Need to brush up on your English, but group classes are definitely not your option? Then you should try an individual learning format. But one important question remains: to choose a private tutor or individual English lessons at a language school. We have analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of each of these options to make the choice easier.

There are a lot of offers from private tutors on the market now, so you can find options for a really attractive price. You can also choose a convenient time, format and place for classes - study at least at 3 am if you find a tutor who suits you. So these are the two biggest advantages of private tutoring: low price and flexibility of schedule and format, that is, you can choose a specialist at a price that meets your budget and willingness to invest in this business, and according to your schedule. But what kind of “specialist” will this be - a completely different question, which brings us to the minuses.

So the main disadvantage of private tutoring is that you choose blindly, because you do not know the level of education, work experience, or performance of your future teacher. It is good if you already have a certain level of knowledge, so after a few lessons you will be able to recognize incompetence, but if you are a beginner, you can spend a whole year at the elementary level and think that there is something wrong with you. It is like buying a used car when you have absolutely no understanding of mechanics, and then blaming yourself for the fact that it constantly “stalls”. And the second significant disadvantage is the lack of responsibility for the result. That is, if during a certain period of classes you were promised to take you to a higher level, but this did not happen, the teacher absolves himself of responsibility, because you can always say that you did not work hard enough or that you do not have a penchant for languages. And another possible drawback is that the tutor will not have much free time to select materials according to your level and preferences, because tutoring is usually combined with work at school, university, or studies (yes, quite often cheaper tutors are students). So let's summarize the disadvantages: limited information about the teacher, lack of responsibility for the result, possible lack of time to select individual materials.

The most significant advantage that has English language school – these are guarantees, because the school is responsible for the level of its teachers, for the knowledge and results that you receive. Usually, the school management is interested in improving the qualifications and continuous development and improvement of the knowledge of its teachers, as well as providing them with the most modern materials and tools for more interesting and effective learning. Classes at the school also have flexibility in the schedule and place of classes, for example, the Cambridge Club English school offers individual lessons at a time convenient for you, online and offline, at home, at work or directly at school, and you can cancel the class the day before it is held.

Also, in individual lessons, you can prepare for an international language exam, pass and receive a certificate at school. In addition, official language schools pay taxes to the budget, which is an undeniable advantage for you, since you can call yourself a conscious citizen, and for the country, especially in times of war. By the way, this can also be attributed to the disadvantages of tutors, because your payment goes into their pockets, and they can spend this money abroad, if they are currently there - the income for the Ukrainian economy is zero. So let's summarize the advantages of this option: a high level of professionalism of teachers, a guarantee of the best methods, individual selection of materials and effectiveness, officially paid taxes that support the economy of Ukraine.

However, the price per lesson may be higher than with some tutors. But if we continue our comparison with cars, then individual English lessons at school are like a car from the showroom: you have access to all the parameters and characteristics, a guarantee, the opportunity to “decorate” your car with additional options that are necessary for you, and pay taxes to the state. In addition, private lessons with qualified tutors are sometimes even more expensive than in schools.

So, should you pay more and get quality training and a guaranteed result, or not pay and choose a "pig in a poke", that is, a tutor who is not responsible for anything? This is not a Hamlet question, so the answer to it is up to you, but we hope that we have made the choice at least a little easier with our analysis, and we wish you only pleasant learning and the best results!