Hey guys! I hope you found my rambly explanation of how I choose my iTalki teachers to be helpful. Remember if you're heading to iTalki for the first time (even if you don't plan on paying any money right now), this link will give you $10 if you ever do buy iTalki credits, so even if you're just checking it out, it'd be cool if you use this link and you can be given $10 when the time comes, AND help me learn my languages better to make better quality videos. www.italki.com/i/CHfEEb?hl=en-us Thanks!

@florenmerlino3322

4 жыл бұрын

Hi! I’ve just clicked the italkie link. I downloaded the app a few days ago but I still didn’t use it. Thanks for your videos!!!

I do not tutor on iTalki, but I have been tutoring French for four and half years. One thing that I wish people would realize is that hiring a tutor is not some magical fix. It can be great...IF the person is willing to work independently in between sessions. My fiancé and I both tutor French and have noticed that there are some people who hire a tutor and proceed to do basically nothing on their own. This behavior is frustrating, because the person ends up progressing slowly despite having a tutor. The person may even start to wonder if the tutor is somehow at fault, failing to take into account the fact that learning a language requires a lot of independent study. Bottom line: If you want private lessons, you need to be willing to do the work and make your money worth it.

@placebo6956

3 жыл бұрын

My personal mindset is that a tutor is just another resource out of all my many other resources. Podcasts are a resource, textbooks are a resource, and tutors are a resource. I just use my tutor to put to practical use everything I’ve been learning that week.

@zlatagordenko1441

Жыл бұрын

f a tutor and a student have different views on the educational process, they may just not be a good fit for each other. Sometimes it happens. For example, I don't need fast progress and homework. I just need a nice person to talk to who can correct my mistakes. I don't mind studying slowly.

I would like to put my two cents in: There is another useful statistic which is often overlooked. That is the return rate of a teacher. To me this is a vital piece of information you may gather about a teacher before booking a lesson. Check how many hours a teacher has so far taught and how many students he or she has had to calculate the average return rate. For good teachers that average is around 6 or better. It is extremely difficult to go over an average of 10 so only unique teachers can do that (do not be surprised if such teachers are pricey). Actually, anything 8 or better is special. However if that average is below 3 that should tell you something about the teacher. If used cleverly, this should help you assess a teacher pretty well even before meeting him or her. You can always find this information under the introduction video of a teacher.

@daysandwords

4 жыл бұрын

Good point yeah.

@alwaysuseless

4 жыл бұрын

Lacivert -The video and your tip are encouraging me to try iTalki. I've always assumed that it's hit-or-miss and expensive (not a great combination). Also, languages like German I've assumed would be more expensive, because of the higher standard of living in German-speaking countries. P.S. Google translate indicates that your first name means Navy Blue in Turkish. So I'm guessing you're bilingual English/Turkish. In English, colors are first names only for girls: Violet, Ruby, Rose or Rosie. The only possible exception I can think of is Pinky Lee, whose real name was Pincus Leff and perhaps not a reference to the color pink.

@JohnSmith-qh6zh

3 жыл бұрын

This is very accurate and I've noticed this as well.

@thenaturalyogi5934

2 жыл бұрын

I just did this and the highest ratio was for the most expensive tutor I have and also the longest person I stayed with. 🤣

Believe me. I have come across several KZread channels in my time. Not just for Polyglot related stuff but even otherwise. You are a sensible and ethical person who is bringing normality out here. Some of them say they can speak a million languages and you are in awe till they speak yours, when you go "Ah! I know what you are doing there mate". I speak 5 languages myself on a daily basis since I come from south of India where this is mostly common and we never shock anyone with this fact. However, I am trying to break the monotony by learning Spanish and you are helping me get the confidence to learn something absolutely alien to me. So, just wanted to say "Muchas Gracias" :-) P.S - Subscribed and hit the bell icon

@alwaysuseless

4 жыл бұрын

So you speak Hindi, English, and what else? Btw, it's "Muchas gracias," not "Mucho Gracias."

That's something I always suggest to people when looking for teachers or language partners. Native teachers will definitely be able to tell if something sounds right, but they don't always know why unless they've studied/been trained in grammar and/or teaching. People who have learned things to a very proficient language have had to learn the grammar probably. So they can often tell you why, but they might not know all the idioms and weird corner cases of a language (although they COULD, but you know, it's less likely). They both have pros and cons. I also personally just prefer talking to people and hanging out. So I like to just find people I have things in common with. I'd rather do that than make it like a teacher/student thing personally. It's just much more enjoyable.

@daysandwords

4 жыл бұрын

That's absolutely true. A perfect example of the native vs non-native thing was that one of my Serbian teachers (for French) had never heard of "communiquer l'addresse" (to give someone the address). She thought it must be "donner" (to give) or "dire" (to tell), and she said she'd never heard of "communiquer" but 3 French people told me that it absolutely must be "communiquer". Having said that, French people often do understand their own language quite well. The Serbian teachers were more about price (cost of living is lower in Serbia) and that they may not understand the language better but they know things about how to learn it well.

Non-native teachers are often the best teachers because they actually had to learn the language and therefore know and understand what their students are going through.

Great explanation video, thanks a lot.

Dude you have great videos. Thanks for the content.

Great video about italki. I have been using italki for 1,5 years and love it. I have been learning Dutch and Croatian and I am very happy and lucky with my teachers. Just found your channel and want to tell you thank you. Great videos.

@anya_winters2274

4 жыл бұрын

Do you recommend any teachers for learning Dutch? I’m considering getting a Dutch tutor :)

Liked your tips. I use a metric of dividing the number of lessons they have given by the number of students they have taught (both numbers are in their profile). If someone has lots of students that only take 1 or 2 lessons I keep moving on but if I find someone averaging more than 6 lessons I look at their video and follow your tips. I just find this a good screening tool. My current French teacher and I are close to 200 lessons so I have bumped his average up! 😀

All good advice. I ended up with my Vietnamese tutor because I put some Vietnamese up on iTalki, he corrected it and was like "I do a beginner course that might suit you", I did a trial session and he's been my tutor ever since and has been fantastic (and is a native speaker). I took the punt because I figure if he's out there making the effort to engage in the community then he'll probably put the effort in lesson and his video offered good enough of an impression. And when you have them, trial sessions are good too, because you can see if you can click with that person or not . But it is definitely worth finding a good tutor, because they do end up becoming your friend and you are 100% right about the 5 stars, unless he did something to wrong me, I don't think I'd give my tutor any less, because you're reviewing a person and not a business or a product and the important detail is whether they're a good tutor and will provide you good lessons, so you're less inclined to penalise for a weaker lesson when the overall experience is good.

Thank you, it's helpful to know what basic boxes tutors should make sure they check off before applying. Do you have any advice for native speakers who are willing to start tutoring whit no previous experience in teaching languages, apart from charging lower prices?

thanks, i have just signed up

2:10 I would also charge less from teachers, who reuse the money earned to take lessons themselves (I do that for probably quarter of my money, and it feels like double taxation).

@daysandwords

3 жыл бұрын

Oh it totally is. I have never understood this.

I really like the time filter. Why would you want to see all the available teachers for a language if the time frame doesn't work for you? I don't care how good a teacher is if I have to wake up at 4am. I ain't taking no classes at midnight lol! So time is the base filter i use.

Salut, ta vidéo est super intéressante ! Je la trouve d'autant plus utile que je suis à mon 6e professeur différent d'espagnol...Don't get me wrong, they are all really kind but I feel like I'm missing something and didn't really progress. Is iTalki simply for practicing small talk? I feel like I'm paying them to just basically hang out with me and correct me here and there lol. Maybe I need to spend more (right now around 12$usd a lesson). Je vais essayer d'appliquer tes principes pour mon prochain professeur.

Any tips for the italki challenge? How is it that some people manage to have a ridiculous amount of hours in the italki challenge ranking? I take lessons several times a week and still, my ranking is #2000-something.

You seemed to hint at the fact that you are also a teacher on Italki? If so are you just teaching Swedish or French as well? Thanks!

@daysandwords

4 жыл бұрын

Hahaha no net yet. Maybe Swedish in a year if I get as good as I hope to. You are supposed to swear on the Bible (the iTalki bible) that you are a C2 in the languages you teach, which is garbage because quite a number of people are not C2 in their own language, almost NO ONE is in a second language... but yeah, I wouldn't feel comfortable teaching it unless I was a C1.

Hey! I've just watched this video, and I'm hoping despite the fact it was published a couple of years ago, you'll still respond to comments. I'm in Aus too, learning Italian, and am wondering 1) how do you go speaking your language(s) to a teacher in Europe when it's our nighttime? i.e. I've had a few lessons in the evening and just find I'm nowhere near as good as I would be speaking during the day, which is really frustrating. 2) for conversation lessons, do you think teachers should come with a prepared topic/questions and be responsible for running the conversation? I've had a number of lessons where we've run out of things to say, so I've had to try to come up with stuff, which isn't always easy with someone you don't know... I would kind of think part of what I am paying for is for them to drive me to speak more... How do you like to structure a conversation session on iTalki?

I had my first lesson on italki today, unfortunately, I created my account a long time ago, and I didn't use any invitation so I didn't get the $10. Fortunately, It was $5 well spent. I wonder If the OOPT( the 10 usd english test from oxford) is really worth it. I did it, I got B2(B2 on the reading section and C1 on the listening section), everyone understands me when I'm texting so I kinda get the impression that I'm better than I'm really are. If I reach like level C1 in English I will try to spend more money on German.

What about style of teaching? You didn't talk about this at all. If I am a beginner and want to start with story listening and heaps of comprehensible input vs someone drilling me on grammar, conjugation, vocab lists, etc? I wish more teachers on Italki indicated style

You're completely right, a progressive charging system should be in place. I also worry about the ethics sometimes but it's hard to tell. I personally teach basic chemistry/physics and help international students with their English at my university for free because I gain a lot from it and I genuinely enjoy it like a hobby, so I understand why many people would charge low prices. Je veux savoir qui sont ces professeurs serbes !!! haha Merci pour vos vidéos.

@daysandwords

4 жыл бұрын

These guys, they're both great: www.italki.com/teacher/6008433 www.italki.com/teacher/4019655

So , i just found your channel , apps video was great Can you talk about ielts pls ? I really like your view

@daysandwords

4 жыл бұрын

I definitely cannot talk about IELTS without gouging my eyes out.

I got really annoyed by the initial comments about price. A lot of the teachers there are trying to build up some experience and so don't charge so much. The idea of not using a teacher because they are too cheap is just silly. If they didn't want to be booked at that price then they wouldn't advertise at that price. A lot of the time the prices go up over time as they get experience and a student base. In that case there's nothing wrong with moving on to a cheaper teacher. Not many Icelandic teachers and they're expensive? You don't think those two things might be related? You pay your money and take your choice.

As an Italki teacher, I have to say there is one more thing. You will want to look at their lessons/student ratio.

Do you have any experience with the Community Tutors vs. Professional Teachers, and recommending one over the other? I would tend to think it may not matter much, as good teachers may not necessarily do it as a profession, and god knows I've had some bad teachers in college so a degree may not mean much, but will usually be higher priced. ?

@daysandwords

4 жыл бұрын

I normally use community, but I have nothing against professional. The Serbian teachers I recommended have degrees in the French language and I believe they are listed as pro; another teacher from Algeria is pro and she is fantastic... I am pro and I think my English lessons are good, but they were good before I applied to have the label changed. Basically I don't look at it or take it into account. It's just time and what I think of them personally.

3 жыл бұрын

@@daysandwords I think what the label does, it raises the minimum possible price, so it may be even bad for people who are okay to have more six-dollar lessons. From the learner's perspective the pro label is a proof that the teacher is trained to teach, but many wonderful teachers are there without formal training that they can show to the italki staff.

Have you used Lingoda? ... Specifically their Sprint / Super Sprint? I'm a A1.1 French learner and kicking off my learning with Busuu for 8 weeks then on to the Lingoda Sprint ... would be interested in your thoughts

@daysandwords

4 жыл бұрын

I was given 4 free lessons on it. If you are sure that you will have the time, I think the supersprint would be freakin' amazing, but you need to be VERY sure because the fine print is PIIIIICKY. You can't do more than 1 lesson a day (so you absolutely must get everyday), if you can't book a an available class then too bad etc etc. I wish I had done the one starting in March because that would have been the last time I ever had the chance. I might do a review soon.

@Runsweatrepeat

4 жыл бұрын

@@daysandwords Cheers mate, a review would be interesting. I'm doing the Sprint (kicks off 1st July) so 1 lesson every 2 days... a bit more manageable with a 1 year old in the house :) Thanks again, all the best

Hi Lamont. I have a friend who is learning English and she keeps trying to convince me to sign up to Italki as teacher. The issue for me is, i have never taught anyone anything in my life, and i feel i cannot explain the grammar rules. She will always retort with "people just want to pay someone to talk to them and practice in English". How do you feel about teachers that aren't really teachers and are there as "paid practice". For me i'd feel like someones time would be better spent with an actual teacher than just paying someone to talk to them in the language. Your thoughts on this type of "teaching"?

@daysandwords

3 жыл бұрын

Honestly I normally find the casual conversation partners to be better teachers than the "certified" teachers. And I say that as a certified teacher on there myself. But often (not always), certified teachers have this idea that the language is learned in X way and the path must not be deviated from. They also sometimes get hypercorrect and insist on explaining some crap that no one even cares about. Sometimes they want you to read a particular book that they believe is "the essence of French" or something. I have DEFINITELY had good teachers who were certified teachers but in the top 10 teachers I've had, at least 6 of them were just casual partners who didn't know the "rules" of their own language, and I am actually similar in English, although I have a certificate because I did teaching at uni for a bit and then just got a basic ESL ceritificate after that.

Is there an option to tip teachers?

@daysandwords

4 жыл бұрын

You would just have to arrange it privately with them, so no.

What if you just wanted to spend 10 minutes per day on it? How would the prices work?

@trinityziakas5531

3 жыл бұрын

U cant learn a lession in 10 minutes u actually got to put the time and effect

good

Hi, I just signed up to Italki with your link but the $10 credit isn't there

@daysandwords

4 жыл бұрын

I think they take a few days to verify it. Or, wait, did you actually add money to your account? You have to actually put money in your account, they don't just give you $10 straight up, if you get me. Thank you for using my link.

@enzosf

4 жыл бұрын

@@daysandwords Same here. I started with the link, bought $20 but I don't see anything else. One screen said "more than $20" but all the other prompts said $20 or more. We'll see. thanks much enjoyed the vids.

@therocktimist

4 жыл бұрын

I used his link, had to put $20 in my account and then the $10 showed up 2 days later. It is kind of annoying though that the site doesn't give the $10 immediately upon purchase (as a web developer I know that 2 days for "verification" is meaningless).

What song is This?

@daysandwords

4 жыл бұрын

It's stock music from this site: app.soundstripe.com/referrals/76731

Consider the exchange rate of where the person lives. If a woman, is she doing beginner stuff from home while her hubby works and she has some time in the day after taking care f the kids? People who charge less might only need a few extra bucks, while high prices tell me they are trying to make a living from it.

@daysandwords

4 жыл бұрын

Yeah absolutely. I didn't mean that this is very frequent... I am actually going to attempt a livestream right now (we'll see how it goes) to try to explain some of what I meant here... not because I really need to explain it, just cos I need something to test my first livestream on haha.

@daysandwords

4 жыл бұрын

In this livestream, right towards the end (maybe 1:09 or so), I bring this up again and explain what I meant a bit better: kzread.info/dash/bejne/dmuE17aKZL23ZNY.html

I think the good non native language teachers know more about how to teach it hecause they had to learn it themselves

The star rating sounds like Uber.

Ahem.....names of the two Serbian French teachers please, would you? 🙂

@daysandwords

3 жыл бұрын

They are long gone now.

@ethanhunt2570

3 жыл бұрын

@@daysandwordswhy do you say that like they were drug dealers...? 😄 Gone? Where? Why?

@mial.4328

2 жыл бұрын

@@ethanhunt2570 This happens actually quite often (teachers dissappearing)

Verbling it's much better than italki

@daysandwords

4 жыл бұрын

I have a full review of Verbling.