Verbling

Verbling is a popular online language learning platform that connects professional standard language teachers with students. Lessons are available in either 30 minute or 1 hour sessions, and you can choose between one-on-one or group classes that are very affordable.

An aspect of the website that I feel sets it apart from its main competitor, italki, is that Verbling only uses experienced language teachers who have been fully vetted beforehand. Although this means that there is less selection to choose from, you are almost guaranteed to find a higher quality of teaching and therefore more value for your money. With group classes starting at as little as $2, knowing that the teachers are not just amateurs looking to earn a bit of cash on the side makes it well worth the investment.

Another facet of the platform that I found especially useful was the fact that you can read verified user feedback on their experience with a particular teacher, as well as access a short introduction video from the teacher themself. This helps to give a very good idea of what to expect from the lessons and help you decide which teacher is right for you. That being said, once you have started taking lessons with a teacher, you can adapt the classes to fit your needs. That means that if, for example, you are looking to learn a language for business, the teacher can tailor the lessons to include useful words and phrases that will be relevant to you.

One of the problems with Verbling is that because of it strict guidelines on recruiting teachers, availability outside of the most popular languages is limited. Hence, if you are looking for a chance to learn Russian or Dutch, for example, it may be better to search on italki as they have a wider selection of people offering classes.

David Jones

I am a professional travel writer and travel enthusiast who traveled the world twice, so I am sharing my firsthand knowledge about everything related to travel and spending time abroad.