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You can probably find answers to your questions in these categories:
- Membership
- Tutors
- Taking Lessons
- My Account

If you can't find answers to your questions below please contact us at help@speakshop.com

Membership
How do I get started speaking Spanish? return to top
Your experience learning Spanish should be based upon your objectives and skill level. During registration we’ll ask you about your…

Goals for studying Spanish
Travel – Learn directions, greetings and other words commonly related to travel.
Basic Knowledge – Study the basics: numbers, days of the week, common activities, greetings, directions, dates, colors, etc. and learn basic grammatical structures.
Conversational Ability – Develop vocabulary for everyday interactions and ability to engage in basic conversation in present, past and future tenses.
Fluency – Develop ability to speak, read and write in all verb tenses and easily converse in a large variety of situations.
Business/Industry-Specific – Prepare for interviews, meetings and negotiations.
Test preparation – Meet certification or school proficiency requirements; prepare for classroom exams.
Supplement High School, College or Grad School Classes – get individualized tutoring to help you with your classes.
Improve Speaking – Practice speaking to improve pronunciation and word choice

Skill Level
First Time –
You’ve never studied Spanish.
Novice – You’ve studied a little Spanish.
Beginner – You have a basic understanding of common everyday words and have had exposure to basic grammar. You can put together simple sentences.
Intermediate – You are able to understand the majority of spoken and written Spanish and you can hold conversations about familiar topics in present, past and future tenses.
Advanced – You are able to speak, write and understand Spanish in a variety of situations and you can express complex thoughts and make few grammatical errors. You may have been fluent in the past.
Fluent – You never need to pause or think to express yourself in written or spoken Spanish.

How does the free trial work? return to top
The free trial lesson is available only to first-time users of Speak Shop. Tutors decide which lesson times to offer for free. To reserve the free trial lesson you must first select a tutor and then you can review her calendar and view all available free trial lesson times. Tutors may not offer free trial lessons for all hours of the day. After your free trial lesson, if you wish to continue you will be prompted to select a membership when you attempt to reserve your first paid lesson.

How much does it cost? return to top
There are 3 membership types to choose from:

Mini Membership - Up to 5 lessons per month
Pay a monthly membership fee to Speak Shop and a fee for each lesson to the tutor
-Speak Shop monthly membership fee - $9.99
-Tutor lesson fees - $8-15/hour
Example – If you take 1 lesson a week (or 4 per month) at $10 per lesson your total cost per month would be $49.99.

Standard Membership - Up to 20 lessons per month
Pay a monthly membership fee to Speak Shop and a fee for each lesson to the tutor
-Speak Shop monthly membership fee - $19.99
-Tutor lesson fees - $8-15/hour
Example – If you take 2 lessons a week (or 8 per month) at $10 per lesson your total cost per month would be $99.99.

Unlimited Membership - Unlimited lessons per month
Pay a monthly membership fee to Speak Shop and a fee for each lesson to the tutor
-Speak Shop monthly membership fee - $39.99
-Tutor lesson fees - $8-15/hour
Example – If you take 7 lessons a week (or 30 per month) at $10 per lesson your total cost per month would be $339.99.

NOTE:If you don’t take any lessons you will still be charged the membership fee until you close your account.


Why do I pay a fee for each lesson? return to top
Tutors set their own lesson fees, and you pay them when you reserve your lesson. Speak Shop does not charge any fees to tutors. Like any business person, tutors build several costs into their lesson fees such as: bank and transaction fees, language lab fees, Internet fees, etc. You decide which tutor and price combination works best for you. On average, tutors will charge between $8-15 per hour, depending on the tutor, time of day, number of lessons, country of residence, season, etc.
Why do I have to pay a membership fee? return to top
The Monthly Membership Fee is paid directly to Speak Shop. This fee covers the costs associated with scheduling, teacher listing and training, teaching tools, website maintenance and customer service. We believe customers prefer to pay a transparent membership fee rather than for us to take a percentage away from the tutors’ lesson fees.
Tutors
How does Private Tutoring work?return to top
The quickest way to learn proper spoken Spanish is through conversation practice with a native-speaking teacher. Tutors through Speak Shop:
.Help you with your speaking and listening skills live over the Internet.
.Are native-speaking professional language instructors.
.Live in Spanish-speaking countries
.Have often taught for years in Spanish immersion schools.

Each private tutoring lesson will improve your:
.Vocabulary
. Grammar
. Reading
. Writing
. Pronunciation

Why a Speak Shop tutor?return to top
The tutors are independent and work for you. They are not employed by Speak Shop. They typically have been Spanish as a second language tutors in immersion schools in Latin America for several years. Most have university degrees or higher and have been certified to teach Spanish to foreigners. Check their individual profiles for details.

How do I choose a good tutor? return to top
Other students are often the best source for tutor recommendations. Check out the message board in the Forum area, otherwise, search for a tutor and read their profiles and past lesson feedback.

What is the “Tutor Profile”? return to top
The Tutor Profile summarizes all the qualifications of a specific tutor including prior work experience, feedback rating, ACTFL Proficiency, number of lessons taught, etc.

What is “ACTFL Proficiency”? return to top
“ACTFL Proficiency” refers to a tutor's score on the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Oral Proficiency Exam. This exam measures a person's degree of proficiency and is used to evaluate language teachers. If you are taking an oral proficiency exam, it can be helpful to work with a tutor who has taken the ACTFL.

Do the tutors speak English? return to top
Most tutors speak some English, however, they try very hard to encourage you to speak Spanish. Tutors will also send emails in English and Spanish when they have to cancel a lesson, are offering a make-up lesson, etc.
Taking Lessons
How do I schedule a lesson? return to top
Once you have selected a tutor, you can view her calendar where you can view and select available times. You then click on the time to begin reserving the lesson. You can reserve lessons for the same day or several weeks in advance. You can also change or cancel your reservations with 24 hours notice.

How do I pay for a lesson? return to top
After reserving a lesson you will automatically be taken to a page where you will be asked to submit your credit card or PayPal information. You will receive an email receipt for your payment.

How do I attend a lesson? return to top
You attend your lesson by using Speak Shop’s videoconferencing technology or via Skype. Check out our DEMO page to see Speak Shop’s videoconferencing technology that runs in your browser and does not need to be installed on your computer. You will need to have the most recent versions of Java and Adobe Flash installed.

Many students use Skype to take their lessons. This videoconferencing application works very well as an alternative. We recommend you install Skype as a back-up solution. Learn more about Skype at http://www.skype.com

What will I be taught? return to top
During your first lesson, tutors will determine your level of knowledge. Some may use a short test while others may gauge your skill by chatting with you. They will also want to know what you would like to learn. They will then begin a conversation with you and begin to incorporate grammar topics and vocabulary. Most students prefer this process of personalized lessons. Some students prefer to follow our Beginning through Advanced Curriculum that follows the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages guidelines.

Why are lessons listed in 50-minute increments? return to top
Just like when you were in high school there is a grace period of 10 minutes at the end of each hour for the teacher to take notes on your lesson and prepare for the next student. If your teacher has time, she/he may teach you for the full 60 minutes.

My Account

What is a Speak Shop membership? return to top
There are two membership types: free and paid. A free membership that grants you access to all the free written grammar lessons, quizzes and flashcards. The paid membership gives everything in the free membership and the ability to take lessons with tutors. Membership is pay as you go. After your free trial you will be prompted to select a membership level the next time you want to reserve a lesson. Thereafter you will be charged automatically on a monthly basis until you cancel your subscription.

How do I close my account at Speak Shop? return to top
If learning a language through Speak Shop doesn’t work for you, simply cancel online. You can cancel a paid membership and still keep your free account with access to written lessons, quizzes and flashcards.

I’m worried about using my credit card online return to top
Speak Shop and its secure payment service provider, VeriSign, provide Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption which provides additional security for sensitive, confidential information, and secure transactions online.

The information provided above is based upon research that has been conducted by or on behalf of Speak Shop and is intended as helpful information only. It does not carry with it any guarantees or warranties by Speak Shop.