Learn a general language online with grammar, vocabulary and speaking

General language is the language you need in daily life, when travelling, in the media and in conversation with friends. A general language course teaches it step by step and trains the four skills of listening, reading, writing and speaking. Grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation are the building blocks under all four skills.

The levels of these courses follow the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The CEFR is a scale from the Council of Europe with six levels, from A1 for beginners to C2 for very confident use. Since its 2020 Companion Volume, the CEFR also describes mediation. Mediation means summarising, explaining or passing on content for other people, sometimes between two languages, for example when you explain a foreign-language email to a colleague.

The topics grow with your level. At the start you talk about yourself, your family and your daily routine. Housing, health, work and travel follow, and from the intermediate levels onwards you discuss the media, the environment and society.

What you learn at each level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) is similar across languages. The exact grammar depends on the language, because Spanish has different tenses from Japanese. For Spanish, the Plan curricular of the Instituto Cervantes sets out the grammar and vocabulary of each level. Profile Deutsch does the same for German, and the English Profile from Cambridge does it for English.

The grammar terms in the table are examples from European languages. A course in Chinese or Japanese has measure words and written characters on the A1 syllabus instead of articles.

A reputable provider tells you before you book which topics and grammar a course covers. Without that information you can hardly check whether the course matches your level.

A well-planned online lesson in general language moves from the familiar to the new. Many teachers work in six stages.

1 Warm-up and review (10 minutes)

The teacher brings back last lesson's material, for example with a short quiz or a question about your weekend.

2 New input (15 minutes)

You read a short text or listen to a dialogue that contains the new grammar and vocabulary.

3 Discovering the rule (15 minutes)

You look for the pattern in the text, and the teacher sums up the rule on a shared whiteboard.

4 Controlled practice (20 minutes)

You apply the rule in gap-fills, transformations or short dialogues, often in small groups. Online this happens in breakout rooms, which are separate video sub-rooms for two to four people.

5 Free practice (20 minutes)

In a role play or discussion you use the new language without a model.

6 Feedback and homework (10 minutes)

The teacher goes through typical mistakes and sets a task for the next week.

Intensity decides how quickly you complete one level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). Cambridge English estimates about 90 to 100 guided learning hours for the beginner level A1. Guided learning hours are lessons and supervised homework together.

The durations are a worked example without holiday breaks. From B1, the third level, each further level takes longer, according to Cambridge about 150 to 200 hours, and C2 takes considerably more.

For people in work a mixed model often fits. Two evenings a week in a live class plus 15 minutes of daily review in an app add up to about five study hours a week.

Children learn a foreign language online differently from adults. They need shorter sessions, more movement, songs and games, and a teacher who addresses each child by name. Grammar rules play little part for younger children, because they absorb patterns through repetition.

Groups of four to six children give each child enough speaking time. English has its own exams for children: Cambridge English offers Pre A1 Starters, A1 Movers and A2 Flyers for primary school children. Pre A1 sits below the first level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Children's courses need consent and vetted teachers

Ask the provider whether lessons are recorded and who sees the recordings. In the European Union, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the EU's data protection law, normally means a provider asks parents for consent before recording children. Reputable providers also ask their teachers for a criminal record check, such as a DBS check in the UK.

Many adults studied a language for five or seven years at school and have hardly practised since. They still understand a lot when reading but cannot find the words when speaking. Teachers call these learners false beginners, because they feel like beginners yet bring prior knowledge.

A beginner course at A1 usually bores false beginners within a few weeks. A course at B2 overwhelms them, because they know the grammar but can no longer retrieve it. A1 and B2 are the first and fourth of the six levels of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

3 steps for a fast return

1. Take a placement test with a speaking part, because a pure grammar test often places you too high.
2. Choose a refresher course that reviews the grammar of A2 and B1 at a faster pace.
3. Plan plenty of speaking time from the start, for example one private lesson a week on top of a group class.

School vocabulary is often dated or very formal. A course with current texts, podcasts and videos brings your vocabulary up to date.

A good general language course makes your progress visible. Providers use three tools for this.

• Unit tests check after each unit whether you have mastered its vocabulary and grammar.
• End-of-level tests show whether you are ready to move on to the next level.
• Can-do statements are sentences such as: I can book a hotel room and ask about the price. You tick off what you can do confidently.

The can-do statements come from the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), the European scale for language levels. The Council of Europe also developed the European Language Portfolio. In it, learners record what they can do in each skill and collect examples such as texts or recordings.

Ask the provider how often you receive feedback on your level. Once a month is a sensible minimum for courses with several hours a week.

An online general language course teaches the same content as a classroom course, as long as syllabus, teacher and group size are right. The differences lie in organisation and in the way the group talks to each other.

If you have little experience with video lessons, test your sound and technology in a trial lesson. A headset with a microphone noticeably improves sound quality for you and the teacher, because it reduces echo and background noise.

These seven questions help you compare two general language courses on facts.

1. Does the provider state a level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for the course, plus the topics and grammar of that level?
2. Does the course use a coursebook or its own material that you can look at in advance?
3. Does every week train all four skills, meaning listening, reading, writing and speaking?
4. Do you get written homework with personal correction?
5. Roughly how many minutes do you speak yourself in one lesson?
6. Are there unit tests or an end-of-level test?
7. Can you move straight into the next course after the level without changing coursebook or provider?

The last question saves time. Switching coursebooks in the middle of a level often means you learn material twice or end up with gaps.

1 Learning grammar without using it

If you know rules by heart but never use them in conversation, you cannot recall them when it matters. Every new rule needs a sentence that you say or write yourself.

2 Memorising words without context

Single words fade faster than whole phrases. A set of flashcards for one situation, such as a visit to the doctor, sticks better than 30 unrelated nouns.

3 Skipping homework

The time between two lessons decides whether the material stays. Even 15 minutes of practice the day after class fixes the new content.

4 Only listening and reading

Understanding grows faster than speaking. If you only watch series, after a year you understand a lot and still speak haltingly.

5 Keeping children in front of the screen for too long

An hour of video in one go is too much for most primary school children. Two short sessions a week achieve more than one long one.