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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 |
What is a Speak Shop membership?
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To study Spanish at Speak Shop you must become a member. There are two membership types: free and paid.
A free membership grants you access to all the free written grammar lessons and the free trial. To start the free membership please complete the steps to Start Your Free Trial! No credit card required for the free trial but we will ask you to confirm your email address.
The paid membership begins after the free trial and has everything in the free membership plus the ability to take lessons with the tutors. After your free trial, you will be prompted to purchase a membership when you begin to reserve a lesson.
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How does the free trial work?
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After you’ve started your Free Membership you will select one of the tutors to review her calendar. You will then reserve one of the available Free Trial lesson times for a 50-minute free trial. The online reservation process is very similar to an online shopping cart.
When it is time to take your lesson you’ll videoconference with your tutor online via Skype. You will need a speakers/headset and a microphone. You don’t need to have a videocamera but you will be able to see your tutor because she has a videocamera. For more details on taking a free trial click here.
The free trial lesson is available only to first-time users of Speak Shop. Tutors decide which lesson times to offer for free. Tutors may not offer free trial lessons for all hours of the day.
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How much does it cost to study Spanish at Speak Shop?
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There are two different fees at Speak Shop: Lesson fee and a Membership Fee.
The Lesson Fee is $10 -$12 per hour and is paid to the tutor each time you reserve a lesson.
The Membership Fee is $9.99, $19.99 or $39.99 per month depending on how many lessons you plan to take each month. The membership fee is paid to Speak Shop who does not take any of the lesson fees paid to the tutors.
Mini Membership for $9.99 – Take up to 5 lessons per month
Example – If you plan to take 1 lesson a week (or 4 per month) at $10 per lesson your total cost per month would be $49.99.
Standard Membership for $19.99 – Take up to 20 lessons per month
Example – If you plan to take 2 lessons a week (or 8 per month) at $10 per lesson your total cost per month would be $99.99.
Unlimited Membership for $39.99 – Take unlimited lessons per month
Example – If you plan to take 7 lessons a week (or 30 per month) at $10 per lesson your total cost per month would be $339.99.
NOTE: The monthly membership fee is automatically charged each month until you cancel your paid membership. In other words, if you don’t take any lessons you will still be charged the membership fee until you cancel your paid membership.
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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. You decide which tutor and price combination works best for you. Tutors usually charge between $10-12 per hour, depending on the time of day, number of lessons, 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 website maintenance, management, marketing, 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 Guatemala
.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 tutors teaching a second language tutors in an immersion school in Guatemala for several years. Most have university degrees or higher and have been certified by Speak Shop to teach Spanish to foreigners. Check their individual profiles for details. One of the great things about Speak Shop is that you can change tutors whenever you want to experience the teaching style of another tutor.
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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. Once you become a member (free or paid) you can read the tutor profiles and comments by other students. Students can post a feedback rating and write comments after every lesson - this information can be very helpful when selecting a tutor.
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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. The online reservation process is very similar to an online shopping cart. 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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to top
When it is time to take your lesson you’ll videoconference with your tutor online via Skype. You will need a speakers/headset and a microphone. You don’t need to have a videocamera but you will be able to see your tutor because she has a videocamera. For more details on taking a free trial click here.
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What will I be taught?
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to top
During your free trial lesson, tutors will determine your ability to understand and speak Spanish. 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. You can access our curriculum simply by signing up for a Free Trial. |
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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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to top
To study Spanish at Speak Shop you must become a member. There are two membership types: free and paid.
A free membership grants you access to all the free written grammar lessons and the free trial. To start the free membership please complete the steps to Start Your Free Trial! No credit card required for the free trial but we will ask you to confirm your email address.
The paid membership begins after the free trial and has everything in the free membership plus the ability to take lessons with the tutors. After your free trial, you will be prompted to purchase a membership when you begin to reserve a lesson.
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How do I cancel my membership at Speak Shop?
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to top
If learning a language through Speak Shop doesn’t fit into your schedule right now, 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, Go Daddy, 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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