Learning a second language requires dedication and motivation in order to become fluent in the language. For this reason, some people feel the only way they can learn a new language is if they work with a private tutor. The reasoning behind this type of thinking is that a personal tutor will cause you to be motivated because you want to prove that you've been practicing and improving in the language. While this theory may be true for some language learners, there are just as many people who successfully learn a language online. One big benefit of learning online is that the cost of an online course is cheaper than working directly with a private tutor.
Private tutors typically charge by the hour. Depending on the tutors experience, you can end up paying anywhere from $20 to $100 per hour. Tutors on the lower end of the cost spectrum are usually native speakers that don't have any professional teaching experience, but are able to offer their native language fluency experience to those trying to learn the language. The other type of tutor is a professional teacher who is also fluent in the language. These tutors usually charge more because they are bringing an advanced education and teaching experience to the table.
Online courses use different methods to charge for a course. Some companies charge a one time fee for all of the course materials. Others charge one fee for the bulk of the course and additional fees if you want to experience other aspects of the course. There are also language learning courses that charge per course. You can find online courses that typically run anywhere from $500 to over $1,000, with these costs either being per course or module or for the entire course.
It's also possible to save even more money by using an online course over a private tutor. Since Internet businesses are competitive, many online language courses offer incentives when you sign up for courses. You may be eligible for a discount if you refer another student, signup for a certain number of courses, or take advantage of seasonal discounts. You aren't likely to receive any form of discount from a private tutor because tutors don't usually have a large enough client base to offer discount incentives.
There are a number of free courses available online that you can use to complement your other courses. If using a pay per course language program, you can look for free courses to add to your paid courses. You may even find some free courses that are the same or at least similar to courses you would have to pay for and use those in lieu of the paid courses. While working with a private tutor may be essential for those who lack the self discipline to take online courses, it's much cheaper and easier to schedule online language learning courses.