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Learning English from scratch can be intimidating at first. That's why I often hear sentences like "I don't know how to start. I feel very nervous" from my acquaintances. From my perspective, the hardest part is always getting started on something new. That's why I advise everyone to "set up a suitable program for yourself, and the rest will follow." My recommendation to you is also to find a method or platform that suits you and start as soon as possible. This way, you can make progress and gain motivation to continue.
If you are wondering, "Which platform is better, and how can I understand?" you can read my article titled "Ranking of the Best English Learning Apps" to gather information.
In this article, I'd like to share the success story of a friend of mine, who started with basic English knowledge and managed to reach a B2 level, ultimately finding the job he desired. While the introduction and conclusion sections will reflect my thoughts, the other parts of the article are written by my friend.
Hello, everyone. I'm Mike, 24 years old. Two years ago, I graduated from a decent university with a degree in Economics. When I first graduated, I knew that the job-hunting process could be challenging, but I thought that graduating from a good university with a good GPA would make it easier for me. However, I soon realized that these were not sufficient criteria to find a good job; I needed to know English, and not just know it, but be really proficient in it. The problem was, my English had always been very poor. I couldn't grasp certain grammar rules, struggled with pronunciation, and consistently received low scores on exams.
Since I had never attended any language courses, I never had the chance to improve my English, and honestly, I didn't think I would need it that much. However, reality hit me hard when I started working as an intern in some companies or junior positions, and I realized that I wouldn't be able to reach the position I desired without a good command of English. Therefore, realizing that things couldn't go on like this, I decided to learn English, and that's when my journey began.
When I decided to learn English, I enrolled in a traditional language course, thinking that I would attend classes on weekends or after work. However, after two months, I realized that this pace was exhausting me. Dealing with traffic after work, spending time in classrooms, and being closed off in lessons were hindering my progress in improving my English. Consequently, I decided to explore online English learning platforms. Cambly was the first platform that caught my attention since it was everywhere. I purchased a one-month package using a code from an influencer I followed. The package offered two one-on-one lessons per week. However, right from the first lesson, I understood that Cambly was not suitable for me, especially as someone with a beginner's level of English.
The problem was that most of the lessons were focused on conversing with native English-speaking teachers. This made it extremely challenging for me to communicate with the teacher, and as a result, I couldn't learn anything. My motivation took a significant hit, and Cambly not only failed to contribute to my progress but also shattered my self-confidence.
Afterward, I conducted some research online and decided to take lessons on Preply, as I was dissatisfied with Cambly and had already spent quite a bit of money on it. I learned that Preply offered reasonably priced lessons, and I was eager to start with a teacher right away. However, being new to English, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from a teacher, and I found myself overwhelmed when trying to choose from hundreds of available teachers. In the end, I picked one of the first teachers I found, but my experience here also ended in disappointment. The teacher neither had English as their native language nor did they possess professional teaching skills. Consequently, I struggled to understand their accent and couldn't learn much due to their inability to manage the lesson effectively.
After feeling discouraged about learning English, I decided to take a break from lessons for a while. About a month later, a friend told me about Flalingo. After doing some research, I thought that Flalingo could be a reasonable choice. To avoid encountering the same issues I had with other platforms, I decided to purchase a trial lesson before registering with Flalingo.
In the trial lesson, I had a 25-minute session with a teacher named Milena. Despite being a foreign teacher, she knew French, which made communication easy. I briefly shared my past experiences with her, and she explained how we could proceed with lessons on Flalingo. Milena was a certified teacher and had a strong command of both English and French, making the trial lesson enjoyable and effective.
The positive experience during the trial lesson encouraged me to continue taking lessons with Milena on Flalingo. I was hopeful that Flalingo would address the issues I faced on other platforms and provide a more effective and enjoyable learning experience for me. After the trial lesson, I purchased a 12-month package from Flalingo for 3 50-minute lessons a week, so that I could start learning English with pleasure, after a painful process of trying to find the right platform.
For those like me who want to learn English from scratch, Flalingo offers several reasons why it is the best option. One of these reasons is the Smart Teacher Selection Algorithm. With this algorithm, Flalingo selects around 30 teachers out of 1800 who could be the most suitable for you. You have the freedom to choose the teacher that best fits your preferences from this selection. Additionally, unlike many other online English learning platforms, with Flalingo, you can continue having lessons with your preferred teacher as long as your schedules align. This means that if you have good communication and productive lessons with a teacher who knows how to interact with beginner-level students or speaks your native language fluently, you can easily continue your lessons with that teacher.
During my 12-month learning journey, I was able to learn English from scratch and progress to a B2 level by having lessons with only a few different teachers. Initially, for about 3 months, I exclusively had lessons with Sara, with whom I had a trial lesson. After feeling a bit more confident, I alternated between teachers who didn't know French and others who did. By the ninth month, I was easily able to communicate and have productive lessons with teachers who were fluent in English. Through working with certified teachers and engaging in conversations with native English speakers, I significantly improved my English skills within a year.
As a result, I began to approach the positions I desired in my job, and as I continue to improve my English with Flalingo, I am confident that I will soon be exactly where I want to be!
Flalingo uses resources from Oxford University Press in their lessons. Additionally, they provide their students with free access to the Oxford University Press Library. This allows students to utilize these materials during their lessons and also practice exercises outside of class to reinforce what they've learned. By using publications from Oxford University, one of the best universities in the UK and even the world, Flalingo shows its commitment to the quality of its students' education and enables them to practice at their convenience.
Furthermore, Flalingo records the lessons, allowing students to review them whenever they want. During my 1-year education, especially in the initial months, I frequently revisited the lessons, practicing and striving to learn English in the best way possible. Thus, I believe that having access to lessons and learning materials played a significant role in my English language development. Particularly as I approached the end of my 12-month package and reviewed lessons from the early months, I could clearly see how much progress I had made. Having tangible evidence like this truly brings joy and motivates further progress.
The combination of using reputable learning resources and the ability to revisit recorded lessons has been instrumental in my successful language-learning journey with Flalingo. I am grateful for the platform's comprehensive approach, which has helped me develop my English skills effectively and efficiently.
One of the remarkable features that Flalingo offers to its users is its flexible subscription system. Flalingo provides four monthly packages: 1-month, 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month packages. Each package allows you to choose the number of days per week you want to have lessons, with options ranging from one to four days. Additionally, you can further customize your package by selecting either 25-minute or 50-minute lessons. In total, Flalingo offers a variety of 32 different package options, allowing you to pick the one that best suits your needs.
Considering my desire for a longer period of education, I opted for the 12-month package. Based on my previous experiences, where I had taken too many lessons and felt overwhelmed, I decided to have lessons three days a week. Furthermore, to ensure more in-depth learning, I selected 50-minute lessons. This way, throughout the 12 months, I had a total of 12 lessons per month, allowing me not only to learn English from scratch but also to reach a B2 level proficiency.
As I approached the end of my 12-month journey with Flalingo, I had a talk with my group head and was promoted to a better position, resulting in a salary increase. This experience reaffirmed the importance of English in the professional world. After my 12-month package ended, I purchased 6-month packages with three 25-minute lessons per week and continued my education. I am grateful to Flalingo and its teachers for helping me improve my English skills by continually adding new knowledge to my language-learning journey each week.
In this blog piece, I have detailed my experience with Flalingo from a beginner's point of view. After all this time that I spent with Flalingo and English speaking talents that I show off, I would like to suggest this app to other beginners.
However, I wondered that what other Flalingo users think. To satisfy this curiosity, I visited the Trustpilot. In this platform that users evaluate the brands and services, Flalingo gets very high grades with nice and sweet reviews. Overall, Flalingo is awarded with 4.7 point out of 5, and that is enough to make it the best platform also in Trustpilot.
Yes, dear readers, my friend Mike shared his experience with you. Although learning English from scratch may seem scary, we have seen that someone with an A1 English level can reach a B2 level with the right educational resources. So, by choosing the right platform for you, you can not only learn English but also improve your English over time. Keep what you have read in this article in mind when looking for the right platform and don't forget to check out Flalingo!
