How the online conversation classes work
From a free level check to your first live conversation: five simple steps to confident conversational English, all online, with a native-speaking teacher in every class.
Not sure about your level? Take the free level check
Five steps to your first conversation class
Everything happens in your browser. You need a computer or phone with a microphone and a stable internet connection.
- 01
Check your level
A short, free level check places you between A2 and C2.
- 02
Start your membership
Join for €10 in your first month, then €30 a month. Cancel every month.
- 03
Book a session
Choose a time from the calendar. You only see sessions at your level.
- 04
Join the live room
A native-speaking teacher leads a small group. Everyone speaks, and there is no homework.
- 05
Practise in between
An optional AI practice partner gives you extra speaking practice. The teacher always leads the class.
What you practise in a session
Each class has a topic and a few useful phrases. Turn a card to see the kind of phrasing you will start using.
Good to know
What do I need for the class?
A computer, tablet or phone with a microphone and a stable internet connection. Headphones help. You join in your browser; there is nothing to install.
What happens if I can’t make a session?
Cancel your booking in your account in good time, so your seat can go to someone on the waiting list.
Can I change my level later?
Yes. As your English improves, your teacher can move you up a level, so the conversations stay challenging.
Is the class recorded?
No recording or AI assessment happens unless you agree to it when you book.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to install anything?
No. You join the live room in your browser on a computer, tablet or phone.
What level do I need?
Groups run from A2 to C2. The free level check places you in the right group.
Is there homework?
No. The classes are about speaking in the session itself.
Who leads the classes?
Native-speaking teachers from the Simmonds team. The teacher always leads the class; the AI practice partner is optional.
What James wants every class to feel like
Relaxed enough that you dare to speak, and focused enough that you notice your progress after a few weeks.
The teacher keeps the conversation moving, so nobody sits and listens for an hour.
The brain is not a sponge, it’s a muscle.Read the transcript
- Hi, my name is James Simmonds and I’m an English teacher based in Germany with over 20 years of experience.
- And this is We Need to Talk About.
- We need to talk about things that will help you improve your English,
- but maybe we can start by talking about a few things that really won’t work.
- So to start with, we need to differentiate between passive understanding and active learning.
- A lot of students tell me that they watch English films or TV series, and you know, that’s great.
- But osmosis, or soaking in a warm bath of English dialogue with the subtitles on,
- isn’t gonna help you present the latest figures to your multinational team on Monday morning.
- Remember, the brain is not a sponge, it’s a muscle, and it needs exercising.
- I did actually play that, even though you can’t see my fingers.
- Magical thinking. We need to talk about magical thinking because magical thinking is actually going to
- stop you from learning.
- Magical thinking is this strange belief that somehow it’ll all happen by itself.
- One day you’ll wake up and there’ll be a click and all of a sudden you’ll understand English.
- You’ll be able to speak it properly and it’ll just be absolutely amazing.
- We’ll just be in the middle of it and it’ll all be happening.
- It doesn’t work like that.
- It’s a messy, cumulative, long-term process that requires effort to memorise information.
- Which brings me to point number three.
- Magical thinking’s evil twin.
- Bauchgefühl. Intuition.
- Wir sehen uns nächste Woche.
- We’ll see each other next week.
- We see each other next week.
- We see us next week.
- We’ll see us next week.
- Which one feels right to you?
- And did you make a party or have a party at the weekend?
- Will we look forward to hear from you, or will we look forward to hearing from you?
- What feels right? You need to memorise this information.
- Your poor English teacher will no doubt have told you a thousand times over that they look forward to seeing you next week.
- We’ll see each other next week, and that they had the most wonderful party at the weekend.
- Have you managed to remember it?
- If in any of those cases there’s even a tiny little bit of uncertainty there,
- how is Bauchgefühl going to help you?
- It won’t. Let me summarise.
- Passive understanding is different than active learning and remembering.
- Osmosis is not a technique.
- Magical thinking, the click will never happen.
- Bauchgefühl doesn’t really work either.
- Either you memorise something correctly and you know it, or you’re uncertain and you don’t.
Ready for your first conversation?
Start your membership for €10 in the first month, or check your level first.
Join the waiting list