How to Prepare for Your First Online Language Lesson

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Online language lessons make it easy to practise from home.

Editor’s note: This article records Benny’s experience using Skype, but the preparation advice applies to any online lesson platform, such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet or tutors’ own virtual classrooms.

For almost three years, I had been using online speaking sessions rather than moving to a specific country to begin each language. This brought my skills up a notch before I arrived, so I could spend more time enjoying the culture and getting practice rather than being bogged down with study.

Online lessons can be affordable and accessible, with a wide choice of people to speak to, and you don’t have to leave home. Even in a country where your target language is spoken, a suitable private teacher may be hard to find. That’s why I still took many online lessons while learning Mandarin in China.

Keep in mind that I was a location-independent full-time traveller, so you’re hearing it straight from the horse’s mouth: you don’t need to travel to learn a language!

A note from the Fluent in 3 Months team before we get started: You can chat away with a native speaker for at least 15 minutes with the “Fluent in 3 Months” method. All it takes is 90 days. Tap this link to find out more.

A Crash Course in Making the Most of Online Language Lessons

What do you do once you've found someone to practise your target language with online? How do you make the most of each session? Here’s the preparation routine that worked for me.

The broader lesson series covered four parts of the online-learning puzzle:

• How to find a teacher or exchange partner suited to your learning interests
• How to work with a teacher during an online session
• How to use online tools that aren’t available in an in-person lesson
• What to do after the session so that the next one is better

Each one deserves its own discussion. This article focuses on what to do before your online session begins.

Getting into the flow of starting a new language

If this is your first online session, or you haven’t spoken the language for a while, you may be missing momentum. A little preparation can make the lesson easier.

I made a big mistake when relaunching my Mandarin: I made an online lesson the first thing I did to get back into the language.

When I’ve made this mistake, I’ve finished the session exhausted and needed the rest of the day to recover. Yikes!

Don’t make the same mistake I did. The “Oh shit, I have a lesson in five minutes!” approach won’t help you get the most from it.

I have done it right in other projects though, so let’s get into that now.

Build Up Momentum Before You Speak: Listen to Easy Content

My first lesson back was hard, not only because of my limited vocabulary, but because my teacher’s speech sounded like gibberish. It had been far too long since I had heard the language.

The same issue can arise in your first lesson. If the first time you hear the language is when someone asks you a direct question, switching to English may be tempting. Some easy listening beforehand gives your ear a chance to adjust.

You don’t need a long silent period. Try listening to easy content in the language for 30 minutes before your class.

When I’ve done this, the change has been dramatic. My third, fourth and later sessions in Chinese were way less stressful because I eased myself back in first. My second session had been just as hard as the first, so the problem wasn’t only first-session nerves. I was starting the day with a pressured conversation and no warm-up.

Choose something that isn’t too intimidating. Language-learning podcasts often offer slower beginner audio before increasing the pace and complexity. Pick material you can partly follow so the session begins with recognition rather than panic.

Learn vocabulary that will help you speak during the conversation

A common mistake is preparing only by studying the next chapter of a course. That work can be useful, but it may not prepare you for the personal questions that come up in a first conversation.

Use a reliable phrase source to learn things likely to come up in a first conversation, such as “Where are you from?”, “Pleased to meet you”, “Sorry” and “Thank you”.

Look up words related to the basics about yourself, including your country, profession, age and interests. Write them down if you can’t yet recall them.

If you already know the basics, use flashcards or another review tool to bring useful words back to the front of your mind.

When your first practice call is just about to start!

Once you’ve listened to some audio and revised or written down likely words, make sure the technical side is working.

Open the lesson platform before the call and check your connection. Close bandwidth-heavy apps if the connection is weak. Lag and broken audio make unfamiliar speech much harder to follow.

Use the platform’s test or preview option to check your microphone, speakers and camera. Because I travelled a lot, I did this before most calls. It’s better than spending the opening minutes apologising for broken audio or a poor connection.

Keep any dictionary, translator or word list you may need open in another tab. A separate document with your prepared phrases can help too. Then start the call!

Finally, tell your teacher or exchange partner exactly what you want to do. You might say, “Today I want to practise introducing myself” or “I want to talk about my job for ten minutes and have you correct my mistakes.” The more specific you are about the goal, the better they can help.

With a warm-up, useful phrases, working audio and a clear goal, you’re ready to begin.