Free guides, written by people who teach this
Grammar that explains the rule rather than listing it, phrase guides without the phrases nobody says, and honest notes on which parts of a language you genuinely cannot learn alone.
SpanishEspañol
All Spanish guides →- GrammarA1–B1Ser vs estar: how to know which “to be” you needSpanish has two verbs for “to be”, and the permanent-versus-temporary rule breaks constantly. The distinction that holds, with examples and mistakes.
- PhrasesA140 Spanish phrases that actually get used in a first conversationThe phrases that carry a real first conversation in Spanish: greetings, asking for help, and the four sentences that keep it alive when you are lost.
- CostAny levelHow much do Spanish lessons cost?What two platforms publish for Spanish tutors, including their own country-by-country rates, and why Spain costs more than Colombia for one lesson.
- ExamA1–C2DELE explained: the levels, what it costs, and which one you actually needThe official Spanish diplomas: six levels, no expiry, the A2 that Spanish nationality actually requires, and why the price varies threefold.
- ExamA1–C1SIELE: the Spanish exam you cannot fail, and what that costs youSIELE scores 0–1000 and states you cannot fail. The six modalities, what the certificate is worth against the DELE, and the catch. Read 31 Aug 2026.
EnglishEnglish
All English guides →- GrammarA2–B2Present 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–C1Business English email phrases that sound natural, not translatedOpenings, requests, chasing, bad news and closings in professional English — with the register each one carries and the phrases to retire.
- CostAny levelHow 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.
- ExamBands 0–9IELTS never expires. It recommends when to stop trusting itIELTS 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.
- ExamA2–C2The Cambridge exam you book decides the highest score you can be givenB2 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 scoreSince 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.
FrenchFrançais
All French guides →- GrammarA1–A2French verb conjugation: the three groups, and why most verbs are easyFrench verbs divide into three groups. Learn the -er pattern first and you can conjugate roughly 80% of French verbs immediately.
- CostAny levelHow much do French lessons cost?What platforms publish for French tutors, how much the teacher's country moves the price, and why metropolitan-or-Canadian matters more than saving $3.
- ExamA1–C2DELF and DALF: six diplomas for life, and a C2 that stops testing four skillsFrance's DELF and DALF are six separate diplomas, each valid for life. Levels, pass marks and the C2 that drops the four-skill format, read 2026-08-30.
- ExamA2 · B1 · B2France now asks for B2. Only one of the two ways to prove it lastsFrom 1 January 2026 France requires B2, spoken and written, for nationality. The law names two tests, and a test attestation lasts two years. 10 Sep 2026.
GermanDeutsch
All German guides →- GrammarA1–B1German cases explained: what nominative, accusative, dative and genitive actually doGerman cases mark the job a noun does in the sentence. Here is what each case is for, the article tables, and how to work out which one you need.
- CostAny levelHow much do German lessons cost?What platforms publish for German tutors, why a tutor in Zurich costs 40% more than one in Berlin for the same language, and what decides the bill.
- ExamA1–C2Goethe-Zertifikat levels explained: six exams, and the four you can splitThe Goethe-Institut's own timings for A1 to C2, which levels split into modules, what each passes at, and the 2026 German price table: A1 €155 to C2 €359.
- ExamB1telc Deutsch B1 or Goethe-Zertifikat B1? The same level, two different examsBoth certify B1 German and are not the same exam: the subtest telc has and Goethe does not, how far apart the parts may be sat, and who answers first.
- ExamB2–C1The TestDaF has no pass mark, because it refuses to decideThe TestDaF publishes no pass mark at all. What TDN 3, 4 and 5 mean, the 0–20 scale, and why your university is the one that decides. Read 31 Aug 2026.
UkrainianУкраїнська
All Ukrainian guides →- Writing systemA1The Ukrainian alphabet: all 33 letters, and the ones that trip up English speakersUkrainian Cyrillic has 33 letters and most are learnable in an afternoon. The full alphabet, the false friends, and what sets it apart from Russian.
- CostAny levelHow much do Ukrainian lessons cost?What the big platforms publish for Ukrainian tutors, why non-native teachers often cost more than native ones, and what an hourly rate actually buys.
- ExamA1–C2Ukraine's state language exam: you do not pick the level, the percentage doesTwo exams share one name. Officials sit 60 minutes and the score picks the level, A1 at 30% up to C2 at 90%. Foreigners get B1 or nothing. 9 Sep 2026.
Japanese日本語
All Japanese guides →- Writing systemA1Hiragana, katakana and kanji: which to learn first and whyJapanese uses three writing systems at once. Here is what each is for, how they combine in a single sentence, and the order that gets you reading fastest.
- CostAny levelHow much do Japanese lessons cost?What platforms publish for Japanese tutors, and the parts of Japanese you should never pay a teacher to cover — which is most of the first three months.
- ExamN5–N1JLPT levels explained: which one to sit, and the rule that fails peopleWhat N5 to N1 mean, the official pass mark for each, the sectional minimum that fails a high scorer, and the two skills the JLPT never tests.
Chinese中文
All Chinese guides →- GrammarA1Mandarin tones: what they are, and why your ear needs a teacher for thisMandarin's four tones plus the neutral one change word meaning entirely. What each does, how they shift when combined, and why self-study struggles.
- CostAny levelHow much do Chinese lessons cost?What platforms publish for Mandarin tutors, and why Chinese contains the single strongest argument for paying a teacher of any language on this site.
- ExamHSK 1–9HSK levels explained: the new syllabus, countedThe HSK syllabus in force since July 2026, counted from its own lists: what each level adds, and how few characters you must write by hand.
ItalianItaliano
All Italian guides →- PhrasesA1Italian greetings: ciao, salve, buongiorno and when each one is wrongCiao is not always safe. A guide to Italian greetings by formality and time of day, including the ones for leaving and the regional variations.
- CostAny levelHow much do Italian lessons cost?What platforms publish for Italian tutors, why native and non-native cost almost the same, and why Italian is cheap to start and expensive to finish.
- ExamA1–C2The CELI: one Italian exam, split three ways by who is sitting itItaly's CELI splits into three lines by candidate: adults, adolescents, migrants. Levels, what the CELI 3 buys, and the A1 that fuses two skills.
PortuguesePortuguês
All Portuguese guides →- VocabularyA1-B2Brazilian vs European Portuguese: which one should you learn?The two varieties differ in pronunciation, pronoun use and everyday vocabulary. What actually separates them, and how to choose before you pick a teacher.
- CostAny levelHow much do Portuguese lessons cost?What platforms publish for Portuguese tutors, why Brazil-or-Portugal matters more than the price, and the one country figure we cannot explain.
- ExamA1–C2Portuguese exams explained: eight certificates, six levelsThe official CAPLE certificates, what each one maps to on the CEFR, the one skill they all test, and the fee none of them publishes.
- ExamB1–C2Celpe-Bras: the Portuguese exam with no beginner levelBrazil's official Portuguese exam awards four levels, none of them beginner, and your certificate is your weaker half. Verified on Inep's own pages.
RussianРусский
All Russian guides →- GrammarA1-B2The six Russian cases, and what each one is actually forRussian marks a noun's job with an ending rather than word order. What each of the six cases does, when you need it, and the order worth learning them in.
- CostAny levelHow much do Russian lessons cost?What platforms publish for Russian tutors, and the clearest evidence anywhere that you pay for where your teacher lives, not how well they teach.
- ExamA1–C2TORFL fails one subtest at a time, and lets you repair it for two yearsSix levels, five subtests, 66% in each — and one allowed at 60%. Fail one and you resit that part alone for two years, at half price. 5 Sep 2026.
PolishPolski
All Polish guides →- Writing systemA1Polish pronunciation: the consonant clusters are not as bad as they lookPolish spelling is almost perfectly regular once you know the digraphs. The sounds, the famous clusters, and the stress rule covering nearly every word.
- CostAny levelHow much do Polish lessons cost?What platforms publish for Polish tutors, and why the language with a fearsome reputation is one of the better arguments for paying a teacher early.
- ExamA1–C2Poland raises its own pass mark as the level risesThe Polish state certificate needs 50% up to B1 and 60% from B2 — a floor that moves. Levels, fee ceilings and the no-exam route. Read 1 Sep 2026.
Korean한국어
All Korean guides →- Writing systemA1Hangul: the alphabet you really can learn in an afternoonHangul was designed to be learnable, and the consonant shapes describe your mouth. How the blocks work, the letters, and why romanisation holds you back.
- CostAny levelHow much do Korean lessons cost?What platforms publish for Korean tutors, why the native premium is the largest of any language we checked, and the part that truly needs a teacher.
- ExamTOPIK 1–6TOPIK levels explained: you do not choose your levelThe official 2026 cutoffs, why sitting TOPIK II can leave you with no grade at all, what it costs, and the two-year expiry most guides omit.
Arabicالعربية
All Arabic guides →- VocabularyA1Modern Standard Arabic or a dialect? The decision that shapes everythingNobody speaks Modern Standard Arabic at home and dialects are not written. What each is for, how far apart they are, and how to choose before you pay.
- CostAny levelHow much do Arabic lessons cost?What platforms publish for Arabic tutors, the lowest rates in the catalogue, and the decision that costs far more than the price if you get it wrong.
TurkishTürkçe
All Turkish guides →- GrammarA1-A2Turkish vowel harmony: the rule that makes the whole language clickTurkish suffixes change vowels to match the word they attach to. Understand harmony and Turkish stops looking irregular, because it essentially is not.
- CostAny levelHow much do Turkish lessons cost?What platforms publish for Turkish tutors, and why a language with almost no exceptions still needs a teacher, just not for the reasons you expect.
- ExamB2–C1The TYS sets its pass mark after you have sat itTurkey's Turkish exam certifies at B2 or C1 only, and the score ranges for both are fixed after each sitting rather than in advance. 9 Sep 2026.
DutchNederlands
All Dutch guides →- GrammarA1-B1Dutch word order: why the verb keeps moving to the endDutch looks like English until the verbs start migrating. The V2 rule, inversion, and why subordinate clauses send the verb to the back.
- CostAny levelHow much do Dutch lessons cost?What platforms publish for Dutch tutors, a rate that halves between two countries that both speak it natively, and the obstacle no lesson can fix.
- ExamB1–B2Staatsexamen NT2: two levels, four parts, and no deadline to finishThe Dutch state exam has only B1 and B2, costs €50 a part whichever you sit, and its certificates never expire. From DUO's own pages.
NorwegianNorsk
All Norwegian guides →- ExamB1Norskprøven muntlig B1: what actually happens in the exam roomThe oral Norwegian test at B1, from the official rules: who needs it, how the 20–25 minutes work, and why you sit it with another candidate.
- CostAny levelHow much do Norwegian lessons cost?What platforms publish for Norwegian tutors, why native speakers cost more here and less elsewhere, and the municipal tuition you may be entitled to.
- ExamA1–B2On half of norskprøven the computer picks your level. On the other half you do — and it is bindingNorskprøven adapts your reading and listening papers automatically, but you choose the band for writing and speaking — and it caps you. Read 1 Sep 2026.
- ExamC1Norway's C1 Norwegian test has two possible results, and one of them is nothingNorway's C1 Norwegian test returns C1 or nothing — no lower level, two mixed-skill parts, twice a year. Marking, appeals, dates and price. 10 Sep 2026.
Finnishsuomi
All Finnish guides →- ExamA1–C2The YKI test: nine languages, three levels, and a price per skillFinland's YKI prices its four subtests unequally: speaking costs twice reading. Levels, fees, citizenship rules — from OPH's own pages, read 2026-08-29.
- CostAny levelHow much do Finnish lessons cost?Preply's own Finnish page: $10–$72 an hour, average $33, read 21 Sep 2026. Integration training in Finland is free if you have an integration plan.
SwedishSvenska
All Swedish guides →- ExamA1–C1Swedish language tests: Swedex, Tisus, the SFI national test and the citizenship test that is not written yetSwedex keeps the lowest of four skill levels; Tisus is pass or fail for university entry; SFI ends in a national test. Own pages, read 21 Sep 2026.
- CostAny levelHow much do Swedish lessons cost?Preply's own Swedish page: $14–$100 an hour, average $38, read 21 Sep 2026. Before that, SFI is free of charge if you are registered in Sweden.
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