🌏 繁體中文版
You may have written a project introduction for an English interview without knowing whether a stranger can follow it—or what happens when they ask a question you have not rehearsed. italki lets you find a teacher and bring that problem into a one-to-one lesson.
Its appeal is the choice of teachers and their individual courses. For adults practicing after work in Taiwan, teaching style, availability during Taiwan evenings, and ongoing cost all matter. A large teacher directory is less useful if the teacher you like is never available when you are.
This guide draws on official policies and public firsthand accounts; it is not a paid trial review. Start with the series overview to compare practice formats. For finding an available teacher when you have spare time, see the NativeCamp guide.
Evaluate the teacher and the actual course
Official documentation still distinguishes Professional Teachers from Community Tutors. Professional Teachers submit documentation of teaching training or experience; Community Tutors focus on conversation practice. The categories help narrow a search, while the course description and trial reveal the actual approach.
| Your goal | What to ask about |
|---|---|
| Interview introductions and unfamiliar follow-up questions | Interview lessons and feedback on organization and expression |
| Everyday conversation | Whether the teacher asks follow-up questions and leaves you time to speak |
| Building complete sentences | Demonstrations, structured support, and suitable materials |
| Continuing with one teacher | Availability over the coming weeks, notes, and follow-up work |
Being a native speaker does not by itself establish teaching ability. Watch introduction videos to check whether you understand the teacher. Look for reviews describing correction methods and preparation, rather than relying only on ratings. Send a short description of your goal before booking and ask whether the teacher can accommodate it.
Ask about materials too: the teacher's course, an article you bring, or open conversation? If you need a planned sequence, ask what the first few lessons cover. If you want to practice your project introduction, confirm that the teacher accepts your own material. Agree on the lesson before entering the classroom.
Teachers set individual prices
The Payment Policy states that teachers set their lesson and package fees. One teacher's low price is not a platform-wide rate. Compare trial, regular, and package prices separately, keeping lesson length, content, and discount conditions consistent.
Budget for the teacher's fee multiplied by the number of lessons, plus fees shown at checkout and any currency conversion or international transaction fees from your payment provider. The official policy allows for third-party payment fees and ties credits to US dollars. For Taiwan learners, the final TWD cost depends on checkout and the card issuer's terms.
Lessons are paid for with italki Credits. Purchased credits and credits returned after a lesson cancellation are not cash you can freely withdraw. Both the credits help page and Payment Policy say authorized credit purchases are not refundable in cash. Start with a small purchase and increase it after establishing a good fit.
Bring a task to the trial
The trial lesson page describes three trial opportunities with three different teachers. Not every teacher offers a trial. Trials are lower-priced lessons for new students, rather than free sessions.
Trials often include discussion of level, needs, materials, and frequency. Ask ahead to reserve some time for actual practice. Otherwise, you may finish an entire introductory conversation without learning how the teacher handles your main difficulty. There is also a trial satisfaction guarantee; read its current conditions before using it rather than treating it as an unconditional refund promise.
Afterward, record the specific problem the teacher identified, whether you had a chance to try again, and what the next lesson would involve. Those observations are more useful than simply deciding whether the conversation felt pleasant.
Packages, wallet expiry, and cancellations have different rules
The following reflects official pages checked on October 19, 2026. Review the current pages and your order before paying.
| Situation | What students need to know |
|---|---|
| A confirmed lesson starts more than 24 hours later | The cancellation page permits cancellation; credits return to the wallet, or a lesson returns to the package. Rescheduling requires the other party's agreement; otherwise the original time remains |
| A lesson starts within 24 hours | Normal cancellation or rescheduling is unavailable. A teacher is entitled to full payment for a missed lesson; contact them rather than assuming a refund |
| A lesson has a problem | The official page provides a Lesson incomplete request within 72 hours after the lesson. Filing a request does not automatically produce a refund |
| A package expires | The Payment Policy specifies completion within six months of purchase, with extension possible before expiry. Completed lessons are settled at the individual lesson price; any remaining credits return to the wallet |
| Wallet credits become inactive | The same policy specifies expiry after more than twelve months without logging in. Credits expired for less than twelve months can be reactivated once through support, then remain valid for twelve months |
The extension help page says requests become available during the 30 days before expiry, with a one-month extension when both parties agree. Submitting a request should not be treated as completing the extension. The same page says expiry does not affect upcoming lessons already successfully booked; a pending request that the teacher has not accepted may still be affected if the package expires first.
Package settlement means unused lessons do not necessarily produce a refund at the package's average lesson price. Repricing completed lessons at the single-lesson rate may consume the discount. Check that you can finish within the deadline and keep a record of availability and agreements with the teacher.
Separate ordinary lessons from additional subscriptions. The Payment Policy also covers automatically renewing paid subscriptions. If checkout includes a separate subscription, review those terms independently.
Firsthand accounts: choice takes some matching work
These three authors describe their own lessons. Their experiences span different languages and years, so they help generate questions for a trial, rather than establish overall effectiveness or current prices and policies.
- PTT user bermice (2023) describes English speaking lessons, valuing error notes, prepared questions, and homework. They also found the vocabulary materials heavy on nouns and supplemented them with examples. The post uses a shortened teacher link whose referral relationship is unclear. Use the account to develop selection criteria, then assess any named teacher yourself.
- PTT user ernie8513 (2021) describes a Taiwanese educational background and practicing English for job interviews while studying in the US. Their conversation lessons did not necessarily include proactive correction, so asking questions and studying independently mattered. The author says the post is not sponsored but includes a referral link rewarding both parties. Its historical offers and prices should not be used to estimate current spending.
- Laura Bronner's Spanish-learning account (2019) describes time spent finding a teacher, repeated introductory assessments, and frustration with leftover credits. It discloses affiliate links. This other-language example illustrates matching and payment issues; its historical prices and booking restrictions should not be treated as current rules.
Turn these into two questions: How would the teacher keep the conversation going if your answers were very short? What would you receive afterward to review? If the answer stays vague, ask for a demonstration.
A custom task: explaining your project in an interview
This is a practice design created for this guide, not an official italki lesson. Choose a real project you can discuss publicly; you do not need to share internal company documents or customer information.
Before the lesson: Write four points in Chinese: the problem, your responsibility, a difficulty, and the result. Record an English version using what you already know, and note where you get stuck. Send your goal to the teacher and confirm they can ask follow-up questions and provide feedback.
During the lesson: Deliver the introduction once without interruption. Ask the teacher to note what was unclear or difficult to understand, then ask questions about responsibilities, decisions, and results. Improve two points that most affect understanding and repeat the introduction without reading a complete script. With limited time, work on one section.
After the lesson: Keep your original version, the teacher's suggestions, and a recording of your revised delivery. The next day, try again without the full script. Check whether your role is clear and whether you can answer a new question. This evaluates expression and response, rather than the professional substance of your interview answers.
If you cannot express the four points at all, ask for help forming short sentences first. If the script is easy but new questions stop you, reserve the next lesson for unfamiliar questions. Repeating the same task over several lessons makes changes in your performance easier to observe.
When a first lesson makes sense
Consider italki if you are willing to choose a teacher, schedule ahead, and bring something specific to practice. After a trial, use an ordinary single lesson to check consistency. Consider a package once the schedule and feedback approach work for you.
If you want a school to provide a curriculum, track progress, and organize class interaction, a teacher marketplace may leave you with more planning than you want. Return to the series overview and compare the structure and support you need.