Learning a language online isn't a new concept, but most people haven't tried it.

That's because the majority of us were educated through a traditional institution, where we had to show up in-person everyday. Today, with the evolvement of new technology and online communication tools, it's never been easier to learn a new language online. Traditional educational institutions like Harvard, Stanford, and Yale have also been embracing online education using channels like edX, where they stream their lectures.

However, there are some key differences between learning a language online versus in-person. There's no perfect argument to decide whether you should be learning a language online or in-person, and it will vary from person to person. For example, if you need peer accountability to learn a new skill, learning in-person could be a better option for you.

If you're a busy person on-the-go, and don't have the time to commute to an in-person class, learning online could be the better choice.Rather than jumping into one or the other, it's important to understand the distinctions between the two, so that you know what you're in for. We hope this comparison helps you make the right choice for you.
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10 Honest Differences Between Learning a Language Online Vs In-Person

1. Flexibility to Find the Right Teacher For You

One of the key differences between learning a language online and in-person is flexibility. When you're learning a language in-person, such as a local language tutor, or a language school, you're committed to learning from one person.

As Tim Ferriss points out in his article, your learning experience is only as good as the methods your teachers use. The lack of flexibility to switch from teacher to teacher can be a crutch to your learning if you're set up with the wrong method or teacher.When you're learning a language online, you have many options to choose from, and switching from one to another becomes easier since you're not necessarily committed to one or the other.

The likelihood of finding the right teacher for you increases because you have more information about the teacher based on their profile (i.e. ratings, social media profile, reviews) versus when you're meeting someone from craigslist.
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2. Time Spent

Time is another key factor you should consider, since there's a significant difference between online versus in-person language lessons. The average American spends 25.4 minutes commuting to their workplace everyday. That's over 50 minutes per day, which accumulates to over a week that's wasted simply commuting per year.

Unless you have a school or a tutor you found that lives across the street, it's likely that you will be spending the same amount of time on average just commuting to take your language lessons.

That's why one of the biggest advantages to learning a language online is time saved. If you're a busy person that lives on-the-go, this is worth considering.
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3. Cost

Lack of money is a real issue for many. As a bootstrapped company with no outside capital from investors (at the time of this writing), we face hard decisions about money on a weekly basis.

On a pure cost basis, language schools tend to be much more expensive on a cost session basis (and usually as a sum total), because of the additional costs of operating a language school. These costs include building lease, real estate taxes, insurance, staffing, benefits, and more, which gets transferred over to the students.

If you want to know how much private language lessons cost in-person versus online, check out the free calculator we built.
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4. Diversity of People You Meet

Language learning is a social activity. It gives you the opportunity to connect and build a relationship with people from all around the world, and learn about their cultures.

When you learn a language online, you get your pick of teachers that live everywhere around the world. If you're learning how to speak Spanish on Rype for example, you can choose to have a private lesson with a teacher from Venezuela one day, Spain the other day, and Argentina on another.

The same flexibility doesn't apply when learning in-person unfortunately. You're usually tied down to a single teacher that has been assigned to you at a language school, or the private teacher you work with in-person.
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5. Relationships

The benefit of learning a language in-person rather than online is the live relationships you can form. This could be with the fellow students that you're learning with in the classroom, or your local private teacher.

When you're learning a language online, you don't have the same luxury of packing up your bags and catching a movie together after your lesson ends.
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6. Personal Attention

While a language class is smaller than your average university class, you're still sharing the expertise of your teachers with five to ten other students around you. This isn't always an issue, especially if you're a self-motivated learner who is willing to go through the extra trouble of finding the answers on your own.

If you're choosing to work with a private teacher in-person however, then it won't make a difference whether you're learning online or in-person.
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7. Native Speakers

Since most of us are learning a language to speak with a native speaker, and learn about new cultures, it's an important factor to consider in your decision making. If you live in the United States or another western part of the world, most language classes won't have professional native speaking teachers, but rather certified teachers that grew up in your local city.
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8. Immediate Feedback Vs. Shared Feedback

Like learning any skill, receiving immediate feedback is one of the best ways to improve your skills faster.If you're learning in a group setting, it adds another barrier to receiving feedback for your mistakes and errors. Since there's only one teacher, you run into a situation where you learn as fast as the slowest student in the class.

With that said, language schools do a have a formal process at the end of your curriculum to provide a review of your progress over the past few months, and how you can improve in the future.
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9. Leverage Technology

Technology can be a burden in certain situations, or it can be a lifesaver in others. For example, if you or your teacher is having issues with the internet, then your private lesson may be delayed or rescheduled without much notice.

On the other hand, being able to record your lessons to refer back, share your screen, and have resources on-hand that you can use from your desktop or smartphone can make your life and learning experience easier.

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10. Familiar Environment versus Unfamiliar

Learning a language in a familiar environment, like our homes, local coffee shops, company office, can either be an advantage or a disadvantage. If you thrive under pressure and social environments, then learning a language in an unfamiliar environment with new people may seem more exciting for you.

However, if you're just starting to learn a language and learning in a familiar setting helps you feel at ease, then you could benefit more from learning at the comforts of your own home.