Get conversational before you land

A few well-rehearsed phrases unlock interactions that monolingual visitors never see — better restaurant recommendations, more patience at the train counter, a shopkeeper who switches from tourist mode into something warmer the moment you greet them in their own language. None of this requires fluency. It requires having tried.

The fastest way to reach that point is to talk out loud with a person who can correct you in real time. Apps build vocabulary; they do not build the muscle of forming a sentence under mild pressure and being understood. That muscle is what live tutoring builds, and it is the difference between knowing the words and actually using them at a counter or a kiosk.

Sign up, fill in a short onboarding questionnaire about your goals, your current level (even if that level is zero), your budget, your week and your reason for learning. The platform's matching algorithm then surfaces tutors who fit — by language, schedule, specialisation (travel, business, exam prep, conversation), accent, certifications and price band.

Each tutor has a public profile with an introductory video, a written biography, learner reviews, available time slots and an hourly rate they set themselves. Many tutors offer a discounted trial lesson so you can see how they teach before you commit. Once you choose, you start a subscription of one to several lessons per week (six lessons minimum to begin) and book the specific slots that suit you.

Pricing varies widely because tutors are independent and set their own rates. Hourly prices reflect experience, qualifications, the language taught and the time slot you book; you'll see the exact rate on every profile in your local currency before booking, so the published list is the honest one. There's no flat platform price to memorise — pick the band that fits your budget and adjust later.

• Live video and audio: Clean two-way video so your tutor can see your mouth shape and gestures — and you can see theirs. Crucial for pronunciation work.
• Shared whiteboard: A space the tutor can write on in real time — to break down a grammar pattern, sketch a verb conjugation, or note a phrase you stumble over.
• Inline file sharing and chat: Pictures of your menu, screenshots of a sign, a PDF of your itinerary — everything goes into the lesson without leaving the screen.
• Saved lesson history: Every lesson is stored with the materials your tutor used, so you can rewatch, re-read and keep practising between sessions.
• Mobile and desktop: Native apps on iOS and Android plus a desktop browser experience — useful when you want to squeeze a lesson into a lunch break or a hotel evening.

Most progress in language learning happens in the gaps between lessons — what you practise on your phone on the train, what you review the morning after class. Preply layers a set of AI-powered tools onto the live tutoring to keep that practice going without you having to design it yourself.

• Daily exercises: Short practice tasks generated from your recent lesson topics. Five to ten minutes a day, on your phone, while the new words are still fresh.
• Scenario practice: Guided simulations of real situations — ordering at a café, checking into a hotel, asking for directions — so you rehearse the language in the shape you'll actually meet it.
• Vocabulary review: Built-in flashcards drawn from the words your tutor flagged in your lessons, with spaced-repetition timing.
• Lesson insights: After each session you get a written summary of what was covered, your speaking time, and grammar patterns to revisit.
• Direct tutor chat: Between lessons you can message your tutor for a quick clarification or a follow-up question — no need to wait until the next slot.

The platform shows you dozens of options for any language. The wrong move is to pick the cheapest profile and hope; the right move is to use the filters and the trial lesson to find someone who genuinely fits the way you want to work.

• Filter for «conversation» and «travel»: Both are common tutor specialisations. They signal someone who teaches the spoken language and the situations of a trip rather than long grammar drills.
• Read three or four reviews — and not just the rating: Look for learners who started where you are starting (beginners, travellers, professionals) and described the tutor's teaching style, patience and corrections.
• Watch the intro video: Two minutes of someone speaking on camera tells you in advance whether their accent, pace and energy will work for you over thirty minutes a week.
• Book a trial lesson: Most tutors offer one at a discount. Use it as an audition rather than a real lesson — talk about your trip, see how they respond, and only commit if it felt natural.
• Don't be afraid to switch: If the first match isn't right, you can change tutors at any time without losing your remaining lessons. The marketplace is built for this.

For survival phrases — greetings, courtesy, ordering, directions, numbers — a starter block of six to eight lessons spread over two or three weeks is enough for most travellers. You'll arrive able to greet, thank, order, ask a price and read the basics on a menu.

For situational confidence — chatting at a guesthouse, handling a taxi conversation, asking follow-up questions in a shop — plan for twelve to twenty lessons over six to eight weeks, ideally two lessons a week. The gap between lessons matters: too close together and you don't internalise, too far apart and you forget.

For genuine conversational comfort — handling small talk, recovering from misunderstandings, switching tense — expect a few months of two to three lessons a week. This is the band where the marketplace's flexibility starts to matter, because life gets in the way and you'll want to pause, switch tutors or change cadence without losing momentum.

Tutoring is not a shortcut. You still have to do the practice between lessons, you still have to be willing to speak badly in public for a while, and you still have to forgive yourself the first time you panic and reach for English at a counter. What tutoring gives you is structure and a person who'll meet you where you are.

It is also not the cheapest option. Free apps will get you a long way for nothing, language podcasts cost nothing, and a phrasebook in the airport costs less than one lesson. The case for tutoring is that the speed of progress and the staying power of the practice — having an actual person waiting on a Tuesday at seven, who notices when you mispronounce a word and tells you — are worth the price for a trip you care about.

Finally: rates, features and specific tools evolve. Confirm current pricing, lesson minimums and trial-lesson policies on Preply's own site before you commit. Refund and cancellation rules are set by Preply, not by us.