Why you shouldn't use tutoring services like Preply

Preply profits off of the casualization of tutoring. People work for years helping people reach their goals with languages but they can't advance financially because of the low wages. 

As we've seen in other industries such as translation, the casualization and precarization of work strips away from people the possibility of creating families and creating a secure environment where they can thrive and then contribute positively to society and help solve the many issues that we face today. Preply has exploded in popularity since the pandemic pushed everyone online. In theory it sounds like an amazing service that allows you to find a tutor quickly that matches your preferences and works with your schedule. 

But the reality is different. Tutors are not paid for the first trial lesson although the client does pay and after that Preply takes from 18 to 33% of the fee. It also creates an environment where tutors determine their rate so there is a sort of race to the bottom, where tutors charge less and less so they can get clients. 

As a consequence currently on Preply the average rate for Spanish tutors is $13 an hour. The tutor also has to pay taxes on that money in addition to the cut, so that's around $7.50 an hour.

Doing one-on-one teaching is very intense for the tutor and it really isn't sustainable to do 8 hours per day 5 days a week. Also we have to take into account the experience of the tutor. If the tutor has many years of experience they should be paid more as well as if they have advanced degrees. The knowledge that they have has come to them after years of studying and work. 

This demotivates the tutor and lowers the quality of the tutoring so learners learn less. The only people who benefit from this arrangement are the executives of Preply and the venture capitalists who in the last round of funding invested $70 million dollars.

What are some possible solutions to this issue?

Try to find tutors that are paid a living wage, if you can't afford to pay that then consider a group class. 

Respect the time and experience of tutors. Just because market conditions have lowered the rates of online tutors doesn't mean that their time is less valuable. Don't cancel or not show up to lessons without paying the tutor for their time. 

One of the missions of Become Fluent is, besides creating a stimulating environment for language learners, to pay tutors a living wage that allows them to live a dignified life and gives them and their family security.