Below are the questions we are asked most often about our Spanish lessons: where they take place, how long they last, what they cost and who will be teaching you. If your question is not answered here, call us on 020 7148 0320 or send us a message.
Lessons and scheduling
Where do the lessons take place?
We come to you. Most students have their lessons at their office or at home, anywhere in London, and the tutor’s travel is included in the price. You are equally welcome at our office at 35 New Broad Street, EC2M 1NH, two minutes from Liverpool Street station. If you would rather learn from your own desk, we also teach online.
When can I have lessons?
Monday to Friday from 7:00am to 8:00pm, Saturday from 9:00am to 6:00pm and Sunday from 10:00am to 4:00pm. Early mornings, lunchtimes and evenings are all available, and lesson timing is flexible.
How long is a lesson, and how often should I have one?
Ninety minutes is a good length that allows you to settle in, practise properly and finish a topic. Most students take two or three lessons a week, which is the pace at which progress becomes apparent within the first month.
How many lessons will I need?
That depends on where you are starting from and how far you want to progress. Your tutor will give you a realistic estimate once your current level is established. We look at the question in more detail in how long it takes to learn Spanish.
What happens in the first lesson?
It opens with an assessment. Your tutor establishes the level you are at, how you plan to use your Spanish and how quickly you want to get there, then builds the course around those answers. If you would like an idea of your level beforehand, take our Spanish test.
Can I move or cancel a lesson?
Yes. Tell us at least 24 hours before the lesson and we will move it to a time that suits you, at no charge. Inside 24 hours the lesson is charged, because the tutor’s time and journey have already been set aside for you.
Prices and payment
How much do Spanish lessons cost?
Private lessons start at £49 an hour. The exact rate depends on the course you choose, how many of you are learning together and where the lessons are taught. Lessons at weekends and after 6:00pm are charged at a higher rate, and our ten and twenty-hour packages bring the hourly rate down. Call 020 7148 0320 or send us a message telling us what you need, and we will send you a quote.
What is included in the price?
Your assessment, a course built around your goals, all teaching materials, your tutor’s preparation between lessons and the journey to your office or home in London. There is nothing to register for and no textbook to buy.
How can I pay?
By bank transfer, debit or credit card, PayPal, cheque or cash, whichever is easiest for you.
When do I pay?
Private students pay for their lessons in advance. Companies are invoiced and settle the invoice at the end of the month.
Your tutor and the Spanish you learn
Who will be teaching me?
A native Spanish speaker with many years of teaching experience and an excellent level of English, able to clear up a grammar point in one sentence when you need it. You keep the same tutor for the whole course. Our students describe the experience in their own words on our testimonials page.
How much of the lesson is in Spanish?
About 95 per cent. English is kept for the five per cent where one quick explanation saves ten minutes of guesswork. From the first lesson you will be listening to Spanish and answering in it.
Which Spanish will I learn?
Castilian Spanish, the Spanish of Spain, as standard. Our tutors know the Latin American varieties well, and if you are working with Mexico, Colombia or Argentina we will teach you the vocabulary and the pronunciation you will meet there.
Do you prepare students for Spanish exams?
Yes. We prepare adult learners for the DELE diplomas awarded by the Instituto Cervantes and for the SIELE certificate, the two internationally recognised Spanish qualifications. Tell us which one you are taking and on what date, and your tutor will build the course back from it.
I have never learned Spanish before. Can I still start?
Yes, and complete beginners are in good company here. You will be speaking Spanish in your first lesson, because one-to-one teaching lets your tutor pitch every sentence at the level you are on that day.
Companies, groups and online lessons
Do you teach Spanish to companies?
Yes. Business Spanish provides one-to-one tuition for senior executives and group programmes for teams and departments, delivered on site at your offices and built around the work itself: client meetings, conference calls, presentations, negotiations and written correspondence.
Can colleagues or family learn together?
Yes. We teach small groups of up to six people at a similar level, which works well and brings the cost per person down. Where levels differ widely, private lessons get everybody further, faster.
How do online lessons work?
Over Zoom, Teams or any other platform you or your company already use. It is the same lesson as in the room: the same tutor, the same ninety minutes and the same materials, shared on screen as you go. Online Spanish lessons suit people who travel, work across time zones or live outside London.
Do you run intensive courses?
Yes. Intensive Spanish courses concentrate months of tuition into days or weeks, for people with a posting, a project or an exam date in front of them.
Still have a question? Call 020 7148 0320 or send us a message. Tell us how you plan to use your Spanish, and we will suggest a course to match.