So you’ve decided to learn a new language. After choosing your school (hopefully Patong Language School), the next big decision is whether to go for private lessons or group classes.
There are advantages to both, so it really depends on your own personal preference.
Private lessons
With private lessons, the lesson will move at your pace – as slowly or as quickly as you need. The lessons can also be customised to suit your level and your learning goals. Only want to study conversation, not grammar? Just let your teacher know. Need to prepare for an upcoming test, like IELTS or TOEFL? We can help with that.
Private lessons are a bit more expensive than group classes – your lessons will be one-on-one, so you have your teacher’s full attention at all times. While you won’t have other students to interact with, your teacher will do their best to motivate you and keep the lessons fresh and interesting.
Group classes
Beyond the obvious advantage of meeting new people and making new friends (especially useful for people studying in a foreign country), group classes also enable you to learn from your fellow classmates. Some people find themselves more motivated to learn when there are other students in the class – you’ll have more people to interact with during the lesson, not just the teacher. Group classes also work out to be cheaper than private lessons – that’s a pretty big advantage right there!
Keep in mind that with group classes the lesson content can’t be customised for you and the pace of the lessons is set – if it takes you longer to learn, you could possibly find yourself left behind, although the teacher will always do what they can to accommodate all students.
So what’s best for you?
That’s something only you can decide. There is a compromise though if you’re finding it hard to choose: take both!
Many of our students book a group course and have additional private lessons each day, or even just a few times a week. It’s a great way to learn even faster and get the best of both worlds.