How Online Private English Lessons Work (and How to Get the Most Out of Them)

“Do online lessons actually work?” I hear this question every week, and my answer is always the same: yes, if they are set up properly. In the later years of my nine years of teaching, a large share of my students have taken their lessons over Zoom; from Izmir, from Ankara, from Istanbul neighborhoods that simply refuse to cross the city in traffic. Their progress is no different from my in-person students.

Still, an online lesson is not just a face-to-face lesson moved onto a screen. It works differently, and knowing what to expect is half the battle.

How an online lesson actually runs

My lessons are 60 minutes, over Zoom. A typical session flows like this:

The first minutes: Free conversation. How was your week, what did you do? It looks like a warm-up, but it is one of the most valuable parts of the lesson: unprepared, real-time speaking practice.
The main block: Depends on that week’s goal: conversation scenarios, grammar work, pronunciation correction, presentation rehearsal. We look at materials together via screen share and keep notes in a shared document instead of a paper notebook.
The close: A summary of the lesson, your practice for the week, and the goal for next time.

All materials, homework and lesson notes stay with you, so you can come back to them any time.

The real advantages of online lessons

Distance disappears. Wherever you are in Turkey, you get the same lesson. No commute, no traffic, no parking; you open your laptop and the lesson starts.

Screen sharing is a powerful tool. Marking up a text together, instantly hearing the dictionary pronunciation of a word we are working on, correcting your sentence in real time as you type it; all of this is slower on paper.

Lessons can be recorded. If you want, parts of the lesson can be recorded to rewatch later. For pronunciation work especially, this makes a real difference.

To be honest: there are downsides too

Younger children have short attention spans in front of a screen; for ages 8-10, in-person lessons usually work better. And if your internet connection is weak, the lesson flow breaks, which hurts listening practice most. This is why I offer both: students in Istanbul can have lessons at home in person, online, or a mix of the two.

How to get the most out of an online lesson

Use headphones. Speakers create echo and pronunciation detail gets lost. Even basic phone earbuds make a big difference.
Pick a quiet corner. You will be speaking during the lesson; nobody practices speaking in a space where they feel overheard.
Keep your camera on. Facial expressions and lip movements matter more than people think in language learning, especially for pronunciation correction.
Keep a lesson notebook. The notes that accumulate in our shared document become your personal textbook over time.

Start by pinning down your level

Online or in person, an effective lesson plan starts with an accurate level assessment. That is why I begin with a free 30-minute consultation: we discuss your current level, define your goal, and I suggest a plan that fits. The consultation happens over video call, or in person if you are in Istanbul.

Click here to book your free level consultation on WhatsApp. Just send your questions; messages are answered between 8 AM and 6 PM, usually within half an hour.