Dear readers!
I've been studying via Skype for six months now. If it weren’t for my husband, who kept telling me about Skype for about a year, and the BP website, which sent me an application for distance learning during summer holidays, when there weren’t many students, I probably would never have started. Everything scared me - from buying headphones with a microphone and technical side classes before what I look like on camera? 
Preparing for such classes initially took more than two hours, choosing the right board, looked after all sorts of additional programs for lessons. How I prepared (and am preparing) for classes via Skype:
1) After testing, I choose a textbook in accordance with the age and level of the student.
2) I determine the purpose of each lesson and what skills we will develop.
3) I select material for a specific lesson, throwing out everything from the book that I don’t like and adding my own.
But now, when preparing a lesson, I feel like I’m in the shoes of the authors of the textbook, and sometimes my imagination runs wild so much that you regret that there are only 24 hours in a day, otherwise I would have done such a lesson!
Technologies
As for the technical side of training via Skype, I use the virtual whiteboard Idroo, it costs relatively inexpensively - 10 euros per month. You can also use it for free, but then you are allowed to create only 10 boards. If you have one online student, this is enough. And if you study en masse, it’s better to pay for a subscription.
Some teachers study without virtual boards, simply cut out the necessary exercises from the textbook and send them to the student, but, in my opinion, the board is much more convenient. Let's take a look at it:
On the blue panel at the top there are tools that allow you (from left to right) to move images and inscriptions, draw with a pencil, underline, highlight in a frame, write, create formulas (I’ve never used this, but who knows), erase material and move the board, and also use a pointer to show the student where to look for the hamster.
The most fun thing for me in Idroo is to draw and draw in class; joint creativity unites and relaxes as much as a cup of tea. The first picture shows a dictation based on the words studied and wordsearch compiled using this site. The second picture is training of the there is/there are structure using an image of a room, and then reproducing it using the written clue words. Most teenagers take such tasks with a bang, but many adults suffer and blush while trying to scribble a cat on the board.
There is a chat available on the right side of the Idroo panel, but I don’t use it, I write everything directly on the board. There is also a call function, but I have never used that either.
Even at the beginning of my Skype journey, I tried the virtual board Realtimeboard, it has a nicer interface and has more features - you can upload both video and audio there, it is constantly updated and improved. It turned out to be a little difficult for my students, so I switched to Idroo. Now I'm going to return to Realtimeboard, because it offers more fun for the same money.
Update: I no longer use Idroo for classes, now I'm working on Realtimeboard, you can read it here.
I also use the learningapps application for online lessons, in which I create exercises to repeat the material - wordsearches, crosswords and matching exercises.
You can prepare/cut tracks for online classes (I cut online), select videos from Youtube. It all depends on the needs of the student and the flight of your imagination.
Pros and cons
As you can see, an online lesson gives you more opportunities to use modern technologies. And another huge plus is tea with cookies in a cozy kitchen... oh, that is, the student’s eyes do not run wild from the stacks of papers printed out for the lesson, he does not ask “why don’t we do this in the book?”, does not leaf through the textbook 2 minutes, remembering how in Russian this cursed page one hundred and thirty-five is (although searching for a page has its own plus). All necessary material is displayed on the board, which the student can view after the lesson (if the teacher has not deleted it, of course).
Otherwise, an English lesson via Skype is not much different from a “live” lesson. It’s a little more exhausting, but that’s me personally; many friends say that Skype works better for them.
The easiest way to learn English online is with adults 20-35 years old. Few children under 12 know a computer well, so during class you sometimes have to be distracted to explain how to turn on a track, find a Skype chat, or view a sent picture. But not all adults are also familiar with technology; even those who spend days on social networks may not know how to open a link that was sent to them in a chat. Some people are embarrassed by their computer illiteracy, so here you still need to be patient and delicate in your explanation.
If it’s really difficult for a student, you can ask to show your screen on Skype (the button in the form of a plus sign) and tell them how to register on the board or find this or that tool on the panel.
Prices
Studying via Skype is usually cheaper than studying in person. And not only because both the student and the teacher do not spend time or money on travel, do not print anything and do not buy textbooks. Price dumping by teachers from the regions also has an impact. Prices for English lessons in the regions are much lower than prices in big cities, sometimes every 5. Therefore, lessons on Skype for teachers from the periphery are very profitable. Same as for the student.
Do you teach students via Skype?
What technologies do you use for these activities?
I look forward to your comments!
English via Skype
Distance learning is gaining more and more popularity, and learning foreign languages via Skype has long been a rarity. There are many centers, schools, private tutors and specialists who provide this service for everyone who wants to learn Italian, German, French and other languages, but English is the most popular language among students.
Online classes allow you to learn English with a specialist from anywhere in the world. To get a lesson, there is no need to go anywhere, you just need to sit down at a computer with Internet access and turn on Skype. Of course, classes with professionals are not free, but some tutors provide the opportunity to take a free trial lesson so that the student can verify the quality of the services provided. Let's review the most popular services for learning English online.
EnglishDom
About school:
Distance learning school in English via Skype Go-international is aimed at different target audiences. In particular, individual language and speech training is offered in the following programs: preparation for moving abroad, increasing the level of proficiency in spoken language and English for professional activity, passing international exams (FCE, CAE, ELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC, ILEC, ICFE), etc. The quality of lessons is guaranteed by teachers with extensive experience. 
English via Skype at Go-international Cost of education: The Go-international online school has relatively affordable prices; when paying for packages of 5 or more lessons, the cost of one lesson varies from 565 to 695 rubles, depending on the chosen program and the number of lessons in the package. Each lecture via Skype lasts 45 minutes.
Pros:
- Free materials provided
- Free demo lesson (45 min.) with a teacher
- Opportunity to get a discount on the promotion “Bring your friends and get free classes!”
- Professional preparation for international exams
- Individual approach to each student
- Quality control of school teachers' work.
Minuses:
- Payment for classes is carried out only in packages (5, 10, 15 and 20 lectures)
Reviews:
On the school’s website you can find many reviews from real students about highly professional teachers. Grateful students are satisfied with the preparation for international exams and the improvement of their language level after completing the course. Judging by the reviews, the narrow specialization of Go-international only benefits the school and students. This online service is often recommended to friends.
« Dmitriy: Everything suits me. The coordinator responds quickly. Everything has been worked out very clearly... So far, there is nothing to say except positives.”
Contacts:
Wrabbit
Online language school Wrabbit offers individual sessions via Skype with professional Russian-speaking tutors - for beginners or native speakers - for those who already know basic vocabulary. Various corporate and group training programs are also offered. In addition to English, here you can study Spanish, German, Italian and French languages. The Wrabbit service helps students break the language barrier and improve colloquial speech.
Cost of education:
In this online school, prices for training are also quite reasonable, starting from 500 rubles per lesson. So, a lesson with a Russian-speaking teacher will cost 500-550 rubles, and with a professional native speaker - from 600 rubles per lesson. The price also depends on the duration of the lesson - 45 and 60 minutes.
Pros:
- Free trial lesson
- Large selection of native speaking tutors
- Affordable prices
- Various payment methods
- Good lesson planning system.
Minuses:
- Small selection of Russian-speaking teachers
Reviews:
Unfortunately, there are very few reviews about Wrabbit on independent resources on the Internet, but on the school’s website you can easily find many reviews from grateful students with whom you can contact and find out everything first-hand.
victoria vydrina: « When a teacher finds an individual approach to a student, this is very valuable, when he carefully creates a teaching system for him - it’s professional, and when he also has a sense of humor, it’s also easy and fun.”
Contacts:
Ninnel
For 6 years now, Ninnel Distance Language School has been providing services for individual online teaching of foreign languages via Skype: English, Italian, German, Spanish, French, Arabic, Chinese and Japanese. During this time, over 2,000 students successfully learned, without leaving home, languages for living or conducting professional activities abroad, passed the international IELTS and TOEFL exams, and learned a foreign language for self-development. Teaching is conducted exclusively by professionals in their field, including teachers who work with children. 
Online school foreign languages Ninnel Cost of education:
At Ninnel School, a fee starts from 1 lesson. The cost of one lesson is from 560 rubles for 1 lesson lasting 50 minutes, and from 800 rubles for a lesson lasting 80 minutes. The price also depends on the language level: beginner, intermediate, advanced or with a native speaker. A family discount of 5% is provided, and a discount for long-term studies of 3%-5%.
Pros:
- Possibility of lesson payment - from 1 lesson
- Free demo lesson
- Affordable prices
- Opportunity for children to learn languages
- You can get your money back if the result is not achieved
- Classes with Russian-speaking tutors and native speakers.
Minuses:
- Small selection of native teachers
- There is no certificate issued upon completion of the course.
Reviews:
On the Internet you can easily find a lot of independent resources positive feedback about the Ninnel school, however, on the school’s website not only text messages from grateful students are available, but also video reviews, as well as a detailed description of how it all began and what the result was achieved.
Irina“I am studying German with Elena Otsareva, I am very pleased with the results, after the 9th lesson (2 times a week) I can already carry on a conversation on some topics, I understand questions and answers by ear.”
Contacts:
Melene
The language center for learning foreign languages via Skype Melene specializes in individual online training with professional tutors in 5 main areas: English, Italian, Spanish, German, and French. Teaching is possible at any time convenient for the student. The teaching staff, in addition to Russian-speaking specialists, also includes native speaker tutors. Training is provided at all levels, from beginner to the highest, and also prepares for the international exams IELTS, ILEC and TOEFL, Start Deutsch Levels 1 and 2, TestDaF, DELF and DALF, DELE, CILS.
Cost of education:
The price for one 45-minute entry-level lesson is from 530 rubles. For a 60-minute lesson you will have to pay 630 rubles if you pay for a package of 10 lessons, and for intermediate and advanced levels - already 730 rubles. A 90-minute lesson will cost less than two 45-minute sessions.
Pros:
- Possibility of lesson payment - from 1 lesson
- Paid lessons do not expire over time
- Preparing for different language levels and international exams
- Huge selection of teachers - about 50 tutors
- Convenient payment system.
Minuses:
- No group classes
- High cost of classes with native speakers.
Reviews:
This is the only language center that does not have negative reviews on the Internet. All students are satisfied with the results and do not regret the money spent. Judging by the reviews, all stated conditions are strictly met. Great school, with which you should start learning English or other languages.
Andrey:“It’s great that I study at your school! The payment system is convenient and well thought out. I don’t need to buy packages.”
Anastasia:“Natalia is a wonderful English teacher who knows how to approach her students and make classes not only interesting, but also effective. In 2.5 months she prepared me for IELTS, which I successfully passed with a 7. Thank you!”
Stages of learning on the way to free communication
Learning English at school begins with a free introductory lesson. After him we mathematical algorithms we select for you the best teacher. While learning English, in addition to attending regular lessons, you do homework, and upon completion of the online course of 60 lessons, you receive a diploma.
1 How to start?
2 Introductory lesson
A free introductory lesson is an excellent opportunity for you to evaluate the online format of teaching English at home. The lesson is conducted by the school methodologist: he will help you assess your level of English proficiency and individual skills, such as pronunciation, listening, and knowledge of grammar. The methodologist will also draw up for you personal recommendations for effective teaching English language.
- School Methodist Professional in time introductory lesson will determine your level of English proficiency and discover the learning characteristics necessary for the ideal selection of a teacher just for you.
- Teacher However, if you have already chosen a teacher and want to study with him, you will be able to meet directly with your teacher during the introductory lesson.
3 Teacher selection
After the introductory lesson, the methodologist selects the teacher who is best suited for you based on several parameters: temperament and interests, your goals for learning English online and your desired class schedule. All this will make your individual English lessons at Skyeng as comfortable and effective as possible.
- Lessons are based on the Oxford methodology
- Interactive materials and exercises
- Materials from past lessons are always at hand
- Automatic check of completed tasks
- The teacher personally selects exercises
- Written assignments with word recommendations
- The care department is ready to solve all your questions seven days a week: by phone, Skype and mail.
- A personal trainer monitors your progress and can make recommendations to the teacher.
- A technical specialist helps resolve any issues: setting up Skype or making a payment.
- Free transfer and cancellation of classes
- No need to pay a large amount up front: pay for packages of 8 lessons or more
- Loyalty program: do more, pay less
- Your teacher can always be replaced free of charge
- Start working with foreign colleagues
- Prepare for a conference or business trip
- Go on a trip abroad
- Move to another country
- Take IELTS or TOEFL
Anastasia teacher
Experience: 8 years
A country: Russia
Teaches: General English, Spoken English, Business English
Interests:
Richard teacher
Experience: 5 years
A country: United Kingdom
Teaches: TOEFL preparations, IELTS preparations
Interests:
Alexandra teacher
Experience: 4 years
A country: Ukraine
Teaches: Spoken English, Preparing for an interview, Preparing for travel
Interests:
Your teacher
We have studied our teachers very well and know more than 12 facts about each of them.
That is why we are so good at selecting a teacher specifically for you.
coincidence
Class schedule
Alignment with Purposes
Common interests
Same temperament
Olga student
Convenient class times: Tuesday, 19:00
Saturday, 13:00
Sunday, 12:00
Target:
prepare to move to America
Interests:
Sophia student
Convenient class times: Monday, 18:00
Tuesday, 17:00
Thursday, 19:00
Friday, 18:00
Target:
pass IELTS with 8 points
Interests:
Peter student
Convenient class times: Thursday, 23:00
Target:
start communicating in English when traveling
Interests:
All your training wishes are clarified by the operator during the first call, and your temperament and level of English proficiency is determined by a professional methodologist during the introductory lesson.
4 Regular lessons
Classes are held on communicative technique. You start speaking in the first lesson and speak for more than half of the lesson. The courses are based on British materials and you can clearly see your progress to the next level in personal account. The main advantage of our school is our own interactive platform Vimbox, which allows you to learn English effectively and in a fun way.
Vimbox platform
Hometasks
Care and support
Also you get
5 Achieving results
Throughout the entire journey of learning English online at Skyeng, your main conductor- teacher. He both motivates you and tailors the process of learning English online to your specific needs so that you reach your goal. And the quality of the teacher’s work is controlled by the methodologist.
You will also achieve the goals that our students set for themselves.
Knowledge of English gives a person ample opportunities in study, work and leisure. But it’s not so easy to learn it: school only teaches the basics, but at university the program goes through quickly. All that remains is self-study.
And an excellent practice is English via Skype. To do this, you only need the Internet, a webcam and a headset with a microphone.
How to find a good school and teacher?
Everything is simple here. What would guide you when choosing a regular tutor? They probably would have searched the advertisements, asked their friends, read reviews of candidates they liked, and compared prices. It's the same with a virtual tutor. Although, there are more opportunities on the Internet. So, what are the ways to find a teacher or school to learn English via Skype?
- Type a query into a search engine. Go to the sites of the dropped results, study the interfaces of the pages, look at the certificates.
- Ask around on the forums. Users are often willing to share contacts of their teachers.
- Go to freelance sites and find a tutor there. It may be cheaper, but there is no guarantee that the teacher will be a professional. Students studying in foreign philology departments often look for part-time work on freelance sites in the form of teaching English.
Do not rush to immediately register for long-term training or full course. Perhaps you don’t like something, it is advisable to first conduct a trial lesson and only then make a decision.
Rating of online English schools
To make things easier for you, I offer the top 3 popular virtual schools who professionally teach English using Skype.
EnglishDom.ru An online school that specializes in teaching English via Skype. It has everything a person who wants to learn a language without leaving the computer needs. The school is ready to provide a personal teacher (native or Russian-speaking), an educational platform (video course, training), a conversation club and digital textbooks.
Before starting the course, you will take a free trial lesson to determine your language proficiency level: beginner, advanced, etc. Select your learning goal, for example, English for business, for tourism or in preparation for the Unified State Exam. Decide on the intensity of your classes, and only then will a teacher be selected for you. Lesson price from 590 rubles for 50 minutes.
I have been studying English on this platform for 3 months. I really like it, I’m confidently moving towards my goal, although I’m lazy. I can confidently recommend Englishdom for its flexibility, professionalism and technology. When you register using this link, you will receive 2 lessons as a gift.
Englex.ru- an Internet platform with a simple interface that will be understandable even to those who are familiar with a computer. Everything is detailed and clear. You can start by pressing the big TRY button, and then it’s a matter of technique. Separately, you can familiarize yourself with the pages of teachers, where all their data is available (age, experience, education). Eat conversation clubs, database of training materials. Free first lesson with a future teacher. Lesson price from 530 rubles for 45 minutes.
- another one famous school English with its own learning platform. The service offers individual lessons, convenient applications for studying, a course for independent work. Lesson price from 790 rubles for 50 minutes. 2 each free lessons by promo code " American".
Advantages of speaking English via Skype
Why do more and more people prefer learning English through Skype? There are several explanations for this.
1. Time saving
This starts at the stage of searching for a teacher. All you have to do is go online (and you can even do this from a mobile device, while standing in a traffic jam or sitting in line), read forums, and look for advertisements. And when a teacher is found, you do not need to go to him or wait for him at home. You turn on the computer and the lesson begins.
2. Saving money
For many this is a priority. And a virtual English tutor will indeed cost less than a real one. Why? If only because he also teaches lessons from the comfort of his home or office.
3. Flexible training schedule
For busy man English courses via Skype are a godsend. If for some reason you are forced to miss class, the teacher will not be in a difficult situation. After all, he is at home and can do his own thing instead of a lesson. And you can schedule class times even at night, if it’s convenient for both you and your English teacher.
4. Opportunity to communicate with a native speaker
You can hire a foreigner as an English tutor. Or a person who has lived in an English-speaking country for a long time. Such English lessons will be productive for those who already have a good command of the language, but want to better master the dialect or spoken language. Offers of services for learning English from native speakers are also easy to find on the Internet.
5. Electronic textbooks
Since English classes are virtual, then the textbooks are electronic. This means that you don't need to buy them. Or you can do it together with the teacher, dividing the cost in half. And if classes are held at an online English school, then all textbooks are provided free of charge.
6. Monitoring your child’s studies
Many online schools offer special programs for children who want to prepare for passing the Unified State Exam or just improve your English level. This is also very convenient, because parents can be present in the room and monitor the progress of the lesson, make sure that the child is not distracted, and evaluate the teaching abilities of the teacher.
Disadvantages of English on Skype
Unfortunately, there is no ideal option for learning foreign languages. And using Skype also has some disadvantages. Although, most of them can be predicted and prevented in advance. And then the lessons will become enjoyable, and, most importantly, effective.
1. Poor connection
If one of the parties has a slow Internet or there is communication interference, then training will become more difficult. It will be difficult to perceive speech, especially if the goal of the lesson is to master spoken English or some dialect. The problem can be solved by adjusting the equipment or increasing the speed of the Internet connection. Solvable.
2. Computer illiteracy
It will be difficult for a person who has poor computer skills and does not know basic things (enter a program, make or answer a call, send or receive a file). And the teacher is unlikely to want to waste time teaching the student these skills. It’s better to first ask a friend or relative to teach you the basics of working with the Skype program, and then practice distance learning English language.
3. Payment for classes
If it's an online school, then you don't have to worry about paying. There will be no cheating and your money will not be wasted. But with a private teacher there may be a problem. If you find a teacher through an advertisement, it is better not to pay him for several lessons in advance. The best option: payment for each lesson conducted.
How are Skype classes conducted?
The teacher must prepare the program for each lesson. He sets the tone for the lesson by welcoming the student and telling them what they will be doing today. The first lesson is often an introductory lesson, when the parties get to know each other, and the teacher uses a test, survey or simple task to find out the student’s level of knowledge.
Learn English! It will come in handy in any case.
The student must also prepare for classes in a certain way. First, complete silence should be ensured. Those. Children should not make noise in the background, music should not be played, or the TV should be on. Just like in a regular lesson, you need to create calm atmosphere which encourages concentration.
Secondly, the student should have a notebook, pen or pencil at hand. It is advisable to prepare a folder on your computer desktop where you can place files sent by the teacher. Sometimes the tutor additionally asks you to create a notebook or document for terms, download some software that will help you study, etc.
English with a native speaker when you really need it?
It is very interesting: to communicate with a real Englishman or American. But is this always productive when teaching English via Skype?
Experts recommend looking for a native speaker only if you already know English at a conversational level: speak fluently and understand speech. Because a tutor who speaks (and thinks) in your language and a foreigner are two different people with various teaching techniques. And it can be difficult for a beginner or even an amateur.
By the way, the tutor does not have to be a native speaker. This could be an ordinary foreigner who wants to learn your language. Those. it's almost like a pen pal, only in our case - via Skype.
How it works? On a dating site you find a person (hint: it’s better to look on foreign portals, for example, British ones) who wants to learn your language. You get to know each other and then chat for your own pleasure. No one pays anyone because communication benefits both parties.
In order to learn English not only effectively, but also interestingly, you need to approach the choice of a teaching system and teacher with full responsibility. In addition, you pay money for such lessons (the average cost of one lesson is 700 rubles), every minute should be used for future use.
Today it is difficult to find an Internet user who would not know about the existence of such a program as Skype. This application is usually associated with free Internet communications and video conferencing. In addition to free Internet telephony, group chats and file sharing, the Skype program also has other useful features that are not known to all users.
For example - study English via Skype with a native speaker for free. How can this be implemented in practice? After all, it is not very polite to directly contact any English-speaking Skype user and demand communication.
How to find an English-speaking interlocutor on Skype
This opportunity has already been provided and all problems have been solved! Proceed according to the following plan.
There, in the Skype community, you can find a native speaker of the language you are studying, and there are also special language clubs. You will learn the language with an Englishman, and in gratitude this foreigner will study your language - after all, you are also a native speaker native language? And someone in other countries is very interested in your ability to speak your language perfectly and absolutely without an accent.
Alternative language teaching via Skype
If you just ask the phrase in Google search English via Skype, then you will be offered other options for learning languages outside the Skype community. These are various online language schools or courses where you will be offered a limited number of Skype lessons for free. After completing the free course, you may want to continue training for money.
The advantage of paid training is that they take things seriously. You can chat on Skype for free for years with an English-speaking interlocutor and still not master fluent speech. And vocational schools use special techniques that allow you to master the language in the shortest possible time. In general, the choice is huge and, if desired, you can find language courses that are suitable for your level of knowledge at minimal cost or even completely without payment.
