily, as both options come with their advantages and disadvantages. This is what we're here to break down for you today, allowing you to decide for yourself.We considered important factors like costs, quality of teachers, the time required to learn, and more.Let's start with...

Language Schools

Language classes have been around for decades. It takes place in a group setting where eight to twenty students are put in a room with a dedicated teacher. There's a standard curriculum that everyone is expected to follow, and you receive a test and grade at the end of the program.Programs normally last one to three months, depending on the language program you've enrolled into.Costs:Language schools can be quite expensive, ranging anywhere from $500 to $2,000 per course. If you plan to continue onto the next course level (i.e. Beginner A1 to Beginner A2), you'll have to pay again.Time required:a. Commuting - The time to commute to the physical location of your language school can take 15-30 minutes each way on average. This depends of course if you're driving, biking, or taking public transit.b. Scheduling - The major downside of learning with a language school is the inflexible scheduling. Classes are based on fixed schedules, and usually last 3-5 hours per day. This means that you'll likely need time off to learn the language or you will need to learn during the evenings.Teachers:a. Qualifications - Most language teachers that are selected to teach for the language school should have a minimum of three to five years of experience. Keep in mind that this is not always the case, especially if the school is not well branded.b. Teacher to student ratio - You'll be learning with other students, usually eight to twenty. This could be good and bad. Learning with a group of individuals will allow you to practice and socialize amongst each other. The downside to this is that you only learn as fast as the slowest student in the classroom.If a student struggles to understand a topic or lesson, the teacher is unlikely to move on until the student is ready.c. Optionality - Lastly, the teacher you're assigned to is the one you'll be with. Due to the lack of teachers on staff, it's unlikely that you can just swap teachers because you feel like it. If you really dislike the teacher that you're assigned to, you will have to switch the level of the language you're learning.

Language Lessons

Private lessons offer distinctive advantages over language classes, including personalization, 1-on-1 interaction, and more. Sometimes it can offer certain downsides as well. Let's dig in.CostsMost private lessons cost more than schools because instead of working in a group, you're getting individualized coaching. You may have some flexibility though, depending on how many lessons you decide to take.Time requireda. CommutingTraveling back and forth to have your lesson will be non-existent if you're learning online. However, the same time will be required if you're learning in-person.b. SchedulingThe flexibility of booking lessons is where private lessons shine. Especially if you learn online because you're not limited to the teacher that's in the same time zone as you. For example, if you want to learn late at night, it may be A.M. for a teacher living on the other side of the world.Teachersa. QualificationsTeacher qualifications will also vary teacher from the teacher. Like language schools, you will have a better chance of finding qualified teachers with branded teachers or teacher platforms, like Rype. Whereas finding a teacher on craigslist or through another local city classified listing poses some risks.b. Teacher to student ratioAs you may already know, compared to language schools, private lessons are... well, private. You get 1-on-1 interaction, personalized feedback, and you often learn faster by getting this individualized attention.c. OptionalityWhile finding local teachers will most likely limit you to one teacher, taking language lessons on a platform online gives you more options. If there's a teacher that you don't like, you can click a few buttons and move on.

Summary

To highlight the main differences of taking group classes or private lessons, we'll list them here for you:Cost - In terms of pricing, group classes should cost less than in-person private lessons. However, if you learn online, you may end up paying less.Time required:a. Commuting - Time required is the same if you're learning in-person, but learning online wins.b. Scheduling - Private lessons are much shorter per session since you have the flexibility to control that over group classes.Teachersa. Qualifications - Quality of teachers will vary for both solutions depending on whether you decide to learn with a trusted service or not.b. Teacher to Student Ratio - Private Lessons win here due to personalized 1-on-1 interaction.c. Optionality - Schools and in-person lessons don't offer much flexibility. But learning online allows you to select another teacher in minutes since all teachers are virtual around the world.

What's Better: Language Lessons or Language Schools?

So what's the better option for you? Overall, language lessons online appear to offer the most advantages with minimal disadvantages. At the end of the day, it depends on what factors you care about, and how much you care about them.If learning with a group of other students and socializing with them is the main priority, then language schools may work for you. Perhaps you're incredibly busy and enjoy the individualized learning, then private lessons (online or in-person) will work best. Maybe cost is a big factor for you, thenlearning online will usually help you save more money.

Take Quality Language Lessons on Rype

Want private lessons with handpicked professional language teachers around your busy schedule? Check out Rype. All of our lessons are online, and we connect you directly with pre-vetted teachers so you don't have to. Best of all, you get more value than a language school for a fraction of the cost.Try out Rype for free.