Blog · Choosing a teacher
Private Spanish teacher or tutoring marketplace? An honest comparison
Tutoring marketplaces such as italki and Preply made it easy to find a Spanish tutor in minutes. So why do so many learners end up looking for an alternative? Here is an honest comparison from a teacher who has taught on both sides.
What marketplaces do well
- Huge choice. Hundreds of tutors, every accent, every price.
- Low prices to start. You can find very cheap trial lessons.
- Convenience. Booking, payment and video in one app.
If you only want occasional conversation practice with different people, a marketplace can be a good fit.
Where learners get stuck
Quality is a lottery
Anyone can sign up as a tutor, and lesson structure is up to each one. Some are excellent teachers. Others simply chat. You often spend several paid trials before you find the right person.
Conversation without a plan
A common pattern: pleasant conversations, few corrections and no clear sense of progress after months. Talking is necessary, but without a plan and feedback you tend to reuse the Spanish you already have.
The platform's rules, not yours
Subscriptions that renew automatically, packages that expire and the platform's own cancellation policies shape how you learn. On top of that, the platform keeps a share of every lesson you pay for, so part of your money never reaches your teacher.
What a private teacher offers instead
- One teacher who knows you. Your goals, your mistakes and your progress, week after week.
- A plan with direction. Clear goals for each month, materials between classes and corrections that build on each other.
- Classes built around your life. Your job, your family, your move abroad.
- A direct relationship. You talk to your teacher, not to a support ticket, and what you pay goes to the person teaching you.
Quick comparison
| Tutoring marketplace | Private teacher | |
|---|---|---|
| Choice of tutors | Very wide | One teacher you choose |
| Lesson plan | Depends on the tutor | Built for your goals |
| Continuity | Easy to switch, easy to restart | Same teacher, steady progress |
| Rules and payments | Set by the platform | Agreed directly with your teacher |
| Materials between classes | Varies | Included |
How to choose
Ask yourself three questions. Do I want casual practice or real progress toward a goal? Do I want to explain my goals once, or again to every new tutor? Do I want a plan, or am I happy to build my own? If your answers lean toward progress, one teacher and a plan, a private teacher will usually get you further for the same hours.
About Let's Speak! with Paula
Let's Speak! is Paula's own academy: live one-on-one Latin American Spanish with a Colombian teacher who has taught for seven years, a plan for your goals and a Student Hub with activities between classes. You can book single classes or a monthly package, and pay directly by bank transfer or PayPal.