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Learn English online with a private tutor
The default language of work, research and the internet — and the one most often learned for a specific, dated goal like a visa, a degree or a promotion.
- Native name
- English
- Speakers
- 1500M
- Lesson length
- 25 / 50 / 80
What the English levels mean
Teachers describe lessons using the Common European Framework. Not sure of yours? Take the free English level test — twelve minutes, no account — and your teacher starts from your result.
- A1Beginner
Introduce yourself and handle very simple, predictable exchanges.
- A2Elementary
Cope with routine tasks — shopping, directions, simple description of your background.
- B1Intermediate
Handle most travel situations and explain opinions on familiar topics.
- B2Upper-intermediate
Hold a fluent, spontaneous conversation with a native speaker without strain on either side.
- C1Advanced
Use the language flexibly for social, academic and professional purposes.
- C2Proficient
Understand virtually everything heard or read, and express yourself with precision.
Kinds of English lesson
Teachers list what they specialise in, so you can match on purpose rather than on price alone.
English tutors for beginners
Teachers who work with absolute beginners every day and can run a first English lesson entirely in a language you share.
Conversational English tutors
Lessons that are mostly you talking. For learners who can read English but freeze when someone answers back.
Business English tutors
Meetings, email, negotiation and presentations — English for the situations your job actually puts you in.
English tutors for kids
Teachers experienced with children, who keep English lessons short, build them around games, and keep a parent in the loop.
English exam preparation tutors
Teachers who know the English exam formats, mark to the real rubric, and work backwards from your test date.
Intensive English courses
Several English lessons a week with homework between them, for learners with a deadline rather than a hobby.
Native English speaking tutors
Teachers who grew up speaking English, for accent work, idiom and the register textbooks never cover.
English grammar tutors
Focused work on the English structures that keep breaking, with exercises built from your own mistakes.
English exams teachers prepare for
IELTS
International English Language Testing System
TOEFL
Test of English as a Foreign Language
Cambridge
Cambridge English (FCE, CAE, CPE)
OET
Occupational English Test, the English test for healthcare professionals
Linguaskill
Linguaskill, Cambridge's online adaptive modular English test (B1–C2)
CertAcles
Certificate of Spanish university language centres (ACLES model)
YDS
Yabancı Dil Bilgisi Seviye Tespit Sınavı (ÖSYM, Turkey)
ECL
European Consortium for Language Certificates exam (University of Pécs)
GEPT
General English Proficiency Test (LTTC, Taiwan)
MUET
Malaysian University English Test (Malaysian Examinations Council)
VSTEP
Vietnamese Standardized Test of English Proficiency (VSTEP.3-5)
Starters, Movers, Flyers
Cambridge English Qualifications for young learners
ACTFL OPIc
ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview by computer
Questions about learning English
How long does it take to learn English?
It depends entirely on where you are starting from and what you need English for. A specific goal — an exam, an interview, a move — is far more useful for planning than a general target.
How much do English lessons cost?
Each English teacher decides which lesson lengths they offer and sets a price for each — you see both before booking. Many teachers also sell lesson packages at their own price, usually cheaper per lesson. If you are still choosing, you can top up your wallet instead and spend the balance with any teacher — nothing is tied to one person.
Should I learn English with a native speaker?
For pronunciation, idiom and register, yes — a native ear catches things a textbook cannot. For grammar explanations early on, a teacher who learned English as a second language themselves is often clearer, because they remember finding it hard. Many learners use both, and there is no rule against switching.
Can I learn English from absolute zero?
Yes. Filter for teachers who work with beginners and your first lessons will be run partly in a language you already share, shifting into English as you gain ground. You do not need to prepare anything beforehand.
Which English exams can I prepare for?
Teachers on KoloLingo prepare learners for IELTS (International English Language Testing System), TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), Cambridge (Cambridge English (FCE, CAE, CPE)), OET (Occupational English Test, the English test for healthcare professionals), Linguaskill (Linguaskill, Cambridge's online adaptive modular English test (B1–C2)), CertAcles (Certificate of Spanish university language centres (ACLES model)), YDS (Yabancı Dil Bilgisi Seviye Tespit Sınavı (ÖSYM, Turkey)), ECL (European Consortium for Language Certificates exam (University of Pécs)), GEPT (General English Proficiency Test (LTTC, Taiwan)), MUET (Malaysian University English Test (Malaysian Examinations Council)), VSTEP (Vietnamese Standardized Test of English Proficiency (VSTEP.3-5)), Starters, Movers, Flyers (Cambridge English Qualifications for young learners), ACTFL OPIc (ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview by computer). Exam-prep teachers mark to the real rubric and plan backwards from your test date.
Free English guides
All English guides →- GrammarA2–B2
Present perfect vs past simple: the difference is the time frame
“I have seen it” or “I saw it”? It depends on whether the time period is finished. The rules, examples, and why some backgrounds find it harder.
- PhrasesB1–C1
Business English email phrases that sound natural, not translated
Openings, requests, chasing, bad news and closings in professional English — with the register each one carries and the phrases to retire.
- CostAny level
How much do English lessons cost?
What platforms publish for English tutors, why “native speaker” is the least useful filter in the biggest language market, and what decides your bill.
- ExamB1
The Life in the UK test: 24 questions, 18 to pass, and £50 every time
Life in the UK test: 24 questions in 45 minutes, 75% to pass, £50 per attempt with no free retake. Booking, ID and refunds, read on GOV.UK 5 Oct 2026.
- ExamB1
The Canadian citizenship test: 20 questions, 15 to pass, three chances in 30 days
Canada's citizenship test: 20 questions, 15 to pass, online at home, three tries in 30 days, ages 18–54. What failing leads to. Read on IRCC 5 Oct 2026.
- ExamA2+
The Australian citizenship test: 15 of 20, but 5 of 5 on values
Australia's citizenship test: 20 questions, 15 to pass, and every one of the 5 values questions must be right. It also tests your English. Read 5 Oct 2026.
- ExamA2+
The US citizenship civics test: 128 published questions, 20 asked aloud, 12 to pass
The 2025 US civics test: 20 of 128 published questions, asked aloud, 12 to pass, stopped at 12 right or 9 wrong. The 2008 test, English test, retest rules.
- ExamBands 0–9
IELTS never expires. It recommends when to stop trusting it
IELTS has no pass mark and no expiry date — only a two-year recommendation. The band scale, the rounding rule that favours you, and re-marks. 1 Sep 2026.
- ExamCLB 4
Language proof for Canadian citizenship: CLB 4, speaking and listening, and old results still count
Canada asks applicants aged 18 to 54 for CLB 4 in speaking and listening. Every proof IRCC accepts, the scores, and why expired results count. Oct 2026.
- ExamCLB 3–10
PTE Core scores explained: the 10–90 scale, CLB, and what IRCC asks for
PTE Core scores run 10–90 and map to CLB per skill, but Pearson's table stops at CLB 10. Results, validity, cancel fees, and what IRCC asks. Oct 2026.
- ExamCLB 4–10
CELPIP, IELTS or PTE Core for Canada: same CLB, three different tests
IRCC converts all three to the same CLB, but the score you need differs by skill and test. IRCC's chart side by side, results, validity, price. Oct 2026.
- ExamCLB 4–12
CELPIP scores explained: levels 1 to 12, CLB, and the validity its own site gives twice
CELPIP levels map one-to-one to CLB. The raw scores behind them, results in 2–4 business days, $199 LS vs $299 General, and what IRCC needs. Oct 2026.
- ExamCAEL 10–90
CAEL scores explained: the 10–90 bands, how 62.5 becomes 60 but 65 becomes 70, and the IELTS equivalents Paragon publishes
CAEL runs 10–90. The overall averages four skills, rounded to the nearest 10: 65 becomes 70 and 62.5 becomes 60. Paragon maps CAEL 60 to IELTS 6.5.
- ExamA2–C2
The Cambridge exam you book decides the highest score you can be given
B2 First can award a C1 certificate and C1 Advanced can award a B2 one. The scale, the grade boundaries, the score ceiling, re-marks. 5 Sep 2026.
- ExamBands 1–6 (A1–C2)
TOEFL still prints a score out of 120. It is no longer your score
Since 21 January 2026 TOEFL reports a 1–6 band; the 0–120 figure is a range midpoint, not your result. Bands, CEFR, validity, fees in 212 countries.
- ExamScores 10–160 (A1–C2)
Duolingo English Test scores: what 10–160 means, and why 105 to 115 is one IELTS band
DET scores run 10–160. Duolingo's own chart puts 105, 110 and 115 all at IELTS 6, and B1 spans 60–95. The full table, read 16 Oct 2026.
- ExamScores 10–90
PTE Academic scores: Pearson's 2025 IELTS table, and why IELTS 7 in speaking takes 76 on PTE
PTE Academic overall 63–70 matches IELTS 7.0, but IELTS 7 in speaking needs PTE 76–82. Pearson's July 2025 tables, read 16 Oct 2026.
- ExamScores 10–990 (A1–C1)
TOEIC scores explained: 10–990, ETS's CEFR cut scores, and why a 40-point gain is real
TOEIC Listening and Reading runs 10–990. ETS's own CEFR cut scores, 2025 averages by country, and how big a gain must be to count. Read 16 Oct 2026.
- ExamAll levels
IELTS, TOEFL, PTE Academic, Duolingo or TOEIC: five scales, three ways to make an overall score
Five English tests, five scales: which average their sections, which add them, which do neither, how long each result lasts, and IELTS 7 on each.
- ExamB2–C2
OET scores: 350 is a B, and a B is what most nurses and doctors are asked for
OET reports each sub-test from 0 to 500 with a grade from A to E. What 350 means, the CEFR and IELTS tables OET publishes, re-marks and results times.
- ExamB1–C2
Linguaskill scores: the test now reports B1 to C2, and anything below B1 is "Not reported"
Linguaskill reports 140–159 as B1, 160–179 B2, 180–199 C1, 200–210 C2. Below B1 a module shows Not reported. The average, retakes, results and expiry.
- ExamA1–C2
LanguageCert SELT scores for UK visas: the Home Office's minimum for each test and level
LanguageCert's UK visa tests: 60/100 for the speaking and listening SELTs, 40, 60 and 75 per skill for B1, B2 and C1 on Academic and General. Read 29 Oct.
- ExamA1–C2
Trinity GESE and ISE explained: the grades, the CEFR levels, how a pass is worked out, and the UK SELT versions
GESE has 12 grades, and 7, 8 and 9 are all B2. ISE Paper needs a pass in all four skills; ISE Digital averages them on 0–150. Plus the UK SELT versions.
- ExamA2–C1
Michigan English Test (MET) scores: the 0–80 scale, the CEFR bands, the one-section retake, and the Australian visa scores
MET scores run 0–80: 53–63 is B2, 64–80 C1. The overall is an average. You can retake one section, but not speaking, and must order it within 3 days.
- ExamA1–C1
EIKEN grades and CSE scores explained: the fixed pass marks, why writing weighs as much as reading, and the CEFR you get even if you fail
EIKEN Grade 2 passes at CSE 1520 in the first stage and 460 in the interview. Every skill carries equal points, so writing counts as much as reading.
- ExamA1–C2
Skills for English SELT explained: taken outside the UK, pass or fail with no certificate, and an appeal that can cut both ways
Skills for English: SELT is sat outside the UK only. You get pass or fail, no certificate, a reference valid 2 years, and an appeal that can go down.
- ExamB2
Michigan ECCE results explained: the 650 average, the five score bands, why Honors is so rare, and the 2025 pass rate
ECCE passes on an average of 650 out of 1000. In 2025, 88.74% passed but only 0.18% got Honors, which needs 840 in all four sections. The writing is why.
- ExamC2
Michigan ECPE results explained: the C2 certificate on an average of 650, the Honors almost nobody gets, and the 2025 figures
The ECPE certificate needs an average of 650 out of 1000; Honors needs 840 in all four sections. In 2025, 77.63% passed and 0.03% got Honors.
- ExamA2–C1
Oxford Test of English scores: the 1–200 scale, what each test can certify, and the retake limits
Oxford Test of English: 111–140 is B2, 141–170 C1. The standard test certifies A2–B2, Advanced B2–C1. The overall is an average; retakes keep your best.
- ExamA1–C2
Aptis scores: 0 to 50 per skill, and why the same total of 169 can be B2 or C1
Aptis scores each skill 0–50, but the CEFR level is set separately: the British Council's own example gives two 169s, one B2 and one C1. Versions, results.
- ExamB1–B2
English for UK settlement and citizenship: B1 today, B2 for settlement from 26 March 2027
Settlement and British citizenship ask for B1 English in speaking and listening. HC 1691 raises settlement to B2 from 26 March 2027. Tests and exemptions.
- ExamA1–B1
PTE Home A1, A2 and B1 explained: the UK family-visa English test, its tasks, pass or fail, and why it stops at B1 when settlement moves to B2
PTE Home is Pearson's speaking-and-listening SELT for UK family visas: A1, A2 and B1, pass or fail, results in about 2 days. It has no B2 level.
- ExamA2–C1
CertAcles explained: Spain's university language certificate, the 50% in every skill, and what a B2 costs
CertAcles is the language certificate of Spain's university language centres. You need 50% overall and 50% in each of four skills. UPV B2: €88 or €113.
- ExamLevels A–E
YDS and e-YDS explained: Turkey's 80-question language exam, no penalty for wrong answers, 55 for a doctorate, and the 2026 dates and fees
YDS is ÖSYM's 80-question, 180-minute exam: no speaking, no writing, no penalty for wrong answers. 55 for a doctorate. YDS 1,200 TL, e-YDS 2,150 TL.
- ExamA2–C1
ECL exam explained: the August 2026 switch to 60% in every module, why Hungary still uses 40% and a 60% average, and what older certificates show
Outside Hungary the ECL now needs 60% in each module, combinable within a year. In Hungary it is still 40% per skill and a 60% average.
- ExamA2–C1
GEPT (全民英檢) explained: the 160 and 72 rule, the levels, the 2027 fees and the two-year window for the second stage
GEPT listening and reading need 160 of 240 with neither below 72. Writing and speaking come after, within two years. Levels and 2027 fees from LTTC.
- ExamA2–C1+
MUET explained: the 360-point score, bands 1.0 to 5+, the CEFR table, five-year validity and the fee
MUET scores four papers at 90 each, 360 in all, on bands 1.0 to 5+. Results last five years. Band, CEFR and fee tables from the Malaysian council.
- ExamB1–C1
VSTEP.3-5 explained: one exam for B1, B2 and C1, the score-to-level table, the format and what it costs at ULIS
VSTEP.3-5 is one test for B1, B2 and C1: 4.0 is level 3, 6.0 level 4 and 8.5 level 5. Format, re-mark rules and ULIS's 1,800,000 VND fee.
- ExamPre A1–A2
Cambridge Starters, Movers and Flyers explained: no pass or fail, five shields per skill, and a strict spelling rule in Listening
No child fails Cambridge's young learner exams: each skill earns up to five shields. Lengths, results, and why spelling must be right in most of Listening.
- ExamNovice–Superior
ACTFL OPIc explained: how your self-assessment limits your rating, and what differs in South Korea
The OPIc is a computer speaking test. On LTI's version your self-assessment picks one of five forms, and each form limits your rating. Korea differs.
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