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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
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| Membership |
How do I get started speaking Spanish?
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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.
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How does the free trial work?
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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.
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How much does it cost?
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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.
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Why do I pay a fee for each lesson?
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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. |
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Why do I have to pay a membership fee?
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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.
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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
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| Why a Speak Shop tutor?return
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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.
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| How do I choose a good tutor? return
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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.
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What is the “Tutor Profile”? return
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The Tutor Profile summarizes all the qualifications of a specific tutor including prior work
experience, feedback rating, ACTFL Proficiency, number of lessons taught, etc. |
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What is “ACTFL Proficiency”?
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“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.
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Do the tutors speak English? return
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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. |
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Taking Lessons |
How do I schedule a lesson?
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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.
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How do I pay for a lesson? return
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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.
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How do I attend a lesson?
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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
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What will I be taught?
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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. |
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Why are lessons listed in 50-minute increments?
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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.
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My Account |
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What is a Speak Shop membership?
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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.
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How do I close my account at Speak Shop?
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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.
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I’m worried about using my credit card online
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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.
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| 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. |
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