Lingoda Review 2024 – An In-Depth Look at the Pros and Cons

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Are you thinking about learning German with Lingoda but not sure if you should go for it? I have been trying Lingoda classes intensively for more than a month now. I am writing this Lingoda review to help you decide if it is worth it. In this Lingoda review, I will explain how it works to learn German with Lingoda, the pros and cons, and also some factors to consider if Lingoda is for you.

Lingoda Review – A short summary

If you don’t have much time, here is a summary of my Lingoda review: 

 

 

Lingoda Review – Pros
1. 100% Flexibility
2. You can start learning immediately
3. Choose what you want to learn
4. You can rebook the same class
5. Small class size
6. Learning material is provided
7. There is a quiz after each class
8. Each lesson is only 60 minutes long
9. Good price
10. Up to 50% cashback possibility!
11. Lingoda gives you a certificate
12. Certified native-speaking teachers
13. Learn the different accents
14. You can cancel on a monthly basis
15. User-friendly interface
16. Get feedback after each lesson

Lingoda Review – Cons
1. Not enough time to finish the learning material
2. A sharp cut at the 60-minute mark
3. Some people have no camera on
4. Cannot make friends
5. No homework correction
6. The placement test is not very comprehensive
7. Teachers may change every time
8. Cannot choose your teacher
9. Cannot see teachers’ rating
10. Your learning experience will vary based on the number of students
11. Need a stable internet connection
12. Some classes are hard to book
13. Learning material is very similar
14. No exam is needed to get a certificate 
15. Class reports aren’t always helpful

Lingoda is for you if…

– You need a flexible schedule
– You want to learn in a small group
– You want to have private German classes at a competitive price
– You want to learn German as fast as possible

Lingoda is not for you if…

– Your goal is to pass an official German exam like Telc.
– You are not good at organizing your schedule.
– You are not used to a fast-paced class or if you are not well prepared for the class.

Keep on reading my review for more details about learning Germany with Lingoda.

Learning German is a must when you want a future in Germany

Are you reading this Lingoda review because you plan to move to Germany or have you just moved to Germany? Make sure to check out other useful expat guides as well:

Learning German was one of the most frustrating things for me in the first 5 years after I moved to Germany. I didn’t expect that it was so difficult and it took so long for me to learn it. Even though I was lucky enough to find an English speaking full-time job in Germany, I kept feeling like an idiot when I lived in Germany without speaking German.

I have tried almost every possible way to learn German in the past. But the progress was slow. Now, after 11 years living in Germany, I am finally feeling comfortable with my language skills. Although there is still a lot of room for improvement, I do not feel like an idiot anymore.

Everyone is different. You need to find a way to learn German that is the best for you so that you can learn the new language faster. If you like using apps, here is a list of the best apps to learn German (free or paid). Now, let’s move on to my Lingoda review to see if Lingoda is something for you.

What is Lingoda?

Lingoda was founded in Berlin in 2013. It is an online language school that provides live online classes led by professional teachers. They offer 4 different languages, including German, French, Spanish, and English (also business English). Currently, it has more than 80,000 students and over 1,500 native-speaking teachers.

What is the Lingoda method?

Lingoda teaches with interactive methods, which was based on 20 years of research by Cambridge and Oxford experts. Unlike other language learning apps, Lingoda offers online live classes by native-speaking teachers. Its teaching material follows the CEFR structure (Common European Framework of Reference). It is an internationally recognized standard that categorizes the language level from A1 to C2.

The classes are hosted via Zoom. You can choose private or group classes. The teachers teach in the same format as other traditional language schools. And the classes involve a lot of speaking practice and focus on real-life everyday language like idioms and cultural references. This helps you to learn how to interact with a real local.

Instead of using traditional textbooks, Lingoda created its own curriculum that covers all levels, from absolute beginner to advanced. The curriculum covers all kinds of topics including everyday situations. This can help to speed up your integration in the new country.

The biggest selling point is the flexibility of the classes. Online classes are available 24/7. So, you can be sure that you find a slot that will fit your busy schedule.


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Lingoda Review – How does it work?

Language level

On the Lingoda platform, you can choose different classes to take based on your German language level. Lingoda offers German courses from A1 to C1 level. To complete each level, you need to finish different sublevels. For example, to complete the C1 level, I will need to complete C1.1, C1.2, C1.3, and C1.4.

Lingoda placement test

If you are not sure which language level you are at, you can take an online placement test offered by Lingoda. There are around 25 or so questions, in a multiple-choice format. For me, it took around 15 minutes to finish the test and it showed that my German is at C1 level.

Lingoda teaching material

Before choosing your class, you can see an overview of each class and have an idea of what it is about. Each Lingoda class includes teaching material (a PDF) that you can download and review before the class if you want. You can also go through the PDF teaching material without booking the class.

Lingoda class overview 2_Lingoda Review - My honest German learning experience_my life in germany_hkwomanabroad
Lingoda classes

The classes are held online through Zoom. Each class has its own theme and focus area. You can see the focus area in the class description: reading, writing, speaking, grammar, and communication.

During the class, the teacher will go through the PDF teaching material and makes some notes on it along the way. You can download the teaching material with the notes after the class.

Some teachers also use the chat function from Zoom, either to write down some vocabulary or the answers. In the writing class, we were also asked to write a short paragraph and submit it using the chat function. You can download the chat history after the class if you want.

Lingoda class focus areas_Lingoda Review - My honest German learning experience_my life in germany_hkwomanabroad
You can see the focus area of each class (I highlighted them in yellow)

Each Lingoda class is a straight 60-minutes. Usually, the teacher will spend less than 5 minutes for an introduction of himself and all the students. In every class, the teacher will ask the students to read a passage aloud or answer some questions either from him or from the other students. This makes the class highly engaging and interactive.

After the class

After the class, you can rate the teacher and the class. You can also write down any feedback for the teacher if you wish. Most of the time, I have given 5 stars to the teachers I have had. The teachers will also write a class report after the class.

To be honest, I didn’t find it very helpful because most teachers just wrote a general summary of what we have discussed in the class. However, some teachers did write personalized feedback to each student in the class, stating what they did good and what they could improve.

Lingoda class report written by teachers_Lingoda Review - My honest German learning experience_my life in germany_hkwomanabroad
An example of a class report

What if you miss a booked Lingoda class?

In case you miss a booked class in Lingoda, you will still have to pay for that hour with your Lingoda credit. It is because the teacher has reserved a spot for you in that class. Therefore, you should consider carefully before booking a class. Once booked, make sure to attend it.

However, under the below 2 situations, you are allowed to cancel a class for free:

  • Cancel the class within half an hour after you booked it
  • Cancel the class at least 7 days in advance

Lingoda Review – Private class

Similar to group classes, you can also book private classes at Lingoda with a monthly subscription. You can book a private class to go through a learning material from Lingoda. You can also customize your private class by specifying what you want to do in the class.

In my case, I want to learn business German, especially to write business emails in German. So, my private teacher picked some of the Lingoda learning material that focus on emails and business writing. It was great that I had the teacher 100% for me. I got to talk a lot and ask as many questions as I want.

Your private teacher will change every time

A disadvantage about the private class is that I cannot choose my teacher. After I booked my private class, a teacher was assigned to it afterward. It means that my private teacher will change every lesson. In my case, this was not so optimal because the teacher didn’t know me before and didn’t know about my German level.

For example, I learned about writing business emails in one class. But if I want to have one more class about business email, the second teacher will not know what I learned already. We will then spend more time figuring out what I really need to learn and what I already knew. That is why I would prefer one fixed private teacher if I want to have a customized private class.

However, if you just want a private teacher to go through the Lingoda learning material with you, I think it is okay to have a different teacher every time. You anyway will learn a new topic in each lesson. And as mentioned before, Lingoda has very strict rules on choosing its teachers. There was only one teacher so far that I was not super satisfied with. Otherwise, I have always given all teachers a 5-star.

Lingoda Review – How much does it cost?

Lingoda’s pricing is subscription-based. It offers group classes or private classes. 

I think Lingoda’s price is very competitive, considering that they offer live lessons with qualified teachers and small class size. Besides, you do not have to spend on transportation and language textbooks. You can also obtain CEFR certificate at the end of the courses.

Monthly subscription

You will pay every 4 weeks and you can cancel or change the plan as you want. The monthly price depends on how many hours of courses you book. The more courses every month, the cheaper is each course.

 
Price of monthly subscription for group classes20240111 Lingoda monthly subscription group course price_Lingoda Review - My honest German learning experience_my life in germany_hkwomanabroad
Price of monthly subscription for private classes

20240111 Lingoda monthly subscription private course price_Lingoda Review - My honest German learning experience_my life in germany_hkwomanabroad

You can try Lingoda out with the 7-day free trial with no risk. Don’t forget to get 20% with my special link below!

Just like any other subscription in Germany, Lingoda’s subscription will be automatically extended by one month if you don’t cancel it. So, if you do not want to continue learning, make sure to cancel your subscription before the end of the month.

Note that the price stated above is based on the time when I write this Lingoda review. Price can change at any time. You can check the most updated price at Lingoda’s website here.

How to take Lingoda classes for half price?

Lingoda offers two special programs called “Sprint” and “Super Sprint” a few times a year. These are intensive language classes. Both programs last for 3 months. “Sprint” includes 15 classes per month (60-minute each), while “Super Sprint” includes 30 classes per month. The goal is to learn the language intensively. 

I personally have not tried these programs. But I can confirm that attending intensive language classes is one of the best ways to improve your language skills quickly.

I once joined some intensive German classes for two months at a traditional language school. Three hours in the morning, and then three hours in the afternoon. Monday to Friday. It was extremely exhausting, as I was spending more than 8 hours a day including the commute. But I finally could hold a conversation in German after these intensive classes.

Up to 50% cashback!

The most interesting thing about the Sprint programs is that if you attend 100% of the classes, you can get up to 50% refund! You can also choose to receive a credit refund over cashback to continue learning. So, if you can make it, you can actually get all these intensive classes for free!

I think the Sprint programs are for people who are really motivated to learn German very fast. If you are persistent, you can get a great result. I did hear that it is not easy to attend 100% of the class though. Things come up in life and you may just miss some classes, e.g. if you have unstable internet. However, even if you have to pay for the Sprint programs, it is still a great price, considering the high quality of the classes. 

20230822 Lingoda subscription sprint price_Lingoda Review - My honest German learning experience_my life in germany_hkwomanabroad

If you want to aim at the cashback, make sure you read all the rules beforehand! A violation of the rules, even a minor one, will disqualify you from getting the cashback.

Lingoda Review – Pros & Cons

I have joined a monthly subscription with 5 classes per week to learn German at Lingoda. I am attending the C1 level German classes. Here is my honest review of learning German with Lingoda.

Review – What I like about Lingoda

1. 100% Flexibility

One of the biggest pros of learning German with Lingoda is the flexible schedule. You can take classes anytime 24/7, from anywhere in the world. No commute is needed. I can join the classes at home in my pajamas. Or I can join when I am visiting other countries during my vacation. 

The only thing I need is my device, an internet connection, and a quiet place where I can participate and focus. This is great for me because I normally have time only after my kids go to bed. So, I like to take classes at 10 pm, which is normally impossible with a traditional language school.

Lingoda recommends that you should book your class 7 days in advance so that you can find a class that best fits your schedule. In my case, I usually just book the classes on the go. For example, I sometimes even book a class that starts in half an hour because I suddenly feel like I want to take a class.

As I am booking classes in such a short term, I am not really following the class sequence. Lingoda recommends following the order of the topics. In my opinion, following the class order is probably more helpful if you are still at a lower language level. For me, I am taking different C1 classes randomly and so far I do not see any problems with it.

2. You can start learning immediately

Once you sign up at Lingoda, you can start taking classes immediately. Unlike a traditional language school, you do not need to wait until the next language class starts.

3. Choose what you want to learn

Another great thing about Lingoda is that you can choose a class with the topic you like. It is totally up to you which class to take and you don’t have to go through all the topics like in a traditional language school.

Before booking a class, you can look through the teaching material already to see if it is something that you are interested in learning. In my case, I was more interested in learning grammar and writing. So, I booked most of my classes with a focus on these areas.

Even though I am learning German at the C1 level, it is also possible for me to book a specific B2 class if I want. I have done this several times to refresh my memory of some German grammar at the B2 level. This is how flexible it is to learn with Lingoda.

4. You can rebook the same class

If you join a class that is too difficult, you can repeat the class by rebooking it. Unlike a traditional language school, you don’t have to worry about missing classes and miss out on the learning. At Lingoda, even if you miss a class, you can rebook the same class again later.

5. Small class size

At Lingoda, the average group class size is 3 students. Even during peak hours, there is a maximum of only 5 students in a class. From my experience, there were usually 4 students in my class. 

When I learned German in a traditional language school, there were at least 10 people in the class. The small class size at Lingoda means that I have more chances to talk in the class and ask questions. The classes were always very engaging and everyone had plenty of opportunities to talk. 

So, Lingoda’s classes are great especially if your focus is to practice speaking. The more you speak, the more confident you are, and the faster you are going to master the German language.

6. Learning material is provided

Lingoda does not use traditional language textbooks. Instead, they develop their own learning material for each topic in each class. You can download the learning material for free and save costs for buying expensive textbooks. I used to spend 40-50 Euros per semester on textbooks when I learned German at a traditional language school.

7. There is a quiz after each class

Lingoda provides a quiz online after each lesson. The quiz is voluntary but I would highly recommend doing it. I always did it after each lesson, so that my memory was still fresh. Doing the quizzes helped to reinforce my learning.

8. Each lesson is only 60 minutes long

I have taken many different German classes from different schools in the past. Most of the lessons I took were 3 hours per class. To be honest, I got lost after half of the lesson, especially because I went to the class after my 8-hour day job. 

Some of the lessons I took in the past from other schoos were 1.5 hours long, which I found quite perfect. Lingoda classes are all 60 minutes long. Although I think it can be a bit longer, I found that I could stay focus during the whole class. So far, I have never got lost in any of my Lingoda classes.

9. Good price

Considering the small class size and the certified native teachers, Lingoda’s price is really competitive. Don’t forget to use my special code “mylifem2m to get a 20% off!

Besides, you don’t have to commute and pay for extra language textbooks. And the cashback possibility is very attractive and motivating, which brings me to my next point.

10. Up to 50% cashback possibility!

If you join the Sprint program, you may get up to 50% cashback! This is financially very attractive. And it also provides a big motivation for you to be diligent and persistent.

11. Lingoda gives you a certificate

Lingoda offers certificates in accordance with CEFR. You can get the Lingoda certificate easily online once you attain a certain CEFR level in the course.

According to their website, these certificates are officially recognized globally. And you can use the certificate to enhance your CV, get into a study program, or even for visa applications.

For now, I am learning German to improve my life in Germany. So, I do not need a certificate. If a language certificate is important for you, make sure to check with your institution to see if it accepts Lingoda language certificate as every institution can have different requirements.

12. Certified native-speaking teachers

At Lingoda, all the teachers are certified teachers and native speakers. I have taken 20 Lingoda classes by now and I like almost all my teachers. They were all very professional and super enthusiastic. I have learned German with tandem partners in the past, who were not certified teachers. And I can say that only because someone is a native German speaker does not make him a German teacher. 

I did not feel that my tandem partners or my German husband can teach me the German language so well. Surely, they can talk in native German. But they cannot explain the German grammar perfectly. They also tend not to correct my pronunciation and mistakes so much because they just want our conversation to move on.

On the other hand, I can feel that all the Lingoda teachers I had are very professional. They corrected my mistakes and gave me feedback on how to improve my German language skills. They are teaching German as a career and not just for fun. So far, no teachers have ever canceled my class and I can always attend the classes according to the booked schedule.

13. Learn the different accents

You don’t get just a single teacher at Lingoda. Instead, you will have the opportunity to learn from many different teachers. Most of the German teachers I had are from Germany. But there are also teachers from other countries like Switzerland and Austria. Even teachers from Germany can have different accents, depending on their regions. So, you will get to learn how different native people speak German.

When you book a class, you can see who will teach the class. So, if you like a particular teacher, you can try to look for his classes and learn with him. On the other hand, you can avoid a class if you do not like the teaching style of a particular teacher. To be honest, almost all the teachers I had were so good and I did not have any special preference to follow or exclude a particular teacher.

14. You can cancel on a monthly basis

Lingoda offers monthly subscriptions. So, no long commitment if you don’t want to. Instead, you can cancel already in the following month if you don’t feel like learning anymore. There is also an option to pause your subscription when you need a break. You can pause your subscription up to 4 weeks in the future without losing your credits.

15. User-friendly interface

Lingoda’s website is very user-friendly. I didn’t have any issues when using its class booking system. I can select and book the classes easily. There is also an overview of my booked classes. On the website, I can see a count-down on my next class. There is also an option to add the classes to my google calendar so that I don’t forget about them. 

16. Feedback after each lesson

After each lesson, you can rate the class and your teacher. This is a great system to let Lingoda know if you like or dislike something. The teacher will also write a class report after the class.

For the group classes, most teachers will summarize what we have discussed and learned in the class. So far, there were only a few teachers from my group classes who gave personalized feedback to each of the students in the class report. An example of one of them:

Lingoda teacher feedback_Lingoda Review - My honest German learning experience_my life in germany_hkwomanabroad

For private classes, the class report will be very individualized and the teacher may tell you feedback on which areas you are doing good and which areas you should improve.

Review – What I don’t like about Lingoda

1. Not enough time to finish the learning material

I find this as the biggest cons. So far, almost no teachers have ever finished the learning material in a 60-minute class in my experience. How much a teacher can go through depends a lot on the number of students and how many questions they ask. For example, a teacher can go through much more, when there are only 3 students, instead of 5. 

My experience in a grammar class

For a class that focuses on speaking, I think it is not a really big issue when we cannot go through the whole learning material. But this can be an issue for a grammar class. I once joined a grammar class and I found it so good. I was so impressed that I finally had an idea of how “Konjunktiv” works in German.

But the class had to stop at the 60-minute mark and the teacher had no choice but asked us to read through the rest of the learning material by ourselves. I read the rest and found that the next session was about using “Konjunktiv” in the “Passiv” and “Futur” tenses.

What if someone really wants to learn the grammar about “Passiv” and “Futur”? Even if they repeat this class, the next teacher may also not be able to go through the whole material. In the end, there will never be enough time for those last slides about “Passiv” and “Futur”.

My suggestions

Since the teachers seldom finish the whole learning material, it shows to me that either the duration of the class is too short, or the learning material is too long. In my opinion, the class will work better if it is 75-90 minutes instead of 60 minutes. With the extra 15-30 minutes, I think the teachers will be able to finish all the material. 

Another alternative would be to make the learning material shorter. It means that the teachers do not need to rush to finish everything or miss out on some of the learning points. For example, the “Passiv” and “Futur” can be made into another grammar lesson instead.

2. A sharp cut at the 60-minute mark

At a traditional school, a lesson normally lasts for 1.5 to 3 hours. There are breaks in between for a longer class. It means that if a student has questions, he can talk to the teacher during break time, or even after the class ends. From my experience, the teacher is usually willing to stay a few minutes longer after a class to chat with the students.

At Lingoda, there is a sharp cut at the 60-minute mark. So, it is not possible to talk with the teacher privately after a class. As mentioned before, 60-minute is a bit too short to go through all the learning material. When there were only 10 minutes left in the class, I already felt the pressure that I shouldn’t talk too much so that the teacher could finish more of the last session.

Many teachers also stopped teaching when there were only 5 minutes left because there was not enough time to start a new session. So, we ended up wasting the 5 minutes in the end just saying goodbye to each other. 

I think if the lesson would be 15 to 30 minutes longer, everybody can be more relaxed and can take his time to ask more questions.

3. Not all the students have their camera on

From my experience, all the teachers turned their cameras on during the classes. The majority of the students did so too. On average, one student per class had his camera off. Even though it is completely voluntary to have the camera on, I find it much nicer if I can see the others’ facial expression and their mouth movement.

Having the camera off limits one’s interaction with other students and the teacher. Sometimes, a teacher also asked a question several times because she was not able to see the reaction from the students who had their cameras off.

4. You cannot make friends with the others

When I learned at a traditional language school, I always made some new friends in a class. There was break time that we could get to know each other. And we could chat before or after a class. For some people (especially those who just moved to Germany), making friends can be an important part when attending a language class. This is not only more fun, but you can also practice with the other students after class and during your free time.

At Lingoda, this is not possible. Firstly, the 60-minute class schedule is too tight for any personal chat. Even though I sometimes kept meeting the same student in different classes, it was not possible to get to know this person more. Sometimes, some students also came from Hong Kong (my home town) or some also live in the Munich area like me. It was a pity that we couldn’t chat personally with each other or meet up outside of the classes.

There is a chat function in Zoom. However, you can only message the teacher publicly. I heard that in the past, Lingoda allowed students to send private messages to each other. But this function was banned due to financial and security reasons.

5. Your homework will not be corrected

In each learning material, there is always a homework session at the end. At the C1 German level, I notice that almost all the homework relates to writing exercises. The problem for me was that I was not motivated to do the homework, knowing that no one would correct it. I think that it is important for a writing exercise to be corrected so that I know how I can improve my writing. Or at least, there should be a sample writing answer at the end so that I can refer to it by myself.

I did have a look at the homework for the lower German level and I saw a lot of fill-in-the-blank exercises with answers included. Those are fine because one can just do the homework by himself and check the answers afterward. It would be nice if there are also more of these kinds of exercises for the C1 level, where one can just do it and check the answers by himself. 

I always think that homework is an integral part of learning a language. It is not sufficient to only go to languages classes and do not study or do homework after the classes. 

For writing exercises, it is not possible to correct it by oneself. Maybe Lingoda can also offer homework correcting services for those who really want their homework (especially for writing) to be corrected.

6. The placement test is not very comprehensive

It took me around 20 minutes to finish the placement test at Lingoda. The test was in a multiple-choice format and it focuses on my grammar. The test showed that I was at a C1.1 level. I would think that I was more at C1.2 or C1.3 level instead. So, I tried to take also C1.2 and C1.3 classes and didn’t have any difficulties.

The problem was that the test was not so comprehensive. It didn’t test my speaking, listening, and reading skills. Instead, it focused purely on grammar. So, it may not be the most accurate test to assess your German language level. 

Tips: It is not compulsory to attend classes with a level corresponding to your test result. If you feel that the result is off, you are totally free to try taking classes at another level or even taking classes with mixed levels to find out what is the most suitable level for you.

7. Your teacher may change every time

Depending on who you ask, this can be a pro or a con. The advantage of having different teachers is that you can experience the different teaching styles and also learn the different accents. The disadvantage is that you don’t get to develop a personal relationship with the teacher, like at a traditional language school.

The teacher will not know about your learning history, learning goal, strengths, and weaknesses. So, he will not know about your learning progress and if you are improving. It will not be possible for the teacher to give you consistent feedback and focus on your learning goal.

8. You may not be able to choose your teacher

For the group classes, Lingoda recommends that the students book the classes 7 days in advance. But if you book the class so many days in advance, there may not be a teacher assigned to the class yet. So, you will not be able to choose your teacher. And in case a teacher you dislike accepts the class, you will not be able to cancel the class without losing your credit if it is within 7 days before the class. For me, it is not really a problem because I always book my class on short notice. So, a teacher is already assigned to the class.

The biggest con for the private class is that you won’t be able to choose the teacher. Since the private class is more expensive and one will spend much more time with the teacher, I think it is very important to get a teacher that fits with my learning style. I think Lingoda should at least offer the option for students to pick their own teacher for the private class.

9. You cannot see the rating of the teacher

Every time after a class, you will have the opportunity to rate your teacher and the class, as well as leaving any comment if you like. However, this information will not be public. I think it is only for the teachers and Lingoda to see. 

On Lingoda’s website, you can click on the teacher’s picture and see a short bio of the teacher. But that is pretty much it. You won’t know what to expect until you have a class with the teacher. 

I think Lingoda can publish the rating and review of the teachers on their website as well. This doesn’t only help the students to pick their teachers (in the group classes), but also provides a big motivation for the teachers to achieve a good rating.

10. Your learning experience will vary based on the number of students 

When I was lucky, there were only 3 students in a class including me. Everyone could speak much more. The teacher could move on much faster and so we could finish more of the learning material.

But there were also times where there were 5 students in a class in total. I noticed that the class was much slower and less learning material could be finished. 

Besides, it really depends on the quality of the students in the class. It could be quite annoying if you are in a class with a student who did not prepare and kept asking simple questions all the time. You may end up spending a lot of time just waiting and listening.

11. You need to have a stable internet connection

It happened a few times to me that my connection dropped. So, I had to restart my computer and I missed some minutes of the classes. One time, my computer didn’t work anymore and I had to connect to the class again with my mobile phone. It was not ideal to join with a mobile phone because the screen was too small to read. But it was better than missing out on the rest of the class.

Sometimes, I could also hear some background noises from another student. Or sometimes, there was an echo when someone spoke. Luckily, these didn’t happen often and it could be fixed usually by muting that particular person.

12. Some classes are difficult to book

There is a focus area for each Lingoda class: reading, writing, speaking, grammar, and communication. For writing and grammar, I do feel that the classes focus on these areas. However, there is not really much difference among the reading, speaking, and communication classes. For me, they are basically the same.

Besides, it is quite hard for me to book a writing or grammar class because most of the offers are reading, speaking, and communication classes. I need to book more in advance for a writing or grammar class.

13. The learning material is very similar

The learning material for each class is very similar. I think Lingoda can add some varieties to the learning material and also the exercises. It would also be nice to have a vocabulary list at the end of each learning material. The list can summarize all the vocabulary we learn in that lesson. This can help the students to easily refer to the vocabulary and study it again later.

14. No exam is needed to get a certificate

This one can be a pro or a con. For students who just need to get a certificate, it is probably good news that no exam is needed. In my opinion, I am not sure what these certificates prove though, except the time you spent on the classes. 

Let’s say someone is at an A2 level but decides to take the B1 classes from Lingoda. He takes all the B1 classes and gets the B1 Lingoda certificate. But he still has problems catching up with the B1 level. Does it mean that this person achieves B1 level now? 

No, I don’t think so. Because he will not be able to pass the official B1 exam, e.g. from Goethe-Institut. So, in my opinion, the Lingoda certificate really doesn’t prove much.

15. The class report is not always very helpful

Teachers are required to write a class report after the class. Some teachers wrote really nice reports, summarizing what we have learned and even giving personalized feedback to each student by pointing out what they need to improve. 

However, not all teachers gave feedback to each student in the class report. Many others simply wrote down the summary of what we have learned in the class. One teacher I had before even wrote only two sentences which stated that we had a good discussion in the class and the students were very advanced. I don’t think this kind of report helps the students in any way.

Maybe Lingoda should give guidance to teachers and encourage them to write more personal feedback to each student in the class report.

Lingoda is for you if…

You need a flexible class schedule.

For example, you have kids and can only take the classes very late in the evening after your kids go to bed.

You want to learn in a small group.

There are 5 students maximum at each Lingoda class. It is hard to have such a small class size at a traditional language school.

You want to have private German classes at a reasonable price.

Lingoda offers private classes at a very affordable rate, considering that all teachers are native-speaking and qualified.

You want to learn German as fast as possible.

The Sprint options with the cashback possibility are great motivators for people to take classes intensively. With a bit of discipline (preparation before classes and study after classes), you can pick up your German skills very fast.

Lingoda is not for you if…

Your goal is to pass an official German exam like Telc.

Lingoda classes are not exam-oriented. The classes focus a lot on speaking and getting you up to speed with learning German. But it does not teach you exam skills, nor practice any past exam papers.

You are not good at organizing your schedule.

The time and day of your Lingoda classes can be different every day. You need to have a system and reminder for you to remember a class is coming up. Otherwise, you may forget to attend your classes.

You are not used to fast-paced classes or if you are not well prepared for the classes.

All the Lingoda classes have a strict 60-minute duration. The teachers need to move fast to cover as much learning material as possible. If you cannot catch up with the fast-paced, you should at least prepare the classes beforehand by reading through the material.

It can be very annoying for other students in the classes if you keep asking questions about simple things that everyone else knows. It is because it will slow down the process for everyone and the teacher will lose time to go through more learning material.

6 great tips to learn German with Lingoda classes

1. Preparation before your classes

From my experience taking my C1 classes, I could follow the classes very well even without preparation before the class. But that was because I had already a very good foundation of the German language. 

If you are learning German from scratch (A1 or A2 level), it will be better to read through the learning material by yourself first before the class and check the vocabulary that you do not know yet. This can help you to follow the fast-paced class. And other students will thank you for not slowing down the class.

2. Set a reminder for your class

After you book your class, there is an option on Lingoda’s website to add that class to your google or outlook calendar. I would highly recommend you to put your classes on your calendar so that you don’t forget about them. Lingoda will also send you a reminder email a few minutes before your class.

3. Don’t forget to cancel the auto-renewal

If you decide to stop learning German with Lingoda, or you only want to try it for 7 days, don’t forget to cancel your subscription at the end of the term. Like many other subscriptions in Germany, your subscription will be renewed automatically if you do not cancel it on time.

4. Do the quiz and study the material after the class

Even though it is voluntary to do the quiz, I would highly recommend doing it because it can reinforce what you have learned from the lesson. For me, I always did the quiz and studied the learning material right after the classes when my memory was still fresh. That helped me a lot to remember the new vocabulary and the grammar rules.

5. Have a backup device

There was one time my connection dropped when I was having my class. It took almost 10 minutes of restarting my computer and rejoining the class again. Luckily, I had my phone with me. So, I joined with my phone during that 10 minutes so that I didn’t miss out as much.

I also recommend testing your audio and camera before your class to see if they work. Download the software Zoom and try with it first, if you are not familiar with how it works.

6. Supplement Lingoda with other learning methods

In my opinion, the homework provided by Lingoda is not sufficient. I would recommend supplementing your learning with some other German exercise books. You can do the exercises in parallel to having your Lingoda classes. Alternatively, you can also reinforce your learning by using other German learning apps. 

Having the Lingoda classes helps to practice your speaking and gives you real interaction with a native teacher. On the other hand, using an app or working on an exercise book helps to practice your reading and grammar. With some motivation and consistency, you can boost your German skills in a short time.

Lingoda Review – Conclusion

Overall, I think Lingoda is a good way to learn German, especially for those who want to become conversational in German as fast as possible. The classes help to build up your confidence to speak. Learning German with Lingoda does require time, hard work, and consistency. It is important to prepare before your classes and study by yourself after the classes. The best is to supplement your learning at Lingoda with a language app and a German grammar book.

Everyone is different. There is no one best way to learn German. That’s why I would highly recommend doing the Lingoda 7-day trial for free just to find out if Lingoda is for you. If you like it, don’t forget to use this special code “mylifem2m to get a 20% off of your booking.

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Have you tried learning German with Lingoda? Do you like it? Leave a comment below and share your experience!

About the author

Originally from Hong Kong, Sindy spent 13 years in Germany before moving to the US. Her blog is your ultimate resource for navigating Germany, offering pro tips on bureaucracy, job hunting, education, culture, family life, and more.

With a "been there, done that" attitude, Sindy, a certified public accountant, draws on her extensive finance and accounting background to provide professional insights with a friendly touch.

Having navigated German life with her German husband and raising two kids there, Sindy brings a personal touch to her advice. Let this blog help fellow expats like you navigate the ins and outs of life in Germany!

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