How much to learn a language?

LilacLillie

I recently placed an ad in a shop window for someone to teach me some words in a different language. I have enough tapes/CD's and really want some "get by" words on the quick!
I don't want a teacher, as such, my ad read along the lines:

"Bulgarian Speaker required to teach me some basic words/phrases in Bulgarian".
A lady contacted me today, she said she's never taught anyone before and isn't a teacher, her English was perfect and she was willing to give it a try.
I was so excited about placing my ad, I hadn't thought about costs. So I asked her what she charged. She was as flumexed as me, having never done it herself before. In the end she said about a tenner an hour.
She told me to think about the price and tell her if its to much. I hadn't thought about price.................is that about right?
I wanted 2hrs a week and we are meeting next Friday to see how we get on.
Ideally, as a novice money saver, I suppose I was hoping to just meet someone that I could somehow sort of Barter with, or pay as little as possible. Yet at the same time I don't want to "Rip" her off.
Suggestions please.
LL

Trollydolly_2

I dont really know how much she should charge, i suppose £10 an hour is fair enough because she will have to prepare beforehand what she is going to teach you and that will take time.

Maybe you could offer to buy her lunch or dinner, or cook for her instead and she could teach you and get a meal???

I dont know really. I vaguley remember asking about french lessons ages ago and im sure it was about that amount.

Good Luck!!

Let us know how it goes!

conradmum

I teach English as a Second Language. The going rate in our area for private one to one tuition in a foreign language is about £20 an hour. This would probably be with a qualified teacher. If she's any good you're getting a bargain.

xinran

I have been quoted between £20 and £35 for private tuition in French. I would imagine that a less usual language, like Bulgarian, could cost even more.

She sounds very genuine and that must also count for something.

When you consider that evening classes cost about £6 a go, I'd say you could be getting a bargain.

LilacLillie

Thanks guys, I'll write a short list of the words/phrases I want/need and ask her to start me off on them. I was also bearing in mind that she isn't a teacher, I don't want to insult her and......................I offered to pay in Bulgarian Leva. Much cheaper rate
LL

budgetflyer

Learning a language is about REPETITION.In order to get he most out of your tenner, I suggest you learn a few tourist phrases on your ownin order to prepare for your lessons. That way your 1 to 1 tuition will be more effective.Learning foreign words is the easy bit its when you have a conversation it gets difficult.Someone speaks-You have to translate it in your head,think of the reply then translate it back in their language.

The much critisised BBC has a section on BULGARIAN (as well as 33 other languages)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/other/quickfix/bulgarian.shtml

Ally

I just had a go on that site BudgetF and thought it was great!


£10 seems fair enough to me. As suggested before, maybe you can invite her round to dinner a couple of nights a week and pay for her transportation, would probably cost you the same though!