Thanks to the internet, you no longer need to find a tutor who lives close enough to meet in person.
No matter your location, skill level or schedule, finding a tutor has never been easier. There are tons of websites with thousands of highly-qualified tutors available to help you.
Your dream English tutor is out there. Let’s go find them!
Over 2,000 tutors are available to help you in whatever way you need.
Classes take place over Skype, Preply Space, or anywhere else you prefer! And a clear rating system with reviews makes it easy to see what people liked and disliked about any tutor.
Students can also leave a request and the tutors will contact you instead.
Verbling matches tutors to language learners of all kinds. The tutors here are all native speakers, and many of them have years of experience teaching in the classroom and private settings.
You can search for a teacher by when they’re available, and even find an English tutor who also speaks your native language.
AmazingTalker is a great website where you can meet your next online tutor or English language instructor.
It’s very easy to use and even allows you to find a tutor with an “also speaks” filter. This means you’ll find an English tutor who has language skills in your native language.
Plus, only a small percentage of the tutors make it through their hiring process, and there’s a big focus on recruiting quality tutors.
If you don’t know where to start, you can use the “match me with tutors” form and it’ll help you find the perfect one for your needs.
Cambly is one of the top websites to find an online English tutor (or other languages). You’ll find that the tutors are very professional and friendly. In fact, I used Cambly when I was studying Indonesian for school and met a fantastic teacher who still messages me every year on my birthday!
Because there are so many tutors, you can search for a tutor with a specific skill—for example, a business English or IELTS exam specialist teacher.
Price: $ to $$ for teachers, $ for community tutors, discounted trial lessons available
This website connects language learners to native speakers all over the world. Lessons are available from professional teachers, or passionate tutors who can help with conversation practice.
There’s also a community section that offers daily questions, language exercises ad forums where you can post questions and connect with other language learners.
This website is about you learning something new and in this case, it’s the English language! You have the option of messaging an English tutor or taking a free trial class to ask questions and get to know the teacher better before starting regular classes.
This service uses a method called the “ETO Method.” The lessons cover speaking, listening, writing, reading, confidence building and real-world activities. They can help build complex skills like problem-solving, debating or negotiating.
All the tutors are native speakers from the U.K. or the U.S. The service provides interactive Skype lessons using games.
Live Lingua is a tutoring service where all of the tutors have years of teaching experience and advanced college degrees. Every student can take a free trial before paying for the service.
Live Lingua tutors provide online video lessons through platforms like Zoom and Skype. Many of their English tutors can speak a second language like Spanish, Russian, Mandarin, Japanese or Turkish. Each class lasts for an hour and you can schedule classes according to your own convenience.
Price: $ for 10 to 20 sessions, discounted/free first lesson
Started by the British Council, this online English learning program combines the benefits of tutoring and self-learning. A certificate from a British Council course is recognized around the world by employers.
You can get one-on-one lessons from tutors every week, with each lesson lasting 30 minutes. You can study the modules in one level in any order according to your schedule.
There are also live group classes attended by several other students. Learners can practice communication skills during the classes through group discussions and role-playing real-life scenarios.
WyzAnt helps you find US-based tutors. This website is a good choice if you need help studying for a test since many of these tutors are professional teachers with certifications and many years of experience.
If you prefer to find tutors in your area, University Tutor can be helpful.
Their tutors are located in over 8,400 cities all over the world and can meet online or in person, even in a coffee shop if that’s what you want—anywhere that’s convenient for you.
13. Best for Mixed Online and In-Person Classes: TakeLessons
Price: $$ to $$$
The TakeLessons community has been connecting students with experienced teachers since 2006. They offer everything from live music and language lessons to sports coaching and academic tutoring in a variety of subjects.
The English tutors on this website are high quality and experienced, and you can find both local and online tutors. While you’re here, maybe you can also learn to play the guitar like you’ve always wanted to!
Classgap is a tutor website with over 3,000 English-speaking teachers. On this website, you can do a 20-minute trial lesson with a tutor to decide if you wish to continue learning with them or not. You can also search for native-only teachers.
It’s an excellent option for learners with busy schedules as the platform is very flexible and allows you to change classes with ease.
I have a friend who is an English tutor on this website with over 15 years of English teaching experience!
On Justlearn, all the teachers are verified, which means they are tested on their skills and knowledge before being given a job. This means you’ll be able to find the perfect tutor for you who is a professional.
If you’re planning to take a few lessons, you can buy a bundle of courses and receive access to materials such as videos and books through the site.
Skooli hires tutors who have advanced degrees. This service focuses on improving the grades of students mainly enrolled in U.S. academic institutions. They follow the standard classes that Americans take from kindergarten to 12th grade. They also have subject experts for college students.
Although their focus is on American students, anyone from any country can sign up for their services. Skooli is perfect if you want to learn American English or academic English.
Alternative Websites to Find English Tutors Online
When you just have a question about a writing assignment or need help checking over your writing, Tutor is a good website to turn to. Tutors are available all day, every day, to give guidance, tips and feedback on anything written.
Come here for help with essays, homework and even understanding books.
Chegg is not a place where you would find a long-term tutor. Instead, it’s where you would go if you have specific questions.
You request help and the website matches you with a tutor, who helps you with your question. This is a great website if you have a question that you need answered really quickly.
Upwork is a website for freelancers—individuals who work per project instead of with just one company. It’s easier to find a trustworthy tutor here than on Craigslist since there are reviews and ratings of each freelancer, but the prices may also be higher.
Finding a tutor on Upwork is simple: Create an account and post a description of what you’re looking for. You can even invite people to apply for your job. Just search for “English tutor” in the search bar and you’ll find a list of rated freelancers.
Fiverr is very similar to the website Upwork, which we looked at before. It’s an online website for freelance teachers who like to give one-on-one classes.
Make sure you look at all the profiles on the website closely before choosing a tutor to teach you English.
There are many professional tutors who have their own personal websites. These tutors are often also on Facebook.
To find individual tutors, you can try searching for “English tutor” on Facebook and looking at the “person” and “page” results. This is a good place to start, but it’s not perfect, since you’ll need to check if the tutor is still active on Facebook and his or her website.
Craigslist is a website for finding pretty much anything.
You can advertise here that you’re looking for a tutor, or browse through their listings for tutors looking for students. Use this website carefully, though—not everybody can be trusted.
To find tutors on Craigslist, find your country on this page, then click on “lessons” under the “services” section (near the bottom of the page).
You can search for an English tutor by typing “English” in the search bar. If you want to post a job offer for tutors, you can do that in the “education” part under “jobs” on the right side of the page. We recommend looking through the posted services first, though!
Why Hire an English Tutor?
Tutors are a fantastic resource for learning English. They’re not just for people who are having problems learning English—anyone can benefit from having a tutor.
Here are three major reasons why you should get an English tutor:
An English tutor will make personal classes for you. An English tutor can measure your English skills and create materials (games, activities, quizzes) to help you learn English in a personal way. This also means that you’ll learn English quicker as the tutor knows the particular areas that you need to focus on. They’ll also know all of the common mistakes that you make.
An English tutor will help your motivation. If you have an English tutor, you’ll be more motivated to study English and keep learning. By having an English tutor you have a personal connection to learning English because you’re learning from another person. Having a schedule also helps as you’ll probably have your English class with your tutor at the same time every week.
An English tutor will make you feel comfortable. Sometimes learning in a classroom around a big group of people can be difficult. You might not be as confident or open as you can be. With the right English tutor, you’ll feel comfortable practicing English speaking and using English without any fear or worry.
Tutors are the most effective if they’re supplementary to other learning methods. This means tutors are used in addition to other ways of learning. After all, you’ll probably only meet with your tutor once or twice a week.
One resource that you can combine with tutoring would be FluentU, a language program that lets you study at your own pace.
FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.
You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.
Every video comes with interactive subtitles with in-context definitions. Flashcards and personalized quizzes are also available for additional review.
It’s helpful for absorbing natural English the way native speakers really use it, and it’ll allow your tutor to push you even further the next time you chat.
When you watch native materials this way, you can have interesting conversations with your tutor and discuss real-English topics and videos. It’ll be a great surprise for your tutor, and they’ll definitely enjoy it.
How to Find the Perfect English Tutor Online
Before you go searching for a tutor online, you need to know what you’re looking for.
Not all tutors are alike. Since everyone has a different personality, you’ll probably work better with some tutors than with others.
Questions to Ask on Your First Meeting
When you find a potential tutor, there are many questions you can ask him or her, but the following ones are especially important.
What is your educational and teaching background?
A tutor’s educational background doesn’t always indicate if he or she will be a good tutor.
But if you want to move forward in your studies, a trained professional will help you get further than someone who isn’t a professional, like a classmate. If you just need someone to explain something to you, a classmate can be helpful. But if you need more individualized attention, look for a tutor with a strong educational background, as well as experience in tutoring.
A good, reputable tutor will have a teaching certificate and/or a college degree and will specialize in teaching English. They’ll also have experience tutoring others.
What is your teaching style?
Teachers are trained to teach in a variety of methods, but everyone has their favorite method. Some methods may not work with your learning style.
For example, a particular tutor may favor games, but you may prefer quizzes and drills. If you’re unsure of your learning style, it’s okay to participate in a trial session to see if a tutor’s teaching style works for you.
What kinds of results can we both expect?
Both you and your tutor should understand what you expect in terms of results.
If you’re preparing for something specific, like a test, let your tutor know before you start so they can tailor their lessons to include material that will be on your exam. Or if you’re interested in carrying on conversations in English, tell them so.
A good tutor will give you a realistic time frame of when you should see improvement, and what that improvement will look like.
Other Important Factors to Consider
Aside from the questions above, you can also consider these other factors:
Where’s the tutor from? If you’re learning American English, you’ll probably want to find an American tutor, not a British or Australian one.
What gender is the tutor? This might not matter to you, but if it does, you might feel more comfortable speaking to someone of a specific gender.
How much does the tutor charge? Figure out your budget for a tutor, or how much you’re willing to spend.
What is the tutor’s rating? Many of the websites in this list have rating systems, which allow students to leave tutors a review and a “grade.” Read some of the reviews to understand more about the tutor before booking a lesson.
Does the tutor offer a free or discounted first class? Some tutors offer sample classes. It’s a good way to check if you’re a good fit for each other.
With the websites above, you’ll be able to find multiple tutors that would be a great fit for you.
Working with an English tutor will help you step up your language skills—and you’ll also get plenty of personalized attention and conversation practice. With all these websites and resources, you can find the perfect tutor for you!
If you want to watch it, the FluentU app has probably got it.
The FluentU app and website makes it really easy to watch English videos. There are captions that are interactive. That means you can tap on any word to see an image, definition, and useful examples.
FluentU lets you learn engaging content with world famous celebrities.
For example, when you tap on the word "searching," you see this:
FluentU lets you tap to look up any word.
Learn all the vocabulary in any video with quizzes. Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you’re learning.
FluentU helps you learn fast with useful questions and multiple examples. Learn more.
The best part? FluentU remembers the vocabulary that you’re learning. It gives you extra practice with difficult words—and reminds you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. You have a truly personalized experience.
