What's the best 1-1 lesson length?
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Lesson Length Options
When looking for lessons, an important factor to consider is how long you want your lesson to be. A cursory glance reveals that almost every teaching platform, Focus on Learning (aka FoL English) included, offers different lesson lengths. The most popular options include: 30, 45, 50, 60 and 90-minute lessons. You can even find shorter lessons of 10 or even 15 minutes, but these are simply just too short to be considered a proper ‘lesson.’
Teacher vs. Student Perspectives
You might expect these contrasting perspectives to yield different results, but there is no conflict of interest here: teachers and students both want lessons to go well; neither wants a bad lesson. With that in mind, this article considers the issue from both perspectives across a range of common class time frames.
15 minute lessons
You might associate 15 minutes with a swift tea (or coffee) break, but for some it is also a lesson length. While the main tutoring platforms shy away from such a short time frame, you will find others that embrace it. With such a short time, you would think that almost anyone could fit 15 minutes into their day, but is it worth it? Probably not. You wouldn’t arrive at a football pitch, start to warm-up, and then leave before the match starts. In the same way, 15 minutes is barely enough time to warm-up in the class. There is a reason why this time frame isn’t used in mainstream education.
FoL Verdict: Put the kettle on (and get the milk out of the fridge) instead; serious learners should really avoid such short lessons.
30 minute lessons
This is a common time frame… for a trial lesson. In most cases, 30 minutes should be long enough for a student and teacher to decide if they are a good fit for each other. The half an hour time frame is offered as an option on several tutoring platforms. This shorter time frame will appeal to the busy individual or working professional as the lesson could fit into a lunch break. While more substantial than the previous option, this still doesn’t provide much opportunity to go into any depth on a topic. As a result, this lesson length will suit lower-level learners better.
FoL Verdict: This is a fine length for a trial lesson. Other than that, we would suggest this timeframe for lower-level learners only.
45/50 minute lessons
These are very popular lesson times. The advantage of this sort of time frame is that there’s enough time to sink your teeth into a topic without it feeling too long/laborious. The difference between these two lengths is obviously five minutes (quick maths). What can you do in five minutes? Make a cup of tea? Sure, but what the 50 minute lesson really provides is more time to simply talk freely or catch up at the start of the class. Many prefer this as it removes the need to rush, while allowing the student and teacher to build rapport – all without compromising the lesson aims or learning times.
FoL Verdict: Both of these options offer a good time frame for effective learning. So, are 45 or 50 minute lessons better? Assuming you prefer a more personal service and like to get to know your teacher to some extent, then 50 minute lessons are the best option to go for.
60 minute lessons
For many, 60 is a landmark number. For us, it’s a very common lesson length. Moreover, it is the only option offered by some of the bigger platforms. So, 60 minute lessons have the same advantages as the 45/50 minute ones in that there is time for both learning and rapport building. That said, there is an often overlooked dark side to the 60 minute lesson. This brings us back to tea breaks (everything leads back to tea). Essentially, a 60 minute lesson doesn’t give the poor teacher a break. No time for tea, water, or the toilet. This isn’t just an issue for the teacher, but the student too. Do you really want your teacher to have taught two, three, four (or more) lessons right before you? Probably not. Your total lesson time may be longer, but chances are this time is not used as efficiently.
FoL Verdict: Do your teacher (and yourself) a favour; avoid 60 minute lessons and book a 50 minute lesson instead. You get a decent lesson length and you can rest safely in the knowledge that your teacher has had a chance to stretch their legs and look away from the computer screen.
Conclusion
For us, it’s a no brainer. Avoid short and ineffective lessons that are under 45 minutes. While you’re at it, avoid 60 minute lessons too. Your teacher will thank you – and you will receive a better quality lesson, as will the student before and after you – it’s win-win! The only real question is then: do I prefer 45 or 50 minute lessons? Either option is good, it just comes down to whether you value that extra five minutes of open conversation to catch up, or not. Unsurprisingly, here at Focus on Learning, our lessons are 50 minutes by default. We are flexible though and offer upgrades for when more time is simply a must.