Prices for the online conversation classes

One simple monthly membership for the conversation classes. Your first month costs €10. If you prefer one-to-one, private lessons are available too.

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Test my English60 seconds

Meet JamesIntro video · 3:35

PricesFirst month €10

By James Simmonds, founder and English teacher · Updated October 12, 2026

Choose how you want to practise

First month €10

Conversation membership

€30per month

For adults who want to speak English more freely

Live conversation classes in small groups at your level
Native-speaking teachers lead every class
Book sessions from the calendar
Optional AI practice partner between classes
Cancel every month, pause up to two months

€10 is an introductory price for your first month, then €30 a month.

Join the waiting list

Private lessons online

€600for 6 hours

For a specific goal and full attention

One-to-one with a native-speaking teacher
Built around your goals, from presentations to job interviews
Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Google Meet
Free level check before you start

One package price: 6 hours of private lessons for €600. Choose your first lesson and pay online.

Book private lessons

For companies

On requestquote after a free consultation

For teams that need English at work

Group or one-to-one training for your staff, online
Built around your company's goals and levels
Native-speaking teachers
One invoice for your company

Tell us about your team and we send you a quote.

Questions about the membership

Is the first month a full month?

No. The first month is a full membership at an introductory price of €10. After that the membership costs €30 a month.

How do I cancel or pause?

In your account, at any time, for the end of the current month. You can also pause for up to two months.

Do I have to pay VAT?

No. Language lessons are exempt from VAT under German law (§4 No. 21 UStG).

Can my company pay for the membership?

Yes. Company training and invoices for teams are handled by Simmonds Language Services through englisch-lehrer.com.

Frequently asked questions

How much do the conversation classes cost?

€30 a month. Your first month costs €10.

Can I cancel at any time?

You can cancel every month, effective at the end of the current month, and pause for up to two months.

How much are private lessons?

Private online lessons come as one package: 6 hours for €600.

Why a membership

Speaking improves with regular practice, not with a single course. A monthly membership makes it easy to come back every week.

You stay in control: cancel every month, or pause for up to two months when work or holidays get in the way.

The brain is not a sponge, it’s a muscle.

Read the transcript

0:00Hi, my name is James Simmonds and I’m an English teacher based in Germany with over 20 years of experience.
0:06And this is We Need to Talk About.
0:10We need to talk about things that will help you improve your English,
0:13but maybe we can start by talking about a few things that really won’t work.
0:21So to start with, we need to differentiate between passive understanding and active learning.
0:29A lot of students tell me that they watch English films or TV series, and you know, that’s great.
0:35But osmosis, or soaking in a warm bath of English dialogue with the subtitles on,
0:43isn’t gonna help you present the latest figures to your multinational team on Monday morning.
0:48Remember, the brain is not a sponge, it’s a muscle, and it needs exercising.
1:00I did actually play that, even though you can’t see my fingers.
1:06Magical thinking. We need to talk about magical thinking because magical thinking is actually going to
1:13stop you from learning.
1:16Magical thinking is this strange belief that somehow it’ll all happen by itself.
1:23One day you’ll wake up and there’ll be a click and all of a sudden you’ll understand English.
1:28You’ll be able to speak it properly and it’ll just be absolutely amazing.
1:32We’ll just be in the middle of it and it’ll all be happening.
1:35It doesn’t work like that.
1:37It’s a messy, cumulative, long-term process that requires effort to memorise information.
1:47Which brings me to point number three.
1:50Magical thinking’s evil twin.
1:54Bauchgefühl. Intuition.
1:59Wir sehen uns nächste Woche.
2:01We’ll see each other next week.
2:03We see each other next week.
2:05We see us next week.
2:07We’ll see us next week.
2:12Which one feels right to you?
2:15And did you make a party or have a party at the weekend?
2:18Will we look forward to hear from you, or will we look forward to hearing from you?
2:25What feels right? You need to memorise this information.
2:31Your poor English teacher will no doubt have told you a thousand times over that they look forward to seeing you next week.
2:40We’ll see each other next week, and that they had the most wonderful party at the weekend.
2:48Have you managed to remember it?
2:51If in any of those cases there’s even a tiny little bit of uncertainty there,
2:58how is Bauchgefühl going to help you?
3:03It won’t. Let me summarise.
3:07Passive understanding is different than active learning and remembering.
3:13Osmosis is not a technique.
3:18Magical thinking, the click will never happen.
3:23Bauchgefühl doesn’t really work either.
3:27Either you memorise something correctly and you know it, or you’re uncertain and you don’t.

Start speaking this month.

Your first month costs €10. Check your level, choose your sessions and join the live room.

Join the waiting list