Individual or group lessons? How to choose

Most people pick a lesson format based on price. That is the wrong first question. The right one is: what do you need to happen in the next three months?

Choose individual lessons if…

You have a deadline. An interview, a relocation, an exam, a presentation to a board. Individual lessons bend entirely around your goal. Every minute is spent on your gaps, not someone else's.

You also want individual if your level is uneven. Plenty of people read at B2 and speak at A2. In a group, that mismatch is uncomfortable. One-to-one, it is simply the plan.

• Fastest progress per hour
• Schedule moves when your week moves
• Nowhere to hide, which is the point

Choose group lessons if…

You freeze when you speak. This sounds counter-intuitive, but a small group is often easier than one-to-one for nervous speakers. You get thinking time while someone else answers, and you hear mistakes that are not yours, which is a surprisingly effective way to learn.

You also want group if your goal is general fluency rather than a specific outcome, or if consistency is your real problem. A fixed weekly slot with the same people creates a small obligation, and obligation beats motivation.

The honest trade-off

Individual is faster. Group is cheaper and, for some people, less frightening. Neither is "better". They fail in different ways. Individual fails when you skip lessons because nobody notices. Group fails when the level spread is too wide.

If you genuinely cannot decide, start with a trial of each. Fifty minutes tells you more than any article.

What we would ask you

On a first call we ask three things: when do you need this by, when in the week can you realistically show up, and what happens if you say nothing for the first ten minutes. The answers usually make the choice obvious.